Reaction to Obama's Nobel Peace Prize mixed

What a difference a week makes. Last Friday, despite pleas by Oprah and the Obamas, an Olympics that was (in many U.S. citizens' minds) rightfully ours was awarded to the second-largest city of the largest country in South America, a continent that has never had the glory of hosting an Olympiad. A nation gasped while those in the right-leaning portion of the blogosphere chuckled.

A week later President Obama woke up to his daughters' informing him that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize. A nation gasped. Again.

While the reaction from the conservative blogs and the right-wing commentators was mostly predictable, liberal blog Talk Left seemed to agree with the sentiment that the award comes undeserved, and further, should be politely rejected by Obama, "Just because the Nobel Committee wants to make fools of themselves, Obama should not have to play along. He should turn it down."

Other lefty bloggers, though, saw some method in the perceived madness. Glenn Greenwald of Salon said that when he first read today's news he thought those jokers at the Onion had hacked into CNN.com. But then he realized that perhaps Obama has actually created the foundations of change in his first eight months of his presidency:

Obama has changed the tone America uses to speak to the world generally and the Muslim world specifically. His speech in Cairo, his first-week interview on al-Arabiya, and the extraordinarily conciliatory holiday video he sent to Iran are all substantial illustrations of that. His willingness to sit down and negotiate with Iran -- rather than threaten and berate them -- has already produced tangible results.

When the president spoke to the media this morning he too expressed surprise with the honor and explained that he was humbled with the nod.

John McCain, once again proving that he is still out of touch with his party, told CNN, "I think all of us were surprised at the decision. But I think Americans are always pleased when their president is recognized by something on this order."

Clearly McCain hadn't read RedState.com, which immediately went to the race card when explaining how the Nobel could go to the president. "I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it," Red State blogger Erik Erickson wrote, "but that is the only thing I can think of for this news."

Perhaps Erickson hadn't yet read the explanation from Thorbjoern Jagland, the chairman of the Peace Prize committee, who never once mentioned the fact that Obama is half black. "It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve. It is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done." Archbishop Desmond Tutu echoed that sentiment, "It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama's message of hope."

Meanwhile, 1983 Nobel Peace Prize-winner Lech Walesa agreed with both sides. "Who, Obama?" Walesa asked reporters in Poland. "So fast? Too fast -- he hasn't had the time to do anything yet." Later he added "for the time being Obama's just making proposals. But sometimes the Nobel committee awards the prize to encourage responsible action."

-- Tony Pierce

Photo: President Obama speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House after learning he had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Credit: Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg

Comments

[Gina Victorino]

I used to think that the Nobel Peace Prize Had substance behind it and stood for something that nobody else can do.

But now, this has just proven it to be nothing but a glam award from the local trophy do-it-yourself shop. How can a nobel

peace prize be awarded when there is a war going on, and the President's birth right was overlooked by the constitution. The

whole world is in a total brain -wash and it is beeing proven everyday. The next thing you know "they" will bring back

crucufiction and everybody will think it is a good thing. Then the icing on the cake -you will have a new war called the 7 -11 war,

the war of convience - It comes to you -Its Vietnam in everyones backyard. Sending tsomething on the moon to crash to find water

is highly ridicules and the money spent there could feed the nation. No priorities. For this is a a reason for a million dollar award.

Here is two for you- The government spends 2 billion dollars looking to defy grafity a year. If you don't think your brains are in frozen state of mind, how come nobody sees the fact that cream in a milk bottle defies grafity and that is why the cow is considered sacred.?

So, that's a billion dollar idea- where is my nobel peace prize? The other brilliance in this nation has been looking for E.T. -fact being C. I. A. i always first there to keep it a hush hush secret and will put any person of there own kind in lock down should they speak of the truth. Why, looking for Jesus still? They still want the power as before-you know put the wireless on the first pole of PG&E. Who was responsible for the crucifiction in the first place? The government arrested him for TREASON, and the power of the people backed it up. They said and did nothing. Doing nothing became High Treason. So what has changed since then. Nothing but your clothes... Look for Jesus among the living.....they do...everyone has the same name....Jesus...but who is Christ and who is Crimoney. You should start lsitening....the answer is so loud, everyone has turned a deaf ear. As our president is -Muslims do not even celebrate Christmas, birthdays, and holidays. So, what are we really living in?

