A Foreign Opinion Of Obama

I've copied an article by Richard Roy from Quora Digest entitled "What do people who don't live in the US think of Obama?" I think it's a pretty good encapsulation of Obama's presidency.

Another Brit opinion.. Mine (although I know it is shared by many Brits).

When Obama entered the international political stage I was pleased to see the US breaking the stereotypical 'middle aged white man' mold (even though I am a middle aged white man). The mere fact that America would entertain the prospect of a Black president was seen around the world as a big step forward for the nation that is the global leader.

When we began to hear his speeches that positivism was multiplied to the power of 10.... A potential black president who was intelligent, articulate, thoughtful and who, with every word, gained respect around the world.

When Obama won his first term it felt to me as though the world rejoiced -not just for themselves but for America as well!

I don't think many people around the world have a true understanding of just how tough the financial and political legacy he was left with has been for the Obama presidency. Not only has he had to clean up a fiscal mess far larger than any over the last 80 years, he has had to do this while ending two wars and has had to achieve this in the face of the most disruptive and bitter Republican opposition ever seen, by any president, since the American Civil war. Through all of this he has complained very little, maintained his composure and talked about solutions far more than he talks about his political opponents. He has spoken clearly and with passion and has acted in line with his speeches. Sure there are things he has not achieved but everyone knew where he stood and had to respect his genuine efforts to achieve the things he believed in.

In the teeth of huge adversity he has shown a charm and a character quite rightly admired by billions around the world. It is that charm and character that people began to associate with America and you could hardly ask for a more positive model. His personal life is a positive reflection of his public life.

We are not all Americans. We are not directly affected by the domestic politics of the US. But we are all, ultimately, affected by those politics. But from where I sit eight years of President Obama has lifted the worldwide reputation of the US out of a very nasty hole, into which the US reputation was vanishing very quickly, and brought that reputation back to life.

Enemies of the US have been confounded by Obama, whose common sense, positive and inclusive approach has been very hard to criticize. Friends of the US have been able to point to Obama as a positive force in the world.

In actual fact I think the only negative about Obama is that the frustration of his enemies (usually the enemies of the western world) has grown so much over the last eight years that they are almost ready to explode. But I'd rather have it that way than any other.

I completely agree with the US policy (of maximum two terms for any president) but in Obama's case that is a real shame. One can only hope that the next president of the US can build on his legacy and achievements but it's going to be a very tough act to follow. The alternatives pale in comparison -though some very much more than others.

I completely agree with what others have said before, I believe history will be very kind to Mr Obama and quite right too.