Don't make the mistake of equating the Nobel Prize to the Nobel Peace Prize. These are two completely different prizes.
There are currently two "unofficial" prizes the Nobel committee gives away: The Peace Prize and The Literature Prize. Both have never been officially sanctioned as part of the Alfred Nobel program.
The real prizes given in Chemistry, Medicine, Physics and Economics are very much respected and recognized worldwide for what they are - the finest award in the world for the best scientific achievement in those respective fields.
It is the Peace and Literature prizes that have been littered with Liberal and stupified nominations. With that said, the Literature prize has been given in the past to deserving writers. However, the Peace prize is completely "unofficial" and is not truly recognized around the world as a true Nobel prize.
???
I was unaware of this.
Do you have a link or a reference for this?
I was under the impression that the Peace Prize was Nobel's idea.
"There are currently two "unofficial" prizes the Nobel committee gives away: The Peace Prize and The Literature Prize. Both have never been officially sanctioned as part of the Alfred Nobel program."
You may want to check the Nobel Prize website to get accurate information--they include peace and literature with the other categories you mention, and they've been giving them away since 1901. Nothing unoffical about that. Also, remember that Carter received it in large part because of Habitat for Humanity as well as the work done by the Carter Center in attempting to peacefully resolve conflict.
He may have been a bad president, but it's hard to imagine begrudging or condemning him for his post-presidency work. Isn't Habitat for Humanity exactly the sort of non-federal-government, volunteer-based program that we are aiming for with faith-based initiatives?