Pajamas Media

201 Comments

1. donttreadonme:

No worries, BHO, the Lake Walawala City Council is looking to bid for the Int’l Tiddly Winks Festival and needs a pitchman. Now that your schedule is freed up….

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:54 am 2. Butters Dad:

I’m sure that he is absolutely flabbergasted that ANYBODY,foreign or domestic, would not buy into and/or provide a wink and a nod to his will.

But, hey, it did get him on TV a few more times.

Speakng of David Letterman………………….

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:57 am 3. Scott:

I’d say have him declared mentally unfit for office, but the only thing Obama did right so far was to make sure that the bullpen was stocked with worse options than himself. Biden, Pelosi, Reid, and H. Clinton? UGH!

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:01 am 4. Brian King:

This is amateur hour. Obama could have achieved exactly the same thing if he had only dispatched the First Lady to pull for Chicago on his behalf. If Chicago won, he looks like a genius. If Chicago failed, his prestige is unaffected because he wasn’t there in person. Any high school election committee would have avoided this slow-pitch political problem.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:05 am 5. donttreadonme:

TRANSACTION DATE 10/02/2009
CHICAGO GRAFT UNITED MASTERCARD EXP 01/2012
PAYEE: IOC-COPENHAGEN
CARDHOLDER: B. HUSSEIN OBAMA
AMOUNT: 14 GAZILLION DOLLARS AND NO SENSE
**TRANSACTION DENIED**OVERLIMIT**

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:07 am 6. Steve:

I think the Gipper did pretty well. The Soviet Union fell partly because of the strain of matching the US defense build up including SDI. Calling the Soviet Union’s bluff and winning the Cold War is no small feat.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:13 am 7. MarkD:

I’m not upset that Chicago didn’t get the Olympics, and I don’t necessarily see this as a personal slap at Obama, nor a slap at the U.S.

I do wonder how badly his unfortunate practice of running around apologizing for things has damaged his prestige.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:15 am 8. paul_unalaska:

One of the best sound bytes this week is Michelle Obama’s ‘Darned if you do..’

The point is, she, nor the President should have placed themselves in this position. Or acted as if it was unavoidable, with the ‘..darned if you don’t’ remark.

With the Manchurian-in-Chief making numerous ‘firsts’ – perhaps he should really shock the American people with results!

9.8% unemployment, health care reform quagmire, cap & trade going nowhere, grandiose plans for ‘green jobs’, SS and Medicare going belly up ~ 6-8 years, et al.

I’d really like to see ‘Present’-in-Chief to get somewhere. To give details on ANY issue now. The teleprompter speeches written by his 20-something speechwriter is so vague and insulting..

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:18 am 9. Peter the Bubblehead:

I am now beginning to understand why this guy went from running for the state legislature to running for Senate to running for President. And his recent behavior toward the issues of health care and now this, the Olympic bid, only back up my new conclusion.

This guy LOVES campaigning!

He craves the applause, the compliments, the attention.

He doesn’t want to do any of the actual hard work the jobs he runs for require of him. He only wants the thrill of the run. The standing ovations to the speeches he reads off teleprompters. The adulation of a crowd in love with him for what he stand for, not what he actually does.

One of these days, quite soon I fear, he is going to realize he actually has a real job that requires some kind of results. Then we’re all going to be in real trouble.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:20 am 10. Delia:

Pride goeth before a FAIL.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:20 am 11. Paul from Hamburg:

It is not really a question of popularity or prestige. When the President of the United States says “This is what I want”, there is always an unspoken “or else”. The “or else” can be loss of votes in the next election, loss foreign aid, trade sanctions, lots of things. In this case, Obama wasn’t smart enough to realize that there was no “or else”. He had nothing to hold over the IOC and they had on reason to appease him.

I’ll leave it to others to comment on the irony of the Alderman-in-Chief failing to recognize that not all politics is Chicago politics.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:23 am 12. Marie Claude:

at least he managed to talk to McChrstal, uh, was the trip to Copenhagen not that disguished motive.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t call Chicago’s fail as a shame as one of personnaly Obama’s one, just that he might have been the real fair pawn in that game, he, no corruptive envelops behind the curtains can be repproached to him. I still remember how Blair managed to win London over Paris, he was visiting all the IOC members in their own hotel rooms during the night before the vote, So if Michelle had done that, some of these IOC members would have thought that she was protituting herself !

Well I am very glad for RIO, which is a more attractive vision of the O games than Chicago could ever dream of.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:23 am 13. eburchelli:

He went around the world condemning the United States and blaming it for all the problems in the world. Then he went to Copenhagen with his hand out and expected compensation.

And he expects those victims of the US to turn around and grant us absolution with the 2016 games. His narcissism stands out in the aftermath of this rejection. A poor-pity-me victim of his own making.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:24 am 14. Paul from Hamburg:

Sorry, my previous post should say “…they had NO reason to appease him.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:25 am 15. Robbins Mitchell:

Well,anybody who knows their history should have seen this coming…for weeks everyone has been saying that health care might be Barokeydoke’s ‘Waterloo’,right?…and what was the name of the Duke of Wellington’s trusty steed?….why it was “Copenhagen” of course.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:27 am 16. Drew:

Glad that’s over. Now perhaps he can get back to doing his job?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:27 am 17. Stephen Green:

Rick –

Exactly right. Everybody writing about this seems to understand that prestige is the hardest currency to earn — and the easiest to debase.

So why doesn’t our President understand?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:28 am 18. James Earl Carter:

It’s the naivete, stupid.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:32 am 19. biblio44:

“It would be easy to read too much into the rejection of Chicago as the site of the 2016 Summer Olympics…”

But here I go!

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:34 am 20. MOmiss:

I would like to know if anyone else sees this man as what he is. A product of affirmative action. I don’t think he IS going to “wake up and realize he has a job to do”. He lives in a world where he has never has a job that “required some kind of results”. He doesn’t even believe that was ever true.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:34 am 21. Kazooskibum:

I don’t think the committee took kindly to being pushed around by The Big Zero.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:35 am 22. megapotamus:

For the vast majority of citizens who do not, even now attend seriously to politics this is the sort of thing that penetrates their conciousness. This was high-profile AND a flip-flop as well since just last week Barack, sensibly, said this trip was not happening for reasons of priority. It is impossible that even such a noob as Obama would have gone on this junket unless he were metaphysically certain of success. This is a given. The question then comes, on what is that confidence founded? Like in the US legislature the coin on the IOC is votes. An ordinary President or ordinary man would only count as booked the votes who declared themselves somehow. So did dozens of foreign dignitaries just lie to Obama and then stab him in the back or did Obama NOT do what any ordinary man, or President, would do? Was he so certain of the persuasive value of his mere presence that he expected the IOC, as much a haven for loons and killers as the UN, to melt under his smile? Um, yup.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:36 am 23. Belial:

“If you shoot at the king, you must kill him.”

Corollary – when the king attempts something, he must succeed. Shakespeare knew that. Machiavelli knew that. Obama… not so much.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:36 am 24. Bruce B:

Moran writes:

“Ronald Reagan’s gamble in Reykjavik, Iceland, where he sought to make huge cuts in nuclear weapons while meeting with Gorbachev, did not turn out as well. When Gorbachev rejected the plan because Reagan would not give up SDI, the Gipper was rightly criticized for it.”

Huh?!?!?

Reagan’s steadfast determination at Reykjavik was the straw that broke the Soviet’s back! After Reagan refused to give up SDI at Reykjavik, Gorbachev knew that the Soviets could not compete with the U.S. militarily. This caused him to speed up Glasnost and Perestroika which, in turn, led to the unraveling of the Evil Empire. While Reagan may have been criticized at the time (by all the usual Liberal suspects), history has vindicated his actions — The Soviet Union no longer exists and we still have missile defense.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:37 am 25. Paul from Boston:

But there’s a deeper purpose to all this, their wedding anniversary is weekend. Wouldn’t you like to take your significant other to Copenhagen for a romantic getaway?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:38 am 26. stuart williamson:

The Copenhagen fiasco does have significance, and will not be soonforgotten.

