Do we want a president who is popular in Arab countries?

I've seen this story in a few places:

Barack Obama More Unpopular In Arab Countries Than Bush

Yeah, this isn’t a story you’re likely to see on CBS tonight, so I guess the Conservative blogosphere will have to run with it. A Zogby survey finds that in most Arab countries, Obama and U.S. favorable ratings are lower than they were at the end of the hated Bush Administration.

President Obama became President Obama in large part by playing the anti-President Bush. In part, that meant no more “cowboy diplomacy.” “Smart diplomacy” was the new hotness.

Well. If favorable ratings in overseas polls are our goal, “smart diplomacy” doesn't seem to be working.

But is that our goal? To have foreigners like us? It’s not mine. I want foreign respect. I want Arab and, more importantly, Muslim nations to respect America’s power and influence and determination. Whether they like us or not is irrelevant.

So, too, is whether they say nice things about us, or about our president. It’s like the internet: people will say things to you online they’d never say to your face. Fine, then. Say it from the safety of your own dimly-lit basement littered with empty Mountain Dew cans and Cheeto crumbs.

But, by God, when I show up at your front door, you better pull me out a chair and get me something cold to drink.

That’s what I want.

Of course, that’s not the point of pointing out that story. The point of pointing out that story is: all you people who voted Obama because he wasn’t Bush are rubes. Rubes, plain and simple.

Because you wanted those Arab nations to like us, and to say so. Rubes.

Me, I’d rather they didn’t like our president. So the way I figure, these polls are good news.

Memeorandum.