EDITORIAL: Obama's Islamic poll dance - Middle East appeasement policy has failed

Wash Times ^ | 6/3/10 | Ed. Board

[pissant]

President Obama took office with a mission to transform America's image around the world. In particular, he was determined to extend the hand of friendship to Muslims whom he felt had been slighted during the George W. Bush administration. Some of his efforts were substantive, such as his attempt to close down the terrorist detainee facility at Guantanamo Bay. Others were symbolic, such as removing all references to Islamic extremism from U.S. national security strategies and refusing to use the word "terrorism" when referring to jihadist attacks on the homeland.

Despite his best efforts, Mr. Obama has failed to woo the Muslim world. After an initial burst of enthusiasm in 2009, America's favorability ratings sagged. A Gallup poll on opinions of the leadership of the United States released last week shows declines in each of six Muslim-majority countries surveyed. Approval in Lebanon is 25 percent, a 5-percent drop back to 2008 levels. Approval in Egypt fell by about half since last fall, from 37 percent to 19 percent. Approval in the Palestinian Territories is 16 percent, a drop of 4 percent and just three points better than it was under the Bush administration. In Iraq, approval is at 25 percent, compared to the 35 percent rating in 2008.

Polls in Israel show confidence in Mr. Obama's policies in single digits, and American Jews are deserting him at a rate seldom seen for a Democratic president. A McLaughlin & Associates poll released last month showed that Mr. Obama's support among Jews plunged from 78 percent in the 2008 election to around 40 percent and that a plurality of 46 percent would consider voting for another candidate in 2012.

[pissant]

Even the arabs he's groveled to can't stand him.

[two23]

If he wasn’t destroying the future of America we would all be able to laugh at how everything he touches turns to $hit.

[NMEwithin]

The words “Obama” & “Failed” seemed to be appearing quite often in the headlines now :)

[Blood of Tyrants]

People have only disdain for people who grovel to them.

[FrankR]

[Texas resident]

The arabs only respect strength and force. When the shock and awe campaign began, quadaffi suddenly peed all overhimself and became very cooperative. zero running around the world flashing weakness will only lead to more aggression on their part. When this goofball became the acting president, I believed that he would get a lot of good people killed for no good reason. Still believe it.

[Texas resident]

obama’s pole dance.

[rod1]

That’s because while they enjoy walking all over him, in the end, they do not RESPECT weakness.

[avacado]

" Even the arabs he's groveled to can't stand him. "

They don't respect weakness. They didn't like Bush but they respected him.

[Sloane_Ranger]

“The words “Obama” & “Failed” seemed to be appearing quite often in the headlines now :)”

Dictionaries should now be updated. The words Failure, Incompetent, Liar and Pure Crap can now all be explained by the single word - OBAMA.

[throwback]

Good post. Very informative. Obama will probably be gone in 2012, but we should have a war before then. A real war. It won't be hunting down goat herders in the hills of Afghanistan. Unless Obama is deliberately provoking a war over Israel, so he can come to their rescue. In that way he could gain enough popularity to get reelected and continue the destruction of the U.S. economically.

[cameraeye]

It will be forever associated like Homer Simpson and donuts!