Sincerely,

Gina Victorino

October 9, 2009


short bio:
Just someone who believes in America with all her heart and wondering where it is. This is an illusion of America.
We all speak the words with no meaning. How can you stand up for a name that does not live up to itself in reality.
No wonder the human being is in conflict with itself. The 2 party government is the mind representing one state of mind for
the United States, yet the two parties are always in cometition with itself. It is being set of for failure. You can't win this this way.
What happen to One Nation Under God? Oh, yeah, they want to remove the name....funny, is that so it won't be called treason when the world finally wakes up andit has turned to exactly what I know?

That's my bio...as I live and breathe

[Norris Hall]

An American city loses the Olympics to Another country: Conservative's Cheer
An American president wins the Noble prize: Conservatives Boo

Conservatives are only happy when America loses

[edge]

Once you see that he was nominated after only 10 days in office it becomes apparent that he is being awarded for NOT being George Bush!

[carolk]

The Nobel Peace Prize just ain't what she used to be. The once prestigious award is now tossed off casually to people percieved to be of celebrity status without having achieved any resemblance of greatness. If they could give this award to the global warming baffoon, Al Gore, for conning the country with his hysterical forecast of gloom and doom, then there is nothing to stop the escalation of the downward spiral of credentials required for this useless and tarnished "award", exemplified by it's presentation to Mr. Obama, with his vast achievements in the category of campaigning.
I offer my apologies to those of true greatness and achievement who have their awards so minimized by the company who now stand in their ranks.

[Lee Hauser]

I guess it pays to go around the world apologizing for America. This prize is a joke. No longer will this prize be respected. It's a total crock.

[G. Silva]

One correction: Rio de Janeiro is not the largest city in Brazil. That distinction belongs to Sao Paulo which is also the 3rd largest city in the world. Rio is Brazil's 2nd largest city.

[W Raabe]

IN YOUR FACE GEORGE W.!!! AND ALL YOU REPUBLICAN MORONS WHO FOLLOWED BUSH. BUNCH OF MONEY HUNGRY WARMONGERS!!

[James]

What a joke

[Manet Galinho]

"...an Olympics that was (in many U.S. citizens' minds) rightfully ours was awarded to the largest city of the largest country in South America,"

Actually, the largest city in Brazil is Sao Paulo, by far, not Rio de Janeiro.

[flabbergasted]

Oh, seriously!! Come on! Yes, he's made progress, but it's his job! Give him an employee of the week award or something, but not this. Are there no other people in this world working for the betterment of the human race? If this is all we have to offer, I'm worried about our future.

[Ronald Vespal]

Maybe they gave Obama the Nobel Peace prize for killing young girls who herd goats in Afghanistan. Maybe he killed less than Bush or something. We have no swimming pool in our community. Our daughter is on a year and a half wait list to get into Nursing School. etc. But we have plenty of money to attack the Taliban. I can never remember why we hate the Taliban. I guess we're supposed to hate the Taliban - but the Taliban never beat me up in the 3rd grade. They never gave me any problem. I don't know if I like the Taliban or not - but I'd rather have a swimming pool in our community than spend the money to kill little girls who herd goats in Afghanistan, and for Predator drone aircraft to shoot up Afghan weddings. To me it looks to me like Obama is a criminal for presiding over crimes against humanity in attacking and occupying 3rd countires. I just don't get it I guess.

[airplane]

This will help restore the peace loving view that the world once held for the UNITED STATES.

[nemo]

Remember:
The US, under Obama, is presently engaged in war upon at least 4 countries, while making threats to invade a fifth.
The US, under Obama, spends more on war than the next top 20 spenders combined.
The US, under Obama, sits atop the largest nuclear arsenal in the world.
The US, under Obama, has hundreds of military bases throughout the world. He has closed none of them.
Well Hitler was Time Magazines "Man of the Year"! This is just another case of the propaganda machine in America.

[Iranian]

Just congradulation. Hope for future living in peace and joy all over of our blue planet.

