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Chicago, Obama, Family And Friends Lose First Round Olympic Vote

By Michael Scherer | @michaelscherer | October 2, 2009 | +

It is possible that the defeat of Chicago at the International Olympic Committee, a stunning, first-round defeat, will be good for the president over the long haul. His loyalties to his hometown are unquestioned, but the prospect of Olympic building scandals, of friends and fundraisers benefiting form the Olympic spending, and the virtually inevitable over-budget controversies would not have served Obama well. He has enough problems on his plate as it is.

But it is a defeat nonetheless. Until Monday, the White House had put forward a unified front: The president was too busy to travel to Copenhagen. There were more important things. He would hold back the pressure from his friends and his hometown political machine.

But at the last minute, Obama reversed course. According to Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel gave the go-ahead after he realized that the Senate Finance Committee would not be voting out a bill this week. There was always a political risk. Internationally, Obama was offering up a test of his celebrity and influence. Domestically, Obama was inviting criticism for putting his own provincial interests above the national challenges he was facing.

Obama lost on both counts, but neither defeat is likely to linger for long. At 4 p.m. he plans to give an address at the Rose Garden, just a couple hours after Air Force One is scheduled to land outside Washington. If Chicago had won, the president probably would have turned the address into a chance to celebrate his hometown and thank his advisers who helped make the victory possible.

But there is plenty more to talk about, none of it particularly uplifting: new glum unemployment figures; continued deliberations about the ever-grimmer prospects of the war in Afghanistan; the long road ahead for health care reform Congress. In other words, now he is likely to use the speech as a chance to move on, from one defeat to the difficult challenges that lie ahead.

In the meantime, the White House aides are going out to put a brave face forward. “I have no regrets,” said Obama adviser David Axelrod on MSNBC, shortly after the decision. “And I know he doesn’t.” He added, “It was well worth the effort.”

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  • Ivy_B

    Domestically, Obama was inviting criticism for putting his own provincial interests above the national challenges he was facing.

    Were there critically important things he needed to be doing Thursday night and Friday morning that he didn’t because he flew over there and slept on the plane? He also met w/ General McChrystal and wouldn’t have done that if at home.

    Please take a leadership role and stop clutching your pearls about what a horrible defeat for the President this is. There are more important things going on.

  • jc46202

    Please, please, please stop contributing to this media meme linking the Olympics decision to the President.

    It’s insulting to all the people in Chicago who have been working for years on getting the city’s bid into the final round of selection. Obama was a bit player (one with star power no doubt) in this effort as are/were any of the other heads of state.

    If Chicago would have been awarded the games or now having been eliminated, that’s the reality and you and your colleagues should quit trying to make this any sort of referendum on the President. It’s not about him.

  • homerhk

    Let’s be honest, this is a setback for the President, albeit minor. Drudge is already playing this is the “World rejects Obama” which I suppose it his right. Having said that, isn’t this what we want from our elected leaders? To have the guts to invest time and energy into something (clearly beneficial – not talking about a war here) even when there is inherent risk? Applaud his attempt to swing things for Chicago and the US, reconcile yourself with the result and move on.

    The “world” may have rejected Obama, but more importantly – and it appears less newsworthy – Iran has agreed a deal in principle to export its uranium to Russia and to let IAEA inspectors complete access to the Qom facility. More of that please.

  • slowp

    1) Why is the non-choice of Chicago “stunning?”

    2) “Domestically, Obama was inviting criticism for putting his own provincial interests above the national challenges he was facing.” His greatest challenge at the moment is job creation. The Olympics wouldn’t brought billions of dollars and thousands of jobs into one of the most hard hit regions of the U.S. What part of that is hard to understand?

    I expect to see this sort of drivel on Drudge’s site, not here.

  • centfan

    Rio is a much better narrative. It has the whole “Latin America on the world stage” angle. With any luck Brazil’s move to energy independence will get some play in the build-up. Please not Madrid.

    Oh, and the fortunes of Time is all your responsibility Michael. If Time fails it’s because you failed.

  • bobcn1

    ‘Domestically, Obama was inviting criticism for putting his own provincial interests above the national challenges he was facing.’

