I broke up a fight between a Russian and an Irishman once, and I think that alone might have been more than Obama’s done so far. Count me as another Obama voter who’s puzzled by this.
Obama was scheduled to comment on the award at 10:30, and it was pushed back to 11. I wonder if they’ve finished the speech yet.
I don’t think the nomination deadline has any practical significance here - the large number of persons who can make nominations (all university professors in certain disciplines, all members of national parliaments, etc - i.e. at least some tens of thousands) will probably make sure any sitting US president (and also president-elects and recent presidents) will be among the nominees. For example I would be astonished if GWB had not been nominated every year from 2001 to 2009 - surely there will have been some congressperson, history professor, etc. to take the time to send in a nomination.
It’s a surprise, but not at all puzzling to me. Obama is astonishingly popular overseas, with many countries seeing him extending the hand of peace instead of the fist of dominance. This has to be a huge relief after eight years of saber rattling. The honeymoon isn’t over yet for those folks. Americans are more goal oriented and we reward people for results, not for potential. We consider a good try as a failure if it doesn’t produce the desired result.
Posters in GD - and millions of others, probably - are noting the irony of Obama winning this award while he considers troop increases in Afghanistan.
I’d expect him to say that the international effort for peace is just beginning and depends on everyone, not just the efforts of any one person or government, and that he remains determined to see the accomplishment of his goals.
More like giving out the Oscar when they’re not even done filming yet.
Generally speaking, I like Obama and what he’s doing. I hope he accomplishes great things. But we haven’t seen it yet. He hasn’t even come close to earning the Nobel Peace Prize at this point.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard Obama sound even half this subdued. He said he does not think he belongs in the company of people who have won this award in the past, and just left without taking any questions. He said the award belongs to everyone who strives for peace, and made references to Iranian protesters, Aung San Suu Kyi, and soldiers overseas.
They should have done like Time mag. and award it to “You (except you, GWB!)”. Then we would all be happy. 
That would have been less blatant.
So you’re okay with hundreds of thousands that lunatic’s incompetence or malicious lies killed? How about the torture victims?
Also the destitute from his stupid economic actions thank you for supporting that tyrant.
That he still breaths free of a war crimes tribunal is a crime against all that’s good, and right.
Seemed weird to me too until I read this from the AP
I suspect this is the rationale for the prize.
Feel free to ignore.
I can see using the award to try to light a fire under his ass. “Hey, you’ve got this great opportunity, take it!” And I admit I really like the “Fuck you, Mr. Bush” angle of it. But I still would rather see it go to somebody that’s done more.
That certainly makes more sense.
A contributor to FiveThirtyEight.com has some interesting things to say about the merits of the award, although he does not appear to have a good read on the U.S. mood.
Seeing as he didn’t scrap the missile shield… No.
He merely re-changed the deployment plans to a tactically more useful configuration, with political side benefits.
Remember folks, when the nominations for this prize colsed, Obama had been President for two weeks. What did he do in those two weeks? He moved in, and started staffing his cabinet.
Listening to the wards ceremony, I think the Nobel Prize committee are just a bunch of star-struck Obamaniacs, who wanted to do something nice for him for being ‘Not Bush.’ And maybe wanted his autograph.
Perhaps his not being Bush means even more to some people than I realized. I wonder if I will have the nerve to point this out to a coworker who I know will bring this up today.
Where’s my prize, then? I’m not Bush. Come to think of it, neither are you. I think you’re owed something…
No, I’m not. And I’m more than a bit mystified by this as well. But I keep thinking that as much as I loathed Bush as president, apparently a lot of other people loathed him even more, which is a concept that blows my mind.
I don’t think he’s done anything yet to deserve this. He’s talked a good talk but he hasn’t done that much.
Just for the sake of argument, what did Al Gore do to solve climate change?
I think that from a non-USA standpoint, Obama winning the election, and ending the 8 dismal years of Bush, was alone reason enough to give him the prize.
Perhaps they looked around the world and saw that the fury and bile raised by Bush had been practically evaporated in an instant and saw that as reason enough to congratulate him on his positive message.
Since the November Election, the USA has gone from one of the most despised governments on the planet back to “normal” - meaning, the USA is now once again considered back on track by most democratic governments.
If North Korea’s Kim Jong Il had been deposed and suddenly a liberal, pro-democracy leader had been declared President, most likely they would have won - as a nod and pat on the back for encouragement.
Whether that is enough to warrant giving him the Peace Prize, I don’t know.
I find it odd that some people are personally criticizing Obama for winning it - I mean, it is not like he campaigned for it. I am sure he was as surprised as everyone else.
Another Obama supporter chiming in to say I find this a real WTF moment. 