Washington is flabbergasted by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama. Conservatives are appalled; centrists are perplexed; even liberals are surprised.

Let us be honest: at first glance, the decision is seriously quirky. Mr Obama has been president for less than a year. He is picking his way through a very inhospitable political landscape: the worst possible time, in other words, to run a victory lap. The war in Afghanistan is going badly and his Middle East peace efforts have stalled. It is far from clear where his domestic agenda – healthcare, energy and climate change, and jobs – will end up. And his various priorities are starting to bump into each other.