Because he’s such a big fan of eliminating nuclear weapons, Barack Obama was just handed the Nobel Peace Prize by the Nobel Committee. Nine months into his presidency. Not even the White House expected it. Us either.
It’s one thing for the gays to ask, What have you done for me lately Obama? And with slagging approval ratings, much of America is asking the same thing. But the water tastes differ in Oslo, where the announcement was made. There, Obama is a symbol of repairing foreign diplomatic relations.
Which, let’s be sure, he’s working on. But by no means has he solved all of America’s ills around the world. Rather, he’s just cleaning up the mess George W. Bush left him. This award, then, says less about Barack Obama as a world leader, and more about his predecessor.
It’s like handing out a karaoke competition trophy to the girl who at least knows the lyrics to that Journey song, simply because she followed the guy who thought the “Macarena” would be a crowd pleaser.
How about we take this to the next level?
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UPDATE: Roll that beautiful bean footage …
Kyle24
weird! i should have nominated myself. seems quite premature for him to win the peace prize.
terrwill
While I thank the world community for giving a collective “FU” to W this is not what Obama needs now. The rightwing-nutbags are going to have a field day ova this one. Now in addiiton to the “Liberal media” who according to them fawn over Obama (funny I seem to remember a little bit ‘o coverage of Clintons problems) the “Liberal world” also fawns over him………..
glennmcgahee
Since this was nominated for Obama in Feb. ’09, with just 2 weeks of the Presidency under his belt, I have to think it was wishful thinking. Tell me what American or any other polititian of a Democracy does not hope to see elimination of nuclear weapons. That Soros guy has deep pockets.
VegasTeaRoom
It just goes to show you how much the ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD HATED GEORGE W BUSH. A big FUCK YOU to GWB. Totally agree with TERRWILL.
terrwill
KYLE: I Did nominate you!! I’ll try again next year ;-P
jhm
marisa tomei
Cam
No. 6 · jhm said
marisa tomei
___________________
LOL!!!
Alexa
I’ve taken several trips to Europe in the last year, both before and after the election, and I can’t tell you how much people talked to me, as an American, about Obama, and how much they loved him, especially in comparison to how much they loathed Bush. And that’s European rightwingers as well, many of whom are to the left of many of our Democrats.
Also, apparently the peace prize is often given to someone working to bring about peace, as an encouragement to continue, not to someone who has already brought peace.
Luke
This “news source,” allegedly premised on helping advance gay rights and equality, is completely oblivious to political reality, and, if anything, hurts its cause more than it helps. How feasible is it for Obama to get anything done with America’s right-wingers in the “town halls” and in the Senate doing everything in their power to stop him? Yeah, attempting to change the way America thinks about gays in the midst of an ugly public debate on health care is a great idea. Who would we rather have as President, John McCain and Sarah Palin? They can’t even stand to utter the word “gay,” let alone intend to bring about positive change for us. Not to mention, take a look at who he’s nominating to the federal judiciary — where the real power is. A republican Supreme Court nominee, if ever faced with the constitutionality of gay marriage, would not be on our side. And that vote is what will ultimately matter most. Gay critics of Obama are extremely short-sited.
Ted B. (Charging Rhino)
Yet again the Nobel Committee has lowered the bar on what ACTIONS constitute “peacemaking” in today’s sorry world. While Pres. Obama shows promise, to nominate an elected official with little-to-no foreign policy experience or stature just TWELVE DAYS after his inauguration is both premature and exceedingly shallow.
And to cite Pres. Obama’s June 4th, 2009 Cairo speech when the nominations closed in February 2009 demonstrates that the Committee chose Pres. Obama without actual deeds-on-the-ground, and then wrote the citation to fit.
HRC (H'orderve Robots of Complicity)
People project hope onto Obama. But gay people are one of the first to see that the emperor has no clothes. We heard about the “fierce urgency of now,” when that applied to his own aspirations to be president. There is no better time than the present, he said. But when it comes to us, it Whoa’ cowboy, where do you think your going?
There is nothing but dinner parties and toasts with the gay elite. When they come around in the midterm elections asking for our vote, they are going to have a big problem. The blackmail that the GOP are worse than the democrats won’t work me anymore. I see DOMA and DADT signed by Clinton, and CONTINUED IN FORCE by Oblahblah. So when the midterms come, I am staying home. That is my expiration date for all this bullshit.
