Thanks for the Peace Prize; Now Back to My War Council

Now that the euphoria of the Nobel Award has dissipated a little, I can’t help but wonder how the President will carry the burden of this lofty accolade. The irony wasn’t lost on the President as he spoke with deep humility about not being deserving of the Nobel Prize- he was probably right. It must be very unsettling to accept the Peace Prize in the middle of a long and heated debate about how to conduct a war in Afghanistan. It’s true that the attitude and general climate toward America has improved significantly since he took office, but wouldn’t anybody be viewed as an improvement over old Deer-In-The-Headlights?

It’s clear that the Nobel Committee is sympathetic to a liberal agenda, which immediately depreciates the value of the award in conservative eyes. It’s not a coincidence that Jimmy Carter and Al Gore were awarded the Nobel during the Bush administration. This was the third kick in the chins- and a very strong message indeed- when you consider he was probably nominated only a few days after he took office. Liberals are elated, but it does seem like a stretch to award the prize on the assumption of great expectations, rather than accomplishments.

Given that backdrop, is the Nobel a liability for the President? Clearly, it is. All his actions will be judged sardonically with a jaundiced eye from both sides of the political field. If he seeks peace, conservatives will accuse him of bowing to the international liberal elite. If he continues to wage war, liberals will shun him as a false prophet. He’ll probably stuff the award into the far reaches of his closet- behind his Boy Scout badges - pray that the public develops selective amnesia- and hope this doesn’t become endless fodder for conservative predators, nightly monologues and SNL skits. Good luck... I caught a snippet of Rush Limbaugh on Friday- he’s died and gone to heaven!