Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

[S. Fourteen]

Seriously, it might not be completely obvious right now, but give it a year and reflect back. Nobody will question why he won it once you see the way things work out. I guarantee it.

LOL

It may not be obvious to you but 50 years from now, people will look at Bush and applaud the man for the tough decisions he had to make. Stabilized mid-east through US military presence and installment of puppet governments was his vision.

Lets give Bush a peace prize.

[Jokerman]

Look, this is not an award given by the world, even though people seem to look on it as if it were. It's given by a committee that does not represent the world. They represent themselves. They decided to give him this for their reasons. It's not just about accomplishment; it's about encouragement for what he is promoting. A "call to action" as Obama just said in his speech. The committee is trying to influence peace themselves, not just weighing in after the fact.

[S. Fourteen]

Congratulations to President Barack Obama, recipient of the 89th Nobel Prize for Peace, as well as the fourth Nobel Prize for Not Being George W. Bush.

OBAMA WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
The NPNBGWB was first established in 2002, when the Nobel Committee awarded its peace prize to former Democratic President Jimmy Carter, ostensibly for monitoring elections in far-flung hellholes, but really for being the most prominent American critic of then-President Bush's buildup to a war in Iraq. The NPNBGWB returned after a short hiatus in 2005, when the prize went to the International Atomic Energy Agency and Mohamed ElBaradei for refusing to confirm the existence of Saddam Hussein's nonexistent weapons of mass destruction before the war in Iraq — in other words, for standing up to Bush. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change probably deserved the Nobel for spreading the word about global warming in 2007, but the committee wouldn't have dreamed of adding former Democratic Vice President (and almost President) Al Gore if it hadn't wanted to contrast his advocacy with Bush's climate denial.

Apparently, it wasn't enough for the Nobel committee to swerve off the road to run over Bush once, then back up to run him over twice more. Even though the official representative of Ugly-American culture and Cowboy diplomacy has remained graciously silent in retirement, the committee decided to stick it to him one more time by choosing his newly minted successor, who has only been in office for nine months but has made some of the right noises about rejecting some of his global policies. There will of course be some bogus cover story about Obama's vision for nuclear disarmament and Middle East peace and climate change, but the anti-Bush message couldn't have been clearer if the Nobel had gone to Keith Olbermann.

This ill-concealed crusade is clearly damaging the prestige of the Nobel; the winners are supposed to be honored for their achievements, not for symbolizing the committee's grudges. And it probably won't do Obama any favors; he wants to be a leader, not a symbol, and honoring him for his rhetoric about a new American approach to diplomacy only reinforces the meme of his critics that he's merely a man of rhetoric.
(See pictures of Barack Obama's nation of hope.)

It's possible, though, that the committee may have done Obama one favor: The prize may remind him that the person most responsible for his employment status today is George W. Bush. He ran a good campaign, sure, but he resonated with Democrats and then with Americans because he looked and sounded and acted like change. And while the Nobel crowd's fury over Bush may be over-the-top, it's a reminder that he was a uniquely unpopular leader who left the U.S. in a uniquely lousy situation. Obama was never more popular than he was when he was running against Bush.

Now that he is President, Obama is forced to defend massive deficits, a big-government stimulus, onerous financial regulations, a mess in Afghanistan. He's been increasingly reluctant to play the Bush card, the we-got-left-a-mess card, the things-would-be-a-lot-worse-if-we-hadn't-acted card. But it's a good card! And it's true. In foreign affairs, the U.S. doesn't need to be loved, but it is nice to be less hated for a change and Republican leaders have attacked Obama for every deviation (however slight) from the Bush approach — on torture, on Guantanamo, on Iraq, on talking to thugs and even shaking their hands.

It's a point Obama should make more often. And he might want to add that a return to the Republican approach could win Daily Kos a Nobel Prize.

Obama's Prize: The Nobel's Continuing Vendetta Against George W. Bush - TIME

[Flipmo]

Originally Posted by Jokerman

Look, this is not an award given by the world, even though people seem to look on it as if it were. It's given by a committee that does not represent the world. They represent themselves. They decided to give him this for their reasons. It's not just about accomplishment; it's about encouragement for what he is promoting. A "call to action" as Obama just said in his speech. The committee is trying to influence peace themselves, not just weighing in after the fact.

Not good enough. Might as well give the same award to all the Politicians who give a 'Call to action' speech, or give 'Encouragement' ...

Committee FAIL

[Jokerman]

Originally Posted by Flipmo

Not good enough. Might as well give the same award to all the Politicians who give a 'Call to action' speech.

The difference is all those other politicians are not the leader of the most powerful country in the world that was last led by someone who promoted the exact opposite of Obama.

The Peace Prize is usually not just about the recipient. It's about sending a message to the world. Take it or leave it. I'm taking it and leaving it.

[Flipmo]

Yes, they really sent a message to the World when Martti Ahtisaari got it. Most people can't even say his name without choking.

I guess he won it for not being George W. Bush. lol

Congrats Obama

I'm pretty sure Obama will accomplish great feats in the coming years, but I feel others deserved it even more. Especially when some work for peace their whole lives, and Obama get a nomination after 12 days.

[Jokerman]

Of course others deserved this more. Ralph Nader, maybe Noam Chomsky. Paris Hilton, etc.

[S. Fourteen]

I'm pretty sure Obama will accomplish great feats in the coming years

George W. Bush's approval rating after 9 months in office - roughly 90%. Americans = pwned.

[Flipmo]

Originally Posted by S. Fourteen

George W. Bush's approval rating after 9 months in office - roughly 90%. Americans = pwned.

LOL.

Hey, I'm an optimist.

Leave me alone

[yak pac fatal]

chicago olympics 2016 bid.... another L for obamas administration but thats probably bush's fault too

just what a president should be doing