# Should President Obama accept the Nobel Peace Prize? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193 "2009-10-09T15:15:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/41 "2009-10-09T20:00:01Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > George Scott turned down _one_ Oscar, but accepted multiple other awards in his career, including an Emmy. > > That Oscar also didn’t come with a $1.4 million check. What have I told you about bothering me with facts? 😃 Keep it up and I’ll take your lantern, and then you’ll never find that honest man you keep looking for. > [@](#): > > That Oscar also didn’t come with a $1.4 million check. I’m not at all certain that Obama will take the money. There’s a thread elsewhere on whether he me; I’d link to it if I weren’t so freaking lazy. > [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I don’t buy or a second that anyone here would turn it down. You would all find a way to rationalize it to yourself. So would I. People do both wise and foolish things for the sake of pride. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/42 "2009-10-09T20:02:05Z")
Considering his book sales and the speaking fees he’ll be earning in 3 or 7 years I doubt Obama is all that excited about $1.4 million. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/43 "2009-10-09T20:02:09Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > George Scott turned down _one_ Oscar, but accepted multiple other awards in his career, including an Emmy. Well, the other thing is that he didn’t turn it down because he didn’t feel he deserved it, but rather because he was [protesting the “meat market”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A246980) of the Academy Awards. (And Marlon Brando turned his down in protest of the representation of Native Americans in film.) So there well may be some merit and/or historical precedent to refusing an award that the recipient feels is undeserved, but he wasn’t an example of that. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/44 "2009-10-09T20:05:44Z")
> [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Well, the other thing is that he didn’t turn it down because he didn’t feel he deserved it, but rather because he was [protesting the “meat market”](http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A246980) of the Academy Awards. (And Marlon Brando turned his down in protest of the representation of Native Americans in film.) > > So there well may be some merit and/or historical precedent to refusing an award that the recipient feels is undeserved, but he wasn’t an example of that. I wasn’t saying that the situations were exactly parallel. I was saying that there is precedent for people declining awards of great prestige for reasons of ethics, principle, or pride. ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/45 "2009-10-09T20:06:54Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I wasn’t saying that the situation’s were exactly parallel. I was saying that there is precedent for people declining awards of great prestige for reasons of ethics, principle, or pride. Ah. That totally works, then. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/46 "2009-10-09T21:10:50Z")
And once again sadly too many people in the U.S. demonstrate how easily they can turn on their President when the rest of the world highly respects him, just as they so easily chose to use the disrespect the world gave to a recent president (and rightfully so, in my opinion) as a badge of honor. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/47 "2009-10-09T21:14:02Z")
If he accepts it (and he probably will) I think he should donate the money to Doctors Without Borders, or to a fund for building a school in Afghanistan, or to buy 150,000 malaria bed nets. $1.4 million is a drop in the bucket to most major charities or related to federal aid, concentrated it can do a lot of good in a single area and one that he can be very proud of later. ---
**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/48 "2009-10-09T22:05:44Z")
I’m lost. Why deny he won? If he’d been advised he was in the nomination pool you might ask him to speak up, but once it’s awarded it’s too late to undo it. Also, he’s already said of course he would go there to accept it in person. He’s talked to the Norwegians. He goes there in December with everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/49 "2009-10-09T22:18:56Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I don’t buy or a second that anyone here would turn it down. You would all find a way to rationalize it to yourself. So would I. I’m sure that some people would indeed find a way to rationalize it. It seems to me, however, that you’re trying to rationalize this firm conviction that not a single person here would decline the award, no matter how undeserving they may be. Personally, I would absolutely decline. I couldn’t face my family and friends if I were to accept, since I know that they’d be thinking of me as a glory-hogging fraud. