It is obvious to me that, no matter what President Obama does or says about this award, he will be the subject of both crass speculation by the left and harsh criticism, verging on lunatic obsession, from the right. The Nobel committee awarded the prize. It's over, let's move on. (Rush, take a pill...)
As to my personal take on this, I have to remember the place we Americans occupied in the court of international public opinion when President Obama was elected. Since that was just nine months ago, it is less difficult than recalling my last tire purchase, say, but only slightly less. The world, for the most part, LOATHED us. Not only were we the great satan, but we were the non-communicators, the uni-laterists to end all uni-lateralists, and the root cause of an impending world economic collapse. In short, most people didn't like us, didn't respect us, and didn't trust us. But, they were afraid of us. It was so bad in fact, that many U.S. citizens who, mostly out of necessity, were travelling abroad, identified themselves as Canadians...
President Obama (and notable members of his administration) have begun to change all of that. He has reached out to Muslims and the middle east, indeed to the entire world; he has, with help, arrested the economic downfall, and he has begun to deliver on his campaign promises to end discrimination in its seemingly innumerable forms. The fact that he has not done so with the speed that most liberals would like, is due more I think, to the unrealistic expectations of the "I want it now generations," rather than to lack of effort on the part of the administration.
So, the Nobel committee, responding to the feeling of hope and optimism that the global community outside of Washington and the U.S. is now feeling, awarded the prize to Obama, because he affords great promise. I, for one, am completely OK with this. If the president fails to achieve anything and leaves office in three years with a lackluster legacy, then everyone can (and most certainly will) criticize this award and everything else about the man and his presidency.
However, notwithstanding the historic nature of his election in terms of it's effect on the equality of races in this country and in the world today, I think it highly unlikely that he will fail. Rather, I believe that he will not only justify the confidence of the Nobel committee, but will strive and succeed in making this a better world in which to live. A place where we (the Americans again) are respected, trusted and even admired. A place where, even with all of our "foibles," humans can really get to work on living together in peace.
As legacies go, that ain't bad.
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