1: It reveals Obama’s total dependence on and obeisance to the Daley machine. They wanted him to go. He had no option: he went. He does not have the guts to stand up to his patrons.

2. It reveals the total arrogance of the Ayerss/Axelrod/Alinsky cabal that they have America by the cojones and are using him to further their personal interests and are hyping their puppet for world leadership. Fat Chance!

3. It displays the total stone-deafness of the Obama team for foreign relationship. The Obama Doctrine is “Appease and Suck Up” to every other nation, Big Ten or Tinhorn. They are so dumb that they actually thought that bringing their toady to the Games Selection committee would be an asset, when common sense would tell them that, given the animosity in the UN for the USA, it would afford a glorious opportunity to humiliate us. What a gift for statesmanship!

4. It puts the spotlight on the rinky-dink, petty Banana Republic mnd-set of the Administration. Not only are they losing their support from the American electorate, they are earning the derision and ridicule of the rest of the world, as egotistical parodies of U.S. self-adoration, ineptitude, and craven weakness. No strong horse here, just a puny fluffy poodle dog. To Muslims, a dog is barely better than a pig.

Oh. I am not showing respect for the Presidency. On the contrary: I have such a high regard for the role of the Presidency that I am outraged that it has been usurped by a third-rate hack out of the biggest cesspool in American politics. As the French say,”A Bas O-ba-ma”.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:40 am 27. Richard:

When you go around the world for nine months telling everyone how much the USA sucks, really, what other outcome could one possibly expect?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:41 am 28. Ron G.:

I can’t wait to hear what Chris Mathews has to say about all this. I’m sure it will be some kind of rant on all the out of control racism at the IOC, after all everyone knows all the IOC committee members are really undercover republicans, how dare they insult our community organizer that way. Stop! I have and idea on how BHO can recover, he can do a health care reform thing, yes, that’ll work I’m sure. Chicago, the next time you need someone to do your heavy lifting for you, call Sarah Palin.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:42 am 29. Mark Buehner:

I’m just really glad to see this new era of humility and diplomacy is paying such startling dividends.

What i’m confused about is how Bush managed to cause this. I’m sure somebody has figured it out though.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:42 am 30. paul_unalaska:

I was in Rio but a short time some years back. Carnaval. A beautiful city, people. Congratulations to the Brazilians.

The criminal element comes out en masse at night and encompasses the business, higher income neighborhoods.

Is it as bad today as depicted in the movie, ‘City of God’ – I don’t know. I hope not.

6 + years to make it otherwise..

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:45 am 31. Neo:

After CNN reported ..

There has been widespread speculation that Obama is flying to Copenhagen for a four-hour lobbying mission only because the White House has gotten a private heads-up that Chicago will win and that he should come to claim victory.blockquote>.. losing in the first round show Obama doesn’t command the air and the sea.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:46 am 32. SandyMacHoots:

This is actually a big loss for the Republicans. They would have had three full years of steady “here’s the latest new bit of corruption in Obama’s Olympic boondoggle.” Drip, drip. drip. It’s good news for the New York Times, too. They won’t be repeatedly embarrassed by not covering the corruption scandals that are all over the Internet . . . .

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:46 am 33. Paul Hsieh, MD:

I’ll have to respectfully disagree with Moran’s thesis here. It’s not clear to me that any Senator or Congressman who had previously supported Obama on, say, health care or cap-and-trade will change their votes because of this. Nor will any opponents.

Similarly, the Obama populist base isn’t going to be less supportive of his positions because of this Olympic issue.

Basically, I’m not sure how this specific Olympic event will cause any significant change one way or another in the eventual outcome of other policy proposals.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:47 am 34. paul_unalaska:

Richard, excellent point.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:47 am 35. murgatroyd:

Obama does not act like a president.

That’s because Obama doesn’t believe it’s his mission to be president of the United States. His job is to hasten the fall of the evil AmeriKKKan Empire. Is there anything he’s done while in office that isn’t consistent with that interpretation?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:47 am 36. genghis:

Does ths mean that Drive Bys, Carjacking and Gangbanging will not appear on the sanctioned events at the next Olympics?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:48 am 37. JohnRJ08:

It is only a “disaster” because that’s how you choose to define it. You’re playing partisan and extremely petty politics with this issue. Obama went to bat for the 2016 Games to be held in a U.S. city. It didn’t work because the IOC felt it was time to have them in South America for the first time in Olympic history. Obama’s effort was worth it, regardless of what conservative critics have to say. The fact is, every single thing this president does is attacked or ridiculed by the right-wing, whether it’s good for the country or not. If anything, the prestige of the U.S. presidency has been immeasurably enhanced by Barack Obama.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:48 am 38. MochaLite:

What a doofus Obama is! Good article, Rick; and excellent comment, stuart williamson!

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:51 am 39. Wowser:

Talk about overreaching.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:52 am 40. John Bigenwald:

@25 — Reagan WAS criticized for not reaching an agreement. I don’t think the point was that the criticism was warranted, just that it happened.

The difference here is that Reagan spent several years building his credibility, he didn’t try this in the first year of his presidency, or first 5 years on the world stage or for something as trivial as the Olympics.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:53 am 41. Steve:

Reagan was criticized for refusing to give up SDI but the critics were wrong. Things turned out exactly as Reagan planned. The Soviet Union was destroyed. I can see how you could have criticized Reagan for Reykjavik in 1986 but to question his judgment there in light of the last 23 years is absurd.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:54 am 42. wrg:

“As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the president to come for these few days,” the first lady told a crowd of people involved in the Chicago project.

You think she could of pissed some people off?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:57 am 43. Tryptic:

In the coming days, apologists will appear saying that Barack (a) was acting like a community organizer, trying to organize the Chicago 2016 forces, and so it was not about winning or his prestige, but just being a good cheerleader [just like they apologized for his dithering in the Iranian election crisis] and (b) the fact that Barack went even though it was NOT a done deal, actually speaks well of him because it means that the US plays on an equal playing field with Brazil, Japan and Spain – who all sent their heads of state and/or premieres to lobby for their respective cities, i.e., Barack doesn’t expect preferential treatment and prestige has nothing do with it.

Don’t forget (c) that the rejection is somehow the legacy of George W. Bush, and that even the mitzvah of having the One bless the IOC meeting was insufficient to overcome the shame and antipathy of the international community towards the U.S., based on the cruel, inhuman and unjust policies of Bushhitler – and that the rejection of Chicago reflects the continued approbation of the World toward America.

(Does that sound lefty/marxist enough to explain away an incredible EPIC fail?)

[PS - (d) if none of the above work, then the loss comes as the result of FOX NEWS and DRUDGE showing the Chicago school violence and not playing ball ... ]

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:57 am 44. doug brosz:

Reagan suffered a defeat in Reykjavik? Seriously?

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:58 am 45. Delia:

[8.] paul_unalaska & [9.] Peter,

I’m afraid 0bama is more of a ‘words-not-acton-infomercial’ ala Teddy Ruxpin meets Britney Spears Trainwreck-Totus rather than a ‘results’ and ‘informed grown-up decisions’ kind of POTUS.

He’s still in SELL-MODE.

-And what he’s selling I ain’t buyin’.

The chip must be broken.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:00 pm 46. steve:

We need to parlay this disaster into a defeat of his attempt to takeover our healthcare system. Don’t let up.

The Obama trio was partying on our dime while unemployment is going through the roof and Americans are dying in record numbers and appalling conditions in Afgahnistan. They could care less.

It was truly enjoyable to see Barry, Michelle, and yes Oprah totally humiliated in front of the entire world after their arrogant attempt to procure the 2016 Olympics for their political cronies’ enrichment at American taxpayers expense.

They are not fellow Americans.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:02 pm 47. anton:

I think that he is so in love with himself that he truly beleived that all he had to do was show up and the deal was as good as done. Plus think of all the graft and payola his buddies in Chicago would have made on the Games, heck he could probably have doubled the size of his mansion back home on the kick-backs.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:02 pm 48. always right:

megapotamus@22

You are right.

Ordinary people too busy to pay attention to ‘politics’ will know this is epic fail.

Obama, his close associates, and the whole Dem/WH can NOT tolerate losing face. Look to media for mega-spin Who(else) Fault Is IT?

