You won’t find much news of Tony Abbott’s US visit on mainstream outlets here in the US, but that’s no comment on Abbott's relative place in the world. It’s more a reflection of the American audience's lack of interest in world affairs. The only coverage any foreign leader’s visit has garnered recently was the state dinner held for French president François Hollande, and that had more to do with affairs of the heart than affairs of state: the media had a field day speculating on how the White House would respond to the challenge of working out a new table plan in the wake of “France’s horndog president” dumping his first lady shortly before the visit.

Yet many people you speak to here will not only have heard of Tony Abbott, they’ll even be able to point to a few of his recent indiscretions. How is that possible? While American audiences in general have little appetite for the nuances of foreign policy, they have a keen eye for biting political satire. For US comedians, our prime minister has proved a world-class subject.

Most politically aware Americans can tell you two things about Australian politics: there used to be this great guy who got rid of guns (John Howard), and now there’s another guy, referred to as “your George W Bush”.



Both perceptions we owe largely to the stable of comedians that have come out of The Daily Show – Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and now John Oliver. In their efforts to speak truth to US power, they've found inspiration in our policies – like health care and gun safety, where the US lags so visibly behind. They also take solace in our pain when we see our leader lampooned on the world stage. They lived through it during Bush junior's presidency.



Oliver's recent compilation of Abbott gaffes, faux pas and missteps – drenched in schadenfreude and universally accessible – was a real hit. For Americans, who aren't acclimatised to the sideshow that Australian politics presents to a domestic audience nightly, it was a laugh riot. Most that I’ve spoken to remember Abbott's now-notorious adult sexline wink best.

Part of the appeal to an American audience is cultural. They delight in the fact we refer to our political leaders by their first name, and the casual candour of our political conversation – including its rough edges and blunders. In the Bush years we had our fun, and now it's their turn.

All this mockery masks a deeper disquiet. Trust in politicians is at an all-time low in the US, with just 19% of Americans saying they trust the government in Washington to do what is right. That translates into a golden age for political satirists, as much as it does into fertile ground for fringe fanatics like the Tea party.

What should we read into American lampooning of our leaders? Perceptions matter. As Abbott heads to Washington this week, his treatment by comedians certainly doesn’t auger well for the reception he can expect at the White House. Increasingly isolated by his world view, and unwittingly thrust onto the world stage by his foreign policy-minded predecessor’s predilection for placing Australia at the centre of international forums, our prime minister's discussion with Obama seemed far from comfortable.

US president Barack Obama is trying to drag his country out of its slumber on climate change and into a much more constructive role. In Abbott, Obama faces one of the last remaining climate obstructionists. On domestic matters, Abbott's first budget categorically declared an intention to model Australia on the America Obama has spent all of his political capital trying to undo during his two terms: from a user-pays health care system to fee hikes for universities. At least Abbott's reception wasn't quite as awkward as a French president who turns up with a new date.