Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

[August1991]

The G&M asks this question:

The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize was Barack Obama but who else was on the final list? Judges were choosing between 205 nominees. Thirty-three are organizations and the rest individuals, the Nobel Foundation has reported. Earlier this week, the names of nominees weren't officially announced, but certain people and groups are known to have been nominated.

G&M

Aside from asking who else was nominated, the next obvious question: What did Obama do to deserve this?

Nobel decisions are sometimes controversial but I think with this decision, the committee will lose a lot of credibility among people who believe that rewards should follow achievement.

Other than getting elected, what has Obama done so far? Will the committee now give the peace prize to every newly elected US president?

----

Statement of the Nobel Committee:

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

...

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

Link

And I thought that the US President was supposed to uphold and defend the the US Constitution.

There's a lot of irony here. At the moment, Obama is developing war plans for Afghanistan. And the Peace Prize is decided by a committee of the Norwegian parliament that lauds international cooperation - while Norway doesn't see fit to cooperate with other European countries in the European Union.

Edited October 9, 2009 by August1991

[Shakeyhands]

The G&M asks this question:G&M

Aside from asking who else was nominated, the next obvious question: What did Obama do to deserve this?

Nobel decisions are sometimes controversial but I think with this decision, the committee will lose a lot of credibility among people who believe that rewards should follow achievement.

Other than getting elected, what has Obama done so far? Will the committee now give the peace prize to every newly elected US president?

You're up early August and in to the news!

Based on what the chair of the committee said, for efforts toward changing the climate of diplomacy and cooperation between the worlds people. Both of which have been main planks of his agenda.

This was sure to get those that disagree with Obama based on partisan reasons heads spinning. Glad to see some are at it early.

[myata]

Wow! And I thought it was a joke! (Yahoo: news) .

Must be, an advance for his future achievements!

[Riverwind]

This was sure to get those that disagree with Obama based on partisan reasons heads spinning.

Given the fact that this was clearly an award made for partisan purposes then partisan objections should not come as a surprise.

I think the Nobel committee has embarrased itself. These kinds of awards should be made long after the results of the person's achievements are known (this is how it works for the science award). By providing Obama with an award this soon they are setting themselves up for disappointment. For example, what happens if Obama is forced to approves military action against Iran?

[Shakeyhands]

Given the fact that this was clearly an award made for partisan purposes then partisan objections should not come as a surprise.

I think the Nobel committee has embarrased itself. These kinds of awards should be made long after the results of the person's achievements are known (this is how it works for the science award). By providing Obama with an award this soon they are setting themselves up for disappointment. For example, what happens if Obama is forced to approves military action against Iran?

It wouldn't change the fact that the man is trying to makes changes for the better. Read how the award wording reads.

www.nobel.org.

[Riverwind]

It wouldn't change the fact that the man is trying to makes changes for the better.

So what? Awards like this only have meaning if they are given for actual accomplishments. The Nobel committee is free to turn the award into a joke if they like by giving it to someone who "means well" but has done nothing of substance, however, don't be surprised when people point out that the award was a joke and undeserved.

[Sir Bandelot]

How ridiculous. This will only undermine their reputation. Nobel peace prize is more about politics.

This man became president, just barely two weeks before the nomination deadline. He gave some pretty speeches, He's also continuing the war in Afghanistan considering ramping it up even, and threatening war to other countries like Iran. War on drugs, and all it associated violence still continues. 3 million Americans in prison, maybe 30 million with criminal records. Gitmo prisoners still in limbo. He hasn't done anything yet, just a lotta talk.

Sounds like a man of peace alright...

Edited October 9, 2009 by Sir Bandelot

[myata]

It wouldn't change the fact that the man is trying to makes changes for the better. Read how the award wording reads.

www.nobel.org.

Yes now we'll be giving awards for "trying". The result shouldn't be of concern anymore. What a joke!

[M.Dancer]

Should be interesting when the terrorists attack...can you imagine the back lash attacking the The One, The Prince of Peace?

