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By Dinesh Sharma
Barack Obama's tenure as president of the United States has coincided with several intersecting global trends that have accounted for major challenges and opportunities for his leadership: the threat of radical Islam in the post-September 11 world and the rising power of China.
While he has beaten back the terrorist elements significantly, it has left a huge shadow on his global image, especially on the Muslim street, according to a report by Pew Research. Many are openly wondering: Who is the real Obama, someone who seems to have transformed himself "from dreams to drones"?
On the other hand, the rise of China during the global financial crisis has left the US image somewhat deflated globally. Many US allies now see China as the economic superpower, while the US economy seems stalled. A large majority of Germans, English, French and Spanish citizens now identify China as the leading engine of growth, according to the Pew report.
Every idealization is followed by some form of disillusionment, according to psychoanalysts. This truism applies to politics as well, where an unspoken bond ties ordinary citizens to an extraordinary leader.
It is not surprising that after almost four of years of unrelenting obstructionism from Republicans on the domestic issues, the toll of the drawdown of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the great global economic recession, the approval of President Obama around the world has come down to earth, according to the latest poll by Pew Research.
It is somewhat surprising that it did not happen sooner. You might think that Obama is made of kryptonite or that he is Superman or a Jedi warrior. Well, that is what many people thought when he was elected. Today, people have a more realistic view of his powers in office, and a better understanding of the formidable powers of persuasion he possesses as a leader.
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