Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey

[festus]

Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey
By Paul Eckert
Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey | Politics | Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's popularity in leading Arab countries far outstrips that of the United States, suggesting he could be able to boost goodwill in the region toward his country, a survey showed on Sunday.

Obama, set to give a major speech to the Muslim world in Egypt next month, "currently enjoys widespread optimism among citizens of that region that he will have a positive effect on their own country, the Middle East, the United States and indeed the world," the polling outfit Ipsos said.

Ipsos said its poll, conducted in March, involved 7,000 adults in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.

Of those surveyed, 33 percent had a favorable view of the United States, 43 percent had a negative view, 14 percent were neutral and 10 percent said they did not know, Ipsos said.

In contrast, Obama received favorable ratings averaging 48 percent in the region as a whole. Approval ran as high as 58 percent in Jordan and was lowest among Egyptians, who gave Obama favorable ratings of 35 percent, Ipsos said.

Only 22 percent of Egyptians expressed a favorable view of the United States, the lowest of the six countries surveyed.

Regionwide, only one in 10 residents thought Obama would have a negative effect on their country, the poll showed.

The gulf between Obama's popularity and that of the United States indicated "there is an opportunity for the president to literally 'bridge the gap' where his reposit goodwill lifts the goodwill toward America," Ipsos said in statement.

The White House announced on Friday that Obama would deliver a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world in Egypt on June 4, seeking to repair ties that were damaged under his predecessor George W. Bush.

Many Arab and Muslim nations were angered by the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, harsh interrogation of terrorism suspects at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Bush's initial reluctance to pursue Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Ipsos said the survey had a margin of error ranging from 2.6 to 3 percentage points depending on the country.

[johnsteele]

This must make The Messiah happy as he htinks he's more important than the country anyway.

[Piece Corps]

Tell us something we don't already know! Obama already thinks he's god.

[MADnMO]

We should not be surprised, after all he is one of them.

[HK4U]

The anti-christ will be popular when he comes on the seen for a while at least. Wait a minute. Did I say when he comes?

[Scarecrow]

obama is anti american.. of course he must be popular among other anti americans.

[2nd_AMENDMENT_KNIGHT]

It is a sad day in America. The enemies of the United States are in love with our president and he loves them just as much. I think that when obama was running for the office, and he was receiving all those donations from over seas, it was from his puppet masters in saudi arabia. They are just pulling the strings and he is dancing and doing everything they say. next move . . . merge Canada, U.S. and Mexico and get the Amero in circulation.