The Obama doctrine

If there is an Obama doctrine emerging, it is one much more realpolitik than his predecessor’s, focused on relations with traditional great powers and relegating issues like human rights and democracy to second-tier concerns. He has generated much more good will around the world after years of tension with Mr. Bush, and yet he does not seem to have strong personal friendships with many world leaders…

Stephen G. Rademaker, a former official in the George W. Bush administration , said: “For a president coming out of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, it’s remarkable how much he has pursued a great power strategy. It’s almost Kissingerian. It’s not very sentimental. Issues of human rights do not loom large in his foreign policy, and issues of democracy promotion, he’s been almost dismissive of.”…

Other foreign policy specialists said that it simply reflected a more pragmatic view of the world. Expectations that other countries would bow to Mr. Obama’s wishes because he is more popular than his predecessor were always misplaced, they said, and they sometimes resist him, but not because they are testing him.

“All these other countries, they have their own interests,” said Representative Adam Smith, Democrat of Washington and a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “They don’t get out of bed in the morning thinking, ‘Gosh, how can I make America’s life better?’ ”