Speaking of the Nobel Prize, Ezra Klein gets Quote of the Day honors for this. Or should I say, Quote of Day Honors in Memory of Alfred Nobel?
Ross Douthat [] says it will be “offensive when Obama takes the stage in Oslo this November instead of Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe’s heroic opposition leader.” By that same logic, it seems a bit offensive for Douthat to spend his column arguing that Obama should give back the Nobel rather than devoting his column to the struggles of Tsvangirai, who has never before been mentioned in one of Douthat’s op-eds. That’s all the more true given that Douthat chooses the subject of his columns, while Obama does not choose the recipients of the Nobel.
Quite so. And while we’re on the subject, I wonder if any of these guys criticizing Obama have given even half a minute’s thought to the optics of a presidential refusal? Frankly, I can’t think of anything that would look more arrogant than turning down the Nobel Prize. What, it’s not good enough for him? He’s above such things? Euro-weenie prizes have no place in the White House?
That’s how it would look. Not humble or self-effacing. Arrogant. I don’t think the Norwegians should have awarded Obama the prize, but once they did, even the most minimal considerations of graciousness and respect required him to accept it.
