Obama Peace Prize Editorial Roundup

Wall Street Journal: "The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to President Obama yesterday was greeted with astonishment as much as any other emotion, even among many of his admirers. Our own reaction is bemusement at the Norwegian decision to offer what amounts to the world's first futures prize in diplomacy, with the Nobel Committee anticipating the heroic concessions that it believes Mr. Obama will make to secure treaties that will produce a new era of global serenity."

Washington Post: "It's an odd Nobel Peace Prize that almost makes you embarrassed for the honoree. In blessing President Obama, the Nobel Committee intended to boost what it called his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." A more suitable time for the prize would have been after those efforts had borne some fruit."

New York Daily News: "The Nobel Peace Prize committee members made fools of themselves in bestowing the honor on President Obama and very nearly did him the same disservice.

He is fortunate to have made the best of an idiotic decision."

Boston Globe: "Whether or not the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Obama prematurely, global awareness of the award can translate into a valuable American asset. Hard-headed leaders in Tehran, Moscow, or Pyongyang will not suddenly do Obama's bidding simply because he has been praised by a committee of dignitaries in Oslo. But this Peace Prize carries a message for those leaders and their publics. It says that instead of being outside an international consensus, the United States today stands at the center of that consensus. The announcement from Oslo has enhanced American soft power. We hope Obama will earn his prize by making the most of that soft power."

Los Angeles Times: "For our part, we're fans of the president. We endorsed him for the job, and we greatly prefer him to his predecessor. But it's difficult to see why he deserves the peace prize so soon after taking office. The Nobel committee didn't just embarrass Obama, it diminished the credibility of the prize itself, which traditionally rotates among world leaders (Willy Brandt, Mikhail Gorbachev), charitable organizations (Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders) and humanitarians (Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa)."

New York Post: "Ironically, Obama's brief record contains only examples where he's arguably lowered chances for peace -- such as his calls for scrapping nukes that have preserved peace for decades.

And he's undermined folks who've risked life and limb to bring peace and freedom to their countries -- voters in Iran and Honduras, dissidents in Cuba and Burma, allies in Eastern Europe . . ."

San Francisco Chronicle: "The award is about the future, one that will be very hard to live up to. This is one prize that rejuvenates his goals but can't be fully redeemed until years from now. That way the world can see if Obama lived up to the high expectations that a majority of voting Americans - and now Nobel judges - have placed on his presidency."

Miami Herald: "Europe loves Mr. Obama because he's not George W. Bush, whose war-on-terror policies are reviled, but is that really a prizeworthy distinction? It shouldn't be.

His selection is an honor for this country, yet the word premature springs to mind. Mr. Obama has made some eloquent speeches, most recently reaffirming a commitment to diplomatic engagement before the U.N. General Assembly. And he has done some good things, too, like ordering the eventual closing of the prison at Guantánamo and outlawing waterboarding.

That's a good start, but no more than that. The Nobel Peace Prize should represent something more than a pat on the back for good intentions."

National Post: "What seems clear from all this bafflegab is that Mr. Obama is being given his award for mere words -- for striking fashionable poses in favour of multilateralism, for making a nice speech in Cairo, for offering "hope." Months after Americans learned to dismiss Mr. Obama's 2008 presidential campaign slogans as the bromides they were, Scandinavians apparently are still drinking his Kool-Aid."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "Mr. Obama's harshest critics -- a motley crew of conservative Republicans, right-wing bloggers, talk-show hosts and the Taliban -- are beside themselves with rage that their nemesis has received another "undeserved" honor.

Though pleasantly surprised, even Mr. Obama's admirers are baffled by the announcement out of Oslo that the 44th president of the United States will be the third sitting president to receive this honor."

Philadelphia Inquirer: "That Obama was chosen for this honor only nine months into his tenure is more evidence of the impact that his election alone has already had globally. The hope that was sparked with Obama's election in November has stirred people across the planet."

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