BradK
So our Messiah gets the NPP simply based on not being George W. Bush? Oh well. After Arafat and Gore, they seem to be handing these out like door prizes anyway. Talk about lowering the bar.
Like BHO really needs his ego inflated any further?
Andrew
The “prize” should have gone to the young people that elected Barack Obama.
AndTom
This is artical is why i love this site!!!
GBM
I think The Nobel Peace Prize should be given to David Hauslib & Queerty for actually showing alot of Gays that racism exists in our community after all when Hillary Clinton didn’t get the nomination. David and the crew at Queerty amongst some others bloggers ranted against Black people because of Obama but here the VENOM was loud and obvious then it began the Black community vs the Gay community and no other race in the world but Blacks are so hateful towards the gays.
Though there has been many threads on here about homophobia whenever Queerty began with the breath taking headlines about Black preachers, Black rappers, Black anything and they when made homophobic comments the comments thread goes into the 100’s with the back and forth about Black people which ran lot of Black Gays from visiting this site. Some some still come here to debate it and I am won of them but most have decided to move on.
As we all know all folks of different minority threads who are gay aren’t prejudice. But thanks to Queerty and the threads they produced to bring thought provoking dicussion in the end has allowed us to see that we have many folks here who indeed are prejudice.
So they asked: Why the Hell Did Obama Just Win the Nobel Peace Prize? That you would have to ask the committee who awarded it.
But Queerty you should surely get one as for a PEACE PRIZE….HELL NO! But a PRIZE indeed.
But you should get one for race baiting anyway.
You guys did a SUPERB job of it!
Republican
Hey, based on almost every forum/blog I’ve been at today, this seems to be one issue that the Left and the Right can finally agree on, LOL.
Chuck
Has the Queerty staff considered counseling for this obsessive hatred of the President? It really isn’t healthy or becoming…
Pete
Whoa. This is the same man that’s just about to expand the war in Afghanistan, right? Jesus.
Maje
I just won the Nobel POOP Prize!!!
Jim B.
Too bad the committee hadn’t waited until after this weekend … some of our most important assets – direct action activists – are going to force Obama to do the right thing. Join us outside the HRC Dinner – we will make history. This is the defining moment in our struggle for our rights.
Afroguapo
+1 GBM. It’s truly unfortunate how mean-spirited and racist some queens can be but then lament, decry and obsess over purported more excessive black homophobia without looking at the man in the mirror. During the election, some of the queens on queerty came out with figuratively their chaps and KKK hoods and should frankly be ashamed of themselves. I don’t understand all the vitriol. And Belonsky (an Africana studies major no less, Vassar rescind immediately) should check his cavalier dismissive tone in the piece he wrote about Michelle Obama’s ancestry. Someone’s been hitting Beige or the Park too much and resorting to shoddy “journalism”. Gawker, get better people with integrity and class.
Jennifer
BULLSHIT! Barack Obama gives people hope just by being President. Never mind his diplomacy and taking a step toward ending nuclear proliferation.
Sorry you’re not getting what you want, but do you really have to be this unsophisticated? I guess Camille Paglia was right, after all.
In short, FUCK YOU and this increasingly irrelevant blog.
Bertie
He got this “prize” the same reason Pia Zadora got a Golden Globe — the Committee had a boner for the recipient.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
“I was robbed again!”
(the original) H.R.C
Republican
To counter the whining by some, let me just say that it’s nice to have a gay-oriented blog that doesn’t treat Obama like he’s a supernatural being. Too many other sites seem to think he’s God. Keep up the good work, Queerty!
Lynn
Probably because the world sees a change from the old shoot first and ask questions later mentality of our previous president.
Brian
Are you Obama supporters nuts? The election was almost a year aga, and the Commander in Chief is still permitting booting out gay vets only because they are gay — in wartime. What nice words do you think should be reserved for a guy like that! A commander who treats soldiers like that! What award is appropriate. Bush is gone, and Obama and company RUN THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT. Hello? Wake up and start making demands. We put these people there, and they have to start living up to their OATHS to uphold the law of land – equal protection of the law.
The only reason DADT and DOMA have not been repealed is that the Democratic Party does not want to waste political capital on us. How does that make you feel? Federal discrimination laws — on the books — hurting us — and they don’t want to use any of their precious capital. Laws signed by Clinton. Who wants to keep being an Obama apologist? Who? Go ahead, make more excuses for that guy.
