Rachel Maddow: The Nobel Peace Prize and Obama Derangement Syndrome
By Heather Sunday Oct 11, 2009 1:00pm
Rachel Maddow does an excellent job explaining how the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded in the past and why President Obama deserved to receive the award. The most stark example being this portion comparing then candidate Obama’s view of diplomacy compared with that of John McCain.
Maddow: The Nobel Peace Prize not always, but often awards effort. It recognizes people trying in big ways to get the world on a more peaceful path. The deadline for nomination for the prize is February first of the year in which it's awarded.
President Obama's critics say that by February first he should not have been nominated. He'd done nothing by then and by the way he's done nothing since to deserve it.
Obama: We need a fundamental change if we’re going to dig ourselves out of the hole that George Bush has placed us in and that’s going to require the kind of aggressive diplomacy— preparation yes—but aggressive diplomacy, personal diplomacy of the next president to transform how the world sees us. That is ultimately going to make us safer.
Maddow: Before he was nominated for the Nobel, Mr. Obama had persuaded the people of the most powerful nation on earth to choose him and his vision of strength through diplomacy—instead of the vision offered by his rival for the presidency.
McCain: You know that old, uh, that old Beach Boys song, bomb Iran? Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb… anyway…
Rachel goes on to contrast President Obama’s words to those of John Bolton, President Bush’s choice to be our representative at the United Nations. Another stark reminder of just what we finally rid ourselves of with the end of the Bush administration.
The entire segment is well worth spending the eleven minutes or so of your time to watch. Rachel wrapped it up with this.
Maddow: President Obama’s critics railed today that winning the Nobel Peace Prize is somehow an insult. That international encouragement and hope for success for an American president is something to be ashamed of. I never thought that I would quote Charles Krauthammer, but Obama derangement syndrome appears to be upon us. The American president just won the Nobel Peace Prize. By any reasonable measure, all Americans should be proud.
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Yes, Americans should be proud. Unfortunately we have a very vocal, influencial rightwing in this country which is comprised of people with the emotional development of a spoiled-rotten 12 year old.
and I am sad rachael is an apologist on this one. I might rethink my opinion, because I love her and respect her.
I don't think I CAN change my mind, because he hasn't earned it, just like he didn't earn the presidency. Both were bestowed by voters, which is the system and I am ok with that.
But to pretend he should have received it and he somehow deserves it is like saying GWB kept us safe. It can't be disproved, but the people saying it look stupid.
"GWB kept us safe" can't be disproved? It can be disproved very easily. On his watch, we saw 9/11, the anthrax attacks, two mismanaged wars in which many thousands of American soldiers were killed or maimed, a badly over-stretched military that couldn't respond to the threats it faced, a huge increase of terrorists and terrorism, and the plummeting of our international reputation even among our staunch allies. GWB very objectively did not keep us safe.
Obama didn't "earn" the presidency? Yes he did. He convinced the voters to hire him for the job. That is how it is earned.
And yes, he earned the Nobel as well. The Nobel committee decided he met the criteria, and that is how it is earned.
Obama was awarded the NPP, you can pretend he earned it, but it was an award.. ok?
Obama didn't earn the presidency it was presented to him - via the electorate, I assume. Although few can say that for sure.
You can't prove the wars have not kept us safe. I don't believe they have, but the point is you can prove it. So, please stop - it doesn't work.
Blamming 911 on Bush is like blamming Obama for the financial crisis. They both inhereted their problems, and it is dishonest to say otherwise.
Yep, you got me with anthrax, bush didn't stop a dozen or so letters from being sent.
You statement:
"GWB very objectively did not keep us safe." is, of course very subjective. Thanks for your opinion.
Boosh had the intel. And he went on vacation.
