# obama wins nobel peace prize....what is the sound of a right-wing head exploding? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 9, 2009, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172 "2009-10-09T09:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/101 "2009-10-09T14:22:47Z")
[Hu Jia](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/24/nobelpeaceprize.hujia) was considered one of the frontrunners for the prize. A tad more appropriate, I should think. This has got to be quite embarrassing for the White House, and I agree that it should be politely declined. He hasn’t earned it–he’s done very little in foreign policy so far. Oh, look, Greg Mortensen of “Three Cups of Tea” was also considered to be in the running. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/102 "2009-10-09T14:30:20Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > It doesn’t matter what he says or doesn’t say - accept it or not accept it - this is just going to wind up a big mess of “Obama the Messiah” shit from the right. Wouldn’t that be the correct response from those people since it isn’t an insult of Obama but of his supporters? ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/103 "2009-10-09T14:31:13Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > Nah. I mean, he certainly has done literally nothing to earn this prize, and the Nobel committee has acted - rashly? Stupidly? Naively? How about all three? - by offering it. But to decline the award would be perceived as ungracious and more importantly, unbearably _arrogant_. Somebody earlier said that a “humble man would decline the award;” nope. To decline an award like this is to say, “My judgment is superior to that of the Nobel Committee, and even though they are tasked with this choice and I am not, I unilaterally reject their judgment and substitute my own.” > > That would be the height of arrogance. It would be perceived as condescending, insulting. Not to mention the unfortunate connotations that might be read into the President of the United States pointedly refusing to accept a _peace prize,_ for crying out loud. > > So he won’t do that. > > What he should do is come up with a well-written speech in which he describes how humbled he is by the honor, blah, blah, blah, and while he doesn’t feel that he has lived up to it yet, he is proud to accept the award on behalf of the people of the United States in recognition of our collective commitment to pursuing peace in the long-term, blah blah blah, he will do everything he can to live up to this honor during his time in office, blah blah blah. Donate the money to some deserving international cause. > > Then go ahead and govern however he was planning to govern in the first place. Cynical, but really the only workable option. I am neither an Obama lover nor a hater, and I agree with you here, **storyteller**. I think he should accept the prize as graciously as possible, make a speach about continuing his efforts. However, I think there’s other things he should do. 1. He needs to donate the entire prize to a worthy cause. In fact, he should probably donate a fair amount of his own money along with it just to be sure. Keeping any amount of the prize would, as others have pointed out, appear like a bribe. In fact, it can be a good way to continue the peace process by perhaps contributing to a reputable Iraq and/or Afghanistan war victims fund. 2. He cannot in anyway allow this to affect his foreign policy. In fact, he needs to be very careful about appearances in the short term because if he, for instance, withdraws troop from Afghanistan, he’s going to need to have even better reasons than before because he will now have to fight off accusations that the prize influenced his decision in addition to the usual partisanship. 3. After he receives the prize, he should probably just stick it in a drawer and not mention it again for the rest of his presidency. I’m sure there’s some people who think he’s deserves it but, considering that even here people don’t think he did anything to deserve it, I think it’s in his best interest to remove that point for criticism from the table as soon as he possibly can. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/104 "2009-10-09T14:31:31Z")
I think this is bad for Obama, and he should find a way to politely decline it. Consider his decision on Afghanistan troop levels. If he decides not to increase the number of soldiers, the right is going to hammer him for letting American foreign policy be run out of Geneva. If he decides to increase them, he’ll face howls from around the world along the lines of, “THIS is the man they gave a PEACE prize to?” It really puts him in a no-win situation. He doesn’t need that kind of hassle. He should simply say something like, “I would be honored to accept this award - in 2016 at the end of my second term if you still feel I am worthy. For now, I graciously decline in favor of the many other worthy people who have been nominated.” Something like that. ---
**Author:** ![LonghornDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@LonghornDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonghornDave)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/105 "2009-10-09T14:31:51Z")
This award is the equivalent of electing Stephen Strasburg to the Hall of Fame. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/106 "2009-10-09T14:36:27Z")
