The Quotable Josh Marshall: America's Nobel

From TPM:

[T]he unmistakable message of the award is one of the consequences of a period in which the most powerful country in the world, the 'hyper-power' as the French have it, became the focus of destabilization and in real if limited ways lawlessness. A harsh judgment, yes. But a dark period. And Obama has begun, if fitfully and very imperfectly to many of his supporters, to steer the ship of state in a different direction. If that seems like a meager accomplishment to many of the usual Washington types it's a profound reflection of their own enablement of the Bush era and how compromised they are by it, how much they perpetuated the belief that it was 'normal history' rather than dark aberration.

Hat-tip to Steve Benen, who has a few quotable things of his own to add

Comments

[actor212]

I said somewhere...can't remember where...that I'm frankly amused that the same people who are criticizing Obama for not accomplishing anything are the same numbnuts who spent eight years cheerleading the dry-drunk, Boy Blunder, "born on third base, thinking he'd hit a triple," coul...dn't find oil in TEXAS, ran a major league baseball team into the ground, got into Yale as a legacy, miserable failure of a President.

[Tom W.]

I'm not digging the decision - especially if it's based mainly on Bush. They should keep it. Let's get something done.

Betcha Obama cussed when they told him. It's a political deadweight, very poorly timed.

[actor212]

I dunno, Tom...we're not hearing the average American's opinion and history seems to tell us that Nobel Peace Prize winners are pretty highly regarded in public opinion.

Look at what it did for Carter's image.

I think Obama has been given a godsend for his domestic programs.

[Nancy]

Excellent quote.

[Dennis Perrin]

The system doesn't change with every new president. Only imperial tactics, and even then, not very much. As for Obama's merit badge, it seems to fit his public profile: the eager, bright student winning awards, being patted on the head. Meanwhile, Americans sink further down, while poor brown people overseas are blown up, strangled, starved, and largely forgotten.

"Peace" prize. Ha. That is funny.