Soon after Barack Obama was elected president, he paid a visit to Canada. He received such a warm welcome from Canadians that he joked that he might move here if things took a turn for the worse in the U.S.

Polls at the time showed that if Obama were running for prime minister, he would win in a landslide. His Republican opponent would have been reduced to a fringe candidate.

Our enthusiasm for Obama has no doubt been tempered over the years of his presidency. We have learned, for example, that he does not walk on water. Still, we'd venture to guess that if it were up to us, he would easily beat Mitt Romney.

Like many love affairs, though, this one may be based more in the heart than in the head. And an article in a leading U.S. foreign policy journal may be just the slap we need to get our heads out of the clouds.

The online edition of Foreign Affairs, published by the Council on Foreign Affairs, blames Obama for a host of irritants in Canada's relations with the United States. Among them:

* Delay in the Keystone XL pipeline.

* Protectionist Buy American provisions.

* Disrespect for Canadian military contributions in Libya and Afghanistan.

* A demand for concessions to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

* Making Canada pay for a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor.

* Tepid support for Canada for a seat on the UN Security Council.

It's a far cry from the days when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and President Ronald Reagan got together to sing When Irish Eyes are Smiling.

Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper both have musical talents, but it's hard to imagine them singing in harmony. When Harper did his rendition of With a Little Help from My Friends, Obama was nowhere to be found.

Even so, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Democrats have traditionally been more protectionist when it comes to the economy, and can be expected to put the interests of their own country first. This might be something to admire from afar as an ideal, but as a reality it hurts.

It especially hurts because our government has gone out of its way to try to improve relations with the U.S. Despite having no major interests in Libya or Afghanistan, we spent billions of dollars and lost more than 150 lives in those conflicts.

If Romney were to be voted into the White House, would he show more gratitude? Would relations improve? In the end it doesn't really matter. We insist on loving Obama with our hearts.