Do World Leaders Respect Obama?

The spin from the liberal media in America is that the United States finally has great world leadership in President Obama. However, consistently over time, another picture is emerging from foreign press reports that are not controlled by the American spin machines, of Obama being seen in much less flattering way that does not protray him as the object of respect from other world leaders.

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During the campaign and continuing since his election many in the liberal conventional media and blog world such as the Huffington Post have commented that Obama would bring in a new era of world cooperation. They say that the United States will finally have a President whom the world respects which will help the U.S. to take a leading role in many issues that require multinational cooperation. CNN and the Huffington Post among many others pronounced how world leaders “rushed” to congratulate the new president’s election. During the recent trip to the G-20 Summit in Europe the liberal press was ecstatic at the reception other world leaders supposedly gave Obama. ABC news reporter, Jack Tapper, reported on April 2 that President Obama physically stepped into a heated discussion between French President Sarkozy and Chinese President Hu Jintao in a argument over tax havens. No reporters were present during the reported diplomatic feat of peacemaking instead ABC relied upon the trusted word of a single anonymous “administration official” that the event really took place or was not possibly exaggerated which is put into question by comments made later by the French President. Before the G-20 summit there were many reports from mutiple sources that Sarkozy was actually contemplating walking out of the summit. While the European press and the Wall Street Journal painted a picture that indicated Obama was facing a skeptical crowd, the spinning of the liberal American press was that Obama was going to help build the beginnings of a new era in world cooperation. As it turned out Mr. Sarkozy did not walk out from the summit because his demands for progress on global financial regulations, where France wanted stricter standards on hedge funds worldwide were exactingly met by Mr. Obama. Obama had gone to the G-20 summit seeking two things, combat support from NATO in Afghanistan and a European government spending spree mirroring that of his administration, neither of which was accomplished. Now the American media spin that Obama is highly respected and valued by European leaders has taken a big hit in a little reported statement make by Sarkozy later. The Earth Times reports that the French President was more than critical of Obama in a candid conversation with members of Parliament saying “While US President Barack Obama is very intelligent and charismatic, he is “not always at his best when it comes to decisions and efficiency… He has only been elected for two months and has never managed a ministry in his life.” Previous reports including a controversial comment that “Obama is an empty suit.. and has an immature Iranian policy” alledged to have been made by Sarkozy as published in the Israeli publication, Haaretz, were later watered down by diplomatic double speak after the American press jumped on the French President. Today the liberal press is again touting another marvel in world diplomacy that President Obama shook hands with Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez, who had this to say about President Obama less than a month ago “”He goes and accuses me of exporting terrorism: the least I can say is that he’s a poor ignoramus; he should read and study a little to understand reality” Is Obama building respect for American leadership or ridicule? Are other world leaders really seeing Obama as a true world leader or do they see him as a manipulatable clown that is always ready to be the first to compromise as he did with the recent lifting of some sanctions on Cuba when there are no guarantees of reciprocal action such as releasing political prisoners. I was always taught that respect is a two-way street.