Jimmy Carter must be annoyed. Same for Al Gore. Their Nobel Prizes are waaaay devalued now that Barack Obama got one.
 In the span of a handful of years, Obama went from a Community Organizer, to state senate; then two years as a Senator before spending another two campaigning for office, and...voila, nine days after assuming the presidency, he's nominated for a Nobel Prize! As the Detroit News editorialized, "He has advanced leaps and bounds based on his promise, and ahead of his actual achievements."
Obama realizes this, but his opportunistic side couldn't turn the prize down. As my fave talk host says, it's not his fault he got the award. "I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize," the president understated. But,"I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century.''
What else can he say? After all, his actual accomplishments internationally are nil. The Nobel Committee in Oslo laughably insists their unanimous choice is because of "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." They continue, "The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons." Can he really mean that? Get a guffaw from the Associated Press' compilation of responses to today's announcement. I love that Al Gore, in a self-defensive move, says "the award is extremely well deserved," and incomparably reasons: "I think it will take some time before people put together all the different moves that linked his speech at the UN on the abolishing of nuclear weapons, his shift on the missile defense program in Eastern Europe and the movement of Russia to joining the international consensus that confronted Iran to abide by the nonproliferation treaty." HA HA HA!!!
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty proved with his response why he will be an excellent Republican presidential candidate: "Under any circumstance an appropriate response is to say congratulations."
That's because it's politically incorrect to say the truth, which is that this is all about--sorry to say--race. Do you think Obama would have won if he were white? Do you think he would be president if he were white? The Committee was trying to say, "Wow, it's great that American elected a black president! Now the world has hope!"
I don't think there's any better hope that nations will stop making nuclear weapons or work out their problems diplomatically rather than by armed conflict, now that we've got a black president. Do you?
But, given our POTUS' ego, you know he now feels even more that it's all up to him to bring peace to the world. His conscience is saying, "the world thinks I'm the great peacemaker, and now I must be." Just like a year ago, that same little voice told him, "Now I'm the President. I will act presidential and make big decisions and grand sweeping changes because--I CAN."
Some in Israel agree, and are worried. The Wall St. Journal quotes Danny Danon, a Likud Party member, who called the choice "reckless" and "potentially dangerous for Israel. 'It's worrisome,' he said. 'Now Obama will have to justify the award and will try to force an agreement even though there is no real partner for peace among the Palestinians.'"
Isn't it great, though, that Obama is going to donate all of the $1.4 million prize money to charity? He hasn't decided which ones, yet. Let me make a suggestion: Why not donate it toward lowering the national debt?
What a wonderful distraction from the health care debate, a humorous interlude that both Democrats and Republicans can share. Thanks, Mr. President, for bringing us together. Obama's Nobel Prize? HA, HA HA!!
Diane's Blog: http://brightlightsearch.blogspot.com/
|