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:04 pm 49. Paul from Hamburg:

#38 “If anything, the prestige of the U.S. presidency has been immeasurably enhanced by Barack Obama.”

Rahm!! Glad you could join us!

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:04 pm 50. Irwin Chusid:

I feel “Chi-denfreude.” But as Obama said about Iran, “I’m not interested in victory, I’m interested in solving the problem.” The IOC solved the problem of where to hold the 2016 games.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:04 pm 51. D. Ch.:

Of course he is an affirmative action president! I just hope that if he is defeated in 2012 he concedes instead of going off to some friendly African country and setting up a presidency in exile. It would, I’m afraid, suit him right down to the ground — no real work, lots of speeches denouncing the U. S. in front of adoring crowds …

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:04 pm 52. gs:

9. Peter the Bubblehead:

I am now beginning to understand why this guy went from running for the state legislature to running for Senate to running for President. And his recent behavior toward the issues of health care and now this, the Olympic bid, only back up my new conclusion.

This guy LOVES campaigning!

He craves the applause, the compliments, the attention.

He doesn’t want to do any of the actual hard work the jobs he runs for require of him. He only wants the thrill of the run. The standing ovations to the speeches he reads off teleprompters. The adulation of a crowd in love with him for what he stand for, not what he actually does.

Well said. Hopefully we can replace Obama in 2012.

In view of the above, I don’t see the point of replacing him with Palin.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:06 pm 53. Morton Doodslag:

Two peaves about Mr. Moran’s characterizations:

1. Carter achieved nothing with the Camp David Accord. Egypt continues to wage Jihad (wage holy war) against infidel Israel through ongoing Islamic incitement and arms shipments to “Palestine”. This is made all the more insidious by the fact that Egyptian Jihad now operates under the legitimizing cloak of the vaunted vanity of Jimmy’s “historic” “achievement”. For three decades America has shelled out ($30 billion? …$50? more?) to treacherous Egypt in order to perpetuate Carter’s gargantuan folly. His “gamble”, which you depict in mindless heroic terms, was not a Presidential victory, but a catastrophic American blunder which legitimized Islamic Jihad, permanently muddied the waters as to the true genocidal intentions of the Muslims, and constructed and reinforced the assinine conception that Peace is achievable between Islam and the West.

2. Obama didn’t place his presidency in harms way. He placed US prestige in harms way. America is a laughingstock today. Our enemies may have hated George Bush, but they also feared him. And they feared America. Do you think ANYBODY fears Obama or America after today’s debacle? This has absolutely nothing to do with the Olympics and everything to do with the florrid incompetence of America’s first affirmative action presidency and his catastrphic misuse and abuse of power.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:08 pm 54. paul_unalaska:

Delia, Je conviens.

Il est décevant..

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:11 pm 55. Sebastian Shaw:

When I found out President Obama, Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, plus their respective entourages, I assumed it was in the bag & this was all nothing more than a set-up to make President Obama look good; however, it is clear now given Chicago was outright rejected shows the hubris, arrogance, & immaturity of President Obama himself given we are experiencing 10% unemployment, rejections of ObamaCare & Crap & Tax, Card Check, & the mentioned problems in Afghanistan who has totally screwed-up priorities. Obama should be humbled, but I don’t think so given his malignant narcissism. President Obama looks silly & completely out of his depth. Obama will continue to sink in his life raft in the middle of the ocean while the predator fish circle around him beneath the water…

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:15 pm 56. Gracie:

I think the funniest reaction was Jesse Jackson. He was totally aghast.

There will probably be an investigation of the “obviously right wing Bush-at- fault” snub by the Olympic Committee. I’m sure they’ll come up with something like “they were racists” etc…

It’s time for Obama and Biden to man up and realize this economy/dissatisfaction in America is now their show.

Also,the criticism of Obama is just. I believe he is totally unprepared, as was McCain, for the position of leader of the free world. Unfortunately we pay the price for his mismanagement. 2010 looms ahead..as 2012

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:16 pm 57. rachel peepers:

While I heartily agree with most of the posts here, let me add a reason why Chicago was booted out in the first found.

The Bamaboys and girls gave a terrible presentation.

The first woman speaker, the one who included a smarmy video of Chicago in her talk, sounded like someone who’s never spoke publicly before. She was insipid, uninspiring, halting, emotionless. Just awful.

Then there was Michelle and Barack, sitting like pompous asses who expect the world to be brought to them because they’re anti-American Americans who desire to be part of a world community or some crap like that.

When all is said and done, the presentation reminded me of some small potatoes contractor that wants a permit to put up a bunch of multi-family housing, presenting plans to a small town village board.

Maybe the best word describing the presentation by the Obama delegation is amateurish.

I’m not saying Obama doesn’t know how to run a despicable corrupt socialist driven government that hires one shady marxist after another. I’m just saying that if Obama had to compete on a level playing field anywhere for anything, he’d be a fish out of water.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:17 pm 58. deyeah:

SHE’S UNDER HIS BUS!!!!!
“Talking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Obama and his wife Michelle flew back to Washington, Robert Gibbs said Obama “feels obviously proud of his wife for the presentation that she made.” “He just excused His Imperial Self.

I’m sure Obamessiah will grant His Consort a second chance. Interesting that He sent the Ace in the Hole Oprah to make sure FLOTUS wouldn’t fail ….

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:19 pm 59. Claude Hopper:

Oh my goodness. Let’s blame it on Glenn Beck. If he had not been on a rant this week about Valerie Jarrett’s ties to corrupt developers, IOC would have given it to Chicago Town.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:20 pm 60. DocDavid:

So it seems that no sensible President would go to Copenhagen unless assured of victory.
What can we conclude from the fact that he went and did not emerge victorious.
Naturally, it was the fault of the assurers – and who can they have been but the CIA? After all, they got the Iranian bomb program wrong, but you would think they would do better on something as important as getting the Olympics to Chicago.
And underlying it all is the fact that it is really, absolutely, totally and always Bush’s fault. (Actually, you know, he has probably never even heard of the Olympics….)
Any taxpayer who is not a Chicagoan has reason to be glad; after all, with the President on Chicago’s side, Chicago was not going to pay for the Olympics, in spite of its protestations to the contrary.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:21 pm 61. AThinkingPerson:

Two of the many great points from the comments that I concur with:

Re #27 Richard: “When you go around the world for nine months telling everyone how much the USA sucks, really, what other outcome could one possibly expect?”

Re #53 Morton Doodslag: “Obama didn’t place his presidency in harms way. He placed US prestige in harms way. America is a laughingstock today. Our enemies may have hated George Bush, but they also feared him.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:24 pm 62. drjohn:

Now someone has to explain why two Air Force One jets were warranted to go to the same destination 24 horus apart.

It’s absurd waste of resources.

What was it- a million pounds of CO2??

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:26 pm 63. husker:

Actually Obama got what his policies have produced. He has apologized for how bad the US has been. He has stated that no nation should be held over another. With his current negotiation skills of giving all leverage up right away. His economic policies putting the US in the realm of third world countries. The dollar will soon be removed as the world currency. Since the US is totally diminished as a world leader, which is what he wanted. Why would he expect to be treated like a world leader. He was treated just like some other third world leader or despot. He received the equality he always preaches to us, but does not expect for him as he believes he is an exalted one.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:29 pm 64. Emmett Flatus:

Proving again…BO stinks.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:30 pm 65. wrg:

Now tell me would prefer to watch beach volleyball on the shores of Lake Michigan or on the sands of Copacabana/Ipanema? This will be a “R” rated Olympics.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:40 pm 66. Alex D:

@36 genghis:
“Does ths mean that Drive Bys, Carjacking and Gangbanging will not appear on the sanctioned events at the next Olympics?”

The next Olympics are in just a few months, in Vancouver. Since they’re Winter Games, ski-by shooting (aka “biathlon”) will be in the lineup. No word yet on bobsledjacking. Nor gangbanging, either, unless you count hockey.

