President Barack Obama has just been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
When I read the announcement, I paused for a second...it's still rather early in the morning here in Pittsburgh...and then one word hit me: "why?"
I was struck by the following phrases while reading the press release:
The Nobel Committee has in particular looked at Obama’s vision and work toward a world without atomic weapons.
Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics.
"Multilateral diplomacy is again central, with emphasis on the role the United Nations and other international institutions should play,” Jagland said. “Dialogue and negotiations are the preferred method to solve even the most difficult international conflicts.
Uh, yeah. I think all those words add up to this: "he's likable, has some good ideas, listens well, and is not antagonistic."
Ah, now I get why the Nobel Committee is honoring Obama. But I just have one quibble. Instead of awarding him the Peace Prize I think what they meant was that he was being awarded the Nobel Prize For Not Being George W. Bush.



you may be right, Tom
Posted by: Jason | October 09, 2009 at 07:04 AM
May?
Ain't no "may" about it.
Posted by: Vinny | October 09, 2009 at 07:36 AM
Sorry for repeating myself, but... High hopes and potential are wonderful things, but not as the basis for the Nobel Prize.
Epic FAIL, anybody?
(And that's coming from somebody who has high hopes in Obama's potential).
Posted by: Ken G. | October 09, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Well they gave it to Gore for his efforts to convince people that correlation implies causation, so it's not entirely out of character...
Just pretend my last name isn't Norwegian!
Posted by: Bradley Wogsland | October 09, 2009 at 06:43 PM