Abstract

When the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced United States of America President Barack Obama as the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, manycommentators quickly questioned the choice. Conservatives in particular argued that Obama had not yet accomplished anything to warrant such recognition. Such remarks promoted a perspective that creates a dichotomy between words and action, between rhetoric and policies. However, this rhetorical analysisconsiders four important rhetorical acts by Obama that involved more than just words but actual progress toward peace. The four speeches by Obama analyzedare his inaugural address, his address in Prague on nuclear weapons, his speech at Cairo University, and his speech to the United Nations. Implications areconsidered concerning the importance of scholars examining peace rhetoric.