I think in the beginning, Obama seemed like a breath of fresh air to a lot of people. In terms of "transformation," to a degree I understood the sentiment, because the prevailing world view of the US was of a nation that frequently stuck their nose in foreign affairs it had no business being involved in. Manipulating other nations out of self-interest. Considering our history, with examples like "School of the Americas" in Central/South America, supporting the Shah in Iran in the mid-20th century, etc, our reputation on the world stage was in the tank.
Enter: Obama. I'd never heard of the man. A girl I worked with in college suddenly went very Pro-Obama, in her words, because he was "endorsed by Oprah." :roll: I don't think the importance of that endorsement can be overstated. Nor can the power of low-information voters in large numbers.
I think he was in over his head from Day 1. The results of his foreign policy (or rather,
lack of policy) are being seen today. The US is not perfect. I think we would have a stronger leg to stand on if we didn't privately employ the very shady "tactics" we publicly denounce. I can understand how we are viewed as hypocritical.
Regardless, it is clear that we bring more stability to the world when we are ENGAGED internationally. The world IS safer & more secure. As my southern belle grandma says... "Them's the facts, sugar foot!" The chaos & instability seen worldwide is living proof of what happens when the US sticks its head in the sand. The US will
always be a target. Not maintaining our assertiveness and PRESENCE, on a worldwide level, IMHO, makes us an even BIGGER target. And yes, that's extremely dangerous.