Hope For The Pope?

I think that Pope Benedict XVI definitely did well in removing himself from his well-known private persona and handling the hostile public relations atmosphere that he was facing at the start of his trip to the United States. The United States is a historically Protestant-minded country and so many citizens have absolutely no idea of the Pope's real significance or of the Roman Catholic Church's agenda. Visiting various archdioceses and organizing multiple press conferences might allow the Pope to connect with the American people while still being surrounded by supporters. Perhaps a bold move but one that would be appreciated is simply having the people ask him questions personally and for Pope Benedict to answer them candidly. The downside of the US trip is that people who previously knew about the Church allegations were probably more likely to feel resentment towards the Church for trying to put on a good face. They probably felt Pope Benedict arrived out of obligation, or in layman's terms, a CYA agenda. Also, it could also bring the scandals to the attention of people who were previously unaware, making the entire trip counterproductive.