I am a fan of President Barack Obama. This is not exactly a popular statement to make these days, as his approval rating sits dangerously close to the 40 percent mark.

Many Americans favored President Obama when he first entered office in 2009 and have since become jaded over what they see as failed policies.

I’m a unique case, in that I am the exact opposite of the American public on this matter.

I was skeptical of President Obama when he first entered office, but I have come to sympathize with his cause over the years.

This is why I get so irritated that, for whatever reason, people can’t help but stack President Obama up against Russian President Vladimir Putin in a contest to see who the manliest president is.

Recent polls indicate that Americans think Putin is stronger than Obama, and Forbes listed President Obama behind Putin on their list of most powerful world leaders.

This entire comparison is just insane and it really needs to stop.

If you ever listen to Fox News commentators (and I suggest that you don’t unless you need a good laugh), they seem to have an obsession with Putin and his perceived macho man status.

Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Eric Bolling and even the somehow still relevant Sarah Palin have all sung their praises for Putin, asserting that he makes decisions without hesitation.

They also point out the fact that he is muscular, rides horses shirtless and hunts wild tigers.

But what they fail to mention is how Putin is a notorious human rights violator, shows blatant disregard for the United Nations and is a power-hungry egomaniac who has manipulated Russian elections to stay in power for years.

I have no shame in admitting that I am a bigger fan of the president who gave health coverage to eight million of his citizens than a president who has been accused of allowing his police forces to torture and kill people who protest his regime which suppresses free speech and any form of opposition.

Besides, why is it that making quick decisions without thinking is an admirable trait for a leader?

This is how countries end up in wars that last for years and cost billions, if not trillions of dollars and countless lives.

So why do so many people in our society prefer the antiquated method of shoot first and ask questions later?

Real strength comes in the ability to sit down with your enemies and have a civilized conversation. Real power comes in the form of granting your citizens basic human rights rather than taking them away.

The great Jon Stewart summed it up best when talking about conservatives and their supposed love affair with Putin.

To paraphrase Mr. Stewart, making a quick decision and watching everybody react is the action of a toddler, not a leader.

I will gladly choose the latte-drinking former professor of Law at the University of Chicago as my commander-in-chief over the tiger-shooting former KGB intelligence officer any day of the week.

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