> [@storyteller0910](#): > > Nah. I mean, he certainly has done literally nothing to earn this prize, (…) > > But to decline the award would be perceived as ungracious and more importantly, unbearably _arrogant_. Somebody earlier said that a “humble man would decline the award;” nope. To decline an award like this is to say, “My judgment is superior to that of the Nobel Committee (…)” > > What he should do is come up with a well-written speech in which he describes how humbled he is by the honor, blah, blah, blah, and while he doesn’t feel that he has lived up to it yet, he is proud to accept the award on behalf of the people of the United States in recognition of our collective commitment to pursuing peace (…) Agreement. Except that, maybe Obama really was the foremost force and best hope for a more peaceful world over the past year. For half a decade the USA has been moving toward becoming Soviet Russia Lite (as far as being amoral about the use of power.) For Candidate Obama to clearly --and to all appearances, sincerely-- advocate negotiation, reason and ethics AND to rally a majority’s support in the election… That might be the most important development toward world peace. That said, the Nobel committee did wrong. There’s a tongue in cheek phrase used about the Nobels, something like, “Micronesia’s Turn.” A prize will often go to a country who hasn’t had one recently, even if they aren’t strictly deserving that particular year. Obama may actually have deserved the prize this year, but if he does, he’ll deserve it even more later. Someone else should have gotten this one. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/107 "2009-10-09T14:37:31Z")
Any word from US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton yet? Oh, yes there is: > [@](#): > > “The Nobel committee is preaching at Americans, but they won’t be deceived,” says Bolton. “He should decline it and then ask to be considered again in three or four years when he has a record.” > > “I was nominated three years ago and I’m still waiting for the call,” laughs Bolton. “Today’s news is just another demonstration of how politicized the Nobel Peace Prize has become, from President Carter winning in 2002, to Al Gore in 2007, and President Obama in 2009.” > > “When the award was given to President Carter, the chairman of the committee said that it was a ‘kick in the leg’ to the Bush administration,” recalls Bolton. “This is yet another ‘kick in the leg’ for the Bush administration.” [http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzZkNzg0MDVhMWJjNmI2YTc1NTZkZTJlNGM0NzI4NzA=](http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MzZkNzg0MDVhMWJjNmI2YTc1NTZkZTJlNGM0NzI4NzA=) Now he can get back to clamoring for _someone_ to nuke Tehran. Too bad times have changed for him. ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/108 "2009-10-09T14:37:46Z")
For the record, I think he’s done a great job, and I also went “huh?” > [@FriarTed](#): > > I can think of one thing that could justify this decision- that in conducting an honorable & victorious campaign of the U.S. Presidency, he successfully overcame America’s heritage of racial tension. That is not an insignificant thing, though I really don’t think it justifies the Nobel. Then again, a lot of Nobels probably aren’t that justified. Has anyone here ever actually read a book that won the Nobel for literature? The science awards probably would stand more scrutiny though. As someone else posted: Faulkner, &c. Also, as I understand it, the Economics prizes are usually well-deserved. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Well, then he should win an American prize for overcoming racism. That isn’t about world peace. Devil’s Advocate: They gave prizes to people who worked to end Apartheid, or to get peace in Israel/Palestine, East Timor, or Northern Ireland. All of these are localized problems, no? > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Like I’ve said before, simply keeping Sarah Palin from getting anywhere near the Oval Office is already tanatmount to saving the universe. > > He has also kept his promise to pull out of Iraq and has tried to reverse the dehumanization and ghettoization of the Muslim world that was engaged in by his predecessor. > > His election in itself was also of monumental historical significance. > > Anyway, who ELSE should have gotten it? Anyone who wants to bitch about it needs to come up with someone more deserving or STFU. Has he ended US-supported torture? Has he closed Guantanamo? Has he ended Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell? As I said, I think he’s doing a great job, but he could do better. I will have to consider “tried to reverse the dehumanization and ghettoization of the Muslim world” though. This is interesting. > [@elucidator](#): > > “What! A pony under the Christmas tree? Damn! Not _another_ goddam pony! Shit!” Are you implying that we should be happy that “our side” has won? If so, that’s dumb. If not, please explain. > [@Shodan](#): > > Affirmative action runs riot again. At least Jimmy Carter had Habitat for Humanity to point to. Obama doesn’t even have ACORN. Come on, man, don’t turn into a parody of yourself. “Affirmative action?” Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/109 "2009-10-09T14:38:15Z")
Yeah, nothing makes a guy look worse than winning a Nobel Peace Prize. :rolleyes: Trying to spin this as somehow bad for Obama is ridiculous. He had no hand in it, so how is it bad for HIM? I think he should not only acccept it, he should jump up and down, and do a fucking Rocky dance, and wear the medal around his neck like Mr. T for the rest of his Presidency. Why the fuck should he be ashamed of it? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/110 "2009-10-09T14:43:32Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > He had better decline it. He was in office _2 weeks_ before the deadline for nominations closed. This is what people don’t seem to be getting: he wasn’t nominated for his accomplishments in office. He was nominated for _attaining_ that office in the first place, and thereby representing a significant step forward in decency on the part of the world’s greatest power. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/111 "2009-10-09T14:45:17Z")
This is interesting: [AP: Common misconceptions about the Nobel Peace Prize](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1_QF_M_HvZAOpRa9UGcm5CbA-1gD9B7HDR80) > [@AP](#): > > Myth: The prize is awarded to recognize efforts for peace, human rights and democracy only after they have proven successful. > > More often, the prize is awarded to encourage those who receive it to see the effort through, sometimes at critical moments. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/112 "2009-10-09T14:45:31Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Of course, if he accepts the Nobel, the same knee-jerk lefties that are telling him now to refuse it(something he doesn’t deserve, btw) will then say, “Obama accepts on behalf of America - what class!” > As has been since way before he got elected, SOP for any action he takes is _Obama is automatically right._ And, of course, anything he does is going to be wrong in your eyes. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/113 "2009-10-09T14:50:52Z")
