Taking the task of scrutinizing Mr. Barack Obama’s recent Nobel Peace Prize may come off as yet another snide attempt to undermine our president. In fact, it is an honor to see an American president receive such a prestigious global award.

However, one has to ask if this award was well deserved so early in his presidency. In all sincerity, Obama’s recent “accolade” comes with the least amount of merit. When Obama leaves for Norway in December to accept his award, he should thank former President George W. Bush who seems to be the impetus for Obama’s recognition in the form of one final political jab from the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Overall, international opinion on Obama’s award has been generally positive, especially in countries that are not necessarily allies of the U.S.

However, according to the U.K.’s The Times, former Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Polish President Lech Walesa declared, “So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far.”

Obama seems to have been the climactic figure in repudiation of Bush-era policy. Many contend that Jimmy Carter’s 2002 award was as an explicit rejection of the Bush administration’s lead up to the Iraq war. Mohamed ElBaradei, who campaigned against the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, was awarded in 2005. Then once again in 2007 when Al Gore received the prize for his work on man-made climate change that Bush considered a myth.

Individuals on the left will cry out that Republican ineptitude has led them to even rooting against peace. However, if Republicans are justified in rooting against anything, it is against such a patronizing award that symbolizes Europe’s happiness that Bush is no longer in office.

Moreover, considering the countless campaign promises that Obama made, little of it has yet to be achieved. It altogether suggests a naivety on the part of Norwegian Nobel Committee to hand out its peace award based on “hope” rather than actual contribution. If the definition of contribution has changed, please, someone let me know.

But I did some digging and came across PolitiFact, a project of the St. Petersburg Times “to help you find the truth in American politics.”

According to PolitiFact Obama has only kept 47 of his campaign promises, 117 are still in the works and a whopping 320 have yet to be fulfilled.

When it comes to closing Guantanamo Bay, don’t bet against the fact that the U.S. will still have it open in 2010. There are reports that the U.S. may plan to move many of the Guantamano Bay detainees to a similar prison in Afghanistan under the auspices of the Afghani government.

Obama has done nothing to end warrantless wiretaps. And he is still working on reduction of nuclear stockpiles.

It most certainly is true Obama has quite a bit to live up to.

Reach Joseph at jhermiz@asu.edu.