海角大神

That hand President Obama extended to Venezuela鈥檚 Hugo Ch谩vez, and the opening he鈥檚 initiated towards Cuba aren鈥檛 souring Americans on their new president. In fact, they may be boosting his already high approval ratings.

In a new poll marking Mr. Obama鈥檚 first 100 days in office, Americans give the president even better scores for foreign policy than the high marks he achieves on domestic issues. That鈥檚 according to a survey released today by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

鈥淚ronically, he gets somewhat better ratings in foreign policy and terrorism than he does on the economy and issues like the budget and deficits,鈥� says Andrew Kohut, the Pew center director, noting that in the campaign it was the opposite.

Obama鈥檚 61 percent approval rating on foreign policy 鈥� just above the 60 percent approval he achieved on the economy, or the 57 percent approval on handling terrorism 鈥� suggests real support because it was achieved after a month of high-profile travel to Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean, Mr. Kohut says.

Americans are supportive of how Obama has balanced US interests and taken into consideration the perspective of foreign governments, the poll shows. Some 57 percent say Obama is striking the right balance in pursuing US interests, while 56 percent say they approve of his taking into account the interests and views of US allies.

In the poll, released at a Monitor breakfast in Washington today, a slight majority of the public 鈥� 51 percent 鈥� has come around to Obama鈥檚 decision to close the 骋耻补苍迟谩苍补尘辞 military detention facility for suspected international terrorists, up from 46 percent in February.

The new poll does not ask specifically about Obama鈥檚 approach to foreign governments and leaders that are not allies 鈥� and who range from thorns in the side to outright strategic opponents. But the survey was conducted through Tuesday, Kohut notes, and thus includes Obama鈥檚 trip to Latin America that ended Sunday 鈥� and that included the president鈥檚 widely covered and good-hearted exchanges with Mr. Chavez.

Some Republican congressional leaders criticized Obama for employing such a jocular approach to a leader who has taken his anti-US campaign around the world. Some supporters in Obama鈥檚 own party even said the US president should have defended America more when Chavez presented him with a book on 500 years of European and American exploitation of Latin America.

Obama addressed the question of support for his foreign-policy approach with reporters at Sunday鈥檚 Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago. He said the American people had dismissed the idea that dialogue with adversaries is weakness in the election. That view reflects surveys taken during the campaign, which showed Americans ready for a new tone in America鈥檚 relations with the world.

A poll by the Better World Campaign and the United Nations Foundation in February 2008 showed Americans rejecting a 鈥済o it alone鈥� approach to the world, with 81 percent favoring working closely with 鈥� and sharing burdens with 鈥� allies. Nearly 70 percent expressed concern about the impact of America鈥檚 poor image abroad, and supported 鈥渞estoring international trust in America.鈥�

Such numbers, together with the Pew poll, underscore how, despite a focus on the economic crisis, Americans are paying attention to foreign policy 鈥� and supporting Obama鈥檚 handling of it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just a matter of people not paying much attention, because he started out with a deficit there,鈥� Kohut says, noting that foreign policy was Obama鈥檚 鈥渨eak spot鈥� in the presidential campaign.