The New York Times puts it beautifully:
Before Mr. Bush's re-election, the prevailing attitude in Europe was definitely: "We're not anti-American. We're anti-Bush." But now that the American people have voted to re-elect Mr. Bush, Europe has a problem maintaining this distinction.
Exactly. The thinking goes something like this - in Europe, George W Bush is universally portrayed as being a bit thick. Alright, downright stupid. It is almost unheard of for someone with a low IQ to be voted in to head a government in Europe; you're unlikely to vote for someone who is less intelligent than you are, therefore 51% of Americans must be at least as stupid as Bush is. And does anyone actually believe this
empty rhetoric?