So it goes
The NYT reported on the Olympics bid: “A 10-person Chicago bid team, led by the president and Mrs. Obama, put on a presentation heavy on emotion and visual images without getting too deep into he details of the the bid.” Hmmm. Sounds familiar. The WSJ added:
Chicago’s proponents led off the day’s presentations. For nearly 45 minutes, the city’s mayor and other backers of Chicago 2016 told the members of the IOC in workman-like fashion why their city was the best place for the Summer Games, emphasizing good venues, good shopping and a lot of hotel rooms. The speeches were interspersed with video footage of the city, sometimes narrated by children, sometimes by athletes to the strains of U2 and “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Then the stars of the U.S. show took the podium. First Lady Michelle Obama said she had come to Copenhagen not just as a Chicagoan or the First Lady, but as a daughter who still holds dear the memories of sitting on her father’s lap and cheering on Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci in the Olympics of her youth. Of her father, she said: “He taught me how to throw a ball and mean right hook better than anybody in our neighborhood,” breaking into her trademark smile.
Ms. Obama then turned the microphone over to her husband, who also hit on the biggest themes of the Olympic movement — peace and unity and trust. He told the committee of his experiences of coming to Chicago 25 years ago after a childhood in which his family moved often. He said he fell in love with Chicago as “the most American of cities,” with a sense of unity always on display, then finished by stretching out his hand to a room filled with foreign leaders who were turned off by the Bush Administration’s go-it-along foreign policy. Mr. Obama said America “wants a chance to inspire the world once more.”
Both the NYT and the WSJ reports don’t do justice to what President Obama actually said during his pitch for the games. This is from the transcript:
No one expects the Games to solve our collective challenges. But we do believe that in a world where we have too often witnessed the darker aspects of our humanity, peaceful competition between nations represents what is best about our humanity. It brings us together, if only for a few weeks, face to face. It helps us understand one another just a little better. It reminds us that no matter how or where we differ, we all seek our own measure of happiness, and fulfillment, and pride in what we do. And that is a very powerful starting point for progress.
Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn’t about me as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America’s experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals. It sprung from the hope that in this ever-shrinking world, our diversity could be a source of strength and cause for celebration; and that with sustained work and determination, we could learn to live and prosper together during the fleeting moment we share on this Earth.
The final result of all this, according to the AP report from the Daley Center: “Thousands of people stood in bewildered silence…Chicago was bounced in the first round, bringing an audible gasp from the crowd. The elimination came so quickly — more than an hour before the scheduled final announcement — that people were still excitedly talking among themselves when IOC President Jacques Rogge appeared in the screens to announce: ‘The city of Chicago, having obtained the least number of votes, will not participate in the next round.’ Many weren’t sure what Rogge had said, and turned to each other to ask. Some just stood for a few minutes, staring at the screens, and at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TVs.” So it goes. Let the speculation begin.
October 3rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
He just needed a few morning talks show appearances to clarify his comments. The term obtuse does not do Obama justice.
The universe surely revolves around Obama.
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:17 am
“A few minutes ago, somebody announced to the dozen or so people in my work area that Chicago has been eliminated from consideration for the Olympics in 2016 in the first round.
And these conservative douchebags, these utterly anti-Americans CHEERED.
Any. Country. But. Ours.
The conservative right wingers are so goddam anti-Obama that they will cheer ANYTHING that has any tiny shred of an iota containing a fraction of a sliver of bad news for President Obama.
How anti-American is this?.
I could point out the stunning level of hypocrisy that this represents given their rhetoric for the past eight years about how un-American liberals are because they don’t support each and every thing done and said by George W. Bush and his administration.
I could ask about the goddam “SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT!” bumperstickers that have mysteriously gone missing from their SUVs and 4×4 trucks.
But you know what?
They wouldn’t fucking care because THE ALMIGHTY ONE HAS FAILED!!! WOO HOOOOOO!!! OBAMA LOST!!! They actually fucking said that. They actually shouted those very words.”
October 3rd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Steve, Obama dropped the ball on purpose.
President Palin would have opened the 2016 games….
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:12 am
OBAMA’S EGOMANIA WAS THE REASON CHICAGO LOST:
Paradoxically, Barack Obama’s lightning in Copenhagen at the IOC meeting be what killed the Chicago Olympics 2016th
Det mener Kai Holm, tidligere medlem af IOC, der overfor ekstrabladet.dk giver et bud på, h vordan Chicago som den første kandidat kunne ryge ud af afstemningen – et stort nederlag for den amerikanske favorit og for præsident Obama, der fløj til København for at tale under Chicagos præsentation. It feels Kai Holm, a former IOC member who face ekstrabladet.dk give a bid on, h ow Chicago as the first candidate to drop out of the vote – a major defeat for the American favorite, and for President Obama, who flew to Copenhagen to speak at Chicago’s presentation.
– Den måde at komme og være her i fem timer på, er et udtryk for en mangel på respekt for det, som valget af værtsby skal rumme, siger Kai Holm til ekstrabladet.dk – The way to come and be here for five hours, is a manifestation of a lack of respect for what the choice of host city must accommodate, “says Kai Holm to ekstrabladet.dk
For nogle år siden besluttede IOC, at medlemmerne ikke længere måtte rejse rundt til byerne på individuelle besøg. Some years ago, the IOC decided that members no longer had to travel to cities in individual visits. Siden dengang har statsoverhoveder som Tony Blair og Putin besøgt IOC-kongressen for at tale forskellige kandidaters sag, men de har alle tilbragt længere tid med IOC-medlemmerne. Since then, heads of state as Tony Blair and Putin visited the IOC congress to discuss various candidates matter, but they have all spent more time with IOC members.
