For the first time in more than 50 years, a U.S. President-elect topped the Gallup Poll’s list of most admired men living in the world today.
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(Photo: AP Images / Charles Dharapak, File)In this Nov. 10, 2008 file photo, President Bush and President-elect Obama walk along the West Wing Colonnade of the White House in Washington prior to their meeting in the Oval Office.
Incoming president Barack Obama is the man Americans admired the most in the world, hands down, according to the new USA Today/ Gallup Poll survey. Nearly one out of three (32 percent) Americans named Obama as their top pick, way ahead of distant No. 2 selection President George W. Bush, who had only five percent.
Former Republican presidential nominee John McCain held the No. 3 spot with three percent, and Pope Benedict XVI, the Rev. Billy Graham, and former President Bill Clinton tied for the fourth slot with two percent, according to the annual list of Most Admired Man.
Obama is the first President-elect since Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 to top the list. Moreover his remarkable 32 percent is much higher than the support other President-elects usually enjoy.
When George W. Bush was President-elect in 2000, he was picked by only five percent of Americans, ranking fourth in the Gallup Poll list of most admired man in the world. In 1992, then President-elect Bill Clinton ranked second behind outgoing president George H.W. Bush, with 15 percent.
Americans’ high level of respect for Obama is comparable, but not as high as President George W. Bush’s 39 percent following the 9/11 attacks. At that time, Bush’s job approval rating was at a high 86 percent.
Besides the honor of being America’s most admired man in 2008, Obama will also hold the honor of being the first U.S. president to be presented a Bible by the American Bible Society during his inauguration next month.
Other U.S. presidents have been presented an ABS Bible, but none have had the Bible presented to them during their inauguration.
Obama will be given an official King James Version Personalized Presidential Edition Bible by the 193-year-old American institution.
"This is where faith and culture intersect," said Autumn Black, the public relations director of ABS. "We want to be able to personally support President Obama in his faith walk."
Leading up to the inauguration, a large network of Christians – numbering more than 73,000 – have committed to pray for President-elect Obama to be a good leader during the current times of economic and international turmoil. The presidential prayer effort is organized by best-selling Christian author Max Lucado.
While Obama leads the list of most admired men in the world, his former presidential rival and soon-to-be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held the top spot for the most admired woman in the world (20 percent) in 2008. Clinton is followed by new political star Alaska governor Sarah Palin, with 11 percent.
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey (8 percent), Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (7 percent), and incoming First Lady Michelle Obama (7 percent) rounded out that top five spots on the most admired woman list.
The survey, conducted Dec. 12-14 by USA Today/Gallup Poll, is based on telephone interviews with 1,008 national adults, aged 18 and older. The results were published on Dec. 26, 2008.
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Mr. Barack Hussein Obama is indeed a most popular person in American politics. We carry a lot of hope and trust upon his abilities. We would like him to be as wise as Abraham Lincoln or even better. Even if he fails to make happy all the people most of the time, he would still be the best choice against George W. Bush Jr.
We would like to see that he keeps the wisdom of Solomon, implements the wisdom of Gospel and fences USA against terrorism. We would like to see him eradicate terror in M.E. but guarantee the creation of "Republic of Palestine" as a viable nation next to Jewish state of Israel.
Mr. Obama; we would like you to deal with Russia as JFK dealt with Krushchev of USSR. Be a trustworthy friend of American allies i.e. South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Pakistan, Turkey, Britain and EU etc.
I just heard his Commerce Sec. pulled out on him.
Mr. Obama is taking the bull by the horn in dealing with the whole economic matter with his team and he is very conscious of what could happen if the country is not brought back to its economic foundation, then nothing can be handled in the foreign policy matter.
"It sounds like you're saying that a church can become a mega-church even with very low income coming in."
Here's the deal...you have a few rich people who carry the load. In our church of about 7000 only about 2000 support the church. These numbers are found when you determine the number of tax receipts that go out. People who faithfully give tend to be good stewards of the tax issues.
As for the cash involved. It really isn't that much. You can now have your contributions deducted from your checking account like a regular expense which saves quite a bit of paperwork.