They "JUST SAY NO"
End the wars and dismantle the obscenely bloated war making apparatus that is the American Empire's machinery of death and destruction.
is filled with the RMS fan club it will be interesting to see the reaction to this post and her take on the award so many on the left seem to agree with El Rushbo and the Taliban about.p>
While not everyone on the left thinks Obama deserved the award, NO ONE on the left agrees with El Rushbo and the Taliban. Those in agreement are his cult followers. The fact that it was he who said the world rejected Obama a week before because of the Olympics failure can't stand that this was actually a world award.
Personally I'm happy Obama got the award just because the righties got their panties in a twist over it!
is one of Rachel's best. The clips of McCrazy singing 'Bomb, bomb Iran' and Bolton having a hissy fit at the UN prove her point.
Nicely done, Rachel.
I love rachael.
I've got to agree with c'lady. It was excellent.
like io care. I don;t know you.
Keep beating that dead horse Crabbs, I'm certain Obama's not giving the award or the money back.
Yes, Bush was so horrendous that if Jack the Ripper had replaced him he too probably would have won the award.
I have no problem with obama getting the award. I have a problem with single-track people that can only fall in party line. Obama is dem/lib/progressive/etc. everything he says and does is supported. All facts that don't support complete worship should be degraded. It is soo like talking to repubs during bush tenure of hell. Same hell different morons/demons.
conservative right wingers hate more than the majority of U.S. citizens are all the rest of world.
Obama just happens to be the person most visible to throw their ire at. They really need only look in a big mirror (before it cracks) and see the hideous wretch (GOP) that theyve become. They are afraid of everything, obstruct everything, and say no to everything without offering any credible alternatives. this party just wants to win, without offering anything constructive or credible in the form of policies, by beating up on Obama 24/7. and they think this shrillness is lost on the American independent? hah hardly. the GOP can shove it (the current version of it).
which went on for 8 years, was rigged to begin with. The GOP lost its way as a result, and of course used 911 as a basis to continue the fabrication. One of the reasons they had nothing better to offer than McCain/Palin is due to the abominable presidency---supported by the entire GOP without question----of GW Bush. Now they have to pay the piper!
you are the world-wide joke, at least among those outside the US who are unlucky enough to know who you are! My overseas friends have no idea who you are and couldn't care less what you say.
What "world" is it he's talking about, anyway? Certainly not Earth. Obama is respected all over the world. Not by everybody, sure, but by a magnitude of 1000 more than ever had any respect for Chimpy Bush and his Evil Henchman. All you have to do is look at that clip of Bolton to see why - they were dead set against anyone other than the US having any advantage in any situation, and of course "advantage" was to be defined by what was good for THEM and their cronies.
Blobfish is a complete nutjob, and his rantings are taken seriously by fewer and fewer people. The day he disappears down the toilet of history will be a fine one for our country.
I can't say that Obama really DESERVES this aaqward but Maddow has made the best arguement in his favor. The thing that is maddening is the right wing and anybody else who are blaming Obama for winning the award. No matter how I look at it I can find no fault of Obama for being given an award.
As far as Limbaugh goes; what he thinks, I couldn't care less. As you will see in the interview on the Today Show this week (I think it's the Today Show) he only does what he does only for the money. He only says what he says for the money. He uses his dumb ass audience for the money. He manipulates his audience only for the money. Nothing else. The more controversy he creates the more money he makes.
he looked surprised.
I think Mr. President is doing something to make our lives better and to bring more peace to the world. Although I am not sure if what he's doing or has done is good enough to receive the prize. Anyway, I am happy and proud.
Personally, I'm a bit conflicted. When he goes on and on about no nukes then openly protects Israel, I have a problem with that. It's all or nothing.
You know, if Obama got his wish, somehow I doubt he'd settle for no nukes, except for Israel. Israeli Derangement Syndrome isn't any better than Obama Derangement Syndrome.
seldom yields 'overnight' results, Cablespider. Furthermore, Obama has been in office for only nine months. Have we become so warped by our 7-second media soundbites that we view as successful only those efforts that yield instantaneous outcomes?!
