i'm an obama supporter, and i don't think he deserved the award. i don't know who should have won, as i don't really follow the award.

but i think it's pretty clear that he was awarded simply for not being g dubbles, and for promising to reverse the damage he's done.

10/10/2009 12:02:22 AM

Funny thing, Obama recently decided to not meet with the Dalai Lama, a fellow nobel peace prize laureate. I guess kowtowing to the Chinese is the best way to ensure freedom and peace for the people of the world now adays.

10/10/2009 1:03:14 AM

President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama will meet this morning with his Cabinet to discuss strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This afternoon, President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama will host a picnic for United States Secret Service employees and their families. Later in the day, President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama will go to the gym, check Facebook, and tuck his daughters into bed.

-Slate

10/10/2009 1:07:03 AM

I'm not reading this thread.

but i am saying that this really removes any credibility the peace prize might have had.

obama should refuse it.

he won't of course, but he should.

10/10/2009 11:49:46 PM

^ he’s already accepted it.

ANd is there any precedent for someone refusing it?

it’s a pretty blatant attempt at social engineering on the part of the Nobel committee.

With Russia and Cuba praising Obama for getting the prize, it simultaneously gives him a lot of power, while also tying his hands a bit. He can’t really act like a dick if he wanted to, but he can insist, and have others actually believe him, that he’s working in the name of Peace.

[Edited on October 11, 2009 at 12:36 AM. Reason : ]

10/11/2009 12:34:46 AM

not officially. He has to go to Oslo and go through a big presentation.. he can still refuse it. or, proably more likely, dedicate it to the american people or something equally lame.

10/11/2009 1:58:37 AM

meh

I don’t think he necessarily deserves it, but if I were him, i’d keep it. Considering some of the past people who’ve gotten it, this would not be too much of a slap in the face to past winners.

ANd in his one comment on the prize, he’s already dedicated it to the american people.

I personally would love to win a Nobel Prize...

10/11/2009 2:51:52 AM

Why isn't there a Nobel prize for mathematics?

physics?
economics?
peace?

10/11/2009 4:01:44 AM

Physics involves tons of math, and the answer is probably because math doesn't specifically address societal issues, unless it's applied in some other form.

That, or because the freedom-hating commies at of the committee hate math, too.

[Edited on October 11, 2009 at 1:04 PM. Reason : .]

10/11/2009 1:04:42 PM

Quote :

"Funny thing, Obama recently decided to not meet with the Dalai Lama, a fellow nobel peace prize laureate. I guess kowtowing to the Chinese is the best way to ensure freedom and peace for the people of the world now adays."

China sucks, no doubt, but there is a good reason behind this. We need China right now, economically. We can't help Tibet if we go broke because China pulled out and cost us kazillions of dollars.

Quote :

" The Dalai Lama's entourage, however, politely accepted Obama's decision. Lodi Gyari, the Dalai Lama's negotiator in infrequent talks with Beijing, said the Tibetans took a “broader and long-term perspective” that it was better to meet after Obama's visit to China. “The Dalai Lama has always been supportive of American engagement with China,” Gyari said in a statement. “Our hope is that the cooperative U.S.-Chinese relationship that President Obama's administration seeks will create conditions that support the resolution of the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people,” he said."

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/international/americas/2009/10/07/227609/US-defends.htm

10/11/2009 1:08:04 PM

Quote :

"ANd is there any precedent for someone refusing it?"

Yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%AA_%C3%90%E1%BB%A9c_Th%E1%BB%8D

10/11/2009 4:47:36 PM

Quote :

"Why isn't there a Nobel prize for mathematics?"

because purely theoretical work doesn't directly benefit mankind, at least in a tangible and immediate way.

the real question is why is there a prize for economics.

10/11/2009 11:39:21 PM

The more I think about this the more happy I am about it. Whether Obama deserved this prize or not, it can be seen as nothing but good news about our country's perception abroad. And that is really hard to be upset about.

10/12/2009 12:01:24 AM

OH WE CAN FIND A REASON BUDDY BOY

10/12/2009 12:14:41 AM

^^

but it's not that

it's a willful act, by the Nobel prize committee, to affect US foreign policy

that should not be the purpose of the prize and by giving it with this purpose the Nobel prize committee is ignoring people who deserve this recognition for all their hard work and sacrifice

it's just wrong

10/12/2009 12:20:34 AM

SEE

[Edited on October 12, 2009 at 12:24 AM. Reason : ^also i agree with you]

10/12/2009 12:23:31 AM

I actually like it when things like this happen because it allows people who tend to be more left to AGAIN show the right wing the concept of reason

That our base are not foaming at the mouth nutjobs.

and if you don't believe me... fox news... rush limbaugh

that is your fucking base

10/12/2009 12:28:59 AM

nastoute,

I disagree. It simply shows that the Nobel Comm supports the foreign policy agenda that Obama has set out. If you fear that this would effect U.S. policy, then you should probably dislike any peace prize that is awarded to a sitting President. *shrug* If that's your stance, okay. But I am personally not that concerned about a bunch of folks in Oslo holding much influence over how America Does Business.

[Edited on October 12, 2009 at 12:41 AM. Reason : ``]

10/12/2009 12:39:58 AM

Quote :

"It's far too early to compare Obama to either of his predecessors, said Allan Lichtman, professor of history at American University. "They're not comparable," Lichtman said. "[Roosevelt and Wilson] were six or seven years into two-term presidencies, and Obama has not completed a single year of his presidency, so it makes very little sense.""