TomEM
“Someone find my pearls: I have to clutch them.”
Steve
This has to be one of the greatest WFT? moments of the decade. He hasn’t actually done anything yet and certainly hadn’t as of February 2009. Why not when he leaves office and actually accomplishes something after 4 or 8 years. Weird. Very weird.
terrwill
Steve please refer to post #2 This was more of a FU to W than a thank you to Obama. Message they are sending to W is that we gave Obama kudos basicaly less than a month after being in office, W: sorry no eggs for your basket. I too am begining to question what this administration is all about. The Dems have the FREAKIN MAJORITY! They can pass any legislation they want basically. The House added hate crimes protection for the Gays after 20years. And despite Rep. Bonerheads crying like a little bitch,its going to pass in the Senate also. DADT: that can go away just as quickly. If they actually moved forward with their agenda and got these things passed now, all the furor would have died down by the next election cycle and the Repugnaticans would’nt have a leg to run or stand on. The current dithering is playing right into the Repugnaticans hands: keep these issues dragging on as long as possible so they can still be a smoldering mess instead of a fire that has long died down come election time…………..
Afroguapo
I question whether he was worthy of it too, but seriously look at all the race-baiting threads on queerty and the posters who unabashedly adhere to it. It’s all fair and wise to critique BHO and take him to task on domestic (yes the stance on some gay issues is lackluster but I doubt HRC would have been better and know McCain and Palin would have been worse) and international policy but it’s not right to go shrill and add the patina of race (whether implicitly or explicitly) to corral and stoke the usual suspects. No wonder his hands are tied, has trouble getting matters accomplished when people are barely giving him a chance, shouting “you lie”, questioning his birth, etc. etc.
FROM TRUE MAJORITY
The news came as a complete surprise to all of us, but it’s not undeserved. Obama has made HUGE steps toward winding down the Bush-era policies of endless war and cowboy diplomacy. Just consider:
Obama de-escalated the conflict with Russia by ending Bush’s needless missile defense programs;
After years of bluster and military threats from Bush, Obama successfully re-reopened dialogue with Iran, including their nuclear program;
In Egypt and Eastern Europe, where Bush’s government was a symbol of tyranny and empire, Obama electrified young people and reformers while pointing the way to a nuclear-free future;
And where Bush wanted to begin a new arms race, Obama has begun to bring sanity to the military budget by ending programs like the F-22 and missile defense.
Most of all, Obama’s election represented the triumph of all the things that are best about America – hope, tolerance, diversity and a willingness to re-invent ourselves for the betterment of our world.
But while Obama’s victories are substantial, they’re also only a start. And this award was given as much to honor President Obama’s aspirations as his accomplishments.
So let’s celebrate this amazing recognition of what Obama represents and what he’s done – And also remind him that while the road ahead will be hard, nothing can stand in the way of millions of people united for peace.
-Drew
Drew Hudson
TrueMajority / USAction
1 – news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm
2 – nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=1&hp
ricky
well, it is official! QUEERTY is nothing more than a republican site pretending to be a gay site.
QL Dallas
Well, it’s not an “equal rights” prize. If he got one of those – we’d take it away from him. Peace, out.
blackjack44
“by no means has he solved all of America’s ills around the world.”
who the fuck has Queerty?? when have our ills ever been solved around the world? the same way you say he prematurely received the award, you prematurely attack his work as a president. Yes he needs to get rid of DOMA and DADT but come the fuck on, its been 9 months!
what have you done to “solve all of america’s ills around the world”? yes, you could argue prematurity in the reception of this award but when was the last time a president was inaugurated and the WORLD stood up and cheered?? oh yea, it was January 20th 2009.
Luc
What a stupid article. ‘This man’ as you say is your president and a friend of the gay cause. He doesn’t go as fast as we wish, but at least he has something you don’t have: a brain.
Stenar
Associated Press has a list of “myths” about the prize. The last one says:
“Myth: The prize is awarded to recognize efforts for peace, human rights and democracy only after they have proven successful.
More often, the prize is awarded to encourage those who receive it to see the effort through, sometimes at critical moments.”
The fact that an American president called for the elimination of nuclear weapons is HUGE.
