The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded yesterday to President Obama in a stunning choice that left much of the world wondering why the committee chose to bestow the honor on the new president.
The predawn announcement from Oslo, Norway, even shocked the White House.
“It’s not April 1, is it?” one incredulous presidential aide said when told of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision by an ABC News correspondent.
Another aide, awoken by a 5:45 a.m. phone call, said, “This better be good.”
When told what the call was about, the aide replied, “Oh, that is good.”
The president said he was “surprised and humbled,” and conceded that the critics had a point.
“I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize,” he said.
“I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century.”
His selection came one week after another international upset — a stunning US defeat.
Last Friday, the International Olympic Committee, meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, rejected Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics despite an unprecedented personal plea from Obama.
White House staffers said winning is better than losing.
“It’s clear Oslo beats Copenhagen any day of the week,” Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN.
Obama is the third sitting president to win the peace prize. He follows Teddy Roosevelt, who was honored in 1906 for prodding negotiators to end the Russo-Japanese war, and Woodrow Wilson, who won it in 1919 for promoting the ill-fated League of Nations.
The five-member prize committee said Obama had “created a new climate in international politics,” referring to his efforts to reduce nuclear arms, “reset” relations with Moscow, ease tensions with the Muslim world, open dialogues with Iran and North Korea, and stress international cooperation, rather than Bush-style unilateralism.
Reaction around the world was sharply mixed.
“Who? Obama?” said Lech Walesa, the 1983 Peace Prize winner, when he heard the news. “Too fast. He hasn’t had the time to do anything yet.”
Republican Party chairman Michael Steele contended that Obama won due to his “star power,” rather than meaningful accomplishments.
Critics said that, despite several trips abroad and a flurry of diplomatic activity by his envoys, Obama has yet to score a major foreign-policy victory.
But others, like former UN Secretary General Kofi Anan, called the choice “unexpected but inspired.”
“Very few leaders, if at all, were able to change the mood of the entire world in such a short while with such profound effect,” said Israel President Shimon Peres.
To be eligible for the 2009 prize, Obama had to be nominated by Feb. 1 — 12 days after he took office. It is not known who nominated Obama.
This year, there were a record 205 nominations — and bookmakers rated Obama as a long shot.
The favorites included Thich Quang Do, a critic of the Vietnamese government, who was 6 to 1, and Bill Clinton, who was 8 to 1, according to the British site freebettingonline.co.uk.
But Obama was 18 to 1, only slightly better than Michael Jackson, who was 20 to 1.
The prize committee — whose members are chosen by the Norwegian parliament — made clear that their unanimous decision was designed to encourage Obama, rather than thank him for past deeds.
Aagot Valle, a committee member and a lawmaker from Norway’s Socialist Left party, said she hoped the selection would be viewed as “support and a commitment for Obama.”
The White House said Obama will fly to Oslo in December to accept the $1.4 million prize but will donate the money to charity.
Funny thing happened
“Apparently Nobel prizes [are] now being awarded to anyone who is not George Bush.”
-Ana Marie Cox
“Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize. Gee, what’s next? Pauly Shore winning an Oscar?”
– 123arnie, Twitter.com
“Obama is becoming Jimmy Carter faster than Jimmy Carter became Jimmy Carter.”
– Erick Erickson, conservative commentator
“President Obama said he was humbled to win the prize. Not as humble as he was when Rio got the Olympics. But still humble.”
– @Branchex, Twitter.com
President Obama has made a virtual second career out of racking up awards. Here are some of them:
* Two Grammy Awards, best spoken word albums, “Dreams from My Father” (2006), and “The Audacity of Hope” (2008)
* Daytime Emmy Award, the “Yes We Can” speech set to music (2008)
* Time Magazine’s Person of the Year (December 2008)