[saopaulo]

Rio is not the largest city in South America

[fixed, thanks. - ed]

[Eternally Greatful]

Its amazing how now the bloggers are saying "he hasn't had the time to do anything to deserve this honor". But remember bloggers, weeks ago the headlines read "He is trying to handle too much and he has too much on his plate". America wake up please... I am sick and tired of this ignorance. If you only knew how we look on the international stage regarding our handling of a sitting United States President. Oh I forgot, you simply dont care just as long as he fails. Sorry guys, but when he fails... America Fails.

[carlsbadcrawler]

I think John McCain wins the prize for class. Erik Erickson DNF.

[Robinhood]

This bloggers assumptions and relations to one another make no sense. A reader would think this was written by a high school freshman that just got a C in Writing.

The state of the La Times has reached a new low.

State the facts and leave out the personal emotion. This would be a C- at best and maybe lower.

[Robert]

President Obama deserves the Nobel. His outreach to Iran has already produced tangible results. His decision to remove the missile defense in Eastern Europe set the doomsday clock back in the opposite direction. Imagine that. He acted quickly to stave off world wide depression and economic collapse....which would have resulted in thousands of lost lives and in starvation for many. How dare anyone say that the POTUS does not deserve the award. If you are of that opinion you are misinformed or unconscious or of course republican. The republicans will stop at nothing to damage the POTUS and this country with their hate filled bigotry and gun toting mentality.

[Carl]

Mixed??? That implies 50% 50% which is not true - but then again it increases readership and interest if you imply controversy where there is none - some of us realize there will always be those who have nothing good to say - do they deserve equal footing with the majority of people who are proud of our President?
NO!!!
Freedom of speech does not mean you can say anything and then have it blown out of proportion by the media - the magnifying glass that the media holds is used to disproportionately influence the thinking of people who are vulnerable to believe what they hear and see on the media. The fact it is wrongly called news rather than personal opinion gives the lies even more credence - and news that implies and doesn't make it clear what proportion of the population actually represents a given opinion is a crime. Pure unadulterated propaganda. Not just FOX who are the worst of the worst but no media outlet should be allowed to lie and mislead the public at large to influence their politics - that is not freedom of speech - that is simply mind control!!!!

[christine deacutis]

How can a man who promotes the murder of little forming babies in the womb receive any prize let alone the Nobel Peace Prize? This prize is worth nothing now and is meaningless.

[don stark]

its time this nation moved on and except any recognition that will move us toward peace.there has been enough war just ask the fathers&mothers who's loved ones never came home!

[John Fitzgerald]

Alfred Nobel - "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, ... and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

Wiki - "Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which recognize completed scientific or literary accomplishment, the Nobel Peace Prize may be awarded to persons or organizations that are in the process of resolving a conflict or creating peace."

As much as the critics are attempting to focus on the recipient as not being "deserving" of the prize, it appears that the award is consistent with the Nobel Peace Prize objectives.

The criticisms is really of the intent and purpose of the Nobel Peace Prize itself. But it was Alfred Nobel that defined the rules of the game, it is his award. The committee follows the rules set forth by Alfred Nobel. Yet, the critics focus on the recipient.

But then, that's fairly typical of these types of critics. They blame the winner and the rules for their losing.

The critics lack the ability to tell the difference between the cause and the effect, reality from fantasy, what they want from what is fact, and what was from what can be.

Obama won “for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” And in a world of pessimism, it is often harder to stand for what is right than what has happened. Obama got an "A" for effort. He got an "A" for his audacity of hope.

Can't say that of the "so called conservative" anti-social republican crowd.

Funny how these "losers" blame the rules for being "unfair" and the winner for their losing. Funny how they get so upset about someone attempting to achieve where they won't even try.

[Jed Merrill]

You have to "admire" Obama for winning the praise of a Socialist nation for giving away America's power and making America more like them.

The Nobel Peace Prize has lost all meaning. Obama has caused more division than any President I can remember (in America, 57% consider America angrier than we were under Bush), while making Peace primarily with terrorists. His bio, Dreams from my Father, is claimed by Bill Ayers (terrorist) as his work. He helped raise $40,000 for another terrorist affiliated organization. He donated $400,000 of taxpayer money to Gadhafi's charity (Libyan dictator)... In an abstract way you could call this peacemaking, but it is garbage. Insidious.