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/09/nobel-prize-obama-embarrassment-process-expert-says/

congrats on forcing me to quote fox news...

and my primary concern is not the effect on US foreign policy, but that it takes away from people who do truly deserve this award. People who have put in a lifetime of service and sacrifice and/or have made those ground breaking pushes that have brought about real tangible results.

10/12/2009 12:48:37 AM

Hey, I'm *explicitly* not saying Obama is the most deserving candidate. I am only saying that is pretty good news for the country because it demonstrates that Obama's election has started changing our image abroad for the better. Regardless of whether Obama was the best choice for the prize, that is still good news.

I know you're going out of your way to show you're one of the "good liberals", but I am just stating a fact. Sorry if that annoys you.

[Edited on October 12, 2009 at 1:38 AM. Reason : ``]

10/12/2009 1:20:49 AM

I guess in an odd sort of way, this prize was more of a recognition of Bush's presidency than Obama's.

10/12/2009 8:26:13 AM

^well...there's nothing to "recognize" for Obama's presidency yet. I'm sure there will, but for now there's JS.

10/12/2009 11:36:16 AM

10/13/2009 9:36:06 AM

When he heard the Nobel Peace Prize shocker on Friday, Bill Clinton went into one of his rages. He picked up the phone and dialed the one person on earth who would be as steamed as he was.

CLINTON: Hey, man, it's me. This thing is plumb crazy. Can you believe it?

W: No way, Jose!

CLINTON: First that prig Carter. Then that prig Gore. And now President Paris Hilton. The guy's in office three days, and he gets the peace prize? He should have gotten the Nobel in chemistry, because chemistry's all he's got. Talk about a fairy tale. This ... is ... just ... wrong! It's killing me, man. First I had the vast right-wing conspiracy. Now I have the vast left-wing conspiracy.

W.: I hear ya, 42. This cat is all cage, no bird. He doesn't have a clue.

CLINTON: Heck no.

W.: See, I'm the one who should be mad. Let me tell you, this Norwegia thing has nothing to do with him. It's just another way for the pinkos of the world to drop a cow patty on my legacy. All that garbage in the prize statement about how special La Bamba is for bringing back wimpy multilateral diplomacy, dialogue and negotiations. Those Nobel ninnies are so lulu left they make the U.N. look like a Fox jamboree. The rookie already got rewarded once for not being me when he got elected.

CLINTON: Fine, but you never expected to win this prize. You were the quote-unquote war president and proud of it. I had to put up with a gazillion hours of Arafat's insanity, but I guess that still wasn't enough for those Oslo ice queens. I guess ending ethnic cleansing in Bosnia wasn't enough, or bringing peace to Northern Ireland. And I guess my work with the Clinton Global Initiative saving lives in Africa and hanging with Bono and Barbra wasn't enough.

W.: Calm down, bro. You gotta take care of that ticker.

CLINTON: If they weren't going to give it to me, they should at least have given it to the Chinese human rights movement or the Iranian protesters or AIDS workers in the Congo. Or even Bono.

W.: Yeah, man. Bono.

CLINTON: That would have helped make life better for the good guys and harder for the bad guys. Once again, action loses out to talk, just like with Hillary and Obama in the campaign. Nobel Prize for blah-blah-blah. Heck, I used to be considered a pretty good talker myself.

W.: He doesn't want to be a Decider. He wants to be a Transformer. He transformed, all right - from Miss America to Miss Universe. He's a five-spiral crash, and getting the gold is just a reminder of all he hasn't done. He's going to have to see that big medallion hanging up there in the Oval, mocking him as an empty suit whenever he has to send more troops to Afghanistan, or the Taliban act up, or Iran fires up for nukes.

CLINTON: Maybe you're right, George. Some winners think the Nobel's the kiss of death. Any peace prize that goes to Henry Kissinger but not Gandhi ain't worth a can of Alpo. Barack's going to give that $1.4 million away to charity. I got a charity. How 'bout he just signs it over to me? Speaking of money, we need to do another of those joint lecture things.

W.: I'm fairly footloose. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Go choke on a herring, Norwegia!

10/13/2009 4:22:04 PM

Quote :

"all cage, no bird"

10/13/2009 6:41:30 PM

It begins…
Obama's prize draws wonder, bewilderment at Guantánamo

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/breaking-news/story/1283240.html

10/15/2009 12:40:47 AM

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/obama-too-soon-for-nobel-prize-1.2001075

This was actually on the Google News front page just now.

10/16/2009 12:30:41 AM

Quote :

"Nominations are submitted in February, and the nominees are evaluated by the Nobel Committee through August. "

I wondered about this. So it's not like they awarded him solely for what he did before he was nominated, like some people thought.

And btw, there were a record number of 204 nominees this year, so it doesnt seem to take a lot to get nominated anymore. I guess with these standards in mind, it's not surprising that Obama would be picked, given his massive exposure.

[Edited on October 16, 2009 at 1:50 AM. Reason : ]

10/16/2009 1:26:29 AM

They've basically already admitted that the award was meant to inspire and encourage future actions, or something like that.

...which is sort of a bullshit reason to give someone a Nobel, but whatever.

10/16/2009 1:46:56 AM

40k baby!

11/9/2009 8:46:01 PM

40K what?

11/9/2009 9:48:07 PM

premature reports

11/10/2009 10:00:04 AM

30k baby!

12/1/2009 11:02:06 AM