But regardless, the conventional wisdom was an expansion of that awful post-9/11 reaction by some, "why do they hate us?" And the answer predictably was that it was our fault.
So we embarked on a new course with a new president--the first African American to win that office (which as a milestone was good for us, no doubt)--raised in the Third World with the middle name "Hussein" and who proclaimed an outreach to the Islamic world in Cairo.
Naturally, the Middle East would forgive us for sacrificing thousands of our own sons and daughters and hundreds of billions of dollars to liberate 50 million people in two Moslem countries.
Nice plan. The outcome isn't so tidy (tip to Instapundit):
According to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project, confidence in Obama in Muslim countries dropped from 33% to 24% in his first term. Approval of Obama's policies declined even further, from 34% to 15%. And support for the United States in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Pakistan is lower today than it was in 2008 in the closing year of George W. Bush's administration.
Huh. I wonder if this factor is in play?
Or maybe our role is just to be blamed for what goes wrong. Damned if you're Bush, damned if you're anti-Bush.