Nothing and no one can change the fact that President Obama is the current recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. How possibly can anyone transform that fact into something derogatory or bad?!
And, why are any of us who see our nation's recovery inextricably intertwined with Obama's success participating in the insane negativity promulgated by the likes of Limbaugh, Kristol, Beck, and all their puerile pals?!?! We have MUCH more important things to do than participate in their wee whinefests.
and let us complain about Obama being given the Heisman Trophy, he deserves it!
is no way to live in the world. Nuance is everything, especially in politics. Remember, all or nothing was the basis of Bushie's worldview, and look where that got us.
Rachel is the best because she always does her homework and she's always succinct with her topics. Just the opposite of what we see and hear on right wing radio and TV.
Republicans ARE practicing seditious DEMAGOGUERY and anti-democracy OBSTRUCTIONISM intended to destabilize our economy for purposes of political exploitation.
Republicans AREN'T making a sincere effort to STOP the bleeding THEIR incompetent leadership and failed policies created. Instead, they're using inflammatory lies and accusations as a smokescreen to conceal their subversive agenda, which is to cause President Obama and America to fail so they can blame Democrats for the consequences of THEIR calamitous mismanagement.
Republicans ARE preposterously professing that THEIR disgraceful political WHORING had nothing to do with the banking, real estate, stock market and employment catastrophes that resulted.
Republicans ARE trying to hamstring Democrats to prevent them from repairing the damage caused during a Republican presidency that was irresponsibly enabled by Republican Senators and Representatives.
Republicans ARE offering ridiculous arguments meant solely to disrupt and prevent progressive change. They'd rather divide America and create political gridlock than endure the political consequences of effective Democratic governance.
Republicans AREN'T the LOYAL OPPOSITION; they ARE the ENEMY WITHIN whose mercenary personal priorities have eroded their moral and ethical standards to the point that duplicity and betrayal are their preferred modus operandi.
It's one thing to advocate their conservative beliefs; it's another thing entirely to willfully sabotage America's government because a successful Democratic presidency would not be vulnerable to the greed, fears and hatreds that have produced and sustained the radical Republican anti-government corporatism and anti-Christian faux theocracies that are poisoning and crippling American society.
.
hate Obama as much as Bill Clinton.
Opies - Obama Psychotics.
'at least Clinton was whiiiiite.'
and yapping and look at the facts. Four days into the Obama administration, Obama ordered strikes in Pakistan. He's got a bloodbath going on in Afghanistan, we are still in Iraq. We're flexing pecs at Iran, etc, etc.
What this is suddenly all okay now?
The term is flexing biceps (these are in the arms as opposed to the pecs [pectorals] in the chest).
And diplomacy is about graduating shows of strength, and the fact that we're not at war in Iran yet, and are unlikely to be as long as our allies are their business partners and we continue to be mired in two others presently.
Besides which, although one can easily over-generalize about such matters, in the ME any sign of capitulation is tantamount to showing yourself as weak, earns you no respect, and the next incident could easily escalate.
However, showing strength is also problematic if all it does it help the present regimes look tough in the face of opposition.
a thing you are yammering about. Yes politics are subtle and complicated. To Bomb or not to bomb, does need the intellectual to pontificate. blah blah, I am flexing my PECS. See?
but please HOLD you facts until after everyone leaves. It makes them uncomfortable and they get nasty.
Whether its 4 or 400 days, POTUS can authorize strikes that are deemed to be necessary. That proves - what?
He inherited both Afghanistan and Iraq from the previous regime. We'll see in the next month or two what his next step will be regarding Afghanistan. Hopefully he'll resist the Pentagon's pressure to significantly escalate. If he doesn't, THEN it might be a relevent fact. His decisions to date have been cautious and centrist.
Iraq was never going to be shut down quickly. It a logistics nightmare to withdraw that many troops in an orderly matter. There is a forces agreement between Iraq and the US, and a deadline for for a partial withdrawl. Has POTUS broken that agreement or missed that deadline?