As for 2016’s games, I’m guessing Rio proved it could follow instructions to send briefcases full of unmarked Euros. Chicago probably sent unmarked Dollars. Bad idea, Chicago.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:47 pm 67. Increase Mather:

We are in real trouble with this guy. 2012 can’t come soon enough.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:50 pm 68. TStro:

Yeah, and Carter (and Clinton’s) getting the palestinians to make agreements with Israel worked out real well too. The ink wasn’t dry and Arafat was telling his people they were going to destroy Israel, and subsequently breaking every signed agreement. As Morton Doodslag and AThinkingPerson recalled, our enemies (and they are all over the world) don’t love us, but at least under Republican Presidents, they have respected us. Under zero and Clintoon, they laugh at us.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:51 pm 69. Alex D:

@62 drjohn: SOP for Air Force One is that two planes always go wherever they’re needed, especially if it’s overseas.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:51 pm 70. Barry D:

I just hope that if he is defeated in 2012 he concedes instead of going off to some friendly African country and setting up a presidency in exile. It would, I’m afraid, suit him right down to the ground — no real work, lots of speeches denouncing the U. S. in front of adoring crowds …

Kind of like Carter has done?

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:56 pm 71. rssg:

Gee, I guess a lack of executive experience, lack of business experience, lack of military experience matters in the end, eh?

He is anti-free market; he is pro-centralized economics, command and control. If that worked, wouldn’t the USSR and China still be around, pushing Marxism 24/7? Our taxes are too high, our spending is too high, our regulation is too high.

But Barry-boy got elected by doing the Chicago Hustle, and preaching that it was the evil Bush and his stripping of regulation that caused the economic meltdown. Yeah, sure.

Our flim-flam man from Kenya is sinking like a stone. One term wonder.

Oct 2, 2009 - 12:57 pm 72. Geez Louise:

DOES ANYONE HEAR THE FAT LADY SINGING?????

Outside of ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would choose to spend time in Chicago over Rio de Janerio or Madrid….it appears the Keystone Cops are back and disgused as Michele, Ophra and Obama with stellar pratfall performances in front of the I.O.C. committee.

How very clever and entertaining. Especially entertaining.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:04 pm 73. Andrew:

One word:
HUBRIS

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:11 pm 74. JCL:

What might have gone wrong in Copenhagen for Obama?

Historical parallels for one thing. Years back, when the IOC picked the city for the 2012 Olympics, the French President Chirac had just insulted the Eastern European countries by telling them to stay quiet. As a result, they threw their support behind London. Who just insulted the Eastern European bloc by pulling the missile shield? No doubt, Obama’s city and his personal defeat were on those Eastern European delegates’ mind. After all, payback is…sweet.

This is not to say that Eastern Europe alone was instrumental in defeating Chicago. Obama with his clumsy and amateurish diplomacy, like wrong-zoned DVDs for PM Brown and an iPod for the Queen, for sure had insulted the British. The French are not exactly pleased with him either, and both of these countries have influence in and on the IOC not least because the IOC is replete with European blue blooders. Those folks were hardly impressed with some Chicago-style campaign speech by the US President and his wife. No doubt, the crass ego-centrism of the Obamas also contributed to Chicago’s defeat. Moreover, didn’t he spend a lot of effort on apologizing for America? Who at the IOC in his or her right mind would give this “evil” country the Olympics again?

Obama himself may have set the tone in favor of razil. He won the Presidency as a minority whose time had come—“the One(s) we had been waiting for.” Rio’s time had also come because it represented the “minority” sentiment in favor of South America. Seriously, Rio had received the 2014 FIFA World Cup and was undoubtedly able to parlay that accomplishment in favor of receiving the Olympics as well, not least because new and upgraded stadia will be in place by 2016 thereby lessening the expenditures for the Olympic event.

Finally, Rio has experience with large crowds. After all, there is the annual Carnival at Rio. Perhaps that had a more romantic lure for the IOC than any of the other competing cities. What IOC functionary would want to visit Chicago, Tokyo or Madrid in mid February or early March…., the time of the Carnival of Rio?

JCL

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:15 pm 75. jim2:

This conservative who voted not for Obama disagrees with most of what was posted and the comments.

First, Obama would have been criticized by his base and core roots if Chicago had failed and he had not been seen to make the try. Obama probably cares nothing for how non-supporters view him, but antagonizing his core might well be something he dare not do. For example, who knows what various Chicago individuals know of Obama’s past, etc. Hell, maybe Ayers asked him personally!

Second, if his presence and participation were judged by “experts” to potentially make a difference, perhaps his going was not a bad risk. Nor is it a bad thing to be known as a President willing to take a personal risk “for one’s country”. After all, look at the “personal sacrifice” and the “personal risks” he took! Anyone here want to bet me it won’t be spun that way before the weekend’s out?

I would like to add one note, though. Keep an eye on the IOC, especially on those who voted Chicago out.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:16 pm 76. Professor Guvinoff:

Presumed genius until proven idiot.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:18 pm 77. ic:

9: Peter the Bubblehead:
I am now beginning to understand why this guy went from running for the state legislature to running for Senate to running for President.

This guy LOVES running! He is running for the Leader of the World. He is running us out of our money. He is running round and round chasing his tail.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:19 pm 78. Mark_G:

Why didn’t the Deer (Pun intended) Leader appoint a czar to press the case for the Olympic’s? He seems to do that for everything else.

Another question..

Will school children across the country add this accomplishment to the “Ugh Ugh Ugh Obama” song?

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:19 pm 79. David W. Lincoln:

First to be bounced. I guess the video of a beating in Chicago had more impact than Oprah, Agent Zero and his other half’s words.

What else is needed for an American government in exile to be declared? Because events are moving too fast for those who are allies of the real United States to wait for a new President. Because even when the Repubs gain more power in both legislative houses, they don’t have what it takes to effect their will, instead of the Executive Branch,upon foreign policy.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:22 pm 80. Dave:

People interested in making money on the Olympics would choose to hold them in Chicago (or any major US city) over Rio (especially) or Madrid any day of the week and twice on Sunday. In a sports-crazed US city with NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL teams and a Big Ten college (and another one close enough to be used for events if previous Olympics are any precedent), large outdoor stadiums, and large indoor arenas will actually get used once the Olympics are gone (and may not have to be built new for the Olympics). In a semi-sports crazed Spanish city, this is less true, but still sort-of true (Madrid hosts major Euro soccer and basketball teams).

In Rio, where they care about soccer and nothing else, and which is not anything like a first-tier economy, a lot of expensive venues will be built for the Games and never used again. It’s going to be the same kind of financial trainwreck that Montreal, Seoul, Athens, and Beijing were. Whereas Barcelona and Sydney were not economic disasters, and London won’t be.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:31 pm 81. "progressivewatch":

The reason Barack Obama didn’t get the 2016 Summer Olympics for Chicago is that the judges weren’t Akmadinejad,Chavez,Ortega,Castro,etc.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:32 pm 82. Raymond in DC:

Moran: “When Gorbachev rejected the plan because Reagan would not give up SDI, the Gipper was rightly criticized for it.”

He was certainly criticized for it, but it was hardly “rightly” so. Reagan was absolutely correct to reject a bad deal, and history has vindicated his decision.

As to Obama, his conceit that his presence would make the difference only confirms that he is, as we used to say, “full of himself”. But what else would one expect of a narcissist?

Chicago may not realize it, but it “dodged a bullet” here. The cost overruns and associated corruption as well as societal disruption could have irreparably damaged the city.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:32 pm 83. megapotamus:

Yes, always right. There is a lot of “face saving” in all this claptrap. Biden is the point man on the stim and it is a matter of nano-seconds before he is YouTubed with Baghdad Bob and/or Green Helmet Man yet blather on he must. Those who question the real world impact of this, check out the CNN and local newsies response. Tears, shock… gaping open-mouthed shock, disbelief. This is the heart of Obamacountry; Yeswecanville. They are gut-punched and sure, that probably doesn’t mean they will be any less enamored of the promises of socialized medicine or whatever but they will be suspicious of arrogant and baseless promises in the future. Obama has lost skads of intensity in his base over this not least because they were already reeling from GWOT betrayals, Public Option becoming, um, optional, DADT… that sort of thing. Now Barack has failed not only ideologically (thank god) but has failed to deliver even in the capacity of an ordinary politician. On Daley Plaza there are tears and recriminations. Michael Jordan is blamed! He was insufficiently Olympshevik and that is just as bad as being a wrecker, a saboteur. In short, an enemy. This is a black hole long (well, not long, jeez it has only been nine months!) in the making. The Olympic Fail is just the latch, the trap door has been under his feet all along.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:37 pm 84. Paul -Indiana:

I’m very proud of the IOC for the first time. mmm mmm mmm

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:38 pm 85. goy:

So let me get this straight…

U.S. Taxpayers just spent $10MILLION+ to send BHO and his family, Oprah, a cast of staff members and security detail, Air Force One (and its backup) for yet another European Vacation and we now have NOTHING to show for it except for a few laughs when MO whined about “sacrifice”?

