There was an interesting Real Clear Politics/Gallup poll on which nations find the US or its people most popular.  The top five are listed.  I thought it might be Poland (nope), the Baltic Republics (not them), not even Kosovo (They just missed the top five at sixth). 

They are seven nations in sub-Saharian Africa:  Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Tanzania tied for fifth, Zambia was fourth, Uganda was third, Kenya was second and the Cote d’Ivorie (The Ivory Coast) was first.

Here’s why:

Since 2008, Sub-Saharan Africa may be the one region of the world where the United States has reaped the highest benefits of what has been termed “The Obama Effect.” Being of Kenyan descent, Obama enjoys high approval ratings throughout much of Africa. More substantively, 5 out of the 7 listed nations have been targeted in the president’s $3.5 billion Feed the Future initiative.

And let’s not give the 44th president all of the credit. Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, invested American aid and resources into Africa at a record pace. President Bush’s PEPFAR program was a groundbreaking policy endeavor, and while Bush’s domestic approval numbers were low upon leaving office, U.S. approval throughout much of Africa remained rather strong.

So thank the American taxpayer for his “contribution”; guess how those nations will vote at the UN when we need them…

About Elwood Sanders

Elwood "Sandy" Sanders is a Hanover attorney who is an Appellate Procedure Consultant for Lantagne Legal Printing and has written ten scholarly legal articles. Sandy was also Virginia's first Appellate Defender and also helped bring curling in VA! (None of these titles imply any endorsement of Sanders’ views)

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