Original Announcement: Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” the Nobel Committee said.
“The Nobel Committee has in particular looked at Obama’s vision and work toward a world without atomic weapons,” Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the five-member Nobel committee said in an interview broadcast on Norway’s TV2 today. “Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics.”
Washington Post's Last Word: Only two other sitting presidents have won the Nobel peace prize, and they both won it for actual achievements. Theodore Roosevelt won in 1906 for his role in ending the Russo-Japanese war and Woodrow Wilson won in 1919 for founding the League of Nations and helping frame the post-World War I peace.
An aspirational Nobel is designed to promote a cause, and sometimes it backfires spectacularly.
Martin LeFevre: Obama’s Foreboding Nobel (new)
Obama still has time to reconsider accepting peace prize (new)
Obama and the Nobel Prize: When War becomes Peace, When the Lie becomes the Truth (new)
Norwegian Draws Fire over Nobel Choice
Another Fine Mess: Comics Whack Obama
Balance of Opinion: The impact of the prize
Obama's Nobel Is Unconstitutional
New York Times: Rex Ryan, Peace Prize?
Howard Zinn: Obama Does Not Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize
Does Obama’s Nobel spell doom for Israel?
Gandhi Follower Obama, Bags Nobel
CafePress Cultural Barometer 57% supporting and 43% opposing the prize
Get Off Obama's Back: Second Thoughts From Michael Moore
What Kind of Action in the World Justifies a Nobel Peace Prize?
Late-Night Comedians Turning on Obama
Pundits Batter Nobel Committee
Obama's Nobel seen as “daring” bet on future
Obama: Peace prize is a ‘call to action'
Kenyans celebrate as Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
Libertarians suggest Nobel announcements should be moved to April Fool's Day
Republicans Scoff at Nobel Prize Announcement
Upside Down World: Warmonger Wins Peace Prize (CounterPunch)
Nobel Prize Snubs: Which Great People Never Won?
Phi Beta Iota: The deadline for the nominations was 1 February, which is to say the Nobel Committee made this award on the basis of Obama's rhetoric prior to the election, and his ten days in office. This is not a joke, merely a travesty beyond the pale. Our consultants in Europe believe that this is not a conspiracy, only Euro-Left blinders. However, following as it does on the award to Al Gore, whose Inconvenient Truth has nine court-certified errors of fact and cannot be compared with the work of Herman Daly, Paul Hawken, Lester Brown, and many others, we have to wonder if the Nobel Prize Committee has perhaps lost touch with reality and lost the ability to properly evaluate the ten high-level threats to humanity and what any one individual or organization is doing to create a prosperous world at peace that can really make a global difference. Like Al Gore's hysterics, which would at best have delayed global warming by 7 days (we are NOT making this up), Obama's service to “the Borg” is vastly more relevant than his rhetoric. He is what he is, it is what it is, and it is NOT about peace in our time. UPDATE NOTE: Michael Moore raises a most interesting point in calling for re-mobilization of local groups–70% of the eligible voters did not vote for Obama, and 40% and rising are now registered Independents. A “Free Obama” movement might possibly break him away from the Democratic partisan hacks that are now in charge of the two-party tyranny. If We the People can force through an Electoral Reform Act of 2009 or even 2010, we can “Free Obama” to be the George Washington of the 21st Century, restoring the Constitution and the Republic. Or not….
