America's standing in Arab nations crashing under Obama

GLENN GREENWALD/SALON:

I've written numerous times over the last year about rapidly worsening perceptions of the U.S. in the Muslim world, including a Pew poll from April finding that Egyptians view the U.S. more unfavorably now than they did during the Bush presidency. A new poll released today of six Arab nations -- Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco -- contains even worse news on this front:

The hope that the Arab world had not long ago put in the United States and President Obama has all but evaporated.

Two and a half years after Obama came to office, raising expectations for change among many in the Arab world, favorable ratings of the United States have plummeted in the Middle East, according to a new poll conducted by Zogby International for the Arab American Institute Foundation.

In most countries surveyed, favorable attitudes toward the United States dropped to levels lower than they were during the last year of the Bush administration . . . Pollsters began their work shortly after a major speech Obama gave on the Middle East . . . Fewer than 10 percent of respondents described themselves as having a favorable view of Obama.

What's striking is that none of these is among the growing list of countries we're occupying and bombing. Indeed, several are considered among the more moderate and U.S.-friendly nations in that region, at least relatively speaking. Yet even in this group of nations, anti-U.S. sentiment is at dangerously (even unprecedentedly) high levels.

GREENWALD FLAWED ANALYSIS FOLLOWS.

MY TAKE:

OBAMA RAISED EXPECTATIONS AND THEY HAVEN'T BEEN MET AND THEREFORE THE ARABS ARE PISSED OFF.

AND THEY SEE HIM AS WEAK - WHICH MAKES OPPOSING HIM EASIER.

IF WE HAD A STRONG PRESIDENT WHO AGGRESSIVELY PROTECTED OUR INTERESTS AND THE INTERESTS OF OUR ALLIES, THEN THE ARAB STREET WOULD HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR US.

THERE IS NO REASON FOR ANYONE TO RESPECT OBAMA.

GARDINER AT THE TELEGRAPH AGREES WITH ME:

The Zogby poll overwhelmingly demonstrates that weakness and a markedly softer approach to the projection of American global power do not make the US president more popular abroad. In fact they simply strengthen the position of America’s enemies, undermine her effectiveness as a global power, and draw contempt and derision from both friend and foe alike.

FOR JUST THIS REASON, BUSH IS MORE POPULAR THAN OBAMA IN THE ARAB WORLD.