RSS Feed MenuA flash report from Politico says that Chicago was eliminated as host of the 2016 Olympics in first round voting.
I’m stunned. I had been telling friends for days that Chicago must have the thing in the bag, because there was no way any half-way competent White House staff would allow a president to travel to a foreign city and make a public request for something without certain knowledge that the answer would be “yes.”
The rejection of the president’s suit is a humiliating rebuff. It’s also another ominous warning that for all the talk of this White House’s Chicago Way toughness, in the clinch it reveals itself credulous, placating, and soft. I wonder what they are thinking about Obama in Tehran today? Actually, I don’t wonder. I can guess.
midcon // Oct 2, 2009 at 4:52 pm
How anyone can translate Chicago’s non-selection into a loss for Obama is beyond me. South America has never had an Olympics. The prevailing opion is that the IOC decided that Rio would be a good venue for SAs first Olympics. The fact that Chicago got the fewest votes in the first round is simply indicative that the IOC felt there were better choices.
Somehow folks got the impression that if they line up the stars Chicago would be a shoo in (or at least competitive). Now if they had used Chicago’s most famous athlete, perhaps they would have a chance.
Obama’s loss? Get serious! Let’s stick to things we know something about, which is not Olympic politics and who get’s selected.
sinz54 // Oct 2, 2009 at 4:53 pm
balconesfault: But most of all, Obama is all about extending the hand publicly, and then letting everyone see that he is not the bad guy when it is rejected.
That may earn Obama the world’s sympathy.
But not the world’s respect.
No one respects a loser.
I don’t want the world to feel sorry for the United States: “Poor old Uncle Sam, he just keeps getting rolled by al-Qaeda and Chavez and Ahmedinejad and Assad and….”
I want the world to respect the United States for not allowing itself to be rolled.
sinz54 // Oct 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm
midcon: How anyone can translate Chicago’s non-selection into a loss for Obama is beyond me.
That’s easy enough.
Obama put his reputation and the gravity of his office on the line to win the Olympics for the United States. He did more lobbying to win the Olympics than any previous President.
In poker, it’s less important what cards you hold than how far you’re willing to go to bet on them.
sinz54 // Oct 2, 2009 at 4:57 pm
rbottoms: First of all, the Olympics have been financial losers. Between the construction of new stadiums and the security measures required, host cities often don’t break even.
Secondly, I’m less worried about bringing in tourist dollars than I am about Afghanistan. Obama spent a lot more time lobbying the IOC than he spent meeting with General McChrystal.
DFL // Oct 2, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Chicago losing the Olympics is a three day story. Cokie, Sam, George and George will muse over it for a few minutes on Sunday TV before they take their Sunday afternoon snoozes. By Monday morning most Americans will be crying or boasting over the results of the Sunday football games.
Churl // Oct 2, 2009 at 5:10 pm
dfl, it is a three day story. It would be a 15 minute story if Obama hadn’t tried to swing the deal to Chicago and failed.
Reason60 // Oct 2, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Honestly, I am a bit disapointed- I expected a little bit better from Frum than this Red State-ish post-
To start of with, even though not every President travels across the world to try and get the Olympics, don’t all of them make at least some nod to get Olympics, World Fairs, trade conventions, etc? Isn’t this part of the job, sort of Booster-in-Chief? Admittedly, usually it is the Veep’s job, but the hometown link was a good idea.
Why is it that conservatives are suddenly expected to adamantly deplore Chicago, to despise the idea of the Olympics in America, and howl with outrage over the President making a bid for the Olympics? When before have conservatives erupted in applause over America losing the Olympics?
This has not one thing to do with conservatives standing up for a principle, instead it is just knee-jerk reflexive partisan hackery. This is just Obama Derangement Syndrome on steriods, and it makes the conservatives look mean-spirited, pointlessly vindictive and petty. Mostly because it is.
Oh, and if you are wondering what they are thinking about Obama in Tehran today? Hard to say, but there was real progress Thursday whereby Iran agreed for the first time to let IAEA inspectors see its nuclear plant. Not a panacea, but real measurable progress, more progress than we have had in 8 years.
txanne // Oct 2, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Unbelievable! Frum joins the likes of Beck and Limbaugh in their celebration of a loss for America. It’s just hard to understand the mindset. The ODS is out of control and it is dangerous for this country.
