Who would have believed it? It only took 9 months for President Obama to once again make the USA the most admired country in the world.

Reuters reports:

The United States is the most admired country globally thanks largely to the star power of President Barack Obama and his administration, according to a new poll.

It climbed from seventh place last year, ahead of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan which completed the top five nations in the Nation Brand Index (NBI). "What's really remarkable is that in all my years studying national reputation, I have never seen any country experience such a dramatic change in its standing as we see for the United States for 2009," said Simon Anholt, the founder of NBI, which measured the global image of 50 countries each year.

Of course the world loves Obama. After all, he loves the world, right? Well - there might be some question about how much he loves the part that he lives in - but that's beside the point. Once again, the USA is on top, kicking butt and taking names and...

Well, not exactly. What the people of the world love about Obama is that he has solemnly declared that the USA - and no nation - will dominate in international affairs, that the US will be a good little world citizen and kow tow to the United Nations, that we will embrace our enemies and kick or friends in the teeth, and that he will subsume American interests in favor of the interests of other countries.

Who wouldn't love an agenda like that - if you lived anywhere except the US? China and Russia are smiling. The thug nations of the world are satisfied. Europe, tired of having to be brave, gratefully gives in to the Obama fantasy.

When will reality intrude? The first time Obama is forced to protect American interests. Then watch that ranking slide back down as the people of the world wake up to the fact that they can wish for a lot of things; Santa Claus, the tooth fairy, a world without nukes, even an America prostrate and groveling, apologizing for our mistakes and promising we will behave like good little One Worlders.

But that can only last as long as the world leaves us alone. And I guarantee you, sometime between now and 2012, Barack Obama will be tested. Whether he will act to maintain his popularity or act to protect us or our interests is a question I don't even want to contemplate.