But the poll, taken by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, also found broad opposition to one of Obama’s key policies – sending more troops to Afghanistan – and a less favorable view of the U.S. among Israelis compared with previous surveys.

In 21 of the 24 countries surveyed, an average of 71 percent of respondents had at least some confidence in the U.S. president’s handling of world affairs, the Pew report found.

In 2008, when President George W. Bush was in the White House, the figure in those same countries was only 17 percent.

“The image of the United States has improved markedly in most parts of the world, reflecting global confidence in Barack Obama,” the center said in its annual Global Attitudes Report.

Several specific administration policies drew near-universal acclaim, including Obama’s pledge to close the detention facility for terrorism suspects at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and the U.S. timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Sending more troops to Afghanistan was the only policy tested that was opposed by majorities in most countries.

Improved attitudes toward the U.S. were most marked in Western Europe, but also evident in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as some predominantly Muslim countries.

The survey, taken among more than 26,000 people in 24 countries plus the Palestinian territories, found that anti-American animosity remained high in places such as Pakistan and Turkey and among Palestinians.

Indonesia, where Obama spent part of his childhood, was a major bright spot in the Muslim world. More than 70 percent of Indonesians expressed confidence in Obama, up from 23 percent for Bush in 2008.

The U.S. favorability rating rose in all Middle Eastern countries surveyed – except Israel. In Israel, 71 percent had a favorable view of the U.S., down from 78 percent in 2007.

The polling, conducted from late May to mid-June, had national margins of error of 2 to 4 percentage points

regards…..plz

Egads, at this point, nothing would surprise me about John McCain.

I have to clear up a couple things. First, about MILF. Ha–you thought I was going to explain it means “mom I’d like to f–”, but no! Google can help you figure out that, along with “Flurge.” I want to say that insanity disqualifies all forms of physical attractiveness. And I want to confirm the rumors: Sarah Palin is in fact Ann Coulter in heavy makeup. Am I the only person who thinks she’s more eerie than attractive?

About the Canada deal, with her love of moose hunting, you have to know that Sarah plans to follow the “Republican Vice President Doctrine” of convincing clueless Chief Executives to invade sovereign nations so she can take over our great northern neighbor. This is not such a great stretch. It’s time to reveal that global warming is in actuality an industrialized nation plot to create more hospitable land in–sorry–Canada. We were coming anyway, eh, fellas. But there is an alternative. If the unthinkable happens on election day, I’m by-god taking my family and moving to Vermont to help with the succession movement.