It's Hug a Conservative Week

Man, was it a tough week for Republican conservatives. Who thought that hating Barack Obama would be so hard?

First, they had to cheer when America lost the Olympics. Then, they were forced to blast the American president for winning the Nobel Prize for Peace.

The only thing worse for them, as my friend Myles Berkowitz said, is if next week Obama is named Top Chef.

You know it's been hell for them. In one blink, there went their Olympian argument that the world didn't like Barack Obama. The only saving grace for conservatives is that the announcement was made before dawn, so this time no camera caught anyone booing when word came.

But you can't keep a bumfuzzled conservative down, so there they were, playing catch-up everywhere, decrying that it was a disgrace for the president of their country to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. How the American president should actually turn down the Nobel Prize for Peace. Why Rush Limbaugh said he agreed with the Taliban and Iran, not to honor our president.

Oh, sure, I could explain why all this reaction was snotty. But that would be the easy way out. Even your five-year-old niece grasps why it's mean when something nice happens to someone and you don't say, "Congratulations!"

No, instead, I'm going to play a game I love called, "Just Imagine If It Was the Other Way Around."

Just imagine if it was the other way around and George W. Bush had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. (Okay, c'mon, it's just a game.) Here, I'll even make things easy for you -- it could be at any time during his presidency. A month in, eight years. Whenever you like, he's been given the Nobel Prize for Peace.

And then just imagine that Democrats were all over the media blasting it. Whining what a disgrace it was. An embarrassment. How he should turn down the award. And Keith Olbermann started bouncing in his seat, saying that he agreed with the Taliban and Iran. That the President of the United States didn't deserve the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Just imagine all that. What do you think the reaction of Republicans would be about the anti-American commie pinko U.S.-hating traitorous liberals?

The game is easier than you thought, isn't it?!

See, that's the thing. For all the yowling about whether the president of the United States deserved the Nobel Prize for Peace, pretty much everyone missed the larger point.

For starters, it doesn't matter whether he "deserved" it or not. It's an award. Okay, it comes with a million dollars, which is nice, especially during a recession, but the president has said he's giving the money to charity. So, other than that, you just get a medal, diploma and a testimonial. It's like the end of The Wizard of Oz. Basically, all this means is you can boost your speaker's fee. (Yes, you also get respect, but honestly, he's already the Most Powerful Man in the World. The respect box is full.) You don't get more power. You haven't won an election. It won't guarantee you a dinner reservation. You even have to pay for your own trip to Norway. It's just an award that someone gives. It's a very nice award. But it's Just An Award. Like the Tonys, but without Neil Patrick Harris hosting.

But further, for all the debate as to whether President Barack Obama "deserved" the Nobel Prize for Peace, even he said, "I don't feel I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored." Even he said, "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership." So -- there isn't even a debate. He agrees with you! It's just that he was oh-so much more gracious about it. Plus, there's that whole "turning one million dollars over to charity" thing.

And it's not like President Obama gave an award to himself. The Nobel Prize committee, which has been doing this for 109 years, knows the qualifications they're looking for -- agree with their decisions or not. "Deserve" it? I don't think anyone commenting has a clue what the standards are. All we can do is guess. It's a fun debate, but meaningless. They felt the U.S. president was deserving. And it's their football. In the end, it honors the man. It honors the nation.

And that's the larger point that all the bloviating has missed.

The point is that the president of the United States was given one of the most renown honors on the Planet Earth, a recognition of trying to find world peace -- the very thing every beauty queen contestant has ever hoped for -- and conservatives are so consumed with blind hatred that they are unable to accept that we all are honored by this award. And we all are honored by this award whoever receives it, whatever their country, whatever their efforts.

Receiving the Nobel Prize for Peace is A Good Thing. There will always be people more deserving and less deserving, because the pursuit of world peace has been going on since the beginning of time, and it needs a menagerie of people and organizations and nations always pushing it forward. What matters is being part of the menagerie. But conservatives just couldn't handle that.

Congratulations to the President Barack Obama for receiving the Nobel Prize for Peace. May he use it to inspire us all, and to inspire himself to be worthy of its name.

Comments

[Querent]

How about "Kick a Conservative in the Face" week?