There is no shame in losing, only shame in not trying.
This cheerleading against the USA does not bode well for the right.
oldgal // Oct 2, 2009 at 10:47 pm
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rio – someone should…or is common courtesy no longer a value?
anniemargret // Oct 2, 2009 at 11:02 pm
oldgal: That’s the best thing I’ve read here all evening.
Good Show!
greg_barton // Oct 3, 2009 at 12:03 am
Ya’ll are just dancing in the streets over Obama’s “loss.”
EscapeVelocity // Oct 3, 2009 at 2:03 am
I guess that BDS is coming back to haunt you.
Equal and opposite reaction…and all that.
johnmarzan // Oct 3, 2009 at 2:56 am
gosh, there are so many left wingers here in this blog.
balconesfault // Oct 3, 2009 at 6:08 am
One poster on Balloon-Juice summarized it nicely:
In the first quadrant, Obama stays home from Copenhagen, Chicago loses. “He is so selfish and arrogant. If only he cared the slightest little bit about his country, he would have gone over there to plead Chicago’s case before the IOC. If he had gone, Chicago would have won and there could have been hundreds of thousands of good jobs created in Chicago, but does he care about jobs or the economy? NO-O-O-O! He hates America. The world has rejected him.”
In the second quadrant, Obama stays home from Copenhagen, Chicago wins. “He is so selfish and arrogant. If he cared the slightest little bit about his country and the city he calls home, he would have been over there to celebrate. But he’s jealous and can’t bear to share the glory with anyone else.”
In the third quadrant, Obama goes to Copenhagen, Chicago wins. “He is so selfish and arrogant. This so-called ‘win’ was just payback for his fraudulent, corrupt Chicago-style friends. No city ever makes money on the Olympics. This will bankrupt Chicago and it is all Obama’s fault.”
In the fourth quadrant, Obama goes to Copenhagen, Chicago loses. “He is selfish and arrogant and now Stinks with the Stench of Defeat—the world has rejected him.” Or what we’re seeing and hearing all over the wingnutosphere today.
midcon // Oct 3, 2009 at 7:34 am
sinz; this was not a case of Obama playing a poker hand. He was merely a card in Chicago’s hand. His decision to go was a last minute “oh I guess I have time to run over there” kind of thing. He does not “own” this and consequently will not be hurt by it. I don’t know how this plays in Peoria, but here in DC this is a non-event. There are plenty of other things Obama will and should take heat on. This is not one of them.
EscapeVelocity // Oct 3, 2009 at 11:44 am
Obama thought that eating cakes and crumpets with International and Euro elites, aristocracy, royalty and snobbery for the Chicago Daley Machine was more important than going out to American Samoa, where Americans are dying.
What a crass inhuman dolt.
athensboy // Oct 3, 2009 at 8:43 pm
As a lifelong Democrat, Chicago not getting the Olympics was a blip on the radar screen. I could have cared less. I see the conservatives were orgasmic, fine, enjoy your “win”. My Badgers beating Minnesota today was about 100 times as important as Chicago getting or not getting the Olympics. Things that bring conservatives happiness continue to befuddle me. Maybe Obama should resign for his horrible failure. Palin was much more qualified.
greg_barton // Oct 4, 2009 at 2:22 am
It’s called haldol, escapevelocity, and I think you’ve missed your dose.
sinz54 // Oct 4, 2009 at 11:09 am
tzal: you may want to ask yourself if celebrating America losing its Olympic bid will engender sympathy to the cause.
There is very little actual downside to America in this.
The economic benefits are dubious. Historically, many cities that chose to host the Olympics have never broken even. Economically, it’s a white elephant, alongside world’s fairs and the like.
That the games will be held in Rio doesn’t stop American athletes from competing. And the fact that Rio is in the Eastern time zone means that Americans can watch the games live on TV (which wouldn’t have been possible if Tokyo had been chosen).
On the economy, few conservatives have crowed over the high unemployment rate, just because it remains an embarrassment to Obama. And no conservatives will take pleasure in America losing the war in Afghanistan, should Obama screw it up.