When accepting her Oscar for Places in the Heart in 1985, Sally Field famously said to her Hollywood audience
I haven’t had an orthodox career. And I’ve wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn’t feel it, but this time I feel it and I can’t deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me.
Seem the President has taken a cue from Miss Field. He believes polls confirm confirmation America’s standing in the world has improved since his advent. But, as Dan Riehl notes the Democrat puts “a lot more stock in world polls than he does domestic ones.” Just as Sally wanted to have the respect of the makers and shakers in Hollywood, Obama wants us to be liked by world leaders.
It might be nice if he could translate that affection into action. Michael Barone finds that while Obama bowed to “the emperor of Japan last week, the world refuses to bow back“:
The mullahs of Iran have consented to something in the nature of negotiations, but their agreement in principle to allow the enrichment of nuclear fuel in France has, like many agreements in principle, turned out to be no agreement. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the mullahs have proved no more moveable by Obama’s emollient and respectful tones than by George W. Bush’s Texas twang.
Nor have we made any discernible progress on settling issues between Israel and the Palestinians, the first priority of Obama’s national security adviser. Obama’s insistence on a stop to natural growth of Israeli settlements — no new spare rooms for Grandma or the new baby — seems now to have been abandoned. Israelis are distrustful of the U.S., and the West Bank Palestinian leader is threatening to quit.
Obama’s unilateral concession to the Russians — abandonment of missile defense plans in Poland and the Czech Republic — has evoked statements from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that sanctions against Iran may someday be necessary. But it’s beginning to look as if Medvedev is Lucy, sanctions are the football and Obama is Charlie Brown.
And just like Sally Field, Charlie Brown wanted to be liked too.
The above is only a partial listing of the president’s failure to achieve concrete results for the feelings he has. (Just read the whole thing.) Well, like Miss Field, Obama does have a prize. She has an Oscar statuette, he’ll soon have a Nobel medal.
Being liked may help you get jobs in Hollywood, but it doesn’t achieve results on the world stage.
Respect is a 2 way street and must be earned, just ask your parents if you doubt what I say. I’m sure they remember how JFK was perceived by Kruschev………… World leaders are seeing Obama’s naivete in much the same light. “If” POTUS is to gain the respect of kings and queens alike then he best do something more than attempt to placate them with apologetic speech given on foreign turf.
Like it or not, at this time I don’t believe Israel will make any more concessions. Why should they? Every time they do they’re paid back with more missiles being fired on their people. By example Obama’s no help, he uses the excuse of an unstable/corrupt government in Afghanistan for his indecision on our war policy, so how can he demand Bibi negotiate with the “Mishagosh” of Palestine. There are those eager to say King Barry should threaten the government in Tel Aviv with some thing substantial. Certainly tagging some one as “naive” is the kindest way to describe patriots of that persuasion…… but I’d rather have a good laugh at their expense by asking “They shoot horses dont they?” Figuring out the temperment in Israel aint hard to do. Ask yourself, a) what does the Jewish state need that they don’t already have, b) don’t have the ability to get or c) don’t have the funds ready to be sent them ??? People are really being fooled otherwise, but people have to understand its America that now really needs Israel…Hell they’re the only country with some semblance of sanity in the middle east. We need to work harder “with” Israel, or it won’t be long before Netanyahu starts lifting up that middle finger of his and pointing it in the direction of Washington DC …this time in public, not behind closed doors .
Lastly, I think some folks have just fallen off the banana cart or lost their minds, maybe both. They’ve gotta have a screww loose if they believe the Chinese and the Russians are soon to get on board with Obama when it comes to Iran. Those 2 countries love seeing us rip each other apart here at home and spend our money in the desert….. I’m sure they figure the more tumolt we’re involved in the less we’ll be focused on them…. Just remember, if it wasn’t the USA trudging thru the Hindu Kush, who do you think would have to ???
I don’t believe an award is what’s needed to elevate a person to the pinnacle of acceptability and respect… where I come from its what you accomplish that counts…….I believe world leaders are now giving Obama very low scores…… and they seem to be right. I can’t think of ONE significant accomplishment our “head kahuna” has ever come back home with after being on the world stage….Can you ???