He has hated our friends (Eastern Europe and the Dalai Lama, for example) and loved our enemies.

Now maybe he will earn the Nobel Prize for Economics for bankrupting the dollar.

[Rod McInnis]

Tony Pierce,

Why not report the news without your prejudges and commentaries. Where does it say that I have to follow your thoughts? Is your job to report the news and not intemperate it’s meaning or is it to give your opinion regardless of its meaning? Who are you that you can interpret a meaning of anything? I tire of reporters who make it their mission to ram their opinion down everyone’s throat. REPORT the news and stop with your opinions. If anyone is out of touch with the public it’s you. That’s my opinion!

[bs]

This is a real joke.

[Stan]

To Rush Limbaugh: The world accepts Obama - Mm, Mm, Mm.

[Michael Charton]

Not sure if the President is worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize just yet. Wonder what criteria was used to choose him. Let him be in office a little longer and have other International situations occur which he improves. The Peace Price should be for real work done, not a popularity contest.
Don't nominate someone to push action, but reward the action already performed.

No, Chicago did not get the Olympics because of the politics of the IOC. Showed the President cannot win them all and Chicago politicians can count votes in Cook County but not abroad.

[seasandcakes]

Pretty disingenuous to selectively quote Glenn Greenwald like that. Greenwald writes lengthy essays weighing both sides of any issue like a good lawyer, and all you included was his brief weighing of the small good Obama has done in Iran negotiations. The entire Greenwald piece is here:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/10/09/obama/index.html

...and his general opinion is far from as rosy as you paint. He says: "People who live in regions that have long been devastated by American weaponry don't have the luxury of being dazzled by pretty words and speeches. They apparently -- and rationally -- won't believe that America will actually change from a war-making nation into a peace-making one until there are tangible signs that this is happening. It's because that has so plainly not yet occurred that the Nobel Committee has made a mockery out of their own award."

[Doug]

Why would you make a derogatory comment about McCain, when he made a nice comment? Is this your idea of responsible, unbiased reporting?

Who reads redstat.com? Is this your support of the race card?

[David]

So Mohandas Gandhi is nominated five times and never recieves the prize... Obama has been in office less than a year and accomplished none of his objectives...

The Nobel prize panel is comprised of five retired Swedish politicians.... hmmm I just can't take this seriously

[Aaron Gardner]

What is truly sad Mr. Pierce, is your own closet racism which makes you believe affirmative action and black are synonymous.

[N.N]

Nobel Peace Prize is a private one, independent from any political tendencies. The purpose of this prize is to encourage people to create a forever peace in the world. The factor that NPP commitee based on to promote President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was partly what he did and partly what he will do.

We know that President is hesitating on what he will do to the battlefield Afghanistan: sending more troops over there or looking for a political solution which can solve the crisis in peace. Once President Obama has received the NPP, what will he tend to do? Ofcourse, he has to do something the NPP commitee wants him to: peace! And NPP is a reminder!

Nobel Peace Prize Commitee was not nonsense at all when it decided to give this prize to Obama, and I think if this commitee had given a Nobel Peace Prize to President Bush before he decided to send his troops to occupy Iraq, everything would have been different.

[Naresh Newar]

The US President deserves the Nobel Peace Prize especially for his vision for a peaceful world and we all believe in him that he will not steer his government with a war mongering attitude as his predecessors. Yes, he has barely achieved anything but the world is more optimistic about this American statesman. The Nobel Peace Prize will certainly inspire him to do more for world peace and make more friends than enemies unlike the past Presidents.

[evad the slayer]

Winner? Nobel Peace Prize? What is the committee smoking? Anyone heard of Afganistan? Nukes in Iran?? B.O. talks a good game, but actions speak louder than blabbing. He is a fake president with puppet strings being manipulated by a cabel. Peace Prize indeed! What an insult to former winners.

[Susan Schneider]

This is a travesty to the integrity of this award. This President does not deserve this accolade. He needs to be fired. He is not representing properly the people who voted him in office. Oh, no, I did not vote for him. He will ruin this country. This is just sickening,nausiating,discusting. It is beyond belief. God help us.