    MS,
    This may be the stupidest comment you’ve written here so far. It’s a lazy, partisan, cheap shot that can’t stand up to scrutiny.

    In what way was Obama ‘putting his own provincial interests above the national challenges’? Because he was doing something that his hometown would benefit from? Please take a look at a map. You will notice that Chicago is in the United States. An Olympics in Chicago would have benefited Chicago, Illinois, and the nation as a whole.

    One of Obama’s toughest ‘national challenges’ has been to promote job growth as part of pulling the nation out of the Bush economy he inherited. The Olympics could have been a part of that. Not only would it have provided immediate jobs in the Chicago area during the preparation for the event, but it would have provided a burst of tourism nationwide in 2016.

    ‘his own provincial interests’? The entire nation would have benefited if Chicago had been awarded the Olympics. Have you ever toured in another country? Did you go to just one city and then fly home? Or did you travel around in the country and see as much as you could? An Olympics in Chicago would have brought tourism dollars to all of the top tourist destinations in the US. We all would have benefited from it.

    Many expected Obama’s effort to fail. It’s not surprising. It’s likely that Rio will be awarded the 2016 summer games. Obama knew that when he decided to undertake this effort. He deserves credit for going anyway, as he was working for the benefit of the nation. The fact that he risked being subjected to cheap shots like Scherer’s just makes me respect and appreciate his efforts that much more.

  • darius3

    I expect to see this sort of drivel on Drudge’s site, not here.
    .
    See, I had the opposite reaction – the moment I saw Drudge blaring this, I just knew ol’ Mikey here was gonna write about it.

  • square1

    Thanks, MS. Maybe now that this story has been examined, Swampland can mention Rick Perry’s efforts to bury the execution of an innocent man. I await the media outage with bated breath.

  • centfan

    Ah yes, Rio. Good.

    Timely stories on paving the Amazon, Latin pride, ethanol, and Brazil as the new China (if they get past promoting their “Party Central” fixation).

    Get to work Time. Those stories are waiting for you and you might even teach us something.

  • sacredh

    Unless they add pole dancing to the Olympics, I have no intention of watching a single minute of either the winter or summer Olympics.
    .
    Maybe just a peek at the female gymnasts. They’re exciting in a pervy kind of way.

  • http://www.simonvinkenoog.nl/beeld/Yogi%20-%20Annelies%20Rigter.jpg yogi

    Ah no Spain-ympic Lame-ympics? Well Rio is the most exciting of the choices. Next time the US Olympic Committee should stick with the choice of San Fran, it’s much more pleasant in the summer than Chicago.

  • mni08

    I never know that the day will come when Americans (some in the right) will be openly praying against American interest just to stick it up to Obama. It is sad that the so called press are not trying in calling them out.

  • square1

    Incidentally, in as far as this story is concerned, I agree with MS. Anytime the President lobbies for something and gets squadoosh, he’ll take a political hit. This isn’t a cheap shot.

  • somepeoplelikeit

    sacred, if you don’t watch Olympic womens beach volleyball in Brazil you have serious problems. Not that this fact is news to you or anything…just sayin!

  • piper1

    Why do Republicans hate America and cheer its failure?

  • sacredh

    I agree with you to a point. It is a defeat for Obama, but I think it was the United States that was rejected, not the President. I do expect the right to claim that Obama lost our chance for the Olympics even though they claimed we couldn’t afford it in the first place. When confronted with reality, they simply choose an alternate one. The Olympics weren’t important before the vote. Now it will have been of supreme importance.

  • textee

    Great headline from Drudge: “THE EGO HAS LANDED
    WORLD REJECTS OBAMA: CHICAGO OUT IN FIRST ROUND” http://drudgereport.com/

  • kryptik1

    Can we have a political opposition in this party whose standard isn’t, at it’s most literal (as this whole thing neatly demonstrates) boils down to ‘If Obama/Dems want it, we hate it and want it dead’?

    I can understand Obama taking a hit for it, but there’s no excuse for actively cheering the failed bid, exactly because Obama ‘loses face’ for it.

  • sacredh

    I have to admit that I haven’t watched any of the Olympics since the original Dream Team played. I didn’t even know beach volleyball was IN the Olympics. There’s always the DVR (and slo-mo). ; ).

