Obama's Peace Nobel Comes Early In Presidency

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STEVE INSKEEP, host:

And let's follow-up now on President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. The award was announced this morning in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The committee recognized the president for what it called quote, "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Now it is not unheard of for a sitting American president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. It's happened before. Theodore Roosevelt won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring peace between Russia and Japan. Woodrow Wilson won the Nobel Peace Prize while in office for his efforts after World War I. Still, neither of them managed it in his first year in office.

We're joined by NPR News Analyst Juan Williams to talk about this.

Juan, good morning.

JUAN WILLIAMS: Good morning, Steve.

INSKEEP: Surprised?

WILLIAMS: Yes. I mean, you know, this was not even in the cards in terms of people looking at what the, at likely candidates that the Nobel committee had under consideration. The thought was this was far too early in President Obama's term, and what they sited in specific was this new international climate that he has created, this likelihood that people are more likely to work together, that you have to take into consideration the values. Here I'm quoting, "values and attitudes that are shared by a majority of the world's population."

It seems in his first - he's been in office I guess eight months - nine months. It just seems a stunning decision and very political decision by the committee. But again, when you think about the idea of human rights activists from China to the rest of the world, at the moment who were the leading candidates, this is really one that comes out of the blue.

INSKEEP: I suppose we should underline what they're saying here and that they're not claiming that the president has brought world peace or dramatically advanced world peace, but that word climate comes in; they say he's created a new climate. You could almost say that by implication, he's changed the path that the United States has been on under the Bush administration. That's essentially what they're saying he get's credit for here.

WILLIAMS: I think that's right. I think this is a point of comparison with what took place under the Bush administration and this notion again of world values being reflected in terms of world leadership and that President Obama has created this new atmosphere. It also says that it gave special importance to the idea of President Obama's opposition to the spread of nuclear weapons, but this notion of multilateral diplomacy gaining a central reputation, the role of the United Nations and other international institutions, that's sighted directly in the words of this Nobel committee.

INSKEEP: Is this going to help the president?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, it's interesting; in terms of domestic politics, I imagine that the critics who feel that he is an international rock star will simply, you know, shake their head and say what is going on? But I think in terms of; again his supporters here at home, who say you know, this is someone who gets, you know, too often criticized, we lack the vision to see beyond the health care debate, beyond some of the arguments over Guantanamo Bay, over his attitudes or his work continuing the wars in Afghanistan, lots of people will say you know, well maybe we should take a second look.

You know, this is someone now who's so extraordinary, a sitting president, as you pointed out Steve, only the third sitting American president to win a Nobel Peace Prize, puts him in the league with Nelson Mandela, puts him in the league with Mother Teresa, that's a different league. And, I mean again, it's hard to imagine given President Obama's popularity worldwide, but it has just gone higher.

INSKEEP: Juan, thanks very much.

WILLIAMS: You're welcome, Steve.

(Soundbite of music)

INSKEEP: Analysis from NPR's Juan Williams this morning on President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. And again, that statement gives him credit for founding his diplomacy in the concept that, if the U.S. is going to lead the world, it has to do that on the basis of policies that most people around the world support.

You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News.

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