Obama Nobel Peace Prize Reaction

We've rounded up reactions to Obama's surprising Nobel Peace Prize awarded Friday morning. Here are the collected thoughts of world leaders, journalists, American politicians et. al. -- let us know which reactions you think are right on, and which you disagree with. Scroll down to the bottom of the entry to see live reactions coming in from Twitter.

Barack Obama

"I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee," Obama said. "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."

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[Weirdwriter]

02:16 AM on 10/10/2009

The Nobel Prize committee often honors people who are inspiring, who encourage others to greater deeds, who are working toward important goals - not necessarily for concrete achievements.

President Obama is one of those, and his acceptance speech made it clear he knows his award is a "call to action." Besides the modesty he has shown about his honor, he is donating the considerable prize money to charity.

There is nothing here to criticize unless you have a nominee you favored more. Americans should be united in giving congratulations and accepting that this honor reflects on their country, too.

[Firbolg]

02:44 PM on 10/10/2009

I think the prize should have been awarded to Ron William from Aetna to be shared jointly with the other health insurance CEOs. After all, he and his colleagues have brought peace to over 40,000 Americans every year much earlier than they might have otherwise been expecting it.

[Kevins]

01:35 AM on 10/10/2009

From where Republicans sit, the US President getting the Nobel Peace Prize looks like a disaster.

It doesn't help to have Bin Laden poking them in the ribs wanting his binoculars back.

[MidwestHeart]

01:23 AM on 10/10/2009

The progressives who are so impatient with Obama are starting to have a similar sound in my head to the right wingers. Oy vey my head hurts. (Nothing like a little Yiddish to really convey a feeling.)

[MidwestHeart]

01:21 AM on 10/10/2009

Someone told me today that while in the Illinois Senate, O. used to play poker with the Republicans.
That says alot about him.

Just yesterday at the library, I found the audio version of his book, "Audacity of Hope" and started listening to it last night. How perfect to wake up this morning to this news. A friend recommended the audio version because it is read by him and is more impactful.

[MidwestHeart]

12:18 AM on 10/10/2009

Perhaps all the progressives who are attacking Obama (as if he made this decision) have caught a virus created by Repubs. and it is spreading to progressives. I just don't get the negativity. This is about a possibility and the huge space he is creating for dialogue which ultimately is the only thing that can bring peace.

I wonder if the Nobel Committee would have done it if they had anticipated his own would turn on him. But who could have predicted that anyway? They expected us to be sane.

[RayinDC]

08:36 PM on 10/09/2009

A comment in verse:

He didn’t bring back the Olympics
And this comes as a surprise—
But winning a Nobel
Is a nice consolation prize.

Does he deserve it? Yes, he does,
So let’s all give three cheers.
He’s accomplished more for the world in 8 months
Than Bush did in 8 years.

(www.newsericks.com)

[BaliBelly]

08:11 PM on 10/09/2009

Perhaps the award is premature, or that others may have deserved it better, however it remains a prestigious award, despite attempts to denigrate it from the right. I understand the intent of the committee though to encourage the president to continue along his course of action and seek peaceful ways to address problems.

Not that I liken him to Jesus, but Limbaugh, Hannity, Malkin, Steele, et al could have lived in in Jesus' time, and they would have sided with the Pharisees and money-lenders and persecuted Him. That's because the vitriol in their hearts have poisoned their minds, and are unable to see goodness.

By the way I'm agnostic. of religion in general and of Obama's ability to bring about the world that we dream of by himself. But in times of uncertainty, we need transformative leadership, and Obama is the right one for these times.

[greenbergrn]

07:51 PM on 10/09/2009

How embarrassing for Americans to be critical of this award when the rest of the world looks upon it as an honor. Michael Steele should be ashamed of the vitriol that comes out of his mouth day after day. While so much of Obama's work lies ahead, he was right to say that this prize belongs to the American people. No longer are we hated by the world for mindless warmongering and arrogant imperialism. I am grateful that our president has turned the page from the Bush debacle. I expect him to live up to this honor in the years to come.

[Inghram]

08:23 PM on 10/09/2009

If anything, this award seems to be to encourage him to do just that - to continue to work for peace and justice, rather than the imperialism and warmongering we have known in the past.

This he acknowledged in his acceptance:

"I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievements. It's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st Century."

[JusdaTruth]

07:36 PM on 10/09/2009

This is not an American award. It is given to any person who is qualified. It seems to me that people outside of America (the Nobel committee) deemed President Obama to be qualified. I'm so sorry that many of my fellow Americans are so narrow minded. I'm starting to think that the people that are constantly demonizing our president aren't patriotic.

Congratulations President Obama on your award.

[Zoeysmom92081]

07:55 PM on 10/09/2009

Here. Here. Well said. We must look like total morons to the rest of the world with all the naysayers. The Nobel Committee thought he should win it, end of story, case closed. Move along people, nothing to see here, nothing to see.

[Inghram]

07:12 PM on 10/09/2009

This is an honorable achievement. It is something in which every Americans should be proud.

Sadly, we are deeply nation divided and with a very vocal portion who have established as their goal to see that Obama fails. How tickled they were when Obama didn't get the Chicago Olympics is a recent example, and of course their outrage now over Nobel Peace Prize is now another example.

