HE CAME, he saw, he conquered. And then he left.United States President Barack Obama was treated like a rock star during his whirlwind visit to Australia. Hugged by schoolchildren, feted by Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and applauded by parliament.You could almost taste the love.While the gushing continued yesterday about the strength of the alliance between the two nations, the sense of the big picture might have been lost amid the celebrations.The two leaders have used this time to promote their foreign relations skills. The furthering of discussions over a regional trade deal, the commitment to the stationing of more US troops in Australia and ongoing talks about the further relationships comes at a time when Mr Obama and Ms Gillard face great challenges at home.The first African-American president and the first Australian female prime minister have been losing their grip on their political futures.Barack Obama, the man destined to change the world, faces a growing backlash over economic problems in the US and the growing spectre of European monetary collapse can only be further cause for unease.While he is committed to reducing carbon impacts on the environment, not even Mr Obama is prepared to take the steps Ms Gillard has to impose an emissions reduction scheme such is the volatility regarding finances, and politics in his homeland. The steps to remove Coalition forces from Afghanistan, where the US and Australia have a significant stake, continues to be dotted with the loss of life and scepticism about achieving real goals in the region.These are not simple issues and ones which will help define the future of both leaders.What cannot be mistaken is that while Mr Obama has little to gain politically from the recent announcements in the region, Ms Gillard does and will.The strength of the friendship between the leaders and our nation provides political clout that many have criticised Ms Gillard of lacking in the past. The opportunity to engage with the world’s most identifiable and admired leader in the manner we have seen in the past two days will provide a boost to Ms Gillard’s credibility and, likely, to her polling.While Australians will feel reassured about the commitment of the relationship between the USA and Australia, whether it translates to a change in fortunes for Ms Gillard is far less certain.