The body language and easy banter between the pair shows a lot of signs of genuine affection and respect.
The easy relationship will do both of them good both internationally and domestically in both of their markets.
The video and audio clips whirling around, will show that both countries and their leaders are in synch and that reflects well on the relationships between our countries.
It is not a fawning supplicant relationship but an equal meeting of the minds as we have not seen before between our two countries leaders.
Both of them should see a real bounce in their ratings as people of all partisan political persuasion like to see that the ANZUS relation ship is strong with leaders that openly support it in a mutually respectful way with clear and open respectful but not fawning two way communication between them.

They should get on, they are each about as bad for their country as the other.

Perhaps the main difference is Obama is much better at distributing the spoils of victory among his supporters, than is our lady.

Yes you can listen to Obama without making a note to buy ear plugs on your next trip to town, but does he say anything more useful?

An hour of platitudes & jokes is not much use, if that you need is a job.

Bill Cosby brought his family into our lounge rooms and we bonded with a beautiful person and his family.
Barak Obama did the same thing but I can't explain how except to note that he was never flustered or aggro or exaggerated , like Cosby he became the guy we liked to like ; Phoenix Rising enter the Blackman to the dizzy heights of Leadership.

In Gillard there is little to like or regard , very careless with the Truth , virulently anti Catholic and a total control freak it's her way or no way.
Our Prime Minister cursing Abbott all day every day is tedious indeed even more tedious should we try to define any gain from her assaults .
Labor needs urgently to skill up their people to exit bigbang theories
like BER and NBN and Carbon Capture, places that belong to Enterprise not the dead hand of Wiz Bang Populist Politics , if they concentrated on running the Country equitably the Citizens would be grateful rather than Confused .

NBN would not work for private enterprise, it would be confined to cities. The cost of Carbon is highly necessary for the long-term. There will be no more stimulus, you will take your chances. It is the coalition that labeled it a tax, instead of a cost. Your references to the PM of the day is immature. Control only comes from party agreement.
Anti catholic, is anyone not catholic anti! I think you see the noose on the wall.

Obama hs brought in under presidential signing orders,preventative dentention ie even if you have not committed a crime be held in detention with no legal council,official charges or proof of intent to commit a crime.He has also legalised assassination of suspected terrorists.

You call that freedom and democracy?

I thought Gillard played her sycophantic roll perfectly, even Howard would be proud of her and there was no bigger groveler to the US than our Johnny. Julie (that's what BO called her)can take much comfort with the thought that she's up there with the best of the US flunkies, and that includes GB's Blair. As for the ANUS alliance, treaty, bit of paper, whatever you want to call it, it has been of such great value to Australians. It has allowed so many of our young people to travel the World to such exotic places as Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan to name just 3. If we ever come under attack from the 'Yellow Peril'. Because we are now chums of the 'YP' people I cannot name the country they come from, other than to say they are north of us, live on a large blob of land and there are lots of them who eat rice. Any insult to the 'YP' people could jeopadise our boomerang sales, etc, which were up 4 billion percent last financial year. Sleep well Australia everybody loves us, well, if they don't they should.

Gillard is making us nuclear targets by allowing US bases here.It is NATO and the USA who are the aggressors.We don't need or want WW3.

The US is now claiming to be a principle Pacific Power, why doesn't that surprise me. From that they claim the right to interfere in all regional matters be they economic or territorial. As always the US (military) will be out there protecting American economic and strategic interest in the Pacific region. There is little old Australia going along with it all, bring it on, more US troops in the NT all the better (for the Yanks) that will allow for a quick deployment any time US interest in the region is threatened. Who cares what's in Australia's best interest, Gillard and Co don't.

Its started! The pacific nation of Niue (pop 1400), yes there is such a place, has flatly refused the very generous American offer of 2 cents a ton, down from 3 cents last year, for its coconut crop. Us pres OB has ordered a coalition of the willing, consisting of 300,000 US troops, 10 Australians, 2 Moroccan camels and a Bulgarian (he may be useful as an interpreter, the Americans think their languages are similar). Donald Rumsfeld told George Bush that the Niueans were developing weapons of mass destruction, and also there are secret Al Qaeda training camps on the Island. If that not enough the Kiribatians, yes there is such a place, are demanding 5 cents a ton for their bananas, the cheek of em'. How many camels can Morocco spare, not to mention the Bulgarians.

