World Citizen: Obama Must Parlay Soft Power Gains into Real Results

World Citizen: Obama Must Parlay Soft Power Gains into Real Results

Anyone who hoped President Barack Obama would return to Washington with a suitcase full of gifts from his mostly European tour will find the souvenirs largely disappointing. While Obama managed to bring back some important achievements, most of them came in the form of warm feelings. Those are hard to gift-wrap.

Following his maiden overseas voyage as U.S. president, Obama arrived home to find the same urgent crises he had left behind, compounded by new foreign policy challenges that had arisen during his absence. Making matters worse, the trip itself, while undeniable fruitful, produced few tangible results.

When viewed through a wide lens, the tour looks like a success. America's ambassador-in-chief received a hero's welcome everywhere he went, even if his most celebrated attribute remains simply not being George W. Bush. Becoming the object of adoring throngs and fawning heads of state may seem meaningless fluff to some, but in today's world, it falls squarely in the category of "soft power." And soft power is, after all, real power. Obama has become America's soft power H-bomb. The new president -- who came to office, in many respects, as the Un-Bush -- is hard at work reshaping the country's standing, battered during the tenure of his predecessor.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review