Awarding President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize represents the committee's investment in change, picking the leader whose values and principles they wish would guide the world. Prizes are now increasingly popular as incentives for innovation and change instead of rewards for what is already well-established. The Nobel Commiittee is following this path--placing a bet on Obama in the hopes of inspiring future actions. In honoring him, they handed him a very big responsibility. The world will watch to see whether results will follow. Obama ran for the presidency on hope, and the Nobel adds some hope-fuel to the tank.
The Nobel Prize this time is aspirational, looking forward with fingers crossed, rather than honoring a long track record of achievements. It is a sign that the world hungers for leadership for peace and planet-saving, and wants to reinforce America's role in those quests. It is also a sign that the Nobel Committee wants to influence U.S. politics, by giving Obama a booster rocket that I presume they hope will help get his agenda enacted.
It is risky for the prize to be awarded so early in a presidency, while so many decisions, like how to manage the war in Afghanistan, are still hanging, and the nuclear arms issues are hardly resolved. But the best leadership starts with principles and values first that then inspire others to new actions. Leaders look ahead. Leaders build confidence in advance of victory, to make success possible
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