Gear Change - President Obama and Nobel (G&G/Aunt Kathy)

So, here are two responses to the Nobel Peace Prize deal from Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Kathy:

G&G:

Hi Norm,

This is what the World thinks.

The verdict is in: President Barack Obama is popular around the world and improving the U.S.'s global image.

CONFIDENCE IN OBAMA LIFTS U.S. IMAGE AROUND THE WORLD.

(ABC News Photo Illustration)

A Pew Research Poll released today shows that the image of the United States has "improved markedly in most parts of the world," largely because of the high levels of global confidence and trust in Obama. Improvements were especially high in Western Europe, but attitudes toward America also warmed in Canada, Mexico, Argentina and urban populations in Brazil, India and China. Nearly 27,000 interviews were conducted in 24 nations, as well as the Palestinian territories.

"His personal popularity and new respect for the U.S. having elected him translates positively for the U.S. image," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said today, speaking on a Washington, D.C., panel with Pew Research Center president Andrew Kohut and former U.N. Ambassador John Danforth, who's also a former GOP senator from Missouri.

The survey notes that confidence in Obama's "foreign policy judgments stands behind a resurgent U.S. image in many countries" and those surveyed indicated a belief that Obama will "do the right thing" in regard to world affairs.

The survey, conducted by the non-partisan Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, showed that favorable ratings for both the nation and Americans have soared in Western Europe. In Germany, favorable opinion of the United States more than doubled, from 31 percent in 2008 to 64 percent in 2009.

There were "signs of improvement" in predominantly Muslim countries that held overwhelming negative views of the United States during the George W. Bush administration.

Among predominantly Muslim countries, the United States was most popular in Indonesia, where Obama spent part of his childhood. For the first time in the course of Pew's surveys among Muslim publics, confidence in Obama topped confidence in Osama bin Laden.

There was only a modest increase in favorable views of the United States among Muslims in the Middle East, with the largest being in Jordan, with a 6 percent increase.

While the survey showed that overall opinion of the United States remained "largely unfavorable" among Muslims in the Middle East, there was a three-fold increase in confidence in Obama from the Bush administration in 2008 in Egypt and Jordan.

Love,

G & G

Aunt Kathy:

Ahhh yes father dear –that is what the liberally slanted media SAYS the world thinks - but Grandson Norman was asking is what do YOU think? Is it too soon to have awarded the President the Peace Prize? This is the same prize that “the great Jimmy Carter” didn’t receive until 20 years after he left office; Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt were the other presidential recipients. I haven’t checked but I’m sure it was after being in office for just a year.

In reading the news, it sounds to me like this was an “encouragement to keep moving in the direction he’s going” award as opposed to an award for completion. In that view, I think it’s a very good thing.

However - Someone was quoted on CNN saying that because President Obama’s father was Kenyan, this award will help Africa move forward. That I think is ridiculous.

Just my 2 cents. I also have to say my ears perked up when the news said “Breaking news from Oslo Norway” – really, how often does Matt Lauer mention Norway? LOL

To you my friend Norman – be safe and keep the blogs coming – I love you – A Kathy