  • textee

    Did Obama have a clue that his never ending “America Sucks” World Tour probably wouldn’t help with the Olympic Committe, notwithstanding the fact that they agree with Obama that the United States is an evil place?

  • somepeoplelikeit

    Testee, in other good news for your side I think I discovered Sarah Palins only female competetion for 2012. Although she’s a little better off the cuff than Palin, she can’t touch the “Rouge” when it comes to a teleprompter!
    .
    http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1927200,00.html

  • somepeoplelikeit
  • gysgt213

    You guys know that this was a win for republicans no matter what happen? Right, Michael? Case in point, this from Politico:
    .
    Much has been made of the potential international embarrassment and Republican attacks Obama might endure if the IOC rejects his pitch. Any such backlash would very likely have limited shelf life, but a successful outcome in Copenhagen could arm opponents with ammunition for more than six years, particularly if preparations for the Chicago Games were beset by the delays, cost overruns and controversies that have plagued Olympics past.
    .
    National Republicans and local Chicago Olympics opponents have already signaled their desire to use Chicago’s bid and Obama’s connections to it to try to taint him. If Chicago wins, they’ll have plenty of opportunity, since the president and his hometown allies maintain strong political, personal and economic links to the effort.
    .
    As you can see there is nothing that will happen in the next 4 years that can’t be looked at from the angle of how great it is for the republicans and bad for Obama and is liberal elistist DFH democrat friends. Of course if you flip the script on this any democrats celebrating a lost of a high profile event would be a trader to real Americans and whining.
    .
    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/27818.html

  • somepeoplelikeit

    Do you have a clue that alot of what America does actually does suck and that because of people like you many parts of America are evil?
    .
    Do you have any clue that you and your Geico pitchmen are what’s wrong with this country and what’s holding it back?
    .
    http://www.nachi.org/images08/Caveman.jpg

  • gysgt213

    You guys remember during the elections last year how no matter what happen Michael would always tell us how good it was for McCain. Boy, I miss those days. Wait. They are still here.

  • pierogielunaire

    Would one of the High Sheriffs please revoke Scherer’s posting privileges? This is too weak to bother even going into why it’s too weak. And how is it good for conservatives to be, not figuratively, but literally rooting against the United States?

  • choska

    I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but it always stuns me when Republicans celebrate (and cause) America’s failures.
    .
    Since the 1920s the Republicans have caused the Great Depression, campaigned against FDR attempting to take on the Nazis, fought tooth and nail against the Civil Rights Amendment, destroyed our health care and education system, and gotten us into the catastrophic war in Iraq. Yet, it still surprises me when I see them celebrate us losing something as trivial as the Olympics.
    .
    There is a reason that every true American should hold people like Palin and Limbaugh and every GOP voter in the country in contempt. It is because they are sociopaths who want us to fail.

  • spob

    The stomping death of Derrion Albert didn’t help. Of course, Obama didn’t always think that stomping someone was that big of a deal.

  • slowp

    Why do Republitards hate America so much?

  • incandenzah

    The Hack is Back?

    “Stunning, first-round defeat”… “a test of his celebrity and influence” … “brave face forward”….

    The story is that Chicago wasn’t chosen for the Olympics, right? And that’s supposed to reflect somehow poorly on Obama? Or the U.S.? Or even Chicago? The sheer and ponderous drama of it all. It’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek… right, Michael? “Agony of defeat,” kinda thing?

  • map0621

    Why is this a failure for the president? We should expect our leaders to extol the virtues of our country. How about we mourn the loss of all the jobs and money that would have flowed into Chicago instead of trying to tear down the president for his small role in this endeavor.

  • choska

    Maybe it was the beating death of Matthew Shephard.
    .
    Or the lynching of the Census worker in Kentucky.
    .
    Or our response to Katrina.
    .
    Or our invasion of Iraq.
    .
    Or our 2nd-World quality infrastructure
    .
    Or maybe the basic fact that no one in Europe, Asia, or South America wants to be in the same country – let alone the same stadium – as a bunch of contemptible Republicans. Says a lot when the Chinese Communists are more popular and well respected than people like Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the GOP base.

