Right Wing Celebrates U.S. Loss of Olympics

It wasn't the US not getting the Olympics, but Chicago. Throwing the Olympics into that cess pool of corruption would be like a shark feeding frenzy. It wouldn't be pretty.

Every radio person I've heard has said that Obama just about had to go, with his Chicago connections and the other leaders being there. No big deal, just a leader doing what he thinks needs to be done.

I DID hear a lot of criticism over his 25-minute meeting with the general in charge of Afghanistan, only his second talk with him, sitting on the ground in Denmark.

And I haven't heard any exultation over Chicago not getting the bid. I've heard some relief, because I'm not sure Chicago could host a dog fight without several million dollars of payoffs ending up in every politician's pocket.

In fact, having read the article, I'd have to say the "giddy behavior" is a figment of this writer's imagination.

Obama thinks he should be on talk shows, tv shows, Olympic committees, etc - he's acting more like he's RUNNING a campaign rather then working with BOTH parties to help resolve the issues.

He doesn't care about the USA - all he cares about is his own agenda and his "friends' in Chicago.

I'm glad that a country that hasn't had a chance to host, got the winning vote!

I'm sure there are some people in this country who are "giddy" about Chicago not hosting the Olympics. From what I understood, there were a whole lot of people in Chicago who didn't want the Games! It's a huge initial outlay for any city as there are quite a few new facilities that the Olympic requires be built, not to mention all of the organizational outlays, and those extravagent opening and closing ceremonies are generally paid for by the city hosting, with varying amounts of subsidies from the national treasury.

However, that opinion piece only quotes one other opinion piece to base his assumption that the whole PARTY of the Republicans are "giddy" about it. I haven't heard that at all. I have heard talk about Michelle's statement about "personal sacrifice" that she made to go to Stockholm. It's such a hardship to pick up and be flown on a private jet to another country and be pampered for days while making a pitch for the city and country you "love so much". Doesn't even come close to comparing to real "personal sacrifice" of the service men and women who are being sent to war.

I do, frankly, think it was a bit presumptuous for the Obamas to think that they could sweep in there at the last minute and persuade the world to vote for the US to get another Olympics (Atlanta and Salt Lake City were both quite recent), when the President of Brazil had been lobbying for Rio for, literally, years. But maybe they didn't really? Perhaps it's just a presumption that they really thought it could go to Chicago? I don't know.

First of all, he was hardly the only Head of State in there - Spain had its King, Queen and Prime Minister. Brasil had its President. Japan, Its Prime Minister. So ALL Heads of State were present, not only Obama.
Why do I think that if he hadn't gone, his opposition would say that he was so arrogant that he was the ONLY Head of The State not present? Lets face it, for the Republicans, there is nothing this guy can do right, even if he does what everybody else does.
IMO this thing with Chicago has a lot of personal issues too - a lot of people wanted Obama to lose - he made this a personal issue, made it his own, since this is his birth city... Went there to lobby the bid for it (just like all other Heads of State).... IMO a lot of Republicans could care less about the corruption situation in Chicago - what they really wanted was for Obama to lose. But they will make it sound pretty, intellectual and politically sound. But nah. IMO They are just happy Obama lost - simple as that.

Exactly my point - Every single country sent their Head of State - ALL of them. Spain sent the King, Queen AND Prime Minister! But you see, nothing Obama does will ever be Presidential enough for them.

I think the title of this article says it all:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009..._olympics.html

If the GOP weren't out there constantly complaining about this, that and the other thing we wouldn't even know they still exist since that's about all they do these days.

Exactly! Just more sour grapes for the opposition.

He truly is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't so perhaps he should just continue to do what he deems needs to be done and don't worry about all the pettiness of the opposition.

How small-minded of them.

Exactly - they will always complain about something... No matter what he does, there will always be something new to complain about it.
God, if you think about it, the GOP sounds like a nagging old unhappy spouse, doesn't it

And here I was under the impression Barack was born in Hawaii, how silly of me.

I agree, they sound just, exactly, like the Democrats sounded for eight years while President Bush was POTUS and, exactly, like they sounded for the eight years that President Clinton was POTUS. Both parties do it and it is ridiculous.

Sorry for my mistake - no need for sarcasm - Chicago was Michelle's Birth city, and Obama's heart city, where he spent most of his adult life. There you go.

Since 90% of my post was ignored, I have to assume that the point of this thread is to whinge about the Republicans? Just in case it's not, I'll try again.

Again, there was a large contingent of CHICAGO that didn't want the Olympics. One analyst said it was likely as high as 50/50 for/against, but obviously there weren't scientific polls about this.

Did you see how excited Rio was about getting the Olympics? It seemed like the whole country was celebrating, or at least a majority of Rio. Change scenes to Chicago on the day of the vote - totally business as usual. No scenes of parties of disappointed people because they didn't get the Olympics. Nothing. Chicago itself was pretty ambivalent at best from everything I saw.

Yes, there were other heads of state there. Obama was the first US President ever to lobby to get the Olympics here, and how many games have we hosted? 3 since 1984, by my recollection. Like I said, the Brazilian President has been lobbying for YEARS to get the games to Rio and South America, where it's never been held.

Obama came in with 2 days before the vote. I'm sure officials from Chicago and Illinois have been lobbying for longer than that, but it seemed like either a token gesture of support for Chicago OR that he really thought that he could swoop in and charm the OIC and get the games. I don't know which, all I can go by is what is reported, which was the fanfare of his going there at all. Perhaps it was actually the media that felt that the world should bow because Obama deemed to show up at all and not him at all. Perhaps the angst isn't directed correctly and really should be at the hero-worshiping media?

Humm.......... Really? And just the parties do it? Hummm.......
A quick look at IMO would say something about that....

