Every year Zogby unveils its annual Arab Public Opinion Poll to show us what an awesome a job our great nation is doing winning over the hearts and minds of the Arabs. This year, like every year, the answer is "meh." But say, who is this handsome gentleman burning up the Arab charts? Holy crap, Hugo Chavez!? WTF?
Apparently Chavez gained some "Arab street" cred last fall when he protested the Israeli invasion of Gaza, and then of course there was the whole revitalization of OPEC thing which has rocked everyone's economic casbah. Naturally the US press has no idea what to make of this, so they take the easy way out, through (no judgment, we do this all the time!) "snark."
The Christian Science Monitor gets laffs by saying Chavez is "so big that he's surpassed the usual favorites: Osama bin Laden, Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedenejad." Get it? B/c they're bad guys!
Of course when you look at the chart, three of those four aren't even in the top half. In fact the #2 most popular leader is.... geriatric Frenchie Jacques Chirac? Ok that could use some explaining. Click here to see a bigger version of that chart.
Comments (6)
Good call, Bina!
Although, I'm surprised Erdogan didn't rank higher, since he stormed off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos after a heated debate on Gaza with Israel's president--what I would have done myself.
It's a shame so few politicians shunned Israel after Lebanon or Gaza.
I look at it dispassionately: I'm a Brazilian, and I don't have a dog in that fight. But collective punishment has been against international law for some time now...
But having lived in the US now for twenty-nine years, I get it: international law does not apply to the United States, Great Britain or Israel. (Before, this group included South Africa, but I digress...)
Posted by Brasil66
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May 24, 2009 1:09 AM
Posted on May 24, 2009 01:09
In other words, it looks like the Arab world isn't such an Islamist menace as we're being told it is. It wants secular nationalists rather than religious zealots in charge. Only problem is, Iran had one once--Mohammed Mossadegh. Democratically elected, secular, nationalist--and the CIA eated him.
Posted by QueenBina
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May 23, 2009 9:19 PM
Posted on May 23, 2009 21:19
Ya know, one interesting conclusion one can draw is that all else being equals, the MEasterners prefer secular nationalists who they believe to stand up for their interests rather than religious leaders, which would explain a preference for Chirac and Chavez over even Nasrallah.
Posted by Utpal
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May 23, 2009 8:06 PM
Posted on May 23, 2009 20:06
I like asparagus quiche.
Posted by QueenBina
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May 23, 2009 7:40 PM
Posted on May 23, 2009 19:40
Da BoooRev seems to prefer choc bars to pie :)
Posted by Utpal
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May 23, 2009 5:00 PM
Posted on May 23, 2009 17:00
i like pie
Posted by otto
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May 23, 2009 4:05 PM
Posted on May 23, 2009 16:05