I'm an outsider here, and I'm not going to weigh in on his policies or successes and failures, but you have to admit that the fact that most non-Americans don't assume every single thing that the US is doing is automatically selfish, fear-driven, and opportunistic, for the first time in the better part of a decade, has to be worth something as far as political currency. Even if he's no better than most other guys doing the job (and isn't that a shock) the simple fact that he's the outward appearance of change is worth it's weight in gold.

In either case, to go back to the wisdom of Douglas Adams, "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job."