Barack Obama’s being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize reminds me in a way of the boxing matches TV used to show, which often featured play-by-play from Howard Cosell — the well-known “Humble Howard,” who of course wasn’t.
The fighters would be introduced by the ring announcer. Often, one fighter would be black, the other white. Invariably, as the fight progressed, Cosell’s ringside play-by-play of the fight would clearly favor the black fighter. It was too obvious to me anyway to be denied by any fair-minded person. Then, if the bout lasted all its rounds, and the judges awarded the fight to the Caucasian fighter on points, Cosell would bellow in tones of outraged incredulity, “They gave it to the white guy!?”
I’d like to have a dollar for every American who, upon turning on his TV this morning and hearing the news, bellowed, “They gave it to who?!” or words, likely profane, to that effect.
So what did President Barack Obama do to deserve this honor? Well, er, uh, now, give me a minute; I’m trying to think of something. I know! It was for his long and distinguished service as a statesman on the world stage, working tirelessly for peace. Oh, yeah, I forgot; he served four years of one term in the U.S. Senate, spent most of that running for president, and had no executive experience before Jan. 20, 2009. OK, throw that one out. Let’s see; how about, he has ushered in an era of world peace and prosperity, all of his own making? Uh, I see what you mean; that doesn’t wash, either. We’re involved — still — in two wars, admittedly not of his making, the Mideast seems just as unstable as ever, and many more Americans have lost their jobs under his watch that still had them when he took office. Er, maybe he built houses for poor people? No, that was Jimmy Carter. Wrote a book outlining the growing problem of global warming? Nope — Al Gore.
Let’s face it folks — we all know why the sachems of the Nobel Prize Committee in Oslo “gave it to the (half) white guy.” Barack Obama has been their favorite pin-up boy ever since it appeared likely he would win last year’s presidential election. To the world’s leftists, Obama, who is half Kenyan, is all the things they like: Not white, not conservative, not tough on defense — and not George W. Bush.
There’s the kicker right there. No U.S. president has ever been hated by the liberal establishment, here and abroad, like George Bush. I don’t think even Richard Nixon was. The Nobel committee couldn’t resist the chance to give George Bush one more kick and stick its thumb into the eye of those people who don’t swoon over Barack Obama, who think he’s overrated, has accomplished little so far as president, and didn’t deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. This isn’t the first time the Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded the prize to those who seem somewhat less than deserving. For example, Rigoberta Menchu’s name comes to mind as one whose work is mainly aimed at denigrating the West.
Those nominating Nobel contestants, and the committee members who choose the winners, by rules of the Nobel Prize foundation remain anonymous for 50 years after they have acted. So they’re securely insulated from public criticism.
The deadline for Peace Prize nominations arrived this year two weeks after Barack Obama took office. Maybe some nominator out there has a crystal ball and was able to see some wonderful things Obama will do for peace in the future. Maybe Nostradamus nominated him from his tomb in France.
And maybe they gave it to a guy still wet behind the ears whose resume is very thin, just because they liked his color and his politics. Ya think?
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