Obama has won a Nobel

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by Little32

And regardless of what folks say (and sometimes you folks are just too much for me) Obama has taken huge strides in trying to reframe U. S. leadership on the global scale. He has offered the olive branch (in the form of renewed diplomatic attempts) to people and nations that no recent president has wanted to touch with a twenty-foot pole. It hasn't always worked, but it does demonstrate a desire to change the nature of U. S. foreign to a model that is more equitable and inclusive on a global scale. Many here would point to that desire as a weakness; many abroad, who are weary of the U. S. as global bully, see it as a strength.

But many Presidents have done this before and not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. FDR's Good Neighbor policy represented a dramatic shift in what generally had been a very bloody involvement in Latin America into an uninvolved non-parental role. This was early before the war. FDR's policy was far more impactful than anything Barack Obama has ever done to date.

ETA: It never ceases to amaze me how folk who don't run anything but their mouths try to second guess those who are in a position to make these awards. Why do you all get to say he doesn't deserve the award, when according to the judgement of the folks that vote for these prizes year-in and year-out, he does. Give me a break.

Mahatma Gandhi has never won it. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini have been nominated at one time or another. One of the worst Presidents in American history Jimmy Carter, has won it. Henry Kissinger won it. I can assume that the Peace Prize is really just a slam against Barack Obama, some sort of insult.

[DrPhil]

Nobel Prize's are political.

Speculation:
Winning one binds the Administration to whatever its promises/plans are (whatever they are) and theoretically prevents the Administration from bombing/going to war with particular countries.

Administrations are always bound to political promises with the international community at some level, and this one just came in the form of a Nobel Prize.

So, yeah, Obama wasn't given one because HE deserved it.

[chickenoodle]

I attempted to search for a list of nominees, but that information is sealed until 2059. I did learn, however, that the nomination process takes a year which starts in September, nominations close in February and the deliberating process continues until the winner is announced in October.

Unless I miss my guess, Obama was nominated based on half a term as Senator, a book, campaign promises () and 12 days of presidency.

I must say I agree with DrPhil's assessment of the awards, even though the idealist in me died a little bit. He is now bound to his award. I wonder if this award and his promises and/or his duty as President will ever come into conflict (I would think not, but a lot can happen in 3 1/2 years)? I should be curious to see which one wins...


Here's where I found that info:
Fox
CNN

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Nobel Prize's are political.

Speculation:
Winning one binds the Administration to whatever its promises/plans are (whatever they are) and theoretically prevents the Administration from bombing/going to war with particular countries.

Administrations are always bound to political promises with the international community at some level, and this one just came in the form of a Nobel Prize.

So, yeah, Obama wasn't given one because HE deserved it.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

But many Presidents have done this before and not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. FDR's Good Neighbor policy represented a dramatic shift in what generally had been a very bloody involvement in Latin America into an uninvolved non-parental role. This was early before the war. FDR's policy was far more impactful than anything Barack Obama has ever done to date.



Mahatma Gandhi has never won it. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini have been nominated at one time or another. One of the worst Presidents in American history Jimmy Carter, has won it. Henry Kissinger won it. I can assume that the Peace Prize is really just a slam against Barack Obama, some sort of insult.

Pssstt...

Gandhi almost won it but...the year he was supposed to get it, he suffered from a slight case of death by assassination and the committee does not award it post humously. Just thought I would slightly correct you on that from the sidelines. Oh, and Carter doesn't count because his was after the fact and for that matter add in Gore too because he never won the Presidency. Sorry for chirping from the sidelines, just wanna make sure you keep your sh*t straight! **damn...getting crumbs all over my good couch!!**

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

Mahatma Gandhi has never won it. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini have been nominated at one time or another. One of the worst Presidents in American history Jimmy Carter, has won it. Henry Kissinger won it. I can assume that the Peace Prize is really just a slam against Barack Obama, some sort of insult.

You do realize that a nomination can be submitted by anyone in the field, right? Also, it's not an official designation--it's not as if Hitler was nominated for a Grammy for his audiobook version of Mein Kampf. Apparently, all sorts of random people are nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because of that open entry qualification. Don't you think, as dictators, that Hitler, Stalin, or Mussolini had people who were willing to nominate them?

Furthermore, Carter did not win it for what he did during his Presidency, but for what he did after he left the Oval Office. That distinction has always been made.