GBM
The real question is with all this shit David Hauslib spews will he be at the march this weekend instead of venom shooting?
nofuckinbama
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! Obama has done NOTHING even remotely remarkable in his presidency! He founded his campaign on change, yet the irony is that he has sent more troops to war. What the FUCK happened to society?! How dare you put Obama on the same level as Martin Luther King Jr. or ANY of the Nobel Peace Prize Winners before him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE IS NOT WORTHY OF THIS PRIZE!!!!! STEP OFF YOUR DAMN PEDESTAL OBAMA!!
wondermann
This is a dumb article as usual
james_cambridge
I love it! I love it because it’s driving all the right-wing radio nutbags insane (I was laughing my ass off listening to Jay Severin and Howie Carr on the radio just now)as well as the editors of Queerty. While I like this site, I think it’s about time for the Queerty editors to come out as the Republican shills they are…all they do is attack Obama and dismiss all the good he’s done for GLBT simply by changing the tone towards us the way he’s done. He ain’t legalizing gay marriage because 1) he can’t. How the fuck is he going to when he’s got that spineless Harry Reid in the Senate and only 50 votes or so to do it (when he’d need at least 60 in the Senate) and even if he could 2) he would lose in a 45 state landslide in 2012. Those are the facts…he’s doing and will do a lot of good, and he certainly doesn’t use us as political football to kick around at election time the way Republicans do so fuck you Queerty editors and your childish, churlish attitude towards him. Grow the fuck up. Or get some balls and just admit you’re teabaggers….and not in a good way!!
wondermann
I agree, james_cambridge
james_cambridge
Thank you Wondermann. And by the way, love your site…you can’t beat Gay, Geeky, Black & cute (I can say that ’cause I’m biracial ;).
Tartuffe
He’s a celebrity… that’s all that matters in our culture.
I hope this inspires him.
Republican
Some of the recent commenters apparently need to be made aware that there are currently 60 Democratic Senators in the U.S. Senate. I’d be interested in hearing how the “50 votes or so” figure was derived (assuming it wasn’t just made up out of nowhere).
dsdrane
Kudos to the Nobel Committee for taking this step. Americans are navel-gazers, and that’s counter-productive whether you’re religious or not; because, we’re all in this together. The Committee rightly recognizes that Obama has changed the tenor of the conversation and shows tremendous promise. This award acknowledges this and places him on notice that his destiny is greater than U.S. electoral success. In other words, the rest of the reasonable world supports him, wants him to succeed, and expects much more from him. His supporters here in the U.S. do, too, but it’s nice to know others are paying attention.
Thank you, rest of the world.
In an unrelated note, I’m wondering why Brian isn’t here asking Obama to sign his “declaration”. There’s a big speech tomorrow, Brian…you gotta keep up, son!
james_cambridge
Actually, 50 Senate votes was being generous because I was leaving out all the “Blue Dog Democrats” who would never vote pro-gay. Of the 60 Senate Democrats, there’s only a handful that are Liberal Democrats, a known fact to those who pay even minimal attention. Certainly the Queerty editors should know better even if you don’t. Obama can pass hate crimes legislation, but never gay marriage, not in the Senate we have now. 60 Democrats is just a number…the actual Liberal Democrats number at 40 or below. If you think the Max Baucuses and Mary Landrieu’s of the Senate would vote to give us Gay Marriage, well, you’re either extremely ignorant or a Queerty editor, which is pretty much the same thing.
Here…learn something about what Obama has to put up with.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Dog_Coalition
Brian
The Democratic Party controls the entire legislative process, at least from now until the midterm elections one year from now. So they are the government. Gays and democrats are not buddies on the outside looking in anymore, working together. Democrats got in there, and now they are turning their back on us. That means that there is no more working relationship, there is blackmail. “Where else are the gays going to go?,” they say. The GOP is not an option. But what is an option is staying home from the midterm elections. THAT is leverage.
Time to recognize that the only viable activism is to take an adversarial stance with the democrats, and threaten them with a boycott of the midterms if DADT and DOMA are not repealed. A repeal is simple, and takes no work. Time to get some balls, and get the stars out of our eyes. They have one year. That is the expiration date of patience.