Still, you are right that something else must be going on. It's the fact that a few do most of the work. To be a member of our church you have to serve somewhere. Only about 2500 people are actually members of our 7000 person church. This is actually normal for the "hospital church" model. This is why mega churches can be so big. We have many people who are only at our church for a few years and then go back to a smaller church setting. Many are just wanting to go to church but want to get lost in the crowd (we tend to find them anyway). The model is set up to help hurting people get a healthy foundation in Christ. In fact, we discuss theology more indepth here at CP then what goes on in service. The sermons are about the simple things like what Christ taught to the masses. The more in-depth stuff goes on in the small group setting.
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Daniel Paul
I'm sorry, but you completely lost me on your last comment.
It sounds like you're saying that a church can become a mega-church even with very low income coming in.
You give proof of some low numbers and low budget, but this does not explain where the money came from to make the church a mega-church.
It can't be done with such low numbers. Some thing else is going on.
"A church cannot become a Mega-Church without giving, unless the finances are coming from loans but the people still have to give to pay that off."
Actually....yes it can. My statement was from experience. The numbers show that less than about 30% of our church support it. Our budget is far less than it would be if everyone just gave 5%. I'll have to recheck the numbers but from what I can tell with my trusty calculator our budget boils down to about $36 per person per week. Based on the cars in the parking lot that is WAY short of 10%!!! The actually giving would mean about $8.75 per hour per person. In truth in our area even temps make $7/hr. Most of our folks make between $10-$30 average. You do the math.
Daniel Paul
You have a very valid argument. But I'm not sure the issue is with the giving.
A church cannot become a Mega-Church without giving, unless the finances are coming from loans but the people still have to give to pay that off.
So it seems to me that the focus of the giving is on the local church and not to the missions. But there is giving.
Interesting thing about this poll....
For most admired woman, Sarah Palin takes a close second behind Hillary Clinton. Oprah came in a distant third.
Where is the press on that one?
What we need right now is for those who are Christians to act like it. I heard some number on a radio program which said that if people who go to church actually gave 10% that it would bring billions (B) into ministries to help the poor and the hungry. If you don't want to give to a church there are plenty of mission type organizations in each community like food banks (buy some food and drop it off), community ministries that help with electric bills and such...trust me...if you want to give you don't have to look far to find a worthy place.
Just think what would happen if everyone who posted here gave 1 can of veggies to a food bank every time they posted! I think this is what Obama and Warren are getting at. We don't have to agree on theology to feed the hungry or help the poor. I've found it most effective when one opens the wallet instead of the mouth. Did you even wonder how many people there actually understood that a miricle had taken place at the feeding of the 5000? How many just took for granted there was food?
yeah. spend more money. that's always a good idea. how far in the hole is our government...and you say "spend more money".
i am sooooo glad you're not my accountant. sheesh.
like my dad always said "you got to spend money to make money". mom would always tell him "you gots to make money to spend money"
it was a happy childhood. really.
johnzon wrote: "A lot of government spending is probably whats needed now, geared towards large infrastructure projects such as mass transit, alternative energy and highway repair projects that will have a multiplying effect on the economy."
Isn't this the same as the CC camps in the late 30's & 40's?
Daniel,
Oh, don't get me started on Wall Street, welfare, or lazy workers!
It appears I have a kindred spirit here.
When the godless chair the judgment seat
we can thank the godless media elite
they can silence those who fall from their grace
with a note that says "we haven't the space"
well lookee there--the dog's asleep
whenever we march or say a peep
A Christian can't get equal time
Unless he's a looney committing a crime
listen up if you've got ears
I'm tired of condescending sneers
I've got a dog who smells a fight
and he still believes in wrong and right
Steve Taylor, "Meat The Press"
32% voted BO the most admired man in the country? Good grief! That's even dumber than the 5% who voted for Bush. Goes to show that 37% of our citizenry are either "mentally deficient" or on drugs.
"It is a quite different story from our troops, isn't it?"
Most Americans are far more interested in hearing what they want to hear and have little use for the truth. A case and point are the people who keep saying that Jesus never said "only" in Matthew. Pleeease....