POTUS has taken a ton of flak from the right wing over his Iran posture. He has offered diplomacy to Iran, he didn't get involved in the farce of an election, he resisted the pressure from many to threaten and posture. It now appears that Iran may actually sit down at the same table with the US and others and negotiate terms for their nuclear program.
Your post is full of opinions, but very light on facts. The facts that support your opinions may appear some time in the future, but as far as I can tell, they don't really exist now.
It proves that he will kill innocent people for perverted reasons. We have no security needs in Afghanastan. Gen Jim Jones said there is 100 AQ in afghanistan. We drone a funeral for....?
That is your facts..k?
I see your post you use alot of sort of fact too.
Their is not a logistics problem of removing the troops. PLEASE. Get on the plane. You know the problem. We aren't going to leave for 50+ years. We have oil to secure.
POTUS isn't accountable to IRAQ government and force agreements. I could give a shit less if he has missed those deadlines. He has missed mine. It was day 1.
Yes he has not bombed IRAN yet. Yeah! He is my hero.
The rightwing simply cannot accept that they are no longer in power, that the American people have categorically rejected their policies (however badly Obama and the Democrats poll, the Republicans are far worse with less than half the favorables), and that the international community celebrates this fact. They view every success by Obama as a personal affront and an attack on all they hold precious. They are, in a word, psychotic.
we had gotten the Olympics. They would boo Obama if he rammed Public Option and consumer driven health care through the congress whether the insurance companies like it or not. They would boo him if he made illegal wiretapping unconstitutional, they would boo him if he told corporations reinvest in the U.S. or you'll face 80% tax rates. They would boo him if he put a freeze cap on energy prices and utilities,
This is nothing new you know.
Did't you just answer your own question in Sun, 10/11/2009 - 14:59 — Evet?
Thassacalled a Petitio Principii.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-cxHC_JU8o
The reasons for awarding the Peace Prize to President Obama are a repudiation of everything they stand for and everything they've tried to accomplish since Reagan. What they are not justified in doing is claiming that America is the injured party here. America, by electing and supporting Obama, has repudiated them as well. America is not the Radical Right and the Radical Right is not America, nor is it American.
The "Bush Lie"
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 14:54 — dandy
which went on for 8 years, was rigged to begin with. The GOP lost its way as a result, and of course used 911 as a basis to continue the fabrication. One of the reasons they had nothing better to offer than McCain/Palin is due to the abominable presidency---supported by the entire GOP without question----of GW Bush. Now they have to pay the piper!
Having made it (completely scathed, if that's a word) through the Bush years of lawlessness, immorality, greed, and hatred, I am having trouble maintaining hope. Rachel Maddow is currently my voice crying in the wilderness. I'm proud that she's representing the USA.
I do hope that you are aware that Obama receiving this award is NOT going over well in the rest of the world.
The leaders are doing the political thing and praising it, but on the street people aren't so politic about it.
In London I have yet to meet ANYONE who thinks this was a good call.
actually, in the reality based world, Obama seems to be doing quite well.
http://news.google.com/news/search?aq=f&cf=al...
Sorry, Rach, I love ya, but I disagree with you on this one.
Let's say you were a woman in a bad relationship. Your boyfriend beat you for eight years, and now, you've left him for someone else. A nicer man. Someone who says nice things to you. Who promises not to hurt you. That things will be different. It's the change you've been looking for. Then, as soon as you begin the relationship, he starts beating you just like your old boyfriend. He's still full of nice words, but the damage is just the same. The results are just the same. Things haven't changed, even though you hope they still will, but are getting no real evidence that they will. Would you give him a Boyfriend Of The Year award?
Just to remind everyone: Obama is actively engaged in two wars.
Politically, however, I think it's terrific that he won. It calls Obama's bluff.
