Well that was quick! Nobel for Obama

Friday, October 9th, 2009 | Obama and the Dems | 1 Comment

The Nobel committee announced today that Obama won the Peace Prize due to his “extraordinary efforts” at global diplomacy. They praised him for creating “a new climate in international politics” and for his efforts at nuclear arms reduction.

Interestingly one journalist today wrote, “Obama’s name was rarely mentioned as a potential candidate for the award.”

Here is what the Nobel Committee had to say › Continue reading

Tags: nobel, Obama, peace, prize

What the Russians thought of Obama

Thursday, October 8th, 2009 | Obama and the Dems | No Comments

I recently came across a survey from the Levada Center in Russia. One of the questions that was asked right before the US presidential vote was:

“What are your feelings towards the victory of Barack Obama, a representative of the African American minority, in the US presidential elections?”

Here were the options and results (by%):
Admiration 5
Content 15
Surprise 16
Envy 0,4
Irritation 2
Indignation 1
No special feelings 57
Not sure 3
(N=1600)

The categories make for a fun list. Especially since we don’t often get to see the the options of “envy” or “indignation” on political surveys.

In Russian:
Восхищение 5
Удовлетворение 15
Удивление 16
Зависть 0,4
Раздражение 2
Возмущение 1
Никаких особых чувств 57
Затруднились ответить 3

Tags: election, Obama, Russia, vote