Matt Yglesias is right on when he writes “[h]anding Barack Obama an oddly premature Nobel Peace Prize puts the liberal blogger in your life in a bit of an awkward position.” I’ve spent much of today sorting out my own feelings on the topic. The prize committee seemed intent on expressing their relief that Bush is no longer president, but I don’t think Obama is being rewarded just for being the un-Bush. I can’t imagine Hillary Clinton receiving this award if she occupied the Oval Office.
Obama has relatively few accomplishments as president thus far, but he still has great potential to leave the world a better place than he found it. Awarding him the Peace Prize is a somewhat clumsy attempt to both acknowledge his potential and pave the way for future successes. Having a Nobel laureate for a president won’t make it any easier to pass a health care bill, but it might grease the diplomatic wheels just enough to get us through whatever international crises lie ahead.