[kimmy]

Yes now we'll be giving awards for "trying". The result shouldn't be of concern anymore. What a joke!

It's not without precedent. There was the time I received the time I received the Nobel Prize for Mathematics for attempting to solve Fermat's Last Theorem, and the time I received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for attempting to cure cancer using alcohol and oral se--- - hey, wait a minute, I didn't receive the Nobel Prize for any of that stuff.

-k

[Shady]

When I first read the headline 'Obama Wins Nobel Prize', I seriously thought it was a story from The Ontion. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

[Pliny]

In my opinion, the awarding of this is a portent of upcoming dissent and hostilities. It was given for political reasons and when politics is involved you can pretty much be assured the opposite is in the works.

[Pliny]

Wow! And I thought it was a joke! (Yahoo: news) .

Must be, an advance for his future achievements!

What do all those squibbles mean?

[jdobbin]

What did Obama do to deserve this?

That is up to the Nobel committee to explain.

Meanwhile, the only thing Obama can say is that he is "humbled" and will try as President to push for peaceful resolutions to world problems.

Other than that I don't know what you would have Obama do for a decision that clearly must have stunned him as he was eating his Cheerios this morning.

[Pliny]

I predict Obama once being removed from the office of President in 2012 will assume duties as the Director-General of the United Nations and first global omnipotent plenipotentiary.

[jdobbin]

I predict Obama once being removed from the office of President in 2012 will assume duties as the Director-General of the United Nations and first global omnipotent plenipotentiary.

I still worry that he won't survive his first term in office.

[GostHacked]

And I thought that the US President was supposed to uphold and defend the the US Constitution.

There's a lot of irony here. At the moment, Obama is developing war plans for Afghanistan. And the Peace Prize is decided by a committee of the Norwegian parliament that lauds international cooperation - while Norway doesn't see fit to cooperate with other European countries in the European Union.

Obama just inherited the wars. Regardless of that, I don't see how Obama deserves this prize.

[noahbody]

It's not without precedent. There was the time I received the time I received the Nobel Prize for Mathematics for attempting to solve Fermat's Last Theorem, and the time I received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for attempting to cure cancer using alcohol and oral se--- - hey, wait a minute, I didn't receive the Nobel Prize for any of that stuff.

-k

That's because at the same time I was tying to make a Spiderman web formula in my mother's bathroom. Your contributions were pretty lame compared to that.

Signed,

Your friendly neighbourhood poster

[Shady]

I still worry that he won't survive his first term in office.

I was worried that Bush wouldn't survive his second term in office.

[jdobbin]

I was worried that Bush wouldn't survive his second term in office.

He certainly was unpopular at the end. I always thought Bush's main dangers lay internationally although a President can face someone who attacks him where politics has nothing to do with it. Witness Reagan.

Guess we'll see. It is a pretty sorry record of Republican and Democratic presidents who have gone down in assassination or who were the subject of serious attempts on their life. Some are bigger lightening rods than others. I'd say Obama fits in that category even more than Clinton did.

Edited October 9, 2009 by jdobbin

[Bryan]

When I first read the headline 'Obama Wins Nobel Prize', I seriously thought it was a story from The Ontion. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

At this point, I'm beginning to think that the Nobel selection committee consists of the editorial staff at The Onion.

[myata]

Part time.

[daniel]

I was worried that Bush wouldn't survive his second term in office.

All the trigger-happy yahoos would already be on his side, so there were never any worries except hunting accidents.

Edited October 9, 2009 by daniel

[eyeball]

Should be interesting when the terrorists attack...can you imagine the back lash attacking the The One, The Prince of Peace?

It could be even more interesting if Obama decides against deploying any more surges and instead moves to stop hostilities altogether.

Imagine how hard it will be to keep a straight face with a peace prize in one hand and an order to invade Iran or Pakistan with the other.

[M.Dancer]

It could be even more interesting if Obama decides against deploying any more surges and instead moves to stop hostilities altogether.

No worries, he won'r decide against it.