[VR]

"His speech in Cairo, his first-week interview on al-Arabiya, and the extraordinarily conciliatory holiday video he sent to Iran"

One speech, one interview, and a "holiday video" - none of which have produced any tangible result - are reasons for a Nobel Peace Prize? Sorry, this is just silly. Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize back in February, just two weeks into his presidency. He received the award 10 months into his presidency. He's accomplished nothing yet. He should politely decline.

[Jim]

BREAKING NEWS

The Dallas Cowboys were just given the Super Bowl trophy. They won it not based on winning anything this year, but based on what they might do in the future.

[Dr David Hill]

There is no doubt in my mind that President Obama is a very good man indeed, but the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to him is too early in my mind. In this respect the wider world was not even aware of him just a mere three years ago.

I am not saying that he was not a worthy candidate, but where there are more worthy people in this life who indirectly save millions of lives, are completely unknown for their effects on global peace work and are therefore never considered for the Nobel Award.

This is the dilemma hovering over the Nobel Peace Prize. Have those who have won the Prize saved more lives that anyone else through their actions? Unfortunately I have to say that at this point in time I doubt that Obama can enter into such an illustrious list of people who have literally saved more lives than any others in our world history.

I had the privilege to work with two of the world’s most unknown celebrities who did indeed save millions of lives through their incredible work and where this work still saves millions every year all over the world.

The first is the late Glenn Seaborg, the ‘father’ of the chemistry of Chemotherapy and initiator of the ‘Test Ban Treaty’ for Nuclear weapons. It is estimated that Seaborg through his chemistry and his creation of many of the chemical isotopes used in chemotherapy, has saved literally over 100 million human lives to date over the past 50-years alone. This has been through a cure or an extension of human life and where their loved ones have benefited through having these loved ones with them far longer than would have been the case without Seaborg’s incredible creativity. Many more millions of human lives ravaged by Cancer will be saved in the future and today. Indeed the number of people saved by the nuclear test ban initiation is incalculable but one has to only think, where the world might be today without Seaborg’s initiative. Indeed, Nuclear war might well have happened already in our own lifetime.

The second person that I worked with was the late John Argyris, the modern-day inventor of the ‘Finite Element Method’. To put this great engineering achievement into perspective is hard to do for the layman, but where it has revolutionised global engineering design so much that we now have far safer cars, buildings, bridges, aeroplanes, dams, trains, and the list goes on. Indeed, without Argyris’s input for NASA’s pre-runner, the 1969 moon landing would never have happened and the space-shuttle may never have removed itself from planet Earth.
Adding to this today through Argyris’s revolutionary engineering work we live in a completely safer world and where his work has spread into all the sciences, including physiology, where the minutest of stress in the human body can be detected and a patient’s life saved. Indeed, it is estimated again that Argyris has saved hundreds of millions through this far greater safety in structural design throughout the world, through buildings and dams et al not collapsing.

But were these two great men of science and engineering who have saved literally millions and millions of lives ever considered by the Nobel Foundation for their Peace Prize by saving all these millions? No.

I therefore feel that the Nobel Prize as today, belittles itself again, its real value and against those humanitarians who do truly deserve it.

But there again it has to be said that Gandhi never received it, even though he was nominated five-times. In the year of his death, the Nobel Foundation said that there were no candidates worthy enough and did not award the Prize that year.

Dr David Hill
World Innovation Foundation
Bern, Switzerland

[Chuck]

That's all it takes huh? Vision? Intentions? What he WILL (big assumption here) do? Sounds like they could give it to any visionary off the street with that logic. But here's the difference. Obama is a celebrity and the people who are actually out there making a difference aren't.

[john c]

Obama only took office less than 10 days before the Feb. 1 deadline for Nobel Prize nominations! It was not a weak field. This year there were 205 submissions, more than ever. Obama was not a part of the pregame speculation, which had centered on human rights activists in China and Afghanistan and political figures in Africa. What a joke and a travesty!