Americans are much like the terrorists view us. We are lazy, self-centered, self-interested, greedy people. Case and points are the economy based on Wall Street. Why weren't these people monitored more closely? People wanted profit. As long as people thought they were or were going to make money they didn't want anyone messing with it. Our country elected a President based on the "share the wealth" Robin Hood mentality. After all, why work hard when the government can just give it to you? (Keep in mind that even when I was a single parent and on food stamps for my childrens sake I still held a job and worked hard).
Americans as a rule are spoiled rotten. Our homeless live better than a third of the people on this planet! They can even get medical attention for many things.
Objectively speaking, I wouldn't want to be Obama. Expectations as so high that he cannot do anything but fail in the public eye no matter how good a President he may be. People think they won't have any problem paying their rent once he gets into office! Any policies or laws are subject to court review which could take longer than Obama would be in office.
If you don't like what you see in the mirror you have to change what's in front of it.
Johnzon, my concern is Obama is being raised so high up that he may have a very long and hard way to fall. (And he still has 22 days til he's actually President.)
Daniel,
It is a quite different story from our troops, isn't it? My brother-in-law is army.
johnzon wrote: "A lot of government spending is probably whats needed now, geared towards large infrastructure projects such as mass transit, alternative energy and highway repair projects that will have a multiplying effect on the economy."
How do these have a multiplying effect on the economy?
God help me, for I do not understand this reasoning. Exactly what is it that I am missing about this man and his ethics?
this man is the most admired? You americans are crazy....
course it's not much better up here, we've got our problems with quebec....
uh..........
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SqueakyWheel
<This is about the ability to lead the country with integrity and to make tough decisions with the proper ethics and moral foundation.>
Bush didnt have it.
Obama might.
I THINK IM CHOKING HERE,
--
I've never heard such malarchy in all my life!
Obama will be the doom of this country, I have no doubts about that. I despise all socialism, and even the Smurfs dont measure up to the level Obama has on this matter.
SqueakyWheel
<This is about the ability to lead the country with integrity and to make tough decisions with the proper ethics and moral foundation.>
Bush didnt have it.
Obama might.
How gullible can the American public be?
Admiring a person who advocates the death of millions of unborn babies even after being born alive?
Even Hitler had his share of admirers but this is not a popularity contest.
This is about the ability to lead the country with integrity and to make tough decisions with the proper ethics and moral foundation.
Obama has yet to be tested. Once in the trenches, the honeymoon may be short-lived. May God have mercy on the USA!
"Jester, question for you. Did your your church teach you to be rude to others?"
I think it just goes with the territory! When you find something you're good at.... :D Satire is so misunderstood.
"actually closer to nation destroyer in the case of Iraq."
"It intersting you fail to mention the millions of lives lost and ruined by the US to protect its oil and strategic interests. Iraq is the most recent example."
My son was just home for 2 weeks leave from the Iraq area. He has quite a different story of what is going on in the country as do the missionaries who are working within Iraq. It is easy to say it is all about oil which is the montra of the anti-war mentality among us. Still, we did find terrorists hiding in Iraq being taken care of by Sadam. We did find WMDs buried in the desert in Iraq and we did find people in the top areas of Husains government who have confirmed that the commercial planes leaving Iraq just before this last offensive (remember the news stories talking about how Sadam must be trying to flee the country with all the people we ended up finding in Iraq) were actually loaded with WMDs and such which went to Syria. Still, it doesn't matter how much evidence is put out there, the liberal media machine will not come clean and admit Iraq really was a threat. After all, why let facts get in the way of profits.
I find it interesting that most of our soldiers are no where near the oil but most are protecting Iraqi civilians. So much for the oil theory.
"the numbers are there! they don't lie" i used to be told by my dad. it would frustrate me so. i had to keep reminding him that i was doing my english homework, not math.
dont ask why i'm posting all these quotes. i don't know what point im trying to make. it just makes me feel intelligent to quote other people.
johnny,
not born again? i always thought there was something a little odd about you. i just thought you had a lisp. my bad.
Jester
<non-born again voters>
That would be me, as far as I know, I only was hatched once.
"In total, 88 percent of registered evangelicals voted for Republican candidate John McCain, compared to just 11 percent for Sen. Obama."
"In terms of the white vote, Obama won slightly more than four out of ten voters in this demographic."
