William Kristol
Fred Barnes
Christopher Caldwell
Terry Eastland
Ethan Epstein
Andrew Ferguson
Stephen F. Hayes
Mark Hemingway
Jonathan V. Last
Matt Labash
Victorino Matus
John McCormack
Richard Starr
Philip Terzian
Kelly Jane Torrance
Michael Warren
And the Oscar Goes to.
Barack Obama took a break from his packed schedule of playdates with billionaires last week to go to Boston, where the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation presented him with its ever-so-prestigÂious "Profile in Courage Award TM ." Yes, the JFK folks have trademarked "Profile in Courage." Come to think of it, The Scrapbook isn't even sure we're allowed to write "Profile in Courage." Perhaps a license is required, or maybe the payment of royalties? We trust the JFK people will set us straight.
But as for the JFK prize for the former president, our biggest question is "Doesn't he have a few of those already?" It's awfully behind the curve to be celebrating the transformative politics of Obama—what is it now?—eight years after the Norwegian Nobel committee coughed up a preemptive Peace Prize. It's been even longer since he collected his Grammy (for Best Spoken Word Album) and a Daytime Emmy was awarded to a video made from his campaign speeches. Still, better late than never, and we fully expect the Profile in You-Know-What Award (that's one way of working around the trademark) will open the floodgates.
There are so many obvious citations, awards, prizes, and trophies Obama deserves that the awards committees should hurry up and start working out the scheduling for all the ceremonies. Not only is it about time for another Nobel Peace Prize (this one for having averted a humanitarian catastrophe in Syria), the Norwegians' colleagues over at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences will no doubt be eager to present the former president with a Nobel in economics for the brilliant success of the stimulus, Obamacare, or both.
Then there are the literary awards. It goes without saying that when published, Obama's memoirs will be on a short list of one to sweep the Pulitzer Prizes in History, Biography, and General Nonfiction—with a Special Citation thrown in for good measure. He is sure to win a National Book Award, a Bancroft Prize, and even a Dos Passos Prize. (Small-minded literalists will cavil that the Dos Passos Prize is supposed to go to an "under-recognized" writer, but surely no amount of acclaim will be sufficient for Obama to be properly recognized.)
The world of sports presents many opportunities for honorifics appropriate to the man. Obama, having famously declared, "I'm LeBron, baby," deserves his own NBA championship ring from last year's playoffs. The International Jet Sports Boating Association, having reviewed footage of the former president's recent Jet Ski exploits, is considering an honorary freestyle trophy. And word has it that Obama's in the running for a special Cy Young Award for having thrown the first pitch at a Nationals game in 2010 and having gotten the ball, sort of, to the catcher.
The Scrapbook doesn't have room to discuss at length all the huzzahs and hosannas in store for Obama, but we can offer this sadly truncated list of the many wonderful possibilities: the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award; Time 's Man of the Years; J. D. Power Award for Best Initial Quality; ABC's Person of the Millennium; Most Improved Swimmer (Kalorama Community Pool); the Victoria Cross; the Sarah Siddons Award for Distinguished Achievement; induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame.
Web Link: http://www.weeklystandard.com/article/2008021
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May 22, 2017
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The Weekly Standard 2017 Washington, DC Politics 2017-05-12 May 22, 2017 http://www.weeklystandard.com/and-the-oscar-goes-to. /article/2008021 2017-05-12T02:00 2017-05-12T01:08 And the Oscar Goes to. Barack Obama took a break from his packed schedule of playdates with billionaires last week to go to Boston, where the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation presented him with its ever-so-prestigÂious Profile in Courage AwardTM. Yes, the JFK folks have trademarked Profile in Courage. Come to think of it, The Scrapbook isn't even sure we're allowed to write Profile in Courage. Perhaps a license is required, or maybe the payment of royalties? We trust the JFK people will set us straight. But as for the JFK prize for the former president, our biggest question is Doesn't he have a few of those already? It's awfully behind the curve to be celebrating the transformative politics of Obama—what is it now?—eight years after the Norwegian Nobel committee coughed up a preemptive Peace Prize. It's been even longer since he collected his Grammy (for Best Spoken Word Album) and a Daytime Emmy was awarded to a video made from his campaign speeches. Still, better late than never, and we fully expect the Profile in You-Know-What Award (that's one way of working around the trademark) will open the floodgates. Barack Obama, The Scrapbook, Oscars, the media http://cdn.weeklystandard.biz/cache/280x280-45f445da3ac032328254b6da955ba26a.jpg
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