Obama Vs Binyon

In 2008, Barack Obama became the first president of color in the history of the United States. As a democrat, he promised to help the people, to cut taxes, to provide every American with affordable healthcare, and to end America’s dependence on oil from the Middle East. Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize a year after being elected President, in 2009. The Washington Post, through a cartoon, and Michael Binyon, through an article, publicly revealed their animosity to his award. Both pieces convey the irony of President Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize prior to achieving anything worthy of the award. The political cartoon, "Heavy Medal," uses metaphorical satire to reach it's fast-paced American audience. Toles, from The Washington Post, depicts Obama at the beginning of a race, being awarded a medal. Through his cartoon, Toles portrays Obama “winning” after only being in office for a mere year. In the cartoon, the caricature of the Nobel Committee says, “Hope …show more content…
Binyon reveals that the ironic reason behind Obama winning the prize is due to Obama’s decision to, “strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”(Binyon). And, yes, Obama promised that; however, at the moment, he was focusing on expanding the war in Afghanistan. The Nobel Committee awarded Obama out of hope that he would bring peace. Binyon mentions names of those who also “questionably” won the award, it seems, out of hope rather than achievement. Those names included Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, two Irish women who presumably won due to the Committee’s hopes to initiate a peace between two communities in Ulster. Binyon clearly conveys his resentment and public resentment, to the prize being handed out for hope rather than pure