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/50 "2009-10-09T22:20:03Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > And once again sadly too many people in the U.S. demonstrate how easily they can turn on their President when the rest of the world highly respects him, just as they so easily chose to use the disrespect the world gave to a recent president (and rightfully so, in my opinion) as a badge of honor. How is wishing that he turn it down “turning on him?” I voted for the guy and though I could certainly quibble with many things, I think he is doing a more or less reasonable job given the crappy position he has and shittier situations he started with. But he doesn’t yet merit such an all-encompassing award IMHO and I can’t for the life of me see where declining it graciously would be insulting to anyone who wasn’t already insufferably prickly. Note that I think accepting it humbly is also not a _bad_ choice. Just not the one I’d prefer. The only _bad_ choice would be if he decided to throw a huge kegger in celebration and televised himself swilling PBR from a hypothetical trophy while screaming “WOOO! WOOO!” at the top of his lungs. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/51 "2009-10-09T22:24:33Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > But he doesn’t yet merit such an all-encompassing award IMHO and I can’t for the life of me see where declining it graciously would be insulting to anyone who wasn’t already insufferably prickly. Ditto. I’m amazed at the number of people who think that declining the award – even graciously and appreciatively – somehow constitutes a grave insult. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/52 "2009-10-09T22:42:30Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > How is wishing that he turn it down “turning on him?” I voted for the guy and though I could certainly quibble with many things, I think he is doing a more or less reasonable job given the crappy position he has and shittier situations he started with. But he doesn’t yet merit such an all-encompassing award IMHO and I can’t for the life of me see where declining it graciously would be insulting to anyone who wasn’t already insufferably prickly. > > Note that I think accepting it humbly is also not a _bad_ choice. Just not the one I’d prefer. The only _bad_ choice would be if he decided to throw a huge kegger in celebration and televised himself swilling PBR from a hypothetical trophy while screaming “WOOO! WOOO!” at the top of his lungs. I was going to post something like this, but you did, and said it better. So, uh, _this, +1, what he said_, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/53 "2009-10-10T00:00:44Z")
Actually, respectfully and politely declining the award might be seen as “humble” or “down-to-earth” and could win him some respect from people who don’t like him that much. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/54 "2009-10-10T00:37:03Z")
Beyonce should have won it. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/55 "2009-10-10T00:43:59Z")
Oops, Sampiro mde the same joke in another thread. I was afraid of that. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/56 "2009-10-10T02:42:14Z")
No President Obama hasn’t actually brought peace anywhere. He’s made efforts to but he’s failed or at least ongoing currently. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/57 "2009-10-10T03:40:46Z")
So is there any historical precedent on someone turning down an award because they felt that they didn’t deserve one? And I’m not talking about someone who fraudulently won an award and later recanted. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/58 "2009-10-11T01:29:07Z")
It seems it’s not up to the individual: as I understand it, you stay the Nobel prize winner for that year even if you refuse to play along. Le Duc Tho declined collecting his co-prize with Kissinger but he still appears in the list and is named as co-winner. In case of decline Obama’s citation and medal would probably be sent to the US Embassy in Oslo and it would then be routed to wherever unsolicited gifts from abroad get sent. So you might as well make the most of giving a serious acceptance speech and looking properly humble and modest. BTW, I believe it won’t be too long until Mr. O has to take some less-than-pleasant action to take care first of the interests of the USA, which is his primary duty. If some of his international fans go all _“but, but but… how can you do THAT, after you won the Peace Prize! He’s just like all the others! Noooooooooooooooooo!!”_ over that, they’d be quite the fools… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/59 "2009-10-11T01:38:30Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > So is there any historical precedent on someone turning down an award because they felt that they didn’t deserve one? And I’m not talking about someone who fraudulently won an award and later recanted. Both George C. Scott and Marlon Brando turned down Academy Awards (the first for Patton and the second for The Godfather). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193/60 "2009-10-11T01:41:55Z")
> [@kidneyfailure](#): > > Actually, respectfully and politely declining the award might be seen as “humble” or “down-to-earth” and could win him some respect from people who don’t like him that much. It might from some people, but I have no doubt that a lot of people who don’t like Obama very much would start saying he’d turned it down because he was rude, arrogant, didn’t really care about peace, or hated America. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-president-obama-accept-the-nobel-peace-prize/513193.md?page=4)