  • rustyreturns

    “There are more important things going on.“

    .
    Amen Sister!! Amen.
    .
    More important things like a War, which the Commander in Chief has yet to make a decision, and our military men and women are dying each day while Obama continues to hold back additional troops.
    .
    More important things like today’s report that another 230,000 THOUSAND Americans have lost their jobs and are now living off of unemployment compensation.
    .
    More important things like spewing out millions of pounds of carbon, flying not one jet to the Olympic meeting to beg for his corrupt Chicago friends to have a shot at bilking MILLIONS of tax payer dollars more, perhaps even BILLIONS of tax payer dollars to fund the Olympic games in Chicago. Even though they threw Obama’s friend Resko in jail, Obama still has plenty of other corrupt Chicago friends who will relish the idea of taking Resko’s mantel.
    .
    What do you think Ivy? Do you think those are important enough?

  • wpglasco

    What if Obama’s reasons for going over to Europe were not entirely to win Chicago an Olympics, an admirable but somewhat boring aspiration for the prez. What if Obama made a little side trip to Geneva while he was over there and had more than low level talks with Iran. It seems to me that a direct talk with Iran might need a huge cover, like taking a loss in getting an Olympic bid. Maybe Obama rationalized a little embarassment on a non-issue (where a sporting event would be held) was worth the risk at a chance to hault a nuclear program and stabilize a region. I hope the latter was not only true, but successful.

  • rustyreturns

    My o’ My, such anger from the far left liberal extremists.
    .
    You sure brought out all the monkey’s evil tongues on this post Michael!!
    .
    LOL I simply LOVE IT!!!

  • centfan

    And so you should rusty. The angier us leftist “extremists” are the less chance any Republican that even remotely reflects your point of view will be elected. You can stay safe under the loving care of the left. No, you’re quite welcome.

  • http://fourlegsrgood.wordpress.com fourlegsgood

    Simply pathetic.

  • http://thedivinelamp.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/the-ego-has-crashed-and-burned/ The Ego Has Crashed And Burned « The Divine Lamp

    [...] Senator Durbin) will work overtime to raise him from his self-inflicted death.  Why even now I hear them rolling the stone away from the tomb.  Of course the stone is going to roll over at least some of the devotees (e.g., Rahm Emanuel), [...]

  • choska

    The Republicans are simply sociopaths. They claim to love America, but when it comes down to it they hate Americans.
    .
    Just astonishing that anyone would cheer the loss of billions of dollars of cash flowing from the world into our country.
    .
    The only solution is to rid ourselves of them. Lose your Republican friends and fire your Republican employees. If you are married to one, you have my condolences. They are just despicable human beings who should be exposed for being the traitors they are.

  • bullsmith

    Cheering about America losing the olympic bid is brilliant politics and will make great TV ads. For Democrats.

    Seriously it seems like the entire punditry of the right is gleeful not (like Rusty) not because they oppose the olympics, but only because Obama and Chicago will suffer and some liberals will get upset.

    Of course those liberals and midwestern folks are Americans. Just like Obama went to Europe to show his pride in his country and to try and do what he could to help it’s bid. The right on the other hand, takes glee in the suffering of their fellow citizens and hold up failures by others as victories for themselves. Spoiled children motivated by selfishness and fear. No wonder the country’s in so much trouble. It has a disloyal opposition.

  • sacredh

    The republicans don’t hate America. They hate the America that the majority lives in. You know, the one where people elect someone who doesn’t look like them in a landslide. The one where torture suddenly isn’t acceptable. The one where poor people without healhcare might get medical treatment. That socialist, commie, terrorist fist bumping America.

  • bobcn1

    Well put.
    .
    Here’s an interesting link describing the disloyal opposition in action: link
    .
    The announcement by the Weekly Standard editor that ‘Cheers erupt at Weekly Standard world headquarters’ due to America loosing the Olympic bid is really something to behold.

  • plukasiak

    I think that it does represent a defeat for Obama (and not just the USA), because by changing his mind at the last minute and deciding to go to Copenhagen personally, he turned the story into one that was about him — and the first round defeat suggests that this was not a good idea.
    _

  • spob

    I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Willingham is “innocent”. Last I checked, the innocent don’t, when their house is on fire, stroll past their kids’ rooms on the way out the door, leaving the kiddos behind.

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