Looks like that travel and face time is paying off for the US.
Mitt Romney Makes Reach On World Opinion Of The U.S.
FactCheck.org | by Robert Farley
Posted: 03/24/2014 8:20 pm EDT
"The following post first appeared on FactCheck.org.
"Mitt Romney said he couldnât think of a single âmajor countryâ that âhas greater respect and admiration for America today than it did five years ago when Barack Obama became president.â Although Americaâs stature worldwide slipped last year, its favorability was still much higher than during the last year of the George W. Bush administration, including in major countries such as France, Germany and Japan, according to the latest polls from the Pew Research Center."
Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee, made the claim about the perception of the U.S. under Obama during an appearance on CBSâ âFace the Nation.â
Romney, March 23: Our esteem around the world has fallen. I canât think of a major country, itâs hard to think of a single country that has greater respect and admiration for America today than it did five years ago when Barack Obama became president. And thatâs a very sad, unfortunate state of affairs.
"When asked about Romneyâs comments during a later segment of the show, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin said Romney was âsuffering from political amnesia.â
Durbin, March 23: Does [Romney] remember the reaction of the rest of the world to our invasion of Iraq? The fact is that many of our stalwart allies of the past thought it was a terrible decision. What President Obama has done is restore a working relationship.
"Romneyâs comments align with the growing concern among Republicans that Americaâs standing in the world is falling. According to the latest poll, concluded in November 2013, from the Pew Research Center, 80 percent of Republicans (and 56 percent of Democrats) said they believe that the U.S. is âless respected by other countries than in the past.â
"But what do residents of other countries actually think?"
"The Pew Global Attitudes Project conducts an annual international poll asking residents of other countries about their perceptions of America and its people. We couldnât find any questions about ârespect,â but Romneyâs use of the word âadmirationâ matches up well with questions about U.S. favorability.
"The Pew surveys released in July 2013 â the latest available â found that âthe âObama bounceâ in the global stature of the United States experienced in 2009 is clearly a thing of the past.â Still, half or more of those surveyed in 2013 expressed a favorable opinion of the U.S. in 28 of the 38 nations polled. Thatâs markedly better than under Obamaâs predecessor, George W. Bush. In its 2008 poll, Pew found only nine of 23 nations polled reported half or more residents with a favorable opinion of the U.S."
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