There have been dramatic developments with the Niue crises overnight. Spokesman for American big business J D Rockefeller has stated that the coconut shortage was costing him $1 million a day with lost production at his South Carolina coconut processing plant and the quicker Pres OB moved to install freedom and democracy in Niue the better, not to mention the supply of coconuts. Also American spy satellites have shown the Niuean navy on maneuvers in the local lagoon, yes both canoes are in the water, also spotted were several Niuean warriors on the beach brandishing spears. Pres OB in a thinly veiled diplomatic threat to Niue said "If the SOB's don't hand over the coconuts within 24 hours I'll nuke the joint." in layman's terms this can be interpreted as "If the SOB's don't hand over the coconuts within 24 hours I'll nuke the joint." Chairman Moo of the 'YP' people, as I said before I can not name this mysterious Asian country as our boomerang sales to them were up 4 billion percent last year and it kept us out of the economic do do's. Chairman Moo said as his country has just opened the Worlds largest coconut processing plant on the Yellow River, in reference to the Niue situation the chairman said "If the SOB's don't hand over the coconuts within 24 hours I'll nuke the joint." roughly this can be interpreted as "If the SOB's don't hand over the coconuts within 24 hours I'll nuke the joint." Lets all pray for World peace.

A nice mean-spirited summary of a media sideshow.

It should be realised that all such events are primarily designed for domestic consumption.

I have contacts in the USA who insist that - unlike our local coverage - virtually none of the locally much-vaunted Howard/Bush love-fests made it into their local media. At best there may have been just a passing mention of how GWB was warmly received but nothing of any significance.

This was about as meaningful as the visits by the Queen or the Kardashians.

Paul not everybody knows where nuie is. besides you are writing in shorthand.

I'm happy to report that the Niuean crises have been averted. Aussie sent Blinky Bill to mediate fairly between the evil wrong doers and America, Blinky was able to find a peaceful solution to the impasse. In the end the Niuean's were most pleased to accept 6 back issues of Spiderman comics for their entire coconut crop. Not only is that in the sprite of mutual cooperation the Niuean are now part of the ANUS alliance. Unfortunately while conducting joint US/Niue naval exercises between the US 7th Fleet and the Nieuean navy in Shanghai Harbor a 20 mega ton nuclear device was detonated when accidentally fired from the USS Stickitupthem into the nearby city. Aussie PM Julie said "The YP people should not take a fence, after all it was only an accident" besides it was thought the YP people would not have noticed the small explosion that followed, but they did. Now Chairman Moo has ordered a retaliatory strike against America's newest alley Niue. While accepting his white hat from pres OB (on a 10 minute flying visit to Niue) The Niue pres is quoted as saying "If it wasn't for bad luck we would have no luck at all!"

I'm happy to report that Chairman Moo of the YP people has stated that he no longer wishes to nuke Niue but instead will nuke an Aussie city located in northern Australia named after a famous British naturalist of the 19th Century. Aussie military experts are at this moment pouring over maps to determine if the chairman is talking about Broome or Port Headland.
The Niueans are about to reap the wonderful benefits of close cooperation with the US. US pres OB has announced that a joint US/Niue nuclear power plant will be constructed on the island. 100% of the power generated will go to the west coast of America, helping to power X-boxes all over LA and San Francisco, fantastic just fantastic. The contract for the construction of the plant has gone to BP Petroleum. A spokesman for American big business J.D Rocketfellow said those who opposed the plant were "dirty low down rats". and BP had been carefully selected due to their impeccable safety record and concern for the environment. The plant will be a clone of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, BP was able to obtain a full set of design plans from the Russkies for 5 bucks, good business sense. Pres OB said the Niueans had not been forgotten, he is making 5 acres of prime agricultural land available in Death Valley Nevada for a Nieueans reservation, a place where the Nieueans can hunt, fish and sail canoes to their hearts content.