Seriously?

What did he get it for? According to the Nobel Foundation’s website, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.

While the President’s attempts to increase the use of multilateralism have been in the national interest, this is no way qualified him for the award. It is far too early to determine the outcome of any of his initiatives.

Furthermore, only two other sitting American presidents have won the award, neither in their first term, let alone their first year in office. Theodore Roosevelt won the award five years in and Woodrow Wilson six; each had brokered major international peace agreements.

Compare that to Obama, who has “captured the world’s attention.”

Well, at least it shows us that at least one country out there – Norway, home of the Nobel Foundation – still loves us after Chicago’s embarrassing Olympic loss in Copenhagen.

But more importantly, bestowing the prize on Obama actually devalues the hard work of previous laureates of the award – real peacemakers, like Mikhail Gorbachev or Aung San Suu Kyi.

Even more importantly, it proliferates the irrational belief of some the Obama Administration is some kind of magic dealmaker. It unfairly pressures Obama to achieve peace.

But what if he can’t? What if he makes the decision to use force to further American interests, say to attack Iran? Such an action would make the award a laughingstock.

This brings me to my point. Obama is not the President of the world. He is the President of the United States of America. Sometimes – not too often, but occasionally – American interests do not line up with those of the rest of the world. Barack Obama was elected by the majority of American citizens with the expectation that he would serve American interests, not Norwegian ones.

If the Nobel Prize helps him accomplish American interests, so be it. But it should not be an obstacle.