"White born-again voters chose Republican rival Sen. John McCain by a 73 to 26 percent margin. In comparison, non-born again voters chose Sen. Obama by a 56 to 39 percent margin."
Jester, question for you. Did your your church teach you to be rude to others?
jester, I would agree with you that most blacks probably voted for Obama because he was black, although most blacks tend to vote democratic anyway. A generation ago, most whites would have voted against him because he is black. Today Obama became president because he also attracted millions of white voters such as myself that voted for him on issues, not his skin colour. Obama was elected because he is intelligent and capable and the Republican's and Bush have made a mess of things (Democrats too), but Republicans get the most blame because they controlled both houses of congress and the HW before the 2006 elections when the Republicans started getting tossed out for incompetence. By the way, I always vote against the incumbent, both parties have failed the American people, because the American people allow it.
ah yes here it is
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20081110/survey-blacks-hispanics-forged-bulletproof-alliance-in-election.htm
it says in the article
"Not only did African-American and Hispanic voters vote overwhelmingly for now president-elect Barack Obama, but they did so with nearly no discrepancy between born-again and non-born again voters, a new survey shows."
and
"Obama received more than 90 percent of the African-American vote and three-quarters of the Hispanic vote.'
and you tell me that they didn't vote color. c'mon man.
johnny,
wow. that was succinct. i bet people never question where you stand on an issue, do they? sorry. i didn't mean to use such a big word in your presence. just look it up, k?
if i recall (that's big boy's word for "remember") there was an article shortly after obama's victory that showed that the vast majority of blacks and hispanics voted for obama. and i think the article went on to say that most of them voted color. i'll see if i can find it.
Michaelspostal
<WWII ended the depression.>
Agreed, a result of massive govenment spending, but FDR kept the American spirit up before and during the war. And yes, I agree with you again, FDR did experiment, tried something, if it didnt work, tried something else. Actually, thats whats going on now, in a financial crisis, there is no way to know for sure whats going on and what can be done about it. A lot of government spending is probably whats needed now, geared towards large infrastructure projects such as mass transit, alternative energy and highway repair projects that will have a multiplying effect on the economy. The US is spending too much on the military now, which tends to lead to dead-end economics, not multplicative. As such, military spending should be reduced and applied to the aformention public projects.
jester in the Kings court
< winning the presidency really was the result of the people voting a color, not the issues. >
Your wrong
Hoover was primarily responsible for a recession turning into the great depression. His endorsement of Smoot/Hawley protectionist trade tariffs and his misreading of monetary issues destroyed the US economy. He believed we were in a period of inflation so he removed cash from the economy giving us catastrophic deflation.
Roosevelt followed this monetary policy during the first years he was in office. Hoover and FDR both incresed taxes on businesses causing a further contraction in industry which affected jobs. FDR also experimented with several different and sometimes contradictory economic theories. This caused many businesses to be risk averse, they didn't see stability from government so they didn't expand, hence no new jobs.
This is as real as Hitler's horrors. I'm not trying to play 'gotcha' with fans of Obama or FDR or Dems. I'm just telling the truth. WWII ended the depression. FDR led us through WWII. In that way he may have done it but not with his economic policies.
the only reason why obama is the most admired man is because he is the first black man to become president. nothing else he's done is praise-worthy. unless you call voting for infantcide.
and his winning the presidency really was the result of the people voting a color, not the issues. i bet bill cosby could of ran for president and won, just because the african-americans and hispanics wanted a minority in power.
i do admire him for not getting shot yet, though. that's an accomplishment. maybe that's why he is anti-gun. i wonder.
Daniel Paul, It intersting you fail to mention the millions of lives lost and ruined by the US to protect its oil and strategic interests. Iraq is the most recent example.
hosers2
<<Hitler was the most admired man and popularly elected too>>
You might want to brush up on your history; Hitler never attained more than 37% of the popular vote. In 1932 he ran against von Hindenburg for President and lost. In 1933, through back door dealings, not votes, and the appointment by Hindenburg he was made Chancellor, upon the death of Hindenburg, Hitler took absolute control of Germany in the ensuing months.
obama IS a man to be admired. people can continue to 'cling to their bibles and guns' and preach that the scripture says this.. and the scripture says that.. but the bottom line is that obama is an inspiration to many.