Sadly it is not about policy, patriotism, love of country or what is truly best for America with them. It is about their lack of power which drives them to shrill name calling, nasty rhetoric, conspiracy theories galore and to attempt to erect every roadblock possible in an attempt to assure that he fails.

[kiwi4Obama]

07:24 PM on 10/09/2009

Fully agree and nicely stated

[LDF]

07:10 PM on 10/09/2009

It's telling that the criticism of this is coming from Hamas, the Taliban, and Michael Steele.

[MidwestHeart]

12:14 AM on 10/10/2009

So true you think they would see it. Now how do we explain the Obama-nay-saying progressives who are denouncing this as well. Bizaare.

[LondonTownNY]

06:46 PM on 10/09/2009

The Republican Party or at least what remains of it is in crisis mode, fighting to hold on to some type of brand identification, which has sadly morphed into contesting anything that a non Republican President does, in order to impede his success. The fear is that if Obama succeeds and continues to be embraced by the world as a transformational leaders, it will only extend their time in the Wilderness and further undermine their credibility. What needs to be recognized by all, is that Obama is one of the most popular people in the world right now, more popular than the sitting leaders in many countries. When America and its leaders are beloved that is only good for America and American business. Republicans are so hell bent on destroying Obama that they do not want the American people to recognize this as a positive development. Only in America can a morally banrkupt party condemn a foreign entity for loving America's leader. If it was not clear already, it is time to ask: Who's side are these folks on anyway?

[weebils]

06:40 PM on 10/09/2009

When President Obama won the election to the presidency there were people literally crying in public. It still sends chills down my spine. The entire world erupted in cheers. The United States Of America had held a peaceful election in which a Black man was elected president with the support of all races in a country plagued by racial divide. I know we have short memories but to me that will be a day I will carry in my heart until the day I die. I never believed I would live to see it but Barack Obama never wavered in his belief that it would happen. He believed in us and worked with us to prove to the world that things thought impossible can really happen. He made us proud and noble and for that alone he deserves this prize.

[JISantiago]

06:40 PM on 10/09/2009

Yitzak Rabin, Yasser Arafat and Shimon Perez were awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Middle East peace, but that peace is yet to arrive. So, does that mean these three gentlemen should not have deserved the Prize?

They fully deserve the Prize because marked a paradigm of shift in their relationship from one being bitter enemies to one of a relationship of partners in the persuit of peace.

Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his crusade against global warming. That crusade has not succeeded yet. So, does that mean he shouldn't deserve the Prize?

Al Gore fully deserve the Prize because of the awareness he created on the dangers of climate change and galvanizing support for the fight against global warming.

So the arguments of Obama's critics are totally misplaced. The previous administration divided the world into two camps -- one who are friends of America and the other who are against America! Europe was also devided into old Europe and new Europe!

Obama changed the foreign policy from one that sought "you are with me or against me" approach to one that seeks friendship and cooperation with all countries and strives for a nuclear-free world.

Obama is tirelessly working to achieve these goals. We are already seeing some positive results; two axis of evil, Iran and North Korea, agreeing to talks on nuclear arms issues.

Obama, therefore, deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his vision and mission for a better world.

[annis]

07:14 PM on 10/09/2009

Fabulous post.

Thank you.

[surajshah]

07:49 PM on 10/09/2009

and why does only obama has a vision and mission?
the prime minister of india did not wage a war against pakistan after mumbai attacks. he helped stop a nuclear war and why not him?

the president of pakistan "asif ali zardari" said he wants friendship with india. a big move. why not for his vision and mission?

and tons of other presidents/prime minister has better mission and vision than obama.

one should not forget that obama gave a yes nod for allowing unmanned aerial planes to attack people in pakistan afghanistand border region. this decision and let to killing of hundreds of innocent people.

A command in cheif who is fighting two simultaneous war. one in iraq and one in afghanistan and threatenign iran every day can not be given a peace prize.

you guys and those norway guys are nuts.

[OtayPanky]

06:29 PM on 10/09/2009

I voted for Obama, and support him (generally) - and think he's on the way to potentially becoming one of the great presidents.

But this prize, at this time, is an albatross around his neck - for several reasons.

First - and most important - it doesn't help him to do his job as commander in chief. He may well have to make some terrible decision - like any president might have to make - that involves doing something very warlike. In particular, he might have to engage in some massive military act against Iran or North Korea.

Second, it trivializes his work so far - because that work is only just begun, and not even half done. We all need to see the FRUIT of his diplomatic initiatives - not just the beginning buds.

And third, it's an embarrasment to the democratic party - and fodder for the wing nuts. All along they have been criticizing Obama for being a rock star rather than a leader - and this swooning by the Nobel committee adds fuel to that fire.

It's not that a sitting leader shouldn't ever receive a Nobel. Certainly Gorbachev deserved his - but it was given AFTER he had done his work of deconstructing and reconstructing his country to be less of a threat than it was.

It would have been much better for the committee to wait on Obama's Nobel until he had really brought home the bacon - say by working to fully re-integrate

[OtayPanky]

06:30 PM on 10/09/2009

Last sentence got cut off, should say:

It would have been much better for the committee to wait on Obama's Nobel until he had really brought home the bacon - say by working to fully re-integrate the rogue nation of Iran into the global community.