Last I heard the entire world ADORED this toad. Is he not really as advertised?

No doubt some leftist windbag will find a way to blame this on Bush.

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:54 pm 86. Peter the Bubblehead:

37. JohnRJ08 wrote:
The fact is, every single thing this president does is attacked or ridiculed by the right-wing, whether it’s good for the country or not.

Peter writes: The fact is, this WAS NOT the President’s job! Sure, send the Mayor of Chicago to speak to the IOC. Maybe, if you really strech it, send the First Lady. But the President?!? Like he doesn’t have enough stuff to keep him busy in the Oval Office right now? Unemployment recognized at 9.8% (highest its been since records have been kept in 1948 according to one web site I looked at earlier today!) and likely over 17% if you include unemployed people who have given up even looking! A General in charge of a war zone practically begging for more troops and his Commander in Chief ignoring his written report for 6 weeks until the matter is leaked to the press! The near death of his own health care initiative as his own party turns upon itself in-fighting over what is written in a bill that is all but dead now because the President can’t even honestly tell the public what is or isn’t in the bill.

Presidents have a lot more on their plate to worry about than where the olympics are going to be held three years after they get out of office. Perhaps it’s about time The Won actually got down to real business?

Oct 2, 2009 - 1:55 pm 87. LT:

In Wingnut World everything means that THEY are onthe brink of collapse and WE are about to stage our glorious comeback. If Obama had not gone and Chicago was not chosen:

“Every other world leader personally showed up for his country – but Obama did not. This is a serious blow to the Obama administration.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:00 pm 88. Poor Citizen:

Well, the Kennedy,s and Bush’s had New England, Reagan had Hollyweird and California and Carter had Georgia and peanuts with Bush and Big Oil and texas…all presidents their backyards, and rightly so. Also, I believe an Olympics can be of great benefit for the host country and Obama knew that. Hey, he is proud of his town..so grow up, lighten up and deal with it. Besides, Chicago has some the best America has to offer.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:00 pm 89. Annie:

So, like….what has he (obama)done that is good for the country.. obviously something that we don’t know about? Do tell.

By acting like fools because the US did not get the Olympics is demeaning to the whole country. We didn’t get the 2016 Olympics, quit crying foul and get on with your life, done!! Biden, Jackson etc look silly and the world laugh at us even more!!

Rio deserved to win! or Japan..my second choice

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:07 pm 90. Marie Claude:

I love how you’re explaining your deceiption, thin rather how many times the US already got the olympic games ?

now the use by IOC is that they don’t repeat them twice on the same continent, London, is having them in 2010, therefore the American continent or asia would be the next. I think RIO deserves them rather than the US.

About Chirac ME policies,LMAO, this had nothing to do with Paris elimination, Paris had far the best dossier until the eve of the vote. Persuaded of that, the mistake of Delanoe, mayor of Paris, was to go to sleep the last night, while Tony Blair was meeting the IOC members and lobbying them, then London won, but not with a large score.

Now this Olympic thing is a big business, just that some members are sensible to good arguments, and obviously, american’s failed to seduce them.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:07 pm 91. Richard:

This was an extra-Constitutional activity by a sitting US President, to benefit a small minority of citizens (maybe) for which the US public was billed millions of dollars, and for nothing. Big zero, and epic FAIL.

What is the upside? There is none.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:11 pm 92. Mahon:

Napoleon said it 200 years ago: “If you set out to take Vienna, you must take Vienna.” His power depended upon the belief that he was invincible; without that he was just another tyrant. And Obama is just another politician.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:13 pm 93. wrg:

We had an election for president and got a used car salesman.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:14 pm 94. westerncanadian:

Obama couldn’t fix this one.

Over at http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/ they have come up with the “I count” rating for Obamas speeches. According to this system his plea to the IOC was a “four I” effort. As in:

“I’ve come here today to urge you to choose Chicago for the same reasons I chose Chicago nearly twenty-five years ago – the reasons I fell in love with the city I still call home.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:17 pm 95. HoosierHawk:

I don’t think that you can blame the President for the decision of the Olympic Commitee. My understanding is that the IOC actually visited Chicago. That’s pretty difficult to overcome.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:18 pm 96. Peter the Bubblehead:

85. goy wrote:
No doubt some leftist windbag will find a way to blame this on Bush.

Peter wrote: It’s already happening. On the radio on my way home, they quoted Burris (Yes, the same Burris that replaced The Won in the Senate) saying the reason Chicago lost the bid on the first round was “…due to the animosity against the US created by the policies of the last eight years.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:21 pm 97. Peter the Bubblehead:

95. HoosierHawk wrote:
I don’t think that you can blame the President for the decision of the Olympic Commitee.

Peter wrote: We’re not blaming The Won for the decision of the IOC. We’re blaming The Won for costing US Taxpayers millions of dollars to pay for 2 large jets plus all the support craft needed to make a trip overseas like this (This is an example of what it took for a Presidential trip to India; When a president travels, all the public ever sees is Air Force One. But consider this:
Seventy-seven other Air Force planes are being used on this trip, including 26 of its biggest transports: the C-5s and C-17s. Military sources say that represents more than one third of the Air Force’s entire inventory of these planes that stand ready to fly on any given day.
The planes will make 1200 sorties to support this trip. Each sortie is a take-off and landing.) and the fact he has not been doing the job he is supposed to do (ie: Afghanistan, Unemployment, Health Care, etc) and was in effect ‘hired’ to do by the American public so he could jet off overseas to do something his wife and Oprah alone could have just as easily have done.

Anyone have any clue where we can look up how much TAXPAYER money it cost us for the Obamas to make this little jaunt over to Copenhagen?

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:35 pm 98. EconRob:

What a buffoon this Obama is. Obama puts the “zero” in the O-lympics.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:40 pm 99. snarleboodle:

Rosabeth Moss Kanter is quoted as saying that Obama is now personally associated with losing. That shouldn’t bother him at all, seeing as how he expresses discomfort with the concept of victory.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:44 pm 100. Donna V.:

We had an election for president and got a used car salesman

wrg, he isn’t even good enough for that analogy. Used car salesman is how I always thought of Clinton. Everyone knew he was a sleaze-bucket, but the old snake-oil peddler charmed the heck out of many Americans anyway (count me as one of the uncharmed).

Having Democratic control of Congress and the MSM in Obama’s corner is like him having the keys to a Ferrari. But instead of zooming smoothly off the lot, Obama keeps backing into the wall, driving up over the curb and heading into oncoming traffic.

Obama has compared himself to Lincoln. That’s a laugh. Try Mr. Magoo, Elmer Fudd, and Wile E. Coyote.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:51 pm 101. NCBob:

OK, now who is going to bail out the Chicago aldermen, mafioso, pols, thugs and community organizers who have already made pay offs, delivered bribes and kickbacks to get a share of the multi-billion dollars skims, kick backs and phantom contracts. Obama, his family and his staff, alone, must already be in for millions, money that they’ll never get back from the 2016 games. Who’s going to bail them out, huh?

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:52 pm 102. John Burke:

I’m afraid the we’ve underestimated Obama’s inexperience and naivte. This IOC trip seems like a sophmoric “road trip” to get away, bask in more public adulation, and grab a cheap win — when a half dozen critical, demanding problems keep banging at the door.

Oct 2, 2009 - 2:53 pm 103. pappy:

Mr. Olympdic could have saved one heck
of a carbon footprint by staying home and
just accepting the fact that his wife and
Opie would blow it without him.

