Bad News! Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Here's how Obama's critics will react to the news of his winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Religious Right will take this is further proof that Obama is the Antichrist.

The neoconservatives will trumpet this as the ultimate evidence of Obama being a socialist, embraced by notoriously socialist Norway.

The "birthers" will find evidence that Obama is indeed not an American since isn't it more likely that those communists in Europe would give the Nobel Peace Prize to a Kenyan?

The "deathers" already know that in Sweden (same as Norway, right?) socialized medicine kills one out of every two patients and forces 99% of women to have abortions, so this will just prove that a similar fate awaits all Americans.

The surprise for some Democratic voters who believe that all lefties are sensible people will be the reaction of the Obama-isn't-progressive-enough left. Obama's critics to the left (Krugman/Maher et al) will issue lists ranging from his "failure" to change the don't ask don't tell policy fast enough, to the fact that we are "still in Afghanistan" to show that the Nobel committee was somehow mistaken.

Because President Obama has not been on a timetable of a fast-paced music video but rather has approached governing at a measured pace working for long term results the smart ass part of the left, raised on high sugar content breakfast cereals and too much TV, a group of people who think in soundbites and 30 second news cycles, will somehow, like the far right, turn this good news into bad news.

The rest of us who have steadily stood by our man, worked to get him elected and have faith in his brilliance, good humor, patience and kindness will rejoice.

em>Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back and the forthcoming Patience With God: Faith For People Who Don't Like Religion (Or Atheism)

Follow Frank Schaeffer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/frank_schaeffer

Comments

[FINJA]

I am very happy for the President. I am also enjoying the far right freak out :) It is always fun to see them lose their minds over something like this... a President who is actually recognized by the international community for doing some good for the world.

If it makes the republiklans feel any better, I will give Bush the "FINJA illegal war prize!"

Mr. President, keep doing what you are doing, I am proud of you.

[bobrect]

Frank Schaeffer is great. It's like he has truth tourettes. He can't help himself--he opens his mouth and unmitigated truth flies out.

[Kevins]

Just about the best commentary--thanks, Frank Schaeffer!

No one has ever "achieved world peace"--not even Christ would win the
Nobel Peace Prize if it were for "accomplishing" peace, an end to
wars, the elimination of conflict....

What Obama did, from the morning he entered the White House, was
change the environment for the whole world regarding the prospects for
peace, regarding peaceful diplomatic resolutions, regarding respecting
world treaties and agreements, regarding respecting the peoples of the
world, regarding what had til then been the hooligan use of weapons.

Obama did EXACTLY what is the mission of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate:
he made straight the path toward peace.

[DonnaNoShock]

Congratulations Mr. President we are so very proud that this award has been bestowed on you. Our country should be proud of this wonderful honor.

Thank you Mr. Shaeffer the coverage of this award by the media has been disgusting IMO. Expected the right to blow a gasket but the reaction from a lot of those on the left has left me shaking my head in shame.

[etorres2006]

Congratulations Mr. President on your lifetime achievements and on receiving the very much deserved Nobel Peace Prize! Is that so hard to say? Republicans applauded the loss of the bid for the Olympic Games for Chicago and criticized the Nobel organization for awarding our President with this prestigious international recognition. We should all feel proud of our President when he succeeds and hurt as a Nation when he fails, but I guess that is just too much to ask from this shameful crowd of ignorant cynics and fanatics. It's a great day for America, the president gave the most humble acceptance speech and once again the irrational far right is basking it their own mud. Let's make sure we give Barack Hussein Obama a second term in office for the good of our Nation and for the sake of World peace.

[robiform]

Count me in as one of the "rejoicers"! It's my belief that President Obama got the Peace Prize because the Nobel committee (and by extension, many in the world community) were so delighted that the Cheney-Bush regime had ended and that we have a person as President who actually realizes that the U.S. is not the only country on the planet!

As always, Frank, a great post!