Daniel Paul
<It was amazing the change in Obama's views just by getting his first briefing as to what is really going on.>
All candidates modify their positions on issues once they get into office. Usually a move closer to the center. Consider Bush, he said he was going to be a uniter and was not interested in nation building. Well, he ended up as divider and engaged in nation building, actually closer to nation destroyer in the case of Iraq.
It was amazing the change in Obama's views just by getting his first briefing as to what is really going on. He's started to go to the conservative. It will be interesting to see what happens when he get's in the hot seat.
Reality bites. Mike speaks of the thousands of women and children who have been killed. Interesting that most of those deaths have been by the terrorists killing everyone and anyone they can. This is exactly what they want to do here on US soil. They've had that mindset for 30+ years. I have always found it interesting that Mike never mentions the tens of thousands killed by Husain just to test his weapons.
obama's new presidential slogan:
"out of the frying pan....and into the fire."
you should check out this news item about obama
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/16882
it seems that being president isn't everything he thought it would be. and he's even in for a bigger suprise when he is actually at the helm.
"As history shows, FDR's policies lengthened the depression"
is that the same history that says the Holocaust never happened?
Hitler was the most admired man and popularly elected too.
Time to ponder and pray.
Did those taking the poll receive any foreign money?
Michaelspostal True, Congress should share some of the blame, but Bush was the "decider" that steered the US into the mud with 8 years of deficit spending that has doubled the national debt and has the US bogged down in two wars that's costing the US trillions of dollars which help undermine the economic health of America.
Michaelspostal
<As history shows, FDR's policies lengthened the depression>
LOL, Yeah right, thats what the revisionist neo-con's would like to believe.
While Bush has his faults we must not forget that Congress (Rep.s and Dem.s alike) bears the lion's share of blame for our current Economic mess. Obama frightens me with his Marxist leanings, but God is in control.
I believe time is growing short. Keep looking up!
As history shows, FDR's policies lengthened the depression. His massive spending on the New Deal just incurred more National debt. The depression in the U.S. lasted several years longer than that in Europe because of the economic instability caused by constant government meddling. Bush wasn't even close to Hoover and Smoot/Hawley economic debacles.
Bush is the Herbert Hoover of our time, Obama may very well be the FDR of our generation, FDR brought hope and optimism, and saved America from collapse during the economic melt down of the Depression.
Obama is intelligent, prudent, cautious, thoughtful, knowledgeable, non-ideological and a good communicator. Obama has all the hallmarks of a strong leader. He is all the things Bush is not. By almost every measure, Bush is a failed president.
Did those taking the poll get pretty little ACORN gift baskets?
to dgnymn
what about the murder of thousands of iraqi women & children so bush can start his illegal war. and bush does not respect the us constitution he swore to uphold.for 8 years he thinks he is above the law. you speak as if obama is the president already. obama's presidency does not start until jan 20 09.
bush needs to repent too but he blames everybody & anybody for his stupid incompetent decisions. bush profess to be a christian but he actions does not reflect it. he is arrogant, murderer, greedy, lover of money & a liar. that is why this country is suffering right now because of his decisions based on money & power.
Maybe you can read some Psalms today, dgnymn, and relax a little. Take a break from your fury.
So...Obama is the "most admired man?" The Scriptures teach us to "..beware when the world speaks highly of you," and that "..friendship with the world is enmity with God." Maybe Barack Hussein Obama will be able to read that in the King James Version Personalized Presidential Edition Bible. Maybe he can also read where God has condemned the murder of innocents and the propagation of homosexuality. The fact that "Christians" helped to elect this man is truly disturbing, and we don't know yet why the Lord, the Ruler of the Nations, has allowed this Obama to be the President of this democratic republic, since Obama has disdain for the Constitution and the process itself.
God help us when the world, who has nothing in common with our free republic, lauds and applauds Barack Hussein Obama. We need to repent in sackcloth and ashes, and more importantly, Obama needs to repent in sackcloth abd ashes!!!
Well-deserved! The man....inspires! That's clear.
And it's about time, after the fuzzy-thinking, word-mangling doofus "Christian" we've had in the White House for too long.
(How do you spell "doofus?" I have never written it before.)