The world looks to Obama - Part 1

Obama inherits a country with a profound image problem, with only eight of 23 countries surveyed by Pew this spring having a favorable opinion of the US.

The new president has support for improving America’s image. About half of Americans acknowledge that the Bush-era decline in American standing abroad has been a major problem.

But there’s less public support for the foreign-policy initiatives that would likely win greater US favor abroad. Imprisonment of alleged Muslim extremists at Guantanamo Bay is an odious symbol of the Bush administration’s abuse of human rights, and Obama has promised to close the prison. But nearly half of Americans believe that Washington’s policies toward the prisoners at Guantanamo are fair. So, there’s no groundswell of public support for quick action on Guantanamo that’s expected abroad.

Similarly, inaction on climate change has been a black eye for the US, especially in Europe. Obama promised to reverse course, join international climate initiatives and institute a carbon trading regime. But, only one in four Americans think action to slow global warming is a “very important” issue. The Obama administration will move slower on climate change than Europeans and others would like.

Trade is also a higher priority for foreigners than it’s likely to be for the Obama administration. Imports and exports are more critical for the US economy than ever before. Nevertheless, US public support for trade has fallen dramatically. And, Obama was more critical of trade than any Democratic general election candidate for US president in the last two decades. The next US trade representative - possibly Daniel Tarullo, a former Clinton Administration official - will not necessarily pursue protectionist policies; he or she is likely to be tougher on US trade partners than recent holders of that office.

Whereas a year ago Iraq and terrorism might have been expected to dominate the international agenda of the next president and his team, now it’s the economy, the threat of America turning inward, and unrealistic foreign expectations of this young African-American. Obama has promised hope and change. The campaign pledge may prove hard to deliver on the world stage.