Asian 'Obamamania' likely muted

Most signs are that even as the young American president has lost some of his luster at home, he remains popular overseas and can expect a warm reception on a 10-day trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea.

“Obamamania,” Asian-style, however, is likely to be more muted, given that simply not being George W. Bush will be less of an asset than it has been for him elsewhere.

On top of that, Obama will have a hard time translating his personal stature into tangible gains during a visit where the main issues — the North Korean nuclear standoff, trade with China, the U.S. troop presence in Japan and the struggle for a climate change deal — do not present any easy wins.

“Obama's celebrity status will be a plus for him, but Asians are going to be more pragmatic in dealing with him,” said James Mann, an Asia expert at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington.

Since taking office in January, Obama has been especially popular in Europe where many greeted him as the antidote to eight years of Bush, whom they deeply resented for the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and for what they derided as “cowboy diplomacy” toward the world.

Obama was welcomed by adoring crowds in his early trips to the other side of the Atlantic, with only Russia giving him a cooler reception reflective of testy post-Cold War relations between Washington and Moscow.

Europe's love affair with Obama, who has promised a new era of diplomatic engagement, was widely seen as a major factor in Obama being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month despite having scored few significant achievements on the world stage.

While many Asians have been captivated by Obama's personal narrative as the first U.S. black president, he has never been as popular there as in Europe. In fact, polls taken before last year's presidential election showed his Republican rival John McCain favored in some Asian countries.

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