A Graph That Speaks for Itself!

Source: Gallup World Leadership Project

The United States, as the world's most powerful country, is probably never going to be popular with everyone. Under the Obama administration, no more than a quarter of respondents from this poll taken in 150 countries have disapproved of U.S. leadership, compared with more than one-third of respondents in the last year of George Bush's presidency. Last year 46% of respondents approved of U.S. leadership, while 24% disapproved -- both better grades than received by the Bush administration.

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show noted:

A few weeks ago, as part of a larger condemnation of Obama presidency, Mitt Romney insisted the last five years have been awful for the United States’ stature around the world. “It is hard to name even a single country that has more respect and admiration for America today than when President Obama took office,” the failed candidate said, adding, “Our esteem around the world has fallen.”

For the right, this is a common line of attack. Tea Party favorite Ben Carson recently argued, “Russians seem to be gaining prestige and influence throughout the world as we are losing ours.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney said on “Face the Nation” a month ago that America’s willingness to keep our commitments has been “in doubt for some time now” around the globe “because of the policies of the Obama administration.”

I see two possibilities.

• Republicans don't understand how the United States is regarded abroad, or
• Republicans don't tell the public the truth about the improvement Obama has made in our image abroad.

 Of course some may be badly informed, some may be speaking 'politician speak", and some may have another explanation.