Keeping the Peace

I do not envy President Obama's job on any day, especially on this one. News that he was just awarded the global Nobel Peace Prize is sure to create a bit of unrest on home soil. I can't even imagine the sort of vitriol that people will start slinging. Obama haters will have a heyday. Even some supporters will say it's too soon.

I guess it is like awarding a chef for a fabulous meal based, not on the finished courses, but on the papery-thin written menu alone. An ambitious menu, nonetheless. Now Obama is in a veritable pressure cooker to pull it off, and I for one hope he does.

I rather like the idea of applauding someone for his vision, for his promise. It's a way of saying, look, others support what you're doing. We're rooting for you. Is he worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize? I hope so. Again, hope. To me that is what Obama has been all about.

Of all the remarks I've read so far, I think Lech Walesa's carries the most weight. The following appears in an AP report:

Lech Walesa, who won the prize in 1983, questioned whether Obama deserved it now.

"So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act," said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate.

"This is probably an encouragement for him to act. Let's see if he perseveres. Let's give him time to act," Walesa said.