Richard Grenell: Obama Still Worried About Popularity, World Wants a Leader

The Obama White House is still more concerned about the United States being popular in the world than with leadership, but the world wants American leadership, says former U.S. spokesman at the United Nations Richard Grenell.

When the Obama team first took over in 2009, they wanted to improve America's reputation because they said President George W. Bush had ruined it, Grenell said Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto."

"This Obama team maximizes being popular," Grenell said. "They want countries to say, 'Oh, yes, we like the United States."

That worked at first, he said, because other countries don't want to be told what to do and what not to do.

"So they like a weak United States," he said. "The Obama team is looking at this and saying, 'Oh, we're popular with other countries; we just don't have any influence. The Bush team was more interested in influencing. They didn't care about popularity."

But after six years, a lot of those same countries realize there is a need for the United States to be a leader in the world, Grenell said.

"They are realizing a weak United States, ultimately, is not good for them," he said.

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