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Yes, I am as dumbfounded as everyone else (including the White House) about today’s announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama. After all, aren’t those awards based on decades of efforts and success in the particular topic area? I can’t help but interpreting the award as a symbol of the global sigh of relief that the eight years of George Bush and his foreign policy are over.
But I am equally dumbfounded by the Republic reaction– RNC Chairman Michael Steele came quickly out of the box to criticize Obama, I guess for winning the world’s most prestigious award.
“It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights,” Steele said this morning.
I think that’s a really bad strategy for the Republicans, one that once again plays only to its most conservative base of Obama detractors. Maybe that is Steele’s audience, since he often seems more intent on justifying his leadership in fear of losing his job than on building a broader base for the GOP. But criticizing Obama for winning an award that he didn’t seek is sort of like cheering that the United States lost its Chicago Olympic bid. It’s fair game to go after the President for what he has or hasn’t accomplished, but why on earth would you be happy that the U.S. lost the Olympics? Along the same vein, isn’t it better to just shut up about the Nobel Peace Prize rather than acting like a spoiled brat who is angry at their sibling’s good fortune?
It looks to me very petty and mean-spirited. But more importantly, it hardly seems like a good way to rebuild a broken base of supporters.
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