[Harvey]

I watched a couple of news programs this morning, and I noticed that none of the people who spoke about The president winning the award bothered to congratulate him on the accomplishment. Their focus seemed to be entirely on whether they thought he deserved it. So I thought to myself, (1) the only other time I can remember there being any discussion about whether a person earned the award before was when Arafat got it, (2) look at where America has come to, when people question whether a President of the United States deserves to be recognized for the work he is doing.
We seem to have become a country of mean spirited and petty people. So much so that we would slander the presidency rather than accept a political loss. Has anybody else noticed how infrequently the press and others refer to the President as "The President". Since he came into office I have noticed everyone referring to him as Obama. Almost never do I hear the term "President Obama". Why do you think this is happening? I believe I know why and frankly I don't like it because it really speaks poorly of us as a nation!

[David]

"The factor that NPP commitee based on to promote President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize was "partly what he did and partly what he will do."

... and it is us, those who critique the retired politician panel, who are arrogant?!! In regard to "partly what he will do" What is that exactly?

o Bankrupt the U.S
o Drive the value of the dollar down
o Continue to fight wars in other countries after winning an election on the opposite premise
o Promote socialism
o Suggest programs that are not economically sound, but make you feel really good about yourself

[R.I.P. GOP]

The world is a much safer place now that the evil administration is out of power.
In addition to reconstructing our national and world image, Obama should be considered for a Nobel prize in economics. The previous Republican administration had us locked in on a course for world economic disaster of unimaginable magnitude. Were it not for the quick and decisive actions taken by President Obama, there is no telling how long it would take to begin to recover.
If nothing else has been learned in the last 10 years, that putting a Republican in a position of power is an act of sheer idiocy would be foremost.

[Chris Lincoln]

The largest city in the largest country in South America is Sao Paulo

[fixed, thanks - ed]

[Franz]

Dear Nobel Prize Committee,

I’m thinking about inventing a tele-porter this year. I’ve never invented anything before, but I’ve talked with a few of my friends about it and they are SUPER stoked. Based on the example set forward by President Obama, I will now practice my rhetorical skills and have began to schedule press briefings and speeches. I’m sad to say that major institutions overseas and in the US, like the Max Planck Institute, MIT, Chapman University, the American Institute of Physics have turned me down for a referendum and a speech on teleporting, with the lame excuse that I have no proven experience and just started blogging about this a couple of days ago.

However, I’m still in good spirits based on our wonderful Presidents Campaign motto “YES WE CAN”! Based on your decision track record with the Peace Prize that had a nomination deadline falling on the 11th days of Barracks Presidency, I figure you understand my good intentions and see the magic I will do in the future on the topic of teleporting. Come on if 11 days have been enough for Barrack, I have at least worked 2 weeks on my campaign for teleportation. Therefore I would say, I’ll go ahead and take that Nobel Prize in Physics so that I can continue my work with your ongoing support to convince these arrogant non-believer Institutions to allow and pay me to speak.

Just to make sure I have my horse already in the race for next year, I also plan to realize “cold fusion” to swoop a Prize next year. As mentioned I will not have anything tangible at that point in time, but as always my intentions and will to maybe make it happen, if it isn’t to much work and does not keep me from my leisure activities, is unbroken and I’m full of energy.

Thank You Humbly for the Physics Nobel Prize!

[Harrison murbi]

It is really fun to see the seething rage of Obama HATERS.... wow! Last week they were full of glee because of the Olympic bid! Let alone that it was NOT going to be Obama hosting the games, BUT AN AMERICAN CITY! Anyway, now one week later, those haters are hit BANG with this prize!!! Their hatred is churning within them, the gall eating up their insides... wait till Dec. 10 and the president goes to Oslo to receive the award!!! Those haters will be full of their hatred, a poisoned chalice coursing through their systems....

[chanti]

To All the People Who Never Cared About the NPP and suddenly has something to say. STOP HATING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never in my life seen so much hatred for this man. YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY? It is so deep rooted, until it is ridiculous. Love urself and then u can love others

[Mark]

The Nobel committee has now rendered this prize as irrelevant. What a shame and embarresment!

[shut up Norway]

My family left Norway because of socialism. Now the United States is rapidly moving toward socialism under Obama and Norway is giving him an award for it. He is destroying this country and what made it great. Now where do we move to?