Following over 100 mostly abusive comments on DKos I have published the following responsive in the comments:

Some of you appear to have missed the question mark in my title and my conclusion that Bush was stupider still.  You also appear to have missed my praise for much of what Obama has achieved in my opening paragraph.  

My criticism is reserved for his foreign policy and here there has been no substantive rebuttal of any point I have made.  Sure, Congress also has a role, as does the Department of State.  I could have been just as critical of Hillary Clinton. But ultimately the buck stops with the President and it is Americans who suffer if the US Government follows a stupid line of foreign policy.  

I also know Americans aren't much given to worrying about what the rest of the world thinks about their foreign policy and if you don't care, so be it.  I just thought some of you might like to know that the almost universal admiration which Obama evoked on his election is slowly giving way to dismay.  The feeling abroad is that US foreign policy is now little better that that under Bush.

And there is one other vital difference.  Whereas before the US was the unrivalled world military, economic and political superpower which could attempt to do more or less what it wanted, now the US is being challenged both economically and politically.  What you could get away with before is often no longer possible.

So unless the US adopts a much smarter foreign policy than it has in the past it is destined for a much diminished role in world affairs.  Your choice.  I just thought I'd let you know.  And NO, I wouldn't prefer a world dominated by Hamas or any one other world power.

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