Editorial

Nobel Peace Prize triumph of style over substance

Friday, October 9, 2009

Barack Obama is only the third sitting president, behind Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel committee cited "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" only nine months after the president took office.

Considering that nominations were closed only a month after Obama took office, it's clear style trumped substance in this year's award.

Saturday Night Live made that point last weekend, listing in its opening sketch the president's failure to make decisive progress in closing Guantanamo Bay, extricating us from Iraq or Afghanistan, passing health care reform or even winning the 2016 Olympic games for Chicago. Liberals should be disappointed as well, cast member Fred Armisen continued, because despite control of both houses of Congress, Obama has made no progress on global warming, immigration reform, gays in the military and torture prosecution.

Obama has two major accomplishments, his character concluded, "Jack" and "Squat."

By awarding the prestigious Nobel Prize to an unproven leader, the committee has further politicized the award and undermined its importance.

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  • Yea, Sure!

    He's going to donate that prize to charity. In all probability, The Obama Children's Fund.

    jeg

    -- Posted by everett on Sun, Oct 11, 2009, at 8:46 AM
  • The usual sour grapes to be expected from the wingnut contingent that abide here. Since it's the prize money awarded to President Obama I'd posit that it's his to do with as he pleases.

    SCEPTRE I'm guessing you wouldn't know a communist if one jumped up and whacked you on your wrinkly old derriere, you know the area of your anatomy that contains the orifice out of which you speak.

    -- Posted by davis_x_machina on Mon, Oct 12, 2009, at 11:26 AM
  • LOL dufferxyz...

    I have also heard that he was awarded the first yellow jacket of the 2010 Tour de France after buying a stationary bike at Sears.

    -- Posted by Husker23 on Tue, Oct 13, 2009, at 5:09 PM
  • I would rather have a leader who can't speak than a speaker who can't lead.

    -- Posted by vjpurvis on Wed, Oct 14, 2009, at 1:48 PM
  • Fredd,

    Nice...name calling already.

    I see you are having trouble staying on topic so allow me to connect the dots for you.

    Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is equivalent to you winning a Pulitzer prize for your derogatory remarks on a blog.

    Every Miss America contestant wants world peace...and have done almost as much to attain it as BHO. Should they be awarded the Nobel prize? (Although at this point I think it is clear that the Miss America crown is a more worthy title given the history of the Nobel Peace prize.)

    And to answer your question...correct...no weapons found...and still, Bush did not receive the "I found weapons of mass destruction" award. Can you see the difference now?

    -- Posted by Husker23 on Wed, Oct 14, 2009, at 4:48 PM
  • Hey fredd, yes WMD's were found. Numerous warheads were in fact found containing chemical agents.

    -- Posted by Hugh Jassle on Wed, Oct 14, 2009, at 9:49 PM
  • I only know this.... any service member who has seen the faces of the people in far off places we sometimes are sent, worry not of politics, but of keeping those who can not protect themselves safe. We hope for leaders that understand sacrafice. We miss and love our families with each and every deployment. We take care of one another and believe we make a difference. If you wish to call that dumb, by all means.... call me really dumb.

    MGySgt Victor J. Purvis

    -- Posted by vjpurvis on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 10:21 AM
  • This just in...Fredd receives foot in mouth award!!

    Apparently he can be civil when he knows you are in the military. That was quite an about face Fredd. From "you are dumb" to "you are right".

    -- Posted by Husker23 on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 12:17 PM
  • To "dufferxyz";

    Thank You for taking the time to post your commentary (10-15-09, 11:09 am)! When O's gaffe's, blunders, and poor judgements are listed in a format like you offered, they put life in these United States in a different perspective.

    Too often, our Left-minded friends fail to remember the errors made by those whom they elect, while those made by their counterparts are forever etched in their mind.

    Maybe some "selective memory loss"?

    -- Posted by Justin Case on Fri, Oct 16, 2009, at 9:01 AM
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