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:08 pm 104. Kriska:

#97 Peter
NRO reports $10 million. What a waste! Maybe they had some fun with my money, I know I can’t afford to have any!

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:12 pm 105. Centerroadkill:

As no fan of many of our President’s policies, I do have to give him the “WTF – I’m damned if I do, Damned if I don’t” vote.

Politically, there was no place to hide on this one. Only a show and a win would have worked. It would have been much easier to beg off because of all the pressing issues we as a country face. He at least said “WTF – they can only say – No!”

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:18 pm 106. Donna V.:

Marie Claude: you miss the point. It is not that the IOC felt the US has held the Games too often, or whatever reasons they had for voting for Rio. It’s that Obama staked political capital on this and lost. Many in Chicago were so sure that Obama and his dazzling smile would carry the day that they turned out for a victory celebration. My, my, the IOC didn’t even care that an American talk show hostess was with him (maybe he should have taken Whoopi. She could have explained that while people get shot in Chicago, they don’t get shot-shot).

Actually, given the “Chicago Way,” I was thinking the voting would turn out something like this: Tokyo: 6, Madrid: 9, Rio: 12, Chicago: 5,819. With ACORN out of commission, I guess Rahm couldn’t find enough dead Danes to stuff the ballot box.

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:19 pm 107. sallie:

101….Oprah.

that girls got a bad case of idol worship tied up in this. Obam wants to redistribute wealth…start with the wealthiest.

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:23 pm 108. BC:

I see the rubes are out in force today. Yeah, right — making a last minute pitch to get the Olympics is the worse thing any President has done the past several years. Morons.

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:27 pm 109. AThinkingPerson:

Donna V. (#106): “Actually, given the “Chicago Way,” I was thinking the voting would turn out something like this: Tokyo: 6, Madrid: 9, Rio: 12, Chicago: 5,819. With ACORN out of commission, I guess Rahm couldn’t find enough dead Danes to stuff the ballot box.”

Still laughing over this comment. Good one!

Oct 2, 2009 - 3:33 pm 110. genghis:

FLASH FLASH FLASH

Charles Krauthammers comment on the One’s trip to Denmark and the IOC:

‘It was a perfect venue for Obama. A collection of Eurotrash’

BRAVO CHAS

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:00 pm 111. Brian Epps:

Atlanta won the Olympics with the President sending an envoy, so did LA. Smaller countries often have their head of state lobbying for the Olympics, so I expect that Executive participation in the bid is a wash. I figure the IOC knows that the executive making the bid is not likely to be the executive when the Games start and discount their participation.

Chicago’s unpredictable corruption problem* would have detracted from the Games, so the IOC dumped it for a more predictable environment**.

///
*Corruption on Olympic venues in Chicago = News headlines
**Corruption on Olympic venues in Rio = YAWN

////

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:13 pm 112. VaughnB:

This fool believes that the entire world loves him, when in reality, they see him as an incompetant boob. One who is going to drag this country down to third world levels. Except for a very few friends, the whole planet wants us brought to our knees. Obama, can/might accomplish this.

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:15 pm 113. Mike:

I do not like the President on little bit, but even I believed the fix was in else he would not have traveled to Copenhagen nor Michelle would have made her great sacrifice.

Even I was stunned at the outcome.

The man is a bigger fool than I thought.

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:49 pm 114. Sebastian Shaw:

President Obama’s loss of the 2016 Olympic Games will also cost him in other more substantial endeavors such as his precious ObamaCare, Card Check, Crap & Tax (Climate Bill or Carbon Tax Bill), etc al making more future failures a certainty. Obama–who is vainglorious narcissist–seeks the spotlight at every turn, yet says nothing. This is Obama’s problem: When he speaks, he has NOTHING to say. Obama wants adulation & the constant stoking of his putrid ego lust. The man is insatiable in this sense & this will destroy him. His administration is already falling apart around him, yet Obama is oblivious.

The Congressional Democrats could use Obama’s weakness to oppose his Socialist power grabs. If they are wise, they will listen to their constituents & not to the Obama-thing.

Oprah needs to go away. I’m just tired of her; she showed her true colors to be RED as in Communism when she promoted the Marxist Obama. She has just about as much bad judgment as Obama himself.

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:53 pm 115. flyingright:

To 37. JohnRJ08:

Keep telling yourself that.

Please enlighten us as to what exactly Obama has done well. I’m really curious. Not only is he not a good leader, he’s no leader at all. I take that back, partially. He’s leading us into massive unemployment, stagnation, economic ruin, socialism, etc., etc. That’s not what the misguided voting public thought they were getting in November. He ran as a moderate, which is something leftists must do to get elected. Once in office, the mask came off.

If Americans are so enamored with leftist policies then please tell me why the deception during the campaign?

He looked like a rookie today and this has been the true definition of his presidency thus far.

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:57 pm 116. joh:

This is actually a big loss for the Republicans.

So far, Obama’s administration has not only been a big loss to Americans in particular, but the free world in general.

Oct 2, 2009 - 4:59 pm 117. digitalis:

We’ve got MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF THIS IDIOT. This seems like a prison sentence that will never end. Didn’t this arrogant fathead make some crack about his bowling skills being on par with the “Special Olympics?” Maybe if he’s really lucky he can use his charm and skill to bring that to Chicago.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:00 pm 118. bobby b:

This is like sitting in a sports bar listening to everyone talk about stats.

I’d guess that between 75% and 80% of the American public pays, at best, casual, election-time-only attention to the day-to-day happenings amongst politicians. At best. Meaning, the bell curve almost hits the right-hand floor at that point.

This will have meaning only to people who read, and comment in, blogs.

The rest of the country will faintly and fuzzily know that, at some point, Obama went over and made his pitch to get the Olympics for a big American city, but it didn’t work out.

Not “Chicago.” “A big American city.” A city here, in America. And they’ll think to themselves, good on him for trying.

Don’t overestimate the American voter’s grasp of nuance.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:02 pm 119. Marie Claude:

I’m sorry Obama did what the other heads of the candidate nations did
he failed, WTF, there must loosers and a winner !

I don’t support him, I don’t care of him, but I think you’re giving an interpretation where there is none.

Why the Hell America should ALWAYS win when she desire it ?

Bravo for Brazil, and the whole population was behind Lula, none was trashing him before and after the event. You should have a look at the brazilian joy on TV !

While I see that you were expecting that the O games would fall into your powerful basket, but without supporting the team that defended the project

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:11 pm 120. Kriska:

To #144

“Obama–who is vainglorious narcissist–seeks the spotlight at every turn, yet says nothing.”

He’s not a REAL president, he just plays one on TV!

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:30 pm 121. Delia:

119. Marie Claude,

Darling Marie…methinks you fail to see that many of us feel we are now flailing about with jazz hands because we are suffering from shell-shock over an utterly leaderless country.

*kitten kisses*

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:35 pm 122. LeighB:

As someone else said today, “the ego has landed! the ego has landed!” (I don’t think Sully was at the controls)

Congratulations to Rio, I was pulling for them. There isn’t a big time zone difference, the games will be fun to watch.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:38 pm 123. Banned by Huffpo:

Bill Ayers us mighty pissed off. And his disciple is sweating bullets now, wondering how he can appease him.

“Obama does not act like a president.”

This goes beyond “classic understatement.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:46 pm 124. ked5:

8. paul_unalaska:

With the Manchurian-in-Chief making numerous ‘firsts’ – perhaps he should really shock the American people with results!

~~~

As anyone who’s spent anytime watching obummer knows – define “results”. (he’s doing quite well with his ‘inflicting damage’ results) If it is to be positive results that would benefit the average American Citizen – well, that WOULD be a first for him.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:46 pm 125. ked5:

9. Peter the Bubblehead:

One of these days, quite soon I fear, he is going to realize he actually has a real job that requires some kind of results.
~~~~

No he won’t. But his base will start demanding jobs and food. Then they will realize they were had. But he will still be going around telling his base how wonderful he is.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:49 pm 126. Donna V.:

Marie Claude: I’m glad Rio got it! I didn’t want Chicago to win. I’m enjoying this.

