Yeah, I'm not criticizing Obama himself - he seemed just as confused by the choice as anyone else - but it is an odd choice so early in his term (nominations for this year's award closed barely a week after his inauguration).
I'm more confused at to what the Nobel comittee were thinking - traditionally, when giving the Prize for playing a role in negotiations, both sides get the prize. Arafat and Rabin shared one, Mandela and De Klerk shared one. So he probably wasn't chosen for an award based on any of his attempts at negotiation, which brings us back to why?
(Which may explain why Tsvangirai didn't get the nod - nobody wants to have to refer to "Peace Prize winner Robert Mugabe"...)
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ninetydegrees
no subject
on 2009-11-30 07:34 am (UTC)I'm more confused at to what the Nobel comittee were thinking - traditionally, when giving the Prize for playing a role in negotiations, both sides get the prize. Arafat and Rabin shared one, Mandela and De Klerk shared one. So he probably wasn't chosen for an award based on any of his attempts at negotiation, which brings us back to why?
(Which may explain why Tsvangirai didn't get the nod - nobody wants to have to refer to "Peace Prize winner Robert Mugabe"...)