Thursday, February 9th, 2012

A Treasury of Conservative Nobel-Bashing

By
Friday, October 09, 2009 at 3:03 pm

I took most of today off as part of a long weekend, so I have paid less attention than I might otherwise have to the conservative outrage over the Nobel Committee’s decision to award President Obama the 2009 peace prize. None of it is surprising. For a very long time on the right, “international” has been a synonym for “weak,” or for “anti-American.” And at least since former President Jimmy Carter won the peace prize in 2002, it has been seen as a way for shadowy European elites to bash the United States. There were arguments, at that time, that the patriotic move for Carter would have been to turn down the award because it was intended in part as a statement against America’s mounting campaign against Iraq. Carter accepted the award, and now Obama is accepting it.

Thus: Hissy fits. Tantrums. Opportunities for people like John Bolton, whose very name sends the Secretary of the State into a laughing fit, to grasp for relevance and some time in the spotlight. My favorite commentary might be this, from the sublime and strange propaganda network Russia Today, because at least no one pretends they have credibility.

The Politicians

- Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) says Obama won the prize for “de-emphasizing defense in favor of multi-national cooperation” and that it could inspire him to “reject the feelings of the military commanders” and oppose a surge in Afghanistan.

- Rep. Gresham Barrett (R-S.C.) rips into the president for “waffling on Afghanistan, pulling defense missiles out of Eastern Europe, turning his back on freedom fighters in Honduras, coddling Castro, siding with Palestinians against Israel,” and so on.

- Former Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.) calls it “part of the apotheosis of Barack Obama” and adds, “The president is already pretty taken with himself. Now, he gets the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s just further encouragement.”

The commentators

- Ronald Radosh uses the occasion to dabble in the Bill Ayers-wrote-Obama’s-memoirs conspiracy theory.

I do have this thought about which speechwriter he will use to pen his acceptance speech. I suggest that he will have to turn to none other than Bill Ayers, and arrange a secret way to ferret the drafts back and forth. Then, he will offer that Ayers and his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, accompany him and Michelle to the ceremony. That will pose a problem. To do that, Ayers would have to agree to wear a tuxedo.

- Rush Limbaugh interprets it as a “defeat,” and a message from the “European elites” not to surge in Afghanistan.

- Erick Erickson brings in the racial angle: “I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news. There is no way Barack Obama earned it in the nominations period.”

- Andy McCarthy just keeps taking whacks:

If the mullahs established an award for “Greatest Humanitarian” would you be cheering “USA! USA!” in the hope that some American would win it?

- Jed Babbin goes right after the “Nobelistas,” writing that “his utterly inept approach to foreign policy… can meet the Arafat-Carter-Gore standard easily.”

- Reason.tv puts Nick Gillespie in a suit (!) to read fake “breaking news” about new, undeserved Obama prizes.

And Jed Lewison rounds up the early media hits.

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Comments

16 Comments

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strangely_enough
Comment posted October 9, 2009 @ 7:38 pm

They're still steamed Bush didn't get one.

SpacelySpaceSprockets
Comment posted October 9, 2009 @ 7:42 pm

Actually they're more mad that Rony “Star Warz” Ray-Gunz didn't get a medal for “ending” the Cold War. But if they say the medal is for liberal, elitist snobs, why would they want one anyway? Seems kinda dumb to want a liberal medal when they can just continue to give each other matching sheet sets and burning cross kits.

shecky
Comment posted October 9, 2009 @ 11:10 pm

Jeezuz… what ever happened to Reason? Trying to break into The Onion's turf?

Maybe It'll do them good. Probably the best way to break out of that pool of thirty or so people they seem to hold sway over.

Pug
Comment posted October 10, 2009 @ 1:28 am

Reason TV has a ways to go before it even attains the level of Fox's terrible attempt at comedy, Red Eye.

That Gillespie piece was God awful.

chrisjay
Comment posted October 10, 2009 @ 3:01 am

Spacely, to this day bovine-breath Limbaugh can work himself into convulsions if he gets on the subject of how much adulation Gorby received when he ramped down the doomsday clock by powering-down down the USSR. The Large One gets hysterical at the thought that Gorby stole Ronnie's thunder in the eyes of the world…

chrisjay
Comment posted October 10, 2009 @ 4:03 am

These scumbags pray for America to fail, celebrate when we stumble (Olympics) and RAGE when our President wins an esteemed and historic prize.
antiAmerican deviants

A Treasury of Conservative Nobel-Bashing | The Lie Politic
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Guest13
Comment posted October 10, 2009 @ 5:55 pm

David Weigel cites Reason's criticism of the Nobel (and Obama's lack of achievements) as if it were “right-wing” criticism, but it isn't, at all.

