MANY ANALYSTS here and abroad agree it was a smart political move for the U.S. presidential nominee, but some argue it was just a drop in a substantial bucket of goodwill needed to improve international relations with America.
As President George W. Bush nears the end of a mostly disastrous eight-year term, he too should be given credit for public appearances overseas.
Traveling by air — er, compressed air, that is — and landing on everything from brick walls to telephone poles to the doors of trash chutes, Bush boasts a presence in just about every last nook in the world.
Curitiba, Brazil
Unlike Bush’s approval rating, attendance at Disney theme parks doesn’t seem to have taken a hit in America’s worsening economy.
Photo by mlbor
Granada, Spain
Bush’s Starbucks-colored tank creeps toward a McDonald’s logo.
Photo by juanti
Lisbon, Portugal
Photo by Graffiti Land
London, England
Painted on a wall facing East London’s members-only Shoreditch House is this poignant portrait.
Photo by nickburcher
Sofia, Bulgaria
Faded from foot traffic, the sidewalk mugshot reads: Wanted Dead: George W. Bush, for crimes against humanity and the planet.
Photo by kiki
Berlin, Germany
Bush faces off with Osama bin Laden outside a record store in Berlin. War is terror, the caption reads.
Senator Obama’s tour included a stop in Berlin, where he gave a speech to a crowd of more than 200,000. American blogger Fred Wilson responds: “This kind of worldwide popularity is something we need in the US right now.”
Photo by shawnbot
Colonia, Uruguay
This makeshift banner welcomed Bush to Uruguay in March of 2007, when Bush met with President Tabaré Vasquez.
Translated, the greeting reads: Your dead, hungry, unemployed, disappeared [illegally imprisoned], lying cronies salute you.
Photo by MichaelO’B
Durango, Mexico
Photo by OliverAlex
Wellington, New Zealand
Give Bush an inch, and he’ll bomb a country, one stencil remarks.
Bush’s critics argue he never should have sent troops to battle without Congressional approval. Legally, the power to declare war lies in the hands of the Congress, not the President.
Photo by glutnix
Gullbringusysla, Iceland
Flanked by missiles, could Bush be folding his hands in prayer?
Photo by choufiphone
San José, Costa Rica
Translation: Mentally ill in service of capital.
Photo by C-Monster
Rome, Italy
Photo by tracymadaj
Melbourne, Australia
Photo by Toots Fontaine
Rosario, Argentina
Joyfully riding a missile — gut protruding, cowboy hat waving — Bush’s embodiment of Texan stereotypes is as much the subject of this artist’s mockery as the President’s flippant attitude toward explosives.
Photo by pablodf
Mito, Japan
Prolific graffiti artist Og Akim shares his rich political artwork at the X-Color exhibit in Japan.
Photo by nattynattyboom
Johannesburg, South Africa
A donkey-eared Bush and his toy tank ponder their next move.
Photo by banter
Israel
Bush is pictured here with Ariel Sharon, Israeli Prime Minister when this photo was taken in 2006.
Photo by greenwonderland
Bangkok, Thailand
Photo by G4Glenno
Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine
Bush, a United Methodist, tries on some Devil horns in the city of Jesus’ birth.
On June 10, 2000, the President declared Jesus Day in Texas.
Photo by hazy jenius
Riga, Latvia
Photo by Patient Dinosaur
Victoria, BC, Canada
On a brick wall in Victoria, British Columbia, Bush discusses world domination with Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper. (The dialogue references a mid-90s animated television show, Animaniacs, which began airing in Canada late last year.)
What are we going to do tonight, George?
What we do every night, Steve. Try to take over the world.
Photo by ngawangchodron
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Lyrics to the United States national anthem take on a less hopeful meaning.
Photo by Jamie Rushell
Wrocław, Poland
Photo by ChrisJ.
Styria, Austria
Photo by newsrepublic
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Bush mzushi, loosely translated: Bush is a rumormonger.
Photo by Msomi
As voters and the media shift their attention toward the November elections, Bush’s reign as one of the most widely loathed political leaders comes to a close. With fewer than a hundred days before a successor is named, here’s to hoping that displays like these will stop appearing — and won’t reemerge with the likeness of Senator John McCain.