[Emerald1943]

When I opposed the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq, I was called a tr aitor.
When I opposed the torture, I was called a terrorist-­sympathize­r.
When I opposed the rampant deficit spending, I was accused of not supporting the troops.
When I opposed the arrogance in our foreign affairs, I was called un-American.
When I opposed the spying on American citizens, I was called un-patriotic.

Then, last year, this wonderful, kind, intelligent, and thoughtful leader took the reins of my country...and I am vindicated! He has won the peace prize in my heart!

It is a beautiful work in progress!

Peace to all!

[thebigbike]

Hug a conservative? oh, let's dont and just say we did.

[EbonBear]

No, let's hug 'em. And then I can teach all us liberals how to throw a belly-to-belly suplex.

[JBoy]

Congratulations Mr. President...now lets build up that force in Afghanistan and kick some butt!

[Michaelraysmith]

Exactly. Good job.

[charlietuna11]

this has been the lowest point in republican history. a black president has been elected. a hispanic has been appointed to the supreme and if that isn't bad enough, muslim members of congress has doubled from one to two. they must be wondering if there really is a god . even though they almost never support civil rights laws, and wouldn't be caught dead voting to increase the minimum wage law for those who most need it, they are the first to wave the flag and quote the scripture in spite of being big limbaugh fans. i think its safe to say that limbaugh and fox news are now the official sites of americas white trash.....

[nowarpleez]

Unfortunately the GOP and conservatives don't care about the nation, they care about politics and power. Remember these are the people that applauded when the USA lost the Olympics.

[TRex86]

The whole "staid, conservative" thing has flown out the window on a blast of bombast. Most of the Republicans of my youth (1950's) would fit in the middle of the Democratic Party. The contemporary (sic.) Republican party ranges from the far right to the farther right to the certifyably insane. They take their marching orders from haters and incoherent bloviators. But that's beside the point. What's their goal? To make the world a better place? I don't think so. They are rabid defenders of the privileged and wealthy. All else is opportunistic piffle. Like the Wicked Witch of the West they've been hit with a bucket of water and they're melting.

[JWheels]

I think the real point is that ultraconservatives seem to be opposed to the idea of world peace itself.

[Beegood]

I think the conservative reaction is telling of their ignorance of rest of the world. They were totally blind to how offensive and inappropriate G. W. Bush's arrogent approach to international relations was. They don't get how Obama has made difference by telling the world that he won't do what Bush did (the conservatives took offense to what they called "apologizing for America"). They are an embarrassment ot this country. Sure I'll give'm a hug, I pity them too. Now on to bigger and better things.

[dignityandhonor]

I've been taking delight in all of these people hyperventilating about the peace prize. I've reminded a few that it's kinda like how I felt when the republicans who started the Iraq war were given Congressional Medals of Honor.
I hope we get 8 years of Obama and 8 years of Biden.

[bdaved]

What?

[jsgaetano]

Oh wow, eight years of Biden would make their heads pop like squashed grapes.

What a thing of beauty THAT would be! And we'd see a real Liberal in charge for once in our lifetimes!

[VMA]

The thing that's most funny to me about the deserve vs. not deserve of the Nobel is that Americans are so arrogant that they think the rest of the world gives a flying *&^%!

[Maxiesid]

THANK YOU! This is what I have been saying since last week to my stomping their feet, holding their breath, foaming at the mouth republican co-workers. The committe voted unanimously to give this honor to President Obama. They are the ones giving the prize and it doesn't matter what any American thinks about whether it is deserved or not... ... you said it so much better that I am going to forward it on to all of them. Expect more exploding GOP heads soon.

[Freesia2]

Well said. (And thanks for making me laugh about the reference to the idea of Keith Olbermann bouncing in his seat a la Rush Limbaugh "Mr. Bouncey Bouncey". )

Oh and I don't care if it is Hug A Conservative Week. This Independent isn't cuddling up any of them, because I'm with PlaceboStudman below. There are no conservatives to hug. Just neocon - evangelical - military industrialist Republicans. There are no conservatives to get warm and fuzzy with. Just a bunch of squealing Republicans and I'm afraid I might catch "swine" flu. ;-)

[dynwit]

Conservatives are the new anarchists.