Obama's U.K. visit lacks Bush intensity

LONDON — When President George W. Bush visited London in 2003, protests were so furious and safeguards so tight that the president was kept deep inside his security bubble, far from the madding crowd.

By contrast, an admired President Obama touched down Tuesday and paid a placid visit to U.S. Embassy staff members at a school in the heart of London before this week's economic summit.

Obama remains nearly as popular as he was during his last European visit as a presidential candidate, when hundreds of thousands of Europeans came to hear him speak.

But the initial love affair may be cooling as Obama is seen less as the antithesis of Bush and more as a well-liked U.S. figure who bears responsibility for America's role in the world.

"There's been a fundamental shift in attitudes," said Robin Shepherd, director of international affairs and an expert on trans-Atlantic relations at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. "Obama was a symbol and an idol at a time when people were looking for symbols and idols. He has to deliver now."

Obama may not have changed much since he was a candidate, but the backdrop has undergone a dramatic overhaul with the nose dive of the global economy. Europeans harbor deep worry about the crisis and blame Americans in no small part.

Demonstrations certainly are being planned in London, although early protests surrounding the summit centered on environmental, economic and foreign policy issues, in contrast with the enraged, highly personal demonstrations that greeted Bush.

Despite early signs of discontent from some leaders, there is evidence that Obama's popularity continues, both among world leaders and ordinary Europeans.

Obama T-shirts and memorabilia still stock the gift shops and kiosks of London, and he is well-liked, particularly among students and younger professionals across Europe.

Obama's candidacy felt like "the beginning of a new era" for Kat Berry of London. But that was before the 32-year-old television ad writer lost her job and went back into a tight job market.

"Now, I don't know what he can do for people like me who've lost their jobs," Berry said Tuesday as she made her way to a job interview.