A Treasury of Conservative Nobel-Bashing
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
Jul 31, 202072.1K Shares1.5M Views
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 prizein 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.) **saysObama 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 intothe 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 “**
The commentators
- Ronald Radoshuses the occasionto 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 Limbaughinterpretsit as a “defeat,” and a message from the “European elites” not to surge in Afghanistan.
- Erick Ericksonbrings 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 McCarthyjust keeps takingwhacks:
“„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 Babbingoes right afterthe “Nobelistas,” writing that “his utterly inept approach to foreign policy… can meet the Arafat-Carter-Gore standard easily.”
- Reason.tvputs Nick Gillespie in a suit(!) to read fake “breaking news” about new, undeserved Obama prizes.
And Jed Lewison rounds up the early media hits.
Paula M. Graham
Reviewer
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