A tale of two leaders: When Dilma met Barack

Dilma Rousseff and Barack Obama at the White House.

The title of this series of columns is “Perceptions,” but this week, it’s about more than just my humble opinion.

The Herald closely followed Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff’s visit to the United States this week, where the unpopular Workers’ Party leader, who finds herself currently on a somewhat slippery slope to hatred, found herself face-to-face with Barack Obama, who was on fine form after perhaps the best week of his presidency.

Obama, of course, is revelling in recent achievements. Fast-track authority for his trade plans, the same-sex marriage and Affordable Care Act rulings by the US Supreme Court, widespread praise for his eulogy (and singing!) in Charleston — it really is all happening for the man in the Oval Office.

Rousseff meanwhile has her back to the wall. Austerity rebellions by lawmakers, rising unemployment, a shrinking economy — and even the US press wouldn’t leave her alone about Petrobras (the scandal scored a couple more arrests this week).

Then, while she enjoyed her trip abroad, came more bad news. A new survey on public opinion made for really, really, bad reading. According to a new CNI poll, just nine percent of Brazilians said they approve of her government. If that sounds bad, it gets even worse… 68 percent of the population rated it as “bad” or “terrible.” A ridiculous 83 percent said they didn’t approve of the way she is governing Brazil. Yikes.

Let’s compare that with the new and improved Barack Obama. Well, this week, for the first time in two years, his approval ratings popped above 50 percent — up five points since May.
As the two heads of state kissed and made up over the NSA espionage scandal, signed a host of deals (Brazilians — you can now get Visas more easily, and skip the lines at US airports) and generally played nice for the cameras but it was impossible not to feel a little bit sorry for the Brazilian. Nor to speculate as to what she was truly thinking.

Was she envious, or even a tiny bit jealous of Obama as he bantered with the press? Was she hoping a little bit of his popularity might rub off? Was she even hoping he might be feeling generous and chuck something extra into the agreements to boost Brazil’s stuttering economy?
Approval polls often provide journalists with easy headlines. But the real meat is contained in the stories — why approval ratings have fallen or risen, and, what lies ahead.

With Obama, it’s easy. It was a great week and he has real momentum for the first time in quite a while. He may seek to cash in but attention is being drawn the new presidential candidates — especially the neverending sea of declaring Republicans, half of whom seem like characters from stand-up comedy — and, he’s also on the way out.

So is Rousseff, of course, but much much further down the line. The Brazilian president, just half a year into a new term in office, desperately needs to turn things around — otherwise she might well be dumped by her own party prematurely.

The distance between the two leaders on their podiums was little, but in politics, they are seas apart.

@urlgoeshere

An edited version of this column was published in the Buenos Aires Herald, on Sunday, July 5, 2015 as part of the ‘Perceptions’ series.

Link: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/193215/looking-on-with-(approval-rating)-envy.