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[Kagus]

I am of the opinion though that there was no need for people to go bananas over Wolf's comments, as the BBC seems to be reporting. Not very funny, but certainly not that inflammatory either.

Well, no, but histrionic pearl-clutching is an easy way to look better than "both sides" and appeal to fuzzy memories of the more dignified journalism of a past era. It's playing on Trump fatigue.

As I said in the WTF thread, I'd like to see these people try out British/Australian parliament for a spell. Now there's some proper dignity!

[Folly]

First, and most importantly, there was a lot of really nice cleavage on display at that party. Kudos journalists.

I enjoyed the cameo from Our Cartoon President, as a fan of that show.

Regarding Wolf's routine, there is a time and place for that brand of comedy, and this dinner was neither. This occasion was intended to bring together democrats, republicans, and journalists, and show that they can all be respectful and responsible in their use of their first amendment rights. Wolf seemed intent upon pushing the limits of what she could get away with, using her platform to abuse that right and offend everyone as much as possible. This audience was not nearly drunk or cynical enough to appreciate those jokes properly.

[smjjames]

First, and most importantly, there was a lot of really nice cleavage on display at that party. Kudos journalists.

I enjoyed the cameo from Our Cartoon President, as a fan of that show.

Regarding Wolf's routine, there is a time and place for that brand of comedy, and this dinner was neither. This occasion was intended to bring together democrats, republicans, and journalists, and show that they can all be respectful and responsible in their use of their first amendment rights. Wolf seemed intent upon pushing the limits of what she could get away with, using her platform to abuse that right and offend everyone as much as possible. This audience was not nearly drunk or cynical enough to appreciate those jokes properly.

Yea, they made a mistake in using that comedian (for a sense of comedy), no idea what they were thinking in the first place.

[Kagus]

Who's Ashamed of the Big Bad Wolf?

[Folly]

Trump supporters at his rally last night were chanting 'Nobel', implying that he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for bringing about peace with North Korea.

As if hurling childish insults at the leader of foreign countries over twitter is what constitutes 'making peace'.

[smjjames]

I suppose they might be emboldened by Obama getting one for not doing much of anything. Not sure what exactly he got a nobel peace prize for.

[Reelya]

The cited reason was the diplomacy he conducted in his first year in office. What FOX News kept calling the "apology tour".

https://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/23/politics/fact-check-apology-tour/index.html

When President Obama began his term, he made a number of speeches in the Middle East and elsewhere -- all designed to forge better ties with Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

The Norwegians cited this, along with his embrace of climate change action and anti-nuclear proliferation policies as the main reasons. The thing is the so-called "apology tour" is the main reason he got the award, so anyone who on one hand claims he went on the "apology tour", but on the other hand is baffled by why he got the award is clearly confused. e.g. "oh look, Obama is going around the world making friends with all the nations, typical liberal!" => "what, he's getting an award for making peace? What did he possibly do that could warrant that?" ... both comments from the same people. It's amazing how people have the ability to compartmentalize completely contradictory beliefs in different boxes in their minds.

[smjjames]

Well, it was called an apology tour because he was trying to patch things up after the whole diplomatic downturn during the Bush years. I suppose Norway and the rest of the world was just happy the US patched up relations.

There’s gonna be another round needed after Trump gets out. :p

[Maximum Spin]

The thing is the so-called "apology tour" is the main reason he got the award, so anyone who on one hand claims he went on the "apology tour", but on the other hand is baffled by why he got the award is clearly confused. e.g. "oh look, Obama is going around the world making friends with all the nations, typical liberal!" => "what, he's getting an award for making peace? What did he possibly do that could warrant that?" ... both comments from the same people. It's amazing how people have the ability to compartmentalize completely contradictory beliefs in different boxes in their minds.

I mean, let's be clear, anybody getting a Nobel Peace Prize just for wandering around telling people "sorry we suck so much" is fucking stupid and definitely dilutes the award to meaninglessness if it hadn't been already, which it had.

[Reelya]

But, as many articles, like the one above, make pretty clear, he didn't just go around saying "sorry we suck so much", that was a straw-man to start with.

He actually built bridges with the rest of the world. Which is sort of the definition of peace-building really. Also, consider things like the "extraodinary rendition" that were going on all through the Bush years where citizens of even allied nations were being secretly kidnapped by CIA and flown to torture centers in places like Egypt. That was rampant in the Bush years, but seems to have pretty much dried up completely in the Obama years.

Remember, it was the Obama administration who put an end to this stuff being business-as-usual:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/02/05/a-staggering-map-of-the-54-countries-that-reportedly-participated-in-the-cias-rendition-program/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.116d81e41976

[smjjames]

Yeah, the Nobel peace prize is supposed to be something achieved over years culminating in some achievement, not going around and making our allies and friends feel better.

No wonder it feels like Obama got it for not doing much noteworthy and that Trump thinks it’s trivially easy to get it. I suppose conservatives are jealous that a conservative President hasn’t gotten one yet.

The only one who deserves a peace prize in this moment would be SK President Moon for actually orchestrating and managing the whole thing. Trump would only deserve one if there is persistent and prolonged actual progress.

[Reelya]

not going around and making our allies and friends feel better.

But it wasn't just allies and friends, Obama built bridges with adversaries too, e.g. the muslim world, Iran etc, and got hammered by the Republican media for doing so. As well as basically ending many of the war on terror programs of the Bush Era, waterboarding etc became illegal again, pledging to close Guantanamo bay. It was all those things. Maybe it was premature, but we sort of lose sight of how many things actually changed between Bush and Obama.

[smjjames]

I thought he got hammered for all of it.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Ah, the "Apology Tour". That's a political meme I haven't heard in a long, long time...

[scriver]

Well, it was called an apology tour because he was trying to patch things up after the whole diplomatic downturn during the Bush years. I suppose Norway and the rest of the world was just happy the US patched up relations.

Nah, it was just the hype. Just another reason we should retract the peace prize awardings to their proper handler.

Not as good a reason as them having celebrity hosts at the ceremonies though. That's reason enough for three nobel prize awarder retractions.

No wonder it feels like Obama got it for not doing much noteworthy and that Trump thinks it’s trivially easy to get it. I suppose conservatives are jealous that a conservative President hasn’t gotten one yet.

Theodore Roosevelt did, though