[JimReed]

All those things that the conservatives find wrong with the award are actually the reason Obama got it. After the Bush years, the rest of the world is freightened of what conservative America might do next so they do whatever they can to encourage progressive American, even if it means giving the Peace prize to Obama so early in his term hoping that might help keep us from returning to how we used to be. It's worth a shot.

[reeseb]

Congratulations, Mr. President!

Per Al Giordano..

Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

In a civilized society, the first and proper response to somebody winning a prize, any prize, is “congratulations, dude.”

But the heads exploding on the US right and the teeth-gnashing on parts of the US left this morning reveal that the United States, although it has made some fast progress of late, does not yet have a civilized society.

Everybody chill. It’s only a prize. And this prize in particular has had some hits (see: King, Martin Luther, 1964) and also some misses (see: Kissinger, Henry: 1973) when it comes to North Americans who have won it.

To those who say, “but, but, but, peace has not been restored to Iraq, Afghanistan or the Middle East, or anywhere else in the world, how can they give it to a guy who hasn’t succeeded at making any peace yet?” I think you have too much reverence for a mere prize. This Nobel is Europe’s way of saying, “thanks, America, for electing this guy and, by doing so, giving us all more maneuvering room to work for peace.”

Prizes go to the winners in this world. Obama got the prize – nominations for Nobel Peace closed ten days after his inauguration - because he won the election and closed a particularly terrible chapter in the United States’ relations with the world. That’s why.

[MadeInAmerica]

Thank you! As much as I love Bill Maher...I am sick and tired of hearing his negativity. Let our President fulfill his purpose with reason and forethought, not haste.

[notthistime]

Bravo Frank. Right there with you.

[bioluminescence]

Only in a peaceful nation such as America, would a man win a peace prize and have his opponents immediately declare war on him just for winning it.

[OKRevmar]

Thanks Frank -- what a great article! Our president has had a rough few weeks, and I'm glad there are those (like me) who are sticking by him and think he's doing a great job.
An idea, Frank -- why not point out the fact that Obama has already kept us safer than Bush did in his first year.

[narrowway]

The Nobel peace prize, actually any of the Noble prizes, is a joke. All of the prizes are given on the basis of liberal political correctness and have nothing to do with real life. Enjoy the fake glory. Enjoy the money. But it has no real meaning.

[respectingothers]

narrowmind would be a better fit for you

[Newcreation]

You're right --it is political and not to be taken seriously. I will agree with your comment since they won't let most of mine through. He didn't do anything to deserve this. They just want to elevate him on the world scene because he is part of "the plan". He will push for nuclear disarmament and they like that. They just won't tell people what the end goals of nuclear disarmament are!

[majii]

Mr. Schaeffer,
I always read your articles and value your unique insight. You are more qualified to write about certain issues because you've actually seen, and been involved in, both sides of them. Thanks, and I look forward to reading more of your articles and books.

"The surprise for some Democratic voters who believe that all lefties are sensible people will be the reaction of the Obama-isn'­t-progress­ive-enough left. Obama's critics to the left (Krugman/Maher et al) will issue lists ranging from his "failure" to change the don't ask don't tell policy fast enough, to the fact that we are "still in Afghanistan" to show that the Nobel committee was somehow mistaken."

You hit the nail on the head with all of the things you wrote about in this article, but the quote I excerpted says it all. IMO, this is always the position of some on the left who forget that we must sometimes take time to celebrate the good things that happen without raining on the parade.

[PAsteelers]

I agree with your comments.

Imagine my surprise when I turned on the tv this morning and heard that

Our Pres. has won the Nobel Peace Prize(which is a wonderful HONOR0

put almost everyone in the media were saying how this is bad, it wil hurt him,

what accomplish­ments..... I was appalled.

I expect it from the anti-American rethugs, but others. They are like rabid

dogs and their hatred of the Pres and his accomplishments.

I am proud of my President. Congratuilations, Mr. Obama

[qthedancer]

I am overjoyed. My children are overjoyed. My friends and colleagues are overjoyed. With all of you who still know how to take pride and rejoice: Ain't it grand??!