Boy, you're right. There wasn't ANY whinging by the Democrats in HERE the entire time Bush was President. The whole forum was nothing but a Bush Bash for the most part.

Seriously, get a grip if any of you really think that this is new behavior from any of the pundits in politics, or even just those who feel strongly about politics from BOTH sides of the aisle.

Every President, from either party, is generally thought to be the next AntiChrist by the other side. Pure evil, going to destroy the country, going to change the Constitution so they can be annointed King, yadda yadda yadda. That hasn't changed since I've been paying even a little attention to politics, and there's been 5 Presidents that I recall - Reagan-R, Bush-R, Clinton-D, Bush-R, Obama-D. Both parties represented.

Is that the reason he never released the original Hawaiian birth certificate that would have shut people up, then?

I never though Bush was the Antichrist, just thought he was stupid, which he clearly was... But anyways...
Here is the thing: ckblv said on her post that the parties act ridiculous (her own words) with all the nagging against the other party.... and I thought "How interesting" -Because if you take a look on IMO, that is pretty much all you will find... and she is the one who posts most of the threads in it. I just though it was a very interesting comment she made, provided her history on IMO and all .

I could care less about him going to Copenhagen to beg for the Olympics so his buddies from Chicago, one of which is Valerie Jarett, who, now, just happens to be one of Barack's Senior Advisor's
could dump the slums she bought for a song and build Olympic venues on the land.

Poor Valerie, I guess she will just have to renovate those slums and, maybe, just maybe, put some people to work in Chicago and improve the lives of some of the poor living in her slums.

I also, could care less about his speech to the kids.
I also, agree with his postion that everyone in the country should be required to obtain health insurance. If I agree with him, I say it.

Here is a great article, written in July, about Valerie Jarret, the person closest to the Obama's and her personal quest for the Olympics.
She has some interesting associates also.

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/27...idnt-tell-you/

I was curious how Chicago got to be the US city proposed to the IOC and found this online from 2007. If it hadn't been Chicago it would have been LA.

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?sec...cal&id=5205713

And it seems that the muck is flying in all directions over this:

From Canada
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1311854/

And from San Francisco
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...SPJB1A1284.DTL

I agree that Rio should have gotten it. I just hope that it ends up making financial sense for them.

I just want to go on record as saying that I'm certainly not "celebrating" the US not getting the Olympics AGAIN, and even without the politicing behind it we shouldn't have gotten it in 2016 anyway. The fact that LA was in the running to get it again after they just hosted in 1984 is just as ridiculous. The Olympics is an international event and hosting should be international - not the US every couple rounds.

I also want to go on record as saying that Obama's failure wasn't going to pitch Chicago to the IOC. It was in thinking or believing that he could sway the jury/voters on this one. It wasn't our time. The IOC is notoriously corrupt in its politics. It was a waste of Obama's time. I think he could have been more effective elsewhere in the world - like talking to his General in Afghanistan for the time it took to give the pitch instead of a hurried 25 minutes in the plane. I don't think it is a reflection of him that Chicago didn't get it.

Just because the people who make money by saying outlandish things are saying outlandish things doesn't mean that everyone who represents the party, or who belongs to the party believe those things. They're just the ones who make the news, unfortunately.

I don't presume to know what Obama was "thinking" or "believing" other than it would have made a bad impression for the US if all the other heads of state from contending countries were there and he wasn't. Is there evidence to support the claim that he "thought" ot "believed" he could sway the opinion of the IOC?

Very true. And it goes BOTH ways.

I believe that every Olympics looses money. So tell me again why it was important for the United States to host them? Our financial markets are in such a precarious state. The president needs to focus on the war, the economy, and keep the heck away from my health care. Maybe with our exclusion in this Olympic deal, he will realize the whole world does not bow at the mention of his name.

That's what I was thinking too. The US just can't AFFORD to host the Olympics. Yes, hopefully things will be better in 2016 but planning and building would have to start now. I have never been to Chicago, but I highly doubt they (or any other city) have the fields, swimming pools, etc to meet Olympic standards. So, that requires building, which requires money up front.

2dogmom, I'm not quite sure why you think it would have made a bad impression if Obama didn't show up, even though other heads of state were there. From my understanding, the US Pres never showed up to promote a certain US city for the Olympics, so they weren't expecting him anyway. At least, I can't remember anyone doing that from Carter on (have no idea about presidents before that...since I wasn't born yet. I could be wrong though).

I agree there are more important things to worry about in this country. That could be why some people (me included) are happy we weren't chosen to host the Olympics. We've had our times...it's someone else's turn. Congrats Rio!!

calico you are right, US Presidents have never lobbied for having the US get the "privilege" of hosting the Olympics. However other heads of state have and do so IMO it sends a message that we don't care about it or that we think we are above it. So I don't think it was a bad thing for Obama to make a pitch, I don't think he expected the simple fact that he did so to result in the choice being made for Chicago, I just think he was behaving in a way that can reasonably be expected from a head of state.

More and more the US Olympics are getting political anyway which I think is a shame. A friend of mine lost his one and only chance to become an Olympian when Carter decided we should boycott the Games in Moscow in 1980 after the USSR invaded Afghanistan. So what happened? When the next summer games were held in LA in 1984, the USSR and all their satellite countries boycotted THAT venue.

I guess I'd like to see the Olympics become what it was supposed to be but more and more I'm getting turned off. Between the new disciplines that get added and politics and money getting in the way of the sports I don't see why anyone even bothers with it.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/featur...page=tamimhome

And for the cities who host it, it is not only a losing proposition financially, it is a security nightmare. Just look at what happened in Munich in 1972. Can you imagine what could happen now?

And yes congrats Rio, I sincerely hope they get what they want out of it.