You really, really aren’t getting the nuances here if you think we’re all heartbroken over this.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:54 pm 127. Delia:

The ghetto onion has lost its swagger? Say it ain’t sooooooooo!

124. ked5 et al,

I dunno if you have yahoo chat but if you do I’d love it if you could add me! Ya’ll can add me as F_Cheffy! -And, that goes for any pajammer here with a clear head.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:54 pm 128. Sebastian Shaw:

Marie Claude (#119), President Obama cashed in the remains of his political capitol & got nothing in return; hence, the need for such a story. President Obama made it a story about him by inserting himself at the center of the debacle made only worse by the loss of the 2016 games. This was something Obama had to win & he lost big. This will translate into other substantial losses to come for the egotistical narcissistic man-child demagogue.

ObamaCare is going down in flames as the people rebel against the Socialists; the same is true for Crap & Tax, Card Check, Amnesty 2.0, etc al. Obama needed this win to caress his deflated ego, but Obama’s ego keep going through the dreaded shrinkage.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:56 pm 129. ked5:

“As much of a sacrifice as people say this is for me or Oprah or the president to come for these few days,” the first lady told a crowd of people involved in the Chicago project.

~~~

I suppose it was a sacrifice for her to go to a city with a majority caucasion population. we know how racist whites are. Even European ones.

Oct 2, 2009 - 5:56 pm 130. ked5:

119. Marie Claude:

Why the Hell America should ALWAYS win when she desire it ?
~~~~

You STILL don’t get it. It’s the fact he went over there at taxpayer expense. $10,000,000+ American taxpayer dollars that could have been far better spent elsewhere. It’s the fact he went over there so he wouldn’t have to do the job stupid american’s elected him to do. Like JOBS, like HOUSING, like Health Care, like cap n tax, like being CIC, . . .etc.

The only ones who really wanted the olympics in Chicago were obummer and his cronies – who had land to sell to the IOC at a hefty profit. Average Chicagoans did NOT want it. The rest of America did NOT care. (I’m thrilled they did NOT get it.)

Maybe you should find someone who can translate this into French for you so you’ll understand it this time.

Oct 2, 2009 - 6:13 pm 131. jimw428:

How long before the Obama minions are out in force crying “racism”!

It looked like every half-assed black politician from Chicago was there making the pitch, it’s no wonder we lost! I’m pretty sure the IOC got confused and thought our delegation was from Africa.

Oct 2, 2009 - 6:27 pm 132. David W. Lincoln:

Once again, Moran, Reagan keeping SDI lead to the collapse of the physical Berlin Wall, because the Soviets spent money, that they didn’t have, to try to match it.

But, given the results of Chicago being bounced in the first round in selecting the 2016 Summer Olympic Site, whatever prestige the US has outside of the US is diminished.

Which just goes to show that enough people, regardless of where they register on the jadedness meter, see the current occupant of the Oval Office as a politicized demagogue who is not
interested at all in bestowing equal status to those who arrive at other conclusions.

Oct 2, 2009 - 6:27 pm 133. bill:

I realize I’m late to the game, but did you say that Reagan was rightly criticized for helping to bring down the Soviet Union? Gorbachev knew he couldn’t compete with SDI- monetarily or technologically; about two years later, the walls started coming down. Was this reference some sort of bone to the boneheads?

Oct 2, 2009 - 6:44 pm 134. George S.:

are we all wee-wee’d up ?

Oct 2, 2009 - 6:48 pm 135. George S.:

obama’s corruption has nothing on the IOC …sort of special olympics

another teaching moment for the man who is incapable of learning

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:04 pm 136. silversurfer:

This one will leave a mark. This isn’t the loss of a tax cheating, limo riding huckster or rabid, racist, Marxist Green Jobs Czar(?) but an issue even a pro-child pimping ACORN employee can understand. Obama flew across the Atlantic to be backhanded by a group of corrupt, anti-American, thug supporting kleptocrats, i.e. Obama’s fan base. This one won’t be easily forgotten by the masses.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:15 pm 137. bobby b:

It’s been interesting watching The First Lady since the election.

I thought that, for sure, we’d be seeing her featured prominently and frequently as she went about doing First-Ladyish things – she just seemed like she’d garner a lot of attention and probably adulation from the crowd of ninjits that elected her husband president for us, and she seemed the type to enjoy the attention and importance.

But she’s been pulled back, I think. From the few times I’ve seen coverage of her out and about, doing good works or shopping or whatever, I’m guessing someone decided that she’s a loose cannon. I’m guessing she’s now very constrained in when she can speak publicly, and what she can say when she does. And that’s gotta be just about killing her – she doesn’t strike me as someone who’ll take “quiet, woman” calmly or leave you all of your body parts if you say it.

Some people just have so darned much self-regard that they don’t feel the need to carefully consider the things that they say – after all, when you’re as good as all that, what you say is naturally going to be good, too, right? Our first hint came when when she announced the first day she felt good about this country, and there have been quite a few more hints since then. Even talking on this Olympic trip, she managed to present herself as whiny and entitled. (Yeah, what a huge sacrifice you’ve made for us, ma’am. Thank you.)

If we had a press anymore, someone would be hitting her up for stories on a regular basis.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:18 pm 138. vic:

This just displays a complete lack of practical political instincts and accumen. That will play badly for all of us over the remainder of his term.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:18 pm 139. Stephen in Afghanistan:

As soon as it was announced, I wondered how long it would take for someone to blame Bush. I was watching ESPN, and no more than a minute later did this converstaion take place:

“The president , who is so semmingly beloved around the world….”

“One may have to think that over the last few years, the United States has not been looked on favorably by so many in the rest of the world. That could have been a factor in some of the decision making.”

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:19 pm 140. Alessandra:

We should all be so proud that the closest thing there is to an all world President chose to grace the IOC with his glorious presence.

With Oprah and the lovely first lady, Michelle, at his side, it was a grand undertaking, a noble effort that should make every man, woman and child delight in the warm afterglow of the wonderful President’s return.

Of course, the deck was stacked against the magnificent one’s valiant and courageous attempt succeeding when one considers all the ill will George Bush built up in those eight horrible years he was President.

George Bush. Almost letting the entire city of New Orleans drown in his ineptitude. Creating a situation in Afghanistan that makes the war a lot harder for the majestic President Obama to win, while sending this country down the slippery slope of corporate bailouts.

Let’s face it, the damage done by George Bush certainly damaged any chance President Obama had of gloriously winning the Olympics.

Simply put, George Bush was too high a hurdle for even the great one to overcome.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:23 pm 141. jharp:

Seems the America haters are thrilled we didn’t get the Olympics.

Seriously, what could you possibly be thinking? We just didn’t get roughly $30 billion in new business. And not minimum wage jobs either.

Yipper, big win for the right wingers today. Enjoy.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:28 pm 142. Arty:

After eight years of hearing that the president is an idiot, I’m finally starting to believe it.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:32 pm 143. TriGeek:

Does anybody know who paid for Michelle Obama to go on this trip? Who paid for the President to go over there? I assume the tax payers paid for the Great Leader, and that is bad enough, but Michelle better have paid for her own trip.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:34 pm 144. jharp:

ked5:

