Is Obama Nobel-Worthy?

When it was announced that President Barack Obama had won the Noble Peace Prize, I think that it raised many questions, especially here in North America. The prevalent one being, "What did he do to win a Nobel Peace Prize exactly?"

I had limited knowledge of any achievements that President Obama had accomplished during his short-lived presidency to satisfy that curiosity and so, I started to look. What I discovered is that, even by the committee's own admission, Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize based as much upon his delivery of a message of hope as for any actual achievements toward that end. Yes, hope.

According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, they have, "... attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

Problem is, there's this little global recession going on. In light of any hope, there looms the shadow of bailouts, "Buy American" policies and over $700 billion in stimulus money that has thus far failed to stimulate. Yes, I know that economic policy and recession have nothing to do with peace, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that, this is where the focus has been drawn since Obama took office.

It was my belief from the moment that he was elected that he would never be able to live up to the expectations that were placed on his shoulders by a hopeful population. Expectations were astronomical and the mess that he was expected to clean up was equal to the task. Add to that the fact that his was likely the most newsworthy inauguration ceremony, the grandest display and outpouring shown for an American president in history and then ask yourself, could any man live up to that level of expectation?

Likely, the answer is no, but it doesn't diminish the efforts and measures that Obama has taken and attempted to take in order to further his mission to make the world a safer place to live. Hopefully, once the dust has settled and the recession is yet another point on some economists flow chart, the focus can return to global issues. For now, I believe that the American people are focused on the problem at home and the fact that billions of dollars are still being spent on a war effort left behind for this administration to handle. He hasn't swooped in like Superman to save the United States from terrorism. He can't spin the world backwards on its axis and erase the mistakes and the ills of the past. Let's face it, before he even set foot in the oval office, before he ever sat at his desk or put pen to paper, he was expected to make sweeping changes and deliver America from the mess that the Bush administration left in its wake.

The United States of America is one country and President Obama does not rule the world. There was a time when the U.S. was the tail that wagged the dog, it was a giant. Bush brought the giant to its knees, turned it into a troll. Still big, still strong, but single minded and dim-witted. It is a lot for one man, one nation, to overcome, but it all has to start with hope.

Is it right to award a man based upon vision more so than action? Why not. Lesser men have been given Nobel Prizes. Take Al Gore and Yassir Arafat just to name a few. At least Obama is making strides to open the lines of communication and he has shut down the base at Guantanamo Bay and he has banned the torture of detainees. He sees a world without nuclear arms, an Iraq free of U.S troops.

President Obama is an intelligent, charismatic man who is doing his best to unite nations and bring them toward a common goal. He's a man who was saddled with the burden of undoing the Gordian Knot that took the Bush administration eight years to tie. He's also the man who was put under a glaring spotlight from the moment that he tossed his hat into the ring and began his campaign for the U.S. presidential race. Ultimately, he is just a man. He never asked for a Nobel Peace Prize and has, himself humbly denied deserving it and is donating the cash prize of $1.4 million that comes along with the award to various charities yet to be named.

Are there others out there that deserve this award more that Barack Obama? Perhaps, probably. However, this award may help to prop Obama's sagging rating and take the focus off of his inability to bring the country out of a recession along with many other countries. Perhaps this award will serve a greater purpose and Obama may be more likely to use the Peace Prize as a torch to light the way to a better tomorrow. Perhaps, all that comes of it is that $1.4 million dollars go to help deserving charities and come next election, the bag of problems will be handed to someone else and Obama goes on to be known as the first African-American president and little else. Who knows?

Hope. Remember all of those who gathered, scrambled up to roof tops and pressed against windows and camped out just to be a part of something that they hoped would be a new page in American history. Perhaps this Nobel Prize can spark that hope anew. Will we ever live to see a world free of war, free of nuclear arms of racism of discrimination and fear?

In the words of John Lennon, "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one."