Barack Obama Awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Giving the World Hope

President Barack Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. Nobel observers were shocked by the unexpected choice, especially with it being so early in his presidency, which began just tow weeks before the February 1 nomination deadline.

According to White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, Obama woke up to the news a little before 6:00am ET. The administration was taken by surprise with the announcement, and thus far has made no immediate comment on it.

When informed of the decision this morning, one aide queried: "It's not April 1, is it?"

Obama was not informed that he won the award prior to the announcement out of Oslo this morning. The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided not to inform him because they did not want to wake him up. Committee chairman Thorbjoer Jagland said: "Waking up a president in the middle of the night, this isn't really something you do."

The committee applauded the change in the global mood shaped by Obama's calls for peace and cooperation. However, they also recognized several Obama initiatives that have yet to bear any fruit, including easing American conflicts with Muslim nations, reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, and strengthening the U.S. role in fighting climate change.

Jagland added:

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future."

But is hope enough? Does giving the world hope, rather than actually accomplishing something, make him worthy of receiving the award? The U.S. remains at war in Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been little reduction in global nuclear stockpiles since Obama took office, and Congress has yet to pass a law reducing carbon emissions.