Obama’s Nobel

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Wingnut reaction when the International Olympic Committee fails to award Chicago the 2016 Olympics:

“Obama fails in his mission to win the support of the world community! Stupid Obama!”

Wingnut reaction when Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:

“Obama succeeds in his mission to win the support of the world community! Stupid Obama!”

Anyway… it’s too soon for Obama to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But it’s not Obama’s fault that he won. He wasn’t the one who made the decision. And as much as some people think it would be good for him to turn it down, you don’t turn down the Nobel Peace Prize, because it would look like a snub. What you do is, you accept the award, humbly… and then you forget you ever won it except when you leave American soil.

10 thoughts on “Obama’s Nobel”

  1. Sage advice, Tin Man! I voted for Obama but I think it’s silly and patronizing. It’s the soft bigotry of no expectations. Obama has a lot of potential, he could have “earned” the prize. Instead, they gave it to him because the very fact that’s African-American and not George W. Bush inspires people. I don’t think you can call those two things “accomplishments.” And I like Obama!

  2. It’s also, I think, a very carefully framed message that the Nobel committees are making on behalf of Europe in general — a message to Obama AND TO IRAN that they support us and they will stand with us.

    Contrast that to 2003, and that’s a tremendous change.

  5. I think your two imagined reactions show you’re a little too New York-centric or something. I have been discussing both of these Obama news items since October 8 with my wingnut friends, and I think that reaction we wingnuts have to both the Nobel 9too early, for what?) and the Olympics (where the reaction commentary had nothing to do with support of the world community) is pretty much inline with most of the public.

    But, until Dave Barry weighs in, we can’t write the history. On October 8, one of his blog links was:

    “THOSE TERRORIST BASTARDS

    Now they’re using inflatable pumpkins.”

    Which had nothing to do with the Nobel. (And for the record, I don’t have his blog bookmarked, but your posting inspired me.)

  7. I was wondering if you had seen my October 8 post!

    I don’t know if I would consider you a wingnut, since the wingnuts by definition have the most extreme reactions and will almost always root for Obama to lose. I think most people, myself included — heck, Obama included — are a little baffled that Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize. I also think most people’s reaction to the Olympics was, “Why he is going to Copenhagen — doesn’t he have more important things to do?”, even though he flew overnight and slept on Air Force One when he normally would have been sleeping anyway, and actually met with McChrystal while on the plane. But I don’t think most people’s reaction when Chicago didn’t get the Olympics was glee, unlike the guy at the Weekly Standard and that video I saw of people at some conservative convention cheering. I think most people didn’t care much one way or another.

    That said, the most extreme and outrageous reactions always get the most attention out there, because they’re the easiest and most fun to react to. If that’s what I did in my post, then… I’m guilty.

  8. I can’t be a wingnut. I recycle (which, in Delaware means I pay $6/mo for the privilege) AND compost. Plus I’m married to a Democrat. I’m pretty sure all of these things disqualify me. Also I oppose the death penalty and am for more gun control.

    Of course, I still think that we should bomb the hell out of Tehran, but after NASA’s bombing of the moon last week, I think we should claim we’re looking for water.

    But I don’t think you’re guilty. Writing for literary effect is different than actual extremism.

  9. P.S. I don’t really think we should bomb Tehran.

    I didn’t have a problem with the Copenhagen trip- I happen to think that if every other country is going to send their leader, we should too. And obviously, I have a problem with the Nobel, although that might be more of a problem with 5 Norwegians deciding the award than anything else. Well- okay- I can think of multiple people who should win the Peace Prize, and I think it’s now been weakened. But- most of the Democrats I know (and according to my Facebook stats, that would be the majority of my friends) also felt it was too soon. In general I give it a big “meh” for importance and a big “2 thumbs up” in generating conversation and jokes.

    But- to your first reply- I’m not a wingnut. I forgot to mention I never watch Fox News. That DEFINITELY disqualifies me, as does reading the New York Times online version everyday, religiously.

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