Is it legal for a sitting President to accept a cash award? ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/114 "2009-10-09T14:53:07Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Yeah, nothing makes a guy look worse than winning a Nobel Peace Prize. :rolleyes: > > Trying to spin this as somehow bad for Obama is ridiculous. He had no hand in it, so how is it bad for HIM? I don’t blame him or criticize him for receiving it, I know he had nothing to do with being chosen. The fact remains that it puts him in an even brighter light for criticism. Look at the Afghanistan example… if he withdraws, he’ll get criticism saying that the prize influenced him, and if he sends in more troops, he gets international criticism because the Peace Prize recipient is promoting war. Even if he does the exact right thing for the exact right reasons, those reasons will be be lost under that criticism. > [@](#): > > I think he should not only acccept it, he should jump up and down, and do a fucking Rocky dance, and wear the medal around his neck like Mr. T for the rest of his Presidency. Why the fuck should he be ashamed of it? I don’t think he should be ashamed of it. Hell, every time I’ve received an award, I never really felt like I did that much to deserve it either. Sure he should celebrate it, but knowing that he’ll be getting criticism for it he needs to do what he can to make sure that his decisions are judged on their merits and not on a perception that the award influenced him. Yes, he’ll get criticism no matter what, but the criticism that he, for instance, withdrew against the advice of his generals at least has the potential to be productive, while criticism that he withdrew because he got the prize will just make things worse. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/115 "2009-10-09T14:53:14Z")
[Taliban condemn Obama as Nobel Prize winner](http://swedishwire.com/general/1173-taliban-condemn-obama-as-nobel-prize-winner) > [@](#): > > “We have seen no change in his strategy for peace. He has done nothing for peace in Afghanistan,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP. > > “We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama,” he said by telephone from an undisclosed location. Any word from bin Laden yet? ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/116 "2009-10-09T14:54:34Z")
I also think it’s a repudiation of the Bush/Cheney era and perhaps even though they fully deserve it, Obama should consider not accepting. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/117 "2009-10-09T14:56:50Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > At first it didn’t register because I thought I heard the tail end of one news story and the start of another. When I heard it again I kept waiting for the reason. It was vaguely given as having a vision of a nuclear free world. I heard an interview this morning on CNN with one of the Nobel Committee members and he suggested it was for Obama changing the stance of the US government from one of unilateralism and aggression to one of engagement and diplomacy (I am paraphrasing but that was the upshot). Supposedly they gave the award to him as a means to encourage and reward this behavior. Take that FWIW…just passing along what I heard, not personally agreeing with it or endorsing it. Maybe the Nobel Committee hopes this will strengthen nuclear talks with Iran which is one of the scarier international issues on the table at the moment. Dunno, just speculating. Personally I think it is far too soon for him to get such an award and will likely cause him more trouble at home than help him. As an aside, does anyone know if the President can keep the money from the award or as President is he obliged to hand it to the government? ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/118 "2009-10-09T14:59:01Z")
> [@SecondJudith](#): > > This is interesting: [AP: Common misconceptions about the Nobel Peace Prize](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1_QF_M_HvZAOpRa9UGcm5CbA-1gD9B7HDR80) > [Quote=AP] > > Myth: The prize is awarded to recognize efforts for peace, human rights and democracy only after they have proven successful. > > More often, the prize is awarded to encourage those who receive it to see the effort through, sometimes at critical moments. [/QUOTE] Sure, but in this case it seems it’s not so much encouragement to “see the effort through” as it is encouragement to start making an effort. And that’s just silly. I mean what effort are we talking about here? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/119 "2009-10-09T14:59:18Z")
Count me as another, as amazing as it may seem, who thought this was a joke upon first hearing about it this morning. Obama should find a tactful way to turn the award down. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172/120 "2009-10-09T15:00:15Z")
> [@SecondJudith](#): > > This is interesting: [AP: Common misconceptions about the Nobel Peace Prize](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j1_QF_M_HvZAOpRa9UGcm5CbA-1gD9B7HDR80) > > > [@](#): > > > > Myth: The prize is awarded to recognize efforts for peace, human rights and democracy only after they have proven successful. > > > > More often, the prize is awarded to encourage those who receive it to see the effort through, sometimes at critical moments. I’m another Obama supporter who finds the decision baffling, but this quote does help make it a little more understandable. I still disagree with the decision, but if part of the goal of the award is to encourage efforts, well, I guess this makes a little sense. If they want to maintain credibility, the Nobel committee better start really hammering on that point. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-wins-nobel-peace-prize-what-is-the-sound-of-a-right-wing-head-exploding/513172.md?page=7)