Wing & a Prayer Productions

As I write, Americans are going to the polls for the midterm elections (with the exception of those in the nation's capital; it seems incredible that those in the heart of the heartland of democracy don't get representation).  All predictions seem to point to President Obama's Democratic party getting a battering in the polls as a punishment for the Obama presidency.

I don't have a big axe to grind here.  I just want to make a passing comment as an outsider.  It's clear that Obama has made a lot of Americans very angry.  I'm not qualified to go into why; I don't pretend to have deep insight into US domestic policy.

But from an international perspective I simply want to say this: your President has done wonders for your country overseas.  His predecessor left Amercia's reputation globally in tatters (again, I make no comment on domestic policy).  Whatever his faults, Obama has shown himself to want to be a global player, rather than simply looking out for the interests of the USA.  While the Nobel Peace Prize may have been awarded prematurely (though that's hardly his fault) he has worked to reduce worldwide stocks of nuclear weapons, he has taken seriously the need to reduce greenhouse gases (which the rest of the world accepts is leading to climate change) and he has helped to give credibility to the Middle East peace talks by showing that the United States will listen to both sides.  These are things that go a long way with some.

Like I say, this isn't a deeply thought through argument.  I just want to say to the States: go easy on the man.  He's not faultless but he's done a lot for American PR.  Doesn't that count for something?

Somehow though, I doubt it does.