Friday, October 9, 2009
Politics Media Round-Up: Obama Wins Nobel, Right Just Rolls its Eyes
Posted by Henry Stewart on Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Well, actually, the right is mostly just rolling its eyes. Or laughing. They got over the Nobel Peace Prize a long time ago; if Al Gore gets one, you might as well give one to The Nazi-Marxist Antichrist, right?
The world has indeed gone topsy-turvy when Michael Steele, loony-headed chairman of the RNC (and Larry David lookalike), sounds more reasonable than his DNC counterparts. “The real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?’” he said in a statement. “It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights.” (The Weekly Standard’s blog has compiled a short-list of people around the world who have fought for peace and justice—or, at least, served some prison time. A Facebook friend suggests the man who threw his shoe at Bush.)
The DNC’s response to such an accusation? “The Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists — the Taliban and Hamas this morning — in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace prize,” its spokesman wrote in a statement. LOL? WTF? (The statement goes on to make one good point: that the prize is “an award [Obama] did not seek but that is nonetheless an honor in which every American can take great pride.” Oh, right, we’re all Americans, I guess. Congrats, Mr. President.)
Commentators across the web have shared the RNC’s measured but skeptical response. At Townhall.com (groan!), a blogger writes, “Isn't this, at least, a bit premature? I mean, shouldn't you at least do something before winning such a prestigious award?” The Daily News suggests that Obama should say: “Thanks, but no thanks. I really didn't earn this. It's far too early to know whether my efforts will further the cause of peace. There are countless people more deserving in America alone.”
Same sentiment from George Packer at The New Yorker.Even much of the Left seems to agree: "Whatever one might feel about Obama, he has not earned this singular award," writes an Obama supporter at The Huffington Post. "It is enormously premature."
The subtext several commentators have dug out is that the prize is meant as a celebration of the end of the Bush Era. “Rarely has an award had such an obvious political and partisan intent,” writes Michael Binyon in the Times (UK). “The prize risks looking preposterous in its claims, patronising in its intentions and demeaning in its attempt to build up a man who has barely begun his period in office, let alone achieved any tangible outcome for peace… It is certainly true that [Obama’s] energy and aspirations have dazzled many of his supporters. Sadly, it seems they have so bedazzled the Norwegians that they can no longer separate hopes from achievement. The achievements of all previous winners have been diminished.” (Someone writes to the National Review in an e-mail: “Obama's election alone is worthy of the prize.” Because it has certainly brought peace to this great land!)
But, folks, don’t let’s forget though that the Nobel Peace Prize has been an award of iffy distinction for decades. While previous winners include irreproachable (at least in the popular imagination) figures like Mother Theresa and Nelson Mandela, the list also includes HENRY FUCKING KISSINGER. (Michael Ledeen, a neoconservative think-tanker, told the Washington Independent: “The Nobel Committee is following its well-known proclivity of awarding the Peace Prize to people who make war more likely. Remember Jimmy Carter and Yasser Arafat?” And Kissinger, right? Carter builds homes for the poor!) The Daily News notes: “The Prize, which meant something once, is now officially a late-night joke.” Well, at least then Obama has finally become a uniter and not a divider: it’s a joke that’s making both the left and right crack-up.
Comments (1)
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The no bell piece prize? Yes, Mr. President you received a prize but now it’s time to pull together the pieces so we can all cheer once again to the sound of your bell. I was an avid supporter of your campaign and I enthusiastically voted for you. Like millions of Americans we projected our wishes on you after being starved and deprived by the worst governing in our history for the previous 8 years. We believed in you and our collective enthusiasm propelled you to the Presidency.
When I was a teenager I worked for the Bobby Kennedy campaign as a coordinator of the college youth vote. I can say that I have not been excited about anyone else since 1968, until I saw your Iowa speech as the tears rolled down my cheeks. You were given this prize because the Nobel committee also believes their projections on you will result in the change you yelled about from the rooftops of the world. I know you wish to also change the tone of politicians but domestically that may not be possible, so please if you can’t get the other side to agree, mow them down. They live every moment looking to chop you apart and discredit you in anyway they can up to and including their silence on the outrageous lunatic fringe comments about you. They literally are praying for your failure. If they needed to cross the water and you parted the sea for them they would accuse you of messing up the environment. If you single handedly found a cure for cancer they would call you a murderer and say that you had this cure as you watched people die.
This week you were given two gifts, one was a non profit health care provider denying coverage to a healthy 4 month old child because in their view the infant was over weight, and the big one was Monday’s report from the insurance companies that no matter what bill is passed they will raise rates to over 100%. They dissed you sir as you were trying to keep them at the table with apparent cooperation. Just as Senator Grassley dissed you as you were giving speeches singing his praises, as a republican who is working hard for a decent bill. He too was giving speeches saying he was against everything that he helped put in the bill and that you were out to kill grandma. Enough! It seems everyone has a seat at the negotiating table except the people. The American people are for a public option by nearly 70% including the blue dog states. Now you have your cover for passionate support on a public option. It’s unseemly to me that what the people want can’t happen because a handful of servants of the people are standing in it’s way in order to earn their checks from insurance companies. This sir is not change.
There is also the irony of being a war president and getting a peace prize. We spent 8 years in Afghanistan and we don’t want to spend 10 more there, so please earn your prize and don’t get us into another quagmire in a war that cannot be won by traditional means, as was the case in Viet Nam. We trust your judgment and your intelligent powers of discretion to come up with a creative solution.
Please sir fulfill all our projections and be the man that the whole world knows that you are and give us a meaningful healthcare bill that works for the people, with a now obviously badly needed public option. The Max Mucus bill as it stands makes me sick. Although there are good points in it the main purpose seems to be to placate all the special interests involved so they will support the bill. This is supposed to be a process to get the people what they need, not what various interests want.
One of the best lines that I ever heard came from John Lennon “Life is what’s happening to you as you are busy making other plans.” Now is your moment, seize it, stand tall and make us hear the sounds of your bell once again, by putting together the right pieces.
http://johnmolinari.blogspot.com
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