119. Marie Claude:

Why the Hell America should ALWAYS win when she desire it ?
~~~~

“You STILL don’t get it. It’s the fact he went over there at taxpayer expense. $10,000,000+ American taxpayer dollars that could have been far better spent elsewhere. It’s the fact he went over there so he wouldn’t have to do the job stupid american’s elected him to do. Like JOBS, like HOUSING”

It is you that doesn’t get it. You have obviously never been in business.

You win some and you lose some. And there was about $30 billion at stake. And if the President thinks he can seal the deal it’s worth every penny. It obviously didn’t work out but still you have to give it your best shot.

And getting the Olympics was all about jobs. Nothing else. And jobs lead to economic prosperity.

What is it with you guys? Why can’t your see that?

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:34 pm 145. TriGeek:

Another observation- On the PJM articles concerning rapist and pedofile protectors, the trolls are out in force, but they are few and far between on this article.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:36 pm 146. Donna V.:

bobby b: you’re not taking into consideration what would have happened had Chicago won the bid. The MSM would have treated Barry’s triumphal return as if he were Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Matthews, Obermann and the CNN crew would have slobbered and drooled with delight all weekend long. We would be told that bringing the Olympics to Chicago ‘16 was an diplomatic achievement on the level of the friggin’ Congress of Vienna or the Marshall Plan or the Louisiana Purchase. The trolls would be strutting and puffing out their pigeon chests and saying, “See? The world really, really loves us now.” The MSM would also be able to milk this story to keep everyone’s minds off of more important and depressing news – like the unemployment figures, for instance, and the fact that Bambi doesn’t have a clue as to how to proceed in Afghanistan.

Barry won’t be able to use this in his reelection ads. The Dems don’t have a victory to flaunt. Daley is weeping bitter tears at the thought of all the graft that will not come his way. The trolls are reduced to sputtering the usual “hicks, rubes, morons,etc,etc” in their dull and unoriginal way.

The average apolitical voter might vaguely think now that well, Obama gave it a shot, it didn’t work out, too bad. If Obama had succeeded, though, that same voter would certainly get the impression that Obama had scored a huge victory.

Although, based on Barry’s poll numbers, I think the average Joe and Jane out there are beginning to wise up. His diehard boy and girlfriends, alas, never will.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:37 pm 147. Big Red:

Biggest crash and burn by a gasbag since the Hindenburg.

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:38 pm 148. Marie Claude:

Ked5

from Sebastian shaw’s :

“President Obama made it a story about him by inserting himself at the center of the debacle made only worse by the loss of the 2016 games. This was something Obama had to win & he lost big.”

(I remarcked that Obama spoke of Chicago as his dear home city)

I found this argument a better response than your enumeration of costs on the taxepayers

D’ya know that each nation that sent representatives to Copenhagen, they took the money on the taxes payers too !

Oct 2, 2009 - 7:45 pm 149. Sallie:

118…Bobby

This is so true, unfortunate, but true.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:11 pm 150. Carol:

To the author of this piece: Please don’t bring up Carter as an example of a point you’re trying to make regarding gambles that were truly important or meaningful. Carter was the worst President in American history (until now) and does not deserve to have a single ounce of deference, respect, honor, positive acknowledgement paid to him. It’s that simple.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:23 pm 151. Pragmatist:

#16 Drew when does the Obamanation EVER get time to do his job? Unless of course ‘HIS JOB’ is to be on TV everyday reading speeches OTHER people write from the TELEPROMPTER in support of Bills that OTHER people have written and no one least of all HIM has read.
Now THAT is what the Mohammedan BOGUS POTUS LYING usurper Barrack, you can call me HUSSEIN now I won, Obama does and everyone can see it except of course left wing moonbat PC MC ‘libtards’ and the swooning, inconsequential, in the bag MSM.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:36 pm 152. Pragmatist:

# Marie Claude well you made the claim so now please list for us the size and cost of the other Countries delegations you want to draw comparisons with. For example list ONE just ONE country who sent TWO Official Jumbo Jets and their associated TWO sets of Secret Service Agents and TWO entourages. Cant of course you cant you just want to try and make cheap points . Not like the Obama’s of course nothing CHEAP for them.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:41 pm 153. Paul M Hupf:

The President displayed a lack of understanding of the function of his office by going to Copenhagen. He is the President of the United States, not Chicago nor Illinois. There was little to gain, much to lose. Yet he went, at the last minute, somehow thinking that the magnificence of his presence would somehow win the day. Did he go thinking Chicago was assuredly the winner, so as to claim that it was he who cinched the deal? Or did he go thinking that the choice was in doubt and that by by his presence, his magnificence would sway the judges? In either case he is naive and somewhat, if not entirely, a simpleton. Those who voted for him in 2008, if they are honest with themselves, must regret their decision.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:42 pm 154. Carol:

153 Paul – Great analysis.

Oct 2, 2009 - 8:51 pm 155. Morton Doodsag:

altogether now:

If you want them to say YES!
Treat them like you treat the Press…
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Hop into that big old plane
And soon the crowd will go insane!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Flash them all a great big smile,
Soon enough they’re shouting ‘Heil!’
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Rio! Tokyo! What you got???
(Then talk about yo’self ALOT!)
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Now trot out that ’stylish’ wife
Who talks some more about your Life…
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Most of all make sure you’re seen
with TV’s reigning talkshow queen
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Iran? NoKo? Just take note!!!
Just watch Obama rock the vote!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

He’ll deal with them – he’ll deal with you!
There’s NOTHING that this man can’t do!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

What!? He failed? Well what the F*#k!?
That Georgie Bush – he sure did suck!
Mmm, mmm, mmm! Barack Hussein Obama!

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:12 pm 156. Wilkop:

…sorry Rick, but Robert Reich was never Treasury Secretary….he served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration…is there an editor in the house…?

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:18 pm 157. Mike2:

144. jharp:

You can rest your mind now. Just repeat the mantra that heals: “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”. See you feel better already!

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:21 pm 158. cfbleachers:

Since there is nothing to the “exceptionalism” of America or Americans…certainly nothing more than the Greeks…or Brazilians for that matter…we finally got the world to listen when we speak.

Great job, as far as I can tell. He told the world we were nothing special, and they just agreed with him…

Last time a knockout was this swift ugly, and decisive was when Ali fought the Lion of Flanders.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:22 pm 159. A.M. Mallett:

The Obama is the best the Democrats have. 2010 is looking better and better.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:27 pm 160. heatheremc:

Gettin’ down to personalities: remember when Obama insulted the Queen of England with his ‘gift’ of an ipod??? The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, is a member of the IOC.

Hmmmm.

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:31 pm 161. Donna V.:

The President displayed a lack of understanding of the function of his office by going to Copenhagen.

Also, what the heck was the purpose of taking Oprah along? Because she’s the Queen of Chicago? Did Obama imagine that her presence would impress IOC members? Who really knows or cares about a rich American TV talk show host outside of the States?

Oct 2, 2009 - 9:41 pm 162. Gozer the Carpathian:

This was Obama grandstanding as always. Though this time they didn’t tell him the Banner he was going to stand in front of was “Congratulations RIO for 2016″ instead of Chicago. Just a typo you understand. Nothing to see here move along.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:01 pm 163. goy:

I understand that it took Daley several hours to come to terms with the reality of the decision… and have the Mission Accomplished banner taken down at Daley Plaza, where the victory celebration was to be held.

“Daley” Plaza?? Srsly? These people really are in love with themselves. The guy was a thug.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:10 pm 164. skylark:

Morton Doodslag @ 53 said:

“He placed US prestige in harms way. America is a laughingstock today.”

—————————————————

So does that mean the prime ministers and royal families of Japan and Spain put their countries’ prestige “in harms way”? Are those countries laughingstocks today?

Just curious.

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:31 pm 165. jharp:

Mike2:

144. jharp:

“You can rest your mind now. Just repeat the mantra that heals: “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”. See you feel better already!”

Maybe so, maybe not, but I am willing to give Bush the benefit of the doubt.

WE didn’t get it. And why you would celebrate sure seems to be un American. Doesn’t it?

Oct 2, 2009 - 10:34 pm 166. rachel peepers:

I bet this was the first election Obama has been involved with where there was an honest counting of the vote.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:30 pm 167. ked5:

137. bobby b:

I thought that, for sure, we’d be seeing her featured prominently and frequently as she went about doing First-Ladyish things – But she’s been pulled back, I think. From the few times I’ve seen coverage of her out and about, doing good works or shopping or whatever, I’m guessing someone decided that she’s a loose cannon.

~~~

I think she loves the adulation a bit too much too. But the attention she got for wearing $500 sneakers to a HOMELESS shelter didn’t go over to well. Or the “claimed” knockoff of a $3000 purse . . . (after getting flak for her extravagence she claimed it was a knockoff – technically an illegal item. She did go to law school, you’d think she’d know that . . .)

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:40 pm 168. ked5:

And getting the Olympics was all about jobs. Nothing else. And jobs lead to economic prosperity.

~~~~

Jharp, you REALLY need to do some research on how much benefit comes to a community from hosting the Olympics. The LOSE money. The ONLY recent Olympics to NOT LