When I saw that President Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, my reaction was similar to that of two White House aides. When they heard the news,
the aides asked a reporter if it was an April Fools Day gag.
In order to win, Obama had to be nominated for the award before February 1, after just 11 days in office. And he was bestowed the award after a tough week in which
the media questioned, criticized and even mocked him for not accomplishing anything, so far.
A London Times columnist
calls it an “absurd decision.” Even a lowly day laborer on the streets of Baghdad told Reuters that Obama “doesn't deserve this prize. All these problems -- Iraq, Afghanistan -- have not been solved ... man of 'change' hasn't changed anything yet."
Time Magazine’s Mark Halperin, no flaming conservative, told MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough this morning that “not since Marisa Tomei won her best supporting actress award (for "My Counsin Vinny," has someone been less deserving of an award)”. Halperin added, between laughing, that “the best thing you can say about this is, it’s premature.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." This is code for Obama’s efforts to make America more like Europe. European elites don’t like traditional American values and habits like American exceptionalism, driving SUV’s, praying, protecting the unborn, or using our military to actually fight. And European elites are keen on promoting politicians who seem really smart and talk great and don’t actually accomplish a lot, except for making people more dependent on big government. Sounds familiar.
The president would have been better served by refusing this medal, which is going to feel heavier and heavier as the criticism of his administration grows.