Friday, October 9, 2009

President Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Wow. First time I've had a surprise in awhile. I am up early. 5am. Reading newspapers online. First the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, then the Dallas Morning News, then the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

When I clicked on the Seattle P-I the first thing that popped in to view was the big headline "President Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize."

Seattle is 2 time zones later than Texas. Why are Fort Worth and Dallas not awake with this news?

Reading the article about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize I learned I was not the only one who is surprised. Only 2 American Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize while in office. Teddy Roosevelt for his part in negotiating the settlement of the Russo-Japanese War early in the last century and Woodrow Wilson for his part in ending World War 1 and its aftermath.

The Nobel Committee says President Obama was awarded the Peace Prize due to his efforts in reaching out to the Muslim world and his efforts at curbing nuclear proliferation.

Some are surprised that Obama won a Nobel Prize due to the fact that he took office only 2 weeks after the Nobel nomination's deadline. I guess he was nominated in the hope that in the following months he would do something to earn the prize.

It should be amusing to listen to Rush Limbaugh rant about this turn of events today. Quite a turn around for President Obama from the sort of embarrassing recent Chicago Olympics debacle.

10 comments:

hire said...

Same condition here when i heard the news i am shocked...and i know i was not only one who is surprised.......

Anonymous said...

Count me among the very surprised.

Steve A said...

Actually, he took office 10 days BEFORE the deadline. Quite an accomplished guy!

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

Oh, lighten up...give the rookie a break.

Durango said...

They did give the rookie a break. Called the Nobel Peace Prize.

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

Are you suggesting that the esteemed Obama didn't earn it? I'm shocked...

Durango said...

CT2----Well, I have really not made note of any great outbreak of peace worthy of a prize. Maybe I've not been paying close enough attention. Or am just overwhelmed by my personal disasters to notice how peaceful the world has become in the past 9 months.

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

Well, I heard the reason was just his willingness to sit down and talk to the Muslims. I'm guessing that no one else has ever tried that before.

london said...

That was the obvious choice.

J.W. Marshall said...

I had forgotten about this. I wonder if the Nobel committee regrets their decision? You know, since he's been drone striking targets in the middle east nonstop for his whole presidency. His civilian death count is higher than Bush's(that's for 2 wars folks) with no end in sight. But of course you won't hear about this through the msm. smh