But Obama is kind of a war-hawk, he's just smoother about it than GWB. I'm not satisfied at all with his peace-making agenda. Evet is on point here.
immediate future is to wander screaming naked into the streets.
And I like Evet's post very much.
gwb, secret prison, rendition, worst economy since the depression, illegal wire taps, false imprisonment, crashes the world economy, looses are international respect, and power as a world leader, cronyism, hatred, division and the list goes on.
We now have a President that shows Compassion, Understanding, self accountability, restoration of America as a World Leader, talks of Peace, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness, is trying to provide care for its citizens and this list goes on and on and that is in just the first ten months.
Yeah I am ashamed ashamed of that last administration and ALL it stood for, so I say the change is here let the Ignorant and the Hate Mongers say what they want as I do NOT listen to them not do I want to.
Way to go America and President Obama.
I am one of your admirers Rachel. Great comment on Obama's award. All Americans (irrespective of their political preference) should be proud that their President received such an honor. Ofcourse, it was well deserved !!!!
Woodrow Wilson got the award for the League of Nations, which failed (and that Treaty of Versailles was nothing to write homa about, either).
Desmond Tutu got the award for fighting apartheid, which went on for another ten years.
Tenzin Gyatso got the award for working for human rights in Tibet, which still has problems.
Aung San Suu Kyi got the award for her work in Burma; last time I looked, the place was still calling itself Myanmar.
Sadat & Begin and Arafat & Rabin got the award for working for peace in the Middle East.
Need I say more?
I'm not at all sure I think Obama was the best candidate for the Peace Prize - even for me it felt political.
That said -
Let's agree to never elect another President whose policies were so bad that the question "Is merely cleaning up *part* of the unmitigated disaster left behind by the previous President (In this case, reverting the United States to a sane diplomatic stance) *actually* worthy of a Nobel Prize?" is a SANE LEGITIMATE QUESTION!!!
At least, let's not elect such a man *twice*?
Please?
Jonnan
here's my .02, take it or leave it, but...
obama is hardly comparable to desmond tutu (yes, prior to 1984). if you disagree, i am not going to spend time arguing with you about that.
if your argument is that obama in fact does deserve the peace prize because he REPRESENTS an idea that is reorienting the world toward peace, i would say that is also very weak. if talking about hope, peace, dialogue, etc. is what it is all about, then he isn't actually that creative. it's already been done before. over and over. but what has it changed? what would set obama apart from other people who have talked about those things this year even? is it just the number of microphones in front of him? is it the results his words have created? what are they? is it just those soothing words floating out into space? have hearts been truly changed toward peace because of him?...
in reference to ossietski, maddow says he received the award for similarly "symbolizing" a commitment to peace, blah, blah, while not yet having done or accomplishing anything either. in fact, he printed a story that disclosed the German violation of the treaty of Versailles (they restored their air force). he was then convicted of treason and served jail time. after all that, despite further harassment, he refused to cave to pressure, and was then sent to multiple concentration camps... all before being nominated. very concrete. his award was not about mere symbolism, and maddow does a disservice to claim it was. he stood up for peace, faced a choice that involved personal risk, acted courageously, and dealt with the consequences. it was not a matter of simply symbolizing or representing. feel free to read his biography on the nobel prize website. nobelprize.org
if it's simply about EFFORT as maddow insists was the case with tutu (and as the nobel prize was explicitly awarded to obama), then again, my case is that it's been done before, with more of it than obama has shown, with more fruit evident, and yes, probably even this year. here are some good places to start... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/polit.... think about this: if you put all these people in a room, along with obama and the past winners, who would the obvious man out be?
all that said, we would be naive to claim that politics are not a factor in the peace prize (see Jimmy Carter, but at least he was really IN it, getting his hands dirty). moreover, it IS reprehensible to see how many have delighted in the failure of the Olympics, etc. simply out of spite. honestly, though, I think south america did deserve to have it. it's about time they got something like that, and Brazil is a major emerging country.
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