Politics | Barack Obama Obama's Mideast Success Jacks Expectations By Drew Nelles Posted Jun 7, 2009 1:45 PM CDT Copied President Barack Obama, right, tours the Sultan Hassan Mosque with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, June 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) Barack Obama’s trip to the Middle East has established even higher standards for his presidency, Politico reports. Obama is using his global celebrity to restart Israel-Palestine talks and improve relations between the West and the Muslim world, proving he’s “not a president who has ever shied away from setting high expectations, and then trying to meet them,” a White House official says. French and German newspapers went wild when Obama toured Europe, and his Cairo University speech was reportedly a hit in the Arab world. But officials are also hoping Obama’s diplomatic image will entrench his popularity in the US by differentiating him from previous presidents. “This is a different time with different opportunities, and we can move forward,” an aide says. Read These Next That 'buy now, pay later' loan may soon hit your credit score. Hall of Famer Dave Parker dies Cops: Arizona 5th graders drew up plot to 'end' a classmate. There's a problem with America's crash test dummies. Report an error