Fact check: Who nominated Barack Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, the identity of who nominated Barack Obama for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize cannot be determined from available sources. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Obama the prize, with Thorbjørn Jagland serving as Chairman and Geir Lundestad as Secretary of the committee ^{[1] [2]}. However, all sources consistently indicate that nominee information is not disclosed in official announcements ^{[3] [4]}.

The analyses reveal that nominee lists are kept secret for 50 years according to Nobel Prize protocols ^[3]. This means that the specific individual or organization who nominated Obama will not be publicly known until 2059, making the original question currently unanswerable through official channels.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks crucial context about the Nobel Prize nomination process and confidentiality rules. The analyses provide important background that the nomination process involves qualified nominators, but the specific nominators remain confidential for five decades ^{[5] [3]}.

Additionally, the sources reveal significant controversy and regret surrounding Obama's award. The Nobel secretary later expressed regret about the decision ^[2], suggesting that the committee's expectations were not met. This context indicates that the award was controversial even within the Nobel Committee itself, which adds important nuance to understanding why the nomination question might be of public interest.

The analyses also show that there was significant public reaction and debate about the appropriateness of the award ^[2], suggesting that multiple stakeholders had strong opinions about Obama receiving the prize so early in his presidency.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, but it implies that the nominator's identity should be publicly available, which contradicts the Nobel Prize's established confidentiality protocols. This could mislead people into believing that nomination information is typically disclosed when it is not ^[3].

The question may also reflect an underlying assumption that knowing the nominator would provide insight into the legitimacy or appropriateness of the award. Given that the Nobel secretary later regretted the decision ^[2], various political actors and media organizations might benefit from either defending or criticizing the award based on who the nominator was, potentially using this information to advance particular political narratives about Obama's presidency or the Nobel Committee's decision-making process.