It's right on the money, and everything Reason's Nick Gillespie says would strike a cord with moderates and Libertarians alike.

Most of the staffers at Reason Magazine, where David Weigel once worked, preferred Obama over McCain (as did Dave Weigel, who voted for Obama).

Now, however, some Reason staffers seem to have learned their lesson and realized their mistake. Too bad David hasn't.

Obama has broken many promises to civil libertarians and believers in limited government, such as his claim that he would institute a “net spending cut.” (He now makes George Bush look thrifty, and we are still embroiled in land wars in Asia).

If Obama wants to be reelected, he should start listening to his disillusioned ex-supporters, like the folks at Reason, and stop governing from the hard left (and stop with the massive auto and Wall Street bailouts, which infuriate liberals, moderates, and conservatives alike).

Pug
Comment posted October 11, 2009 @ 12:19 pm

Yeah sure. Read the comments at Reason some time and tell us again about “moderates”. Reason is just another right-wing site now, so get used to it.

Nick Gillespie's attempt at humor was both pathetic and embarrassing. With that kind of performance you'll never have more than 50 followers. Has Reason recommended “The 5,000 Year Leap” as suggested reading yet, because… you know…Glenn Beck is a libertarian?

Libertarianism is poison at the polls. If you ever elect even one candidate perhaps you will have some credibility. You talk a good game of flexing those libertarian electoral muscles, but most folks get over Ayn Rand worship by their sophomore year. I feel kind of bad for you guys. Grow up.

chrisjay
Comment posted October 11, 2009 @ 5:14 pm

hardcore Libertarians are more & more like Scientologists & Mormons all the time. They're a cult with a bunch of juvenile beliefs from bizarre sources, and they have a couple of cultists in high places (Greenspan, Glenn Beck)), but once you look at their core beliefs (we don't need no stinkin' regulations in banking or food processing!) you are able to parse the great PR (hey look, Ron Paul is against elective wars) and just walk the other way

lisastone
Comment posted October 11, 2009 @ 7:48 pm

I think the Nobel Prize is an honor for the President, he was very gracious about accepting it.

KLU
Comment posted October 13, 2009 @ 1:31 pm

I know that the intent of this article was to disparage critics of the Nobel Committe, but most of the remarks in this article are very well taken. Some of them are funny, and as they are meant to be.

qituwrah
Comment posted November 4, 2009 @ 4:18 am

By David Weigel 10/9/09 3:03 PM

I took most of today off as part of a long weekend, so I have paid less attention than I might otherwise have to the conservative outrage over the Nobel Committee’s decision to award President Obama the 2009 peace prize. None of it is surprising.

For a very long time on the right, “international” has been a synonym for “weak,” or for “anti-American.” And at least since former President Jimmy Carter won the peace prize in 2002, it has been seen as a way for shadowy European elites to bash the United States.

There were arguments, at that time, that the patriotic move for Carter would have been to turn down the award because it was intended in part as a statement against America’s mounting campaign against Iraq. Carter accepted the award, and now Obama is accepting it.

Jimmy should be hung for treason along with The Bush Family. Jimmy Carter The AssHold President came up with REX 84

qituwrah
Comment posted November 4, 2009 @ 9:18 am

By David Weigel 10/9/09 3:03 PM

I took most of today off as part of a long weekend, so I have paid less attention than I might otherwise have to the conservative outrage over the Nobel Committee’s decision to award President Obama the 2009 peace prize. None of it is surprising.

For a very long time on the right, “international” has been a synonym for “weak,” or for “anti-American.” And at least since former President Jimmy Carter won the peace prize in 2002, it has been seen as a way for shadowy European elites to bash the United States.

There were arguments, at that time, that the patriotic move for Carter would have been to turn down the award because it was intended in part as a statement against America’s mounting campaign against Iraq. Carter accepted the award, and now Obama is accepting it.

QITUWRAH'S COMMENT:

Jimmy will be hung for treason along with The Bush Family. Jimmy Carter The WALKING DEAD AssHold President came, up with Code 84. The MOVIE STAR MIND CONTROLLED PRESIDENT RONALD AMMENDED IT AND INCLUDED THE SPANISH POPULATION AND IT BECAME REX 84, THEN HE LOST HIS DAMM MIND, WHAT A GREAT FATE.

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