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 New York Times ranks the best movies of the 21st century. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. A man has been deported for kicking an airport customs beagle. New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Report an error