My first reaction was, "What? He hasn't had time to do anything yet!" However, after hearing some remarks from the man announcing the award about the committee's reasons, I think I understand.
Whether you thought the previous administration's policies were great or horrendous, the fact is that to much of the rest of the world (the civilized part, that is; the opinions of our enemies are irrelevant to this particular discussion) America was perceived as having become a bully. Whether they are right or wrong is also irrelevant; it is true that such was the opinion of much of the developed world.
This award to President Obama shows that this opinion is changing. It says a lot more about how America is perceived than it does about anything particular that the president has done. It says that the rest of the world believes that America is trying to live up to its position as the greatest country in the world, the longest lasting republic, truly the land of the free and the home of the brave.
I believe that, at the least, President Obama has attempted to mend a lot of fences that needed mending, whether or not they were damaged because of necessary actions or unnecessary actions (again, irrelevant). I believe that this attempt is a noble one, and that it will help America, not hurt it. I may or may not agree with particular policies and decisions of this president, but the fact is that he won the election, and deserves our support when he represents us to the world at large.
The decision of the Nobel committee is an action that honors the United States of America. It is unseemly and ungracious to criticize our president for being the particular occasion for the world to honor our country.
