The American problem might be that the common German people see Putin much more as a friend than his US-colleagues. You guys are not the good ones anymore on our side of the big pond. There is a basic turnaround in the public opinion.
The problem goes deeper. We are not only speaking about Germany. In almost all European countries this mood is the same. Even the Poles, the once staunchest American advocates seem to have understood that the Americans are not necessarily our friends.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3170811/posts
Obama is only the tip of the iceberg. This started a long time ago. The transatlantic friendship with all its economic and political benefits is a exclusive project of elites in the meantime. That was quite different in the past (WWII, Marshallplan, Kennedy as a “Berliner”, Berin airlift, Reagan at the Berlin Gate, NATO Double-Track Decision etc.). During the last decade America lost its aura of being a good hegemon in the European society completely. Therefore many important things could be in danger soon. Something very dangerous happened.
There are difficult times to come. Therefore even such strong nations like the US need its friends. Think about it.
Regards
Andreas
(Sorry for my bad English)