Barack Obama brugte ikke meget mere end en time i selskab med IOC-medlemmerne i Bella Centeret. Barack Obama did not spend much more than an hour in the company of IOC members in the Bella Center. Det straffede de 94 stemmeberettigede IOC-medlemmer. It punished the 94 voting IOC members.
– Den respektløshed koster dem sejren, siger Kai Holm. – The disrespect cost them victory, “said Kai Holm.
OBAMA – THE CHICAGO MACHINE’S NUMBER ON PITCHMAN – FAILED TO BRING BACK THE GOLD THIS TIME.
WITHOUT ACORN VOTER FRAUD, BLACK PANTHER VOTER INTIMIDATION, SEIU THUGGERY AND AN 8-TO-1 SPENDING ADVANTAGE OBAMA IS NOT SO FORMIDABLE.
http://astuteblogger.blogspot.com/2009/10/chicago-eliminated-without-acorn-voter.html
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 am
Steve: Does “what goes around comes around” mean anything to you? Especially after 8 years of the most virulent ad hominem attacks a US president has ever been exposed to? Seems like you’re reaping the whirlwind and wondering why. F
October 3rd, 2009 at 11:50 am
Steve: It hurts when your Messiah falls flat on his face, doesn’t it? It isn’t anti-American to cheer Obama being shown up as a fool, and most conservatives weren’t rooting against America, but rather rooting against pompous, arrogant gas-baggery.
Obama is a fool, though he is still my president, and I want America to always win. It’s just a lot less likely that we will win, given that our leadership is comprised of such a completely self-centered person without any relevant experience for handling even the simplest of tasks.
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Since this was not a done deal prior to the trip, as all of us assumed, 3 questions spring to mind: 1) Did the Chicago machine order BHO to go and close the deal? 2) Or was it a case of his advisers believing their own press clippings about his powers of persuasion? Or was it 3) He is so grossly arrogant and incompetent that he thought that by merely showing up and reading from the teleprompter to the IOC, that they would award him the Olympics?
October 3rd, 2009 at 8:09 pm
No responses dealt with the despicable anti-American behavior of the cheerers of the Olympics decision.
October 4th, 2009 at 3:54 am
Steve, it almost sounds like you looking for a “Seig Heil” out of this.
Do you feel there is insufficient “lebensraum” for your perfect society? You wouldn’t have a last name like Schmidt, Bender or Ben-Dover?
People are people. If you want to win them over to your way of thinking, host a neighborly sausage party.
October 4th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Canucklehead: Or he could host a teachable moment over beer.
Steve: Since Obama has made everything he does about him and not about America it seems pointless to talk about anti-Americanism. But if it were not thus, I would say your water-cooler crowd was small-minded. F
October 4th, 2009 at 6:27 am
Steve, echoing what F said, would your water-cooler crowd consist of some immigrants from other parts of the world? Would they be cheering because the mighty “UKKK of A” has been humbled?
October 4th, 2009 at 7:21 am
In 1984 I had a ringside seat for much of the LA Olympic Committee’s internal operations, including its dealings with the IOC. The irony here is so thick you could use a chainsaw.
“Who does he come from?” wasn’t a litmus test invented by the Chicago machine to screen political-favor seekers. It originated with the European aristocracy, and is one of the many European evils our ancestors sought to escape. The IOC is an enormously corrupt cabal of ‘good ol’ boys’, and it doesn’t stay bought. They were never going to accommodate the Oba-messiah on the basis of an IOU.
The irony here, Steve, is not the treatment of President Bush, as vile as that was, it’s that Chicago–and Obama bin Lyin’–were hoist on their own petard. They needed something from an even bigger bunch of crooks, and they got the same answer they’d get in Chicago.
The answer to “Who does he come from?” was “Nobody”.
October 4th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Steve, your emotionalism, if not hysteria, is really over the top. You make Obama boot lickers look like the childish, uninformed, HATE-FILLED bigots that you all are.
And your hypocrisy about the treatment you left-wing scum bags spewed at Bush for eight years is laughable. Where were you during those eight years, Stevie boy? Were you critical of the left-wing scum bags? You were not. Lick Obama’s boots, Stevie boy, lick these boots.
October 4th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Here’s what you perfectly patriotic people have rooted against so far:
Bill Clinton freeing American journalists from North Korea
Marines rescuing Americans from Somali pirates
Rescuing American automobile manufacturers
Health care for all Americans
An American city hosting the Olympics
October 4th, 2009 at 8:43 am
You are an idiot, Steve. A COMPLETE IDIOT.
But good for a few belly laughs. So, please keep making a FOOL out of yourself!
Lick the boots, Stevie Boy, lick them boots – Obama’s boots need cleaning!
October 4th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Here’s what you perfectly patriotic people have rooted against so far:
Bill Clinton freeing American journalists from North Korea
* a “don’t care” for me — self-seeking journalists should be more careful.
Marines rescuing Americans from Somali pirates
* yes, the Marines came through and made President “Present” look good despite himself.
Rescuing American automobile manufacturers
* you mean when he forceably took control of the manufacturers from those bond holder that owned them, and gave them to his union cronies? Personally, I don’t endorse massive theft and thuggery.
Health care for all Americans
* All Americans have health care. I am against socialized medicine which routinely kills the subjects forced to endure it
An American city hosting the Olympics
* Fine by me if they are willing to pay for it, and don’t send an unqualified someone to lobby for them.
October 5th, 2009 at 6:56 am
One part of the transcript of Obama’s presentation was inaccurate. What Obama actually said was:
“Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn’t about ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME as an individual. Let me be perfectly clear about this: it was not about ME. In fact, I … [etc.]“