Barack Obama’s tenacious policy of leading from behind is not just reflected in his approval numbers, but in the percentage of Americans who see him negatively affecting the world’s perception of the U.S. According to Gallup, “For the first time, more Americans think President Barack Obama is not respected by other world leaders than believe he is.” The 53% who say international leaders do not respect Obama is up from 20% in ‘09. On the flip side, the 41% who still believe he garners positive esteem is significantly down from 67% in '09. Don’t expect the escalating problems in the Middle East – issues exasperated by Obama’s inability to lead – and the recent uprising in Ukraine to change this.