Bewildered blogosphere reacts to Obama's Nobel win (Feature)

By Andy Goldberg Oct 9, 2009, 18:00 GMT

San Francisco - Surprising recognition of a planet-changing politician, or obscene pandering to an unproven showman by an anti- American Nobel committee?

Those were among the diametrically opposed views that pervaded the political corners of US blogosphere Friday morning following the unexpected announcement that US President Barack Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after less than one year in office.

Writing on the website HumanEvents.com, which bills itself as the 'headquarters of the conservative underground,' editor Jed Babbin said the award placed Obama 'in the same category as Al Gore, Jimmy Carter and the late terrorist Yassir Arafat. We could not agree more.'

'The only diplomacy the committee rewards is that which weakens and demeans America,' Babbin wrote. 'Congratulations, Mr President. You stand on the shoulders of three who have done much to harm America and reduce its influence and standing in the world.'

Many conservative commentators could not resist getting snide. 'I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota,' wrote Erick Erickson, of the site RedState.com, 'but that is the only thing I can think of for this news.'

But it was not only Obama's sworn opponents who where nonplussed by the Nobel committee's decision. Writing on the liberal blog Huffington Post screenwriter Michael Russnow proclaimed himself a supporter of the US president, but said that he 'gasped in disbelief' when he heard the Nobel announcement, 'which no doubt has Alfred Nobel thumping his head against his casket.'

'The time has not yet arrived and circumstances have not yet evolved where Barack Obama is anywhere near the point where he has earned this prize,' wrote Russnow. 'I fear there will be a backlash to this announcement that may well lessen the significance this award has generally meant for well over a century.'

Mike Hedegus, a veteran TV correspondent took the opposite view. He said that the award would remind an America that is still highly parochial 'that the world is watching, does care, and that we share a responsibility beyond our borders.'

'So take my word for it, the fact that in large measure Barack Obama won the Nobel Prize because the world outside our own borders hopes, wants, and prays for his success internationally is a good thing, a very good thing.'

Many other pundits commented that Obama was given the prize for changing the dynamics of world diplomacy from confrontation to collaboration.

'The award is based on the hope that Obama will achieve real progress in advancing diplomacy rather than confrontation around the globe,' noted author Jacob Heilbrunn. He went on to list the improvement in US relations with Europe, Obama's focus on global warming, negotiations with Iran and nuclear arms reductions talks with Russia.

While others saw an opportunity to make a joke. 'In related news, the Nobel Prize for Literature went to (porn pioneer) Larry Flynt, the Prize for Economics was awarded to Bernie Madoff, and the Prize in Chemistry was given to the inventor of Viagra,' wrote one conservative poster.

Satirist Andy Borowitz had a different explanation for the prize. According to him it was all due to Obama's famous beer summit, in which he sat down a black Harvard professor for 'peace talks' over a beer on the White House lawn with the police officer who had wrongly arrested him. Borowitz quoted a Nobel insider as saying that 'she hoped that Mr Obama's victory would be seen not only as a victory for him, but 'as a tribute to the healing power of beer'.'