Chuck
It’s too bad that most of you probably aren’t watching the Rachel Maddow Show, where she is showing in detail why Mr. Obama was nominated and why he won the unanimous vote to receive the Peace Medal. Imagine that – Rachel Maddow, A LESBIAN – defending the President’s winning of the Nobel Peace Prize! I her closing words in the story: All Americans should be proud…
GBM
Miss NOFUCKINGBAMA
Shut the fuck up idiot…..No fucking right for you beotch!
SteamPunk
Wow! I really am at a loss for words about this post. It’s so scathing, you’d think it were written by Log Cabin Republicans.
As pointed out before, Nobel Prizes in the past have been as much about aspirations as they are achievements. No, President Obama hasn’t done much yet, even he admits that. But he has changed the tone of political discourse on the international stage and that’s why this award was given to him.
What’s more: I’m proud that he won! I’m critical of Obama’s policies (heck, I strongly question his healthcare, Afghanistan plan), but I’m extremely proud that a sitting American president has won this award. That’s something that hasn’t happened in 80 years and may not ever happen again in my lifetime.
So, instead of bathing myself in cynicism like you are, I’m going to enjoy feeling patriotic this weekend. After all, that’s something I certainly didn’t feel much when Bush was president and it feels really good. I’d recommend you take a moment and do the same. I know you won’t, but I still recommend it.
reason
SteamPunk I agree with you. Sure you could make the argument that it is still early in his presidency and he does not have a full body of work, but this president has inspired people not just in America but around the world. People that are suffering in third world country to people that were disillusioned in developed countries are hopeful: from people that hated us to our allies there is hope. That alone is a miracle, if we play our cards right given this opportunity that Obama has created we can do a lot of good. The important thing is that we do not buy into the cynicism that spews out of the pores of the hateful and down trodden; we already know that will lead to infighting and self destruction. This prize defiantly is going to boost my mood this weekend. It is something that should make all Americans proud. It also makes me proud that America is now viewed as the best country again around the world. This is coming from someone that does not fully despise GWB
OhYeah
I don’t hate Obama, but the way the Prize is just handed to whoever now makes it irrelevant. After all, the gave it to Arafat too.
OhYeah
The Prizes in the medicine and science categories are the real ones that matter, anyway.
alicia banks
when global coddling goes wrong!…
shame!!!
The Nobel committee claims that Obama was chosen for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, his work on nuclear disarmament and climate change, and changing the tone of American politics”. When did I miss these great global feats by Obama? Who disarmed? Where are the new love fests among American politicos and voters? When did our globe suddenly cool off? On what countries’ soil was all of this greatness achieved?
see:
AN HONOR UNDESERVED – A PRIZED 12 DAYS!!!
at
OUTLOOK
B
Brian wrote, “The only reason DADT and DOMA have not been repealed is that the Democratic Party does not want to waste political capital on us.”
At the risk of letting reality rear its ugly head, there are time critical issues that effect all of us such as health care reform. Vested interests (health-care companies) have, according to http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/health_care_continues_its_inte.html , been spending 1.4 million dollars per day to oppose heath-care reform – a rate of over 1/2 billion dollars per year. We’ll get something much more in the public interest if we can get legislation passed quickly, before the advertising can change public opinion via a massive disinformation campaign.
Obama can’t do everything at once – he has to set priorities with a goal of getting as much done during his first term as possible. Sometimes the order in which you try things matters.
tjr101
Congratulations President Obama!
Attmay
Congratulations, Barry O. You follow in the footsteps of terrorist Yasser Arafat.
(And I support the war in Afghanistan, and all wars against homophobic regimes)
wondermann
thanks james_cambridge. do you have a site?
ricky
the answer to the question is: BECAUSE HE HAS CHANGED THE TONE OF DEBATE BETWEEN COUNTRIES ON MATTERS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.
oh, and the whole because he isn’t bush thing started on fox news shortly before they bombed the moon (only reason i was up at that hour) and it was a democrat that said it in jest.
JAMES Raider
OBAMA’S NOBEL PRIZE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PEACE – IT’S ABOUT “COPENHAGEN”
Obama’s upcoming acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and the invisible strings attached to it, may prove to be an enormously expensive exercise for all taxpayers on this continent. The “Copenhagen” supporters on the Nobel Committee, on the other hand, are counting on it.
http://pacificgatepost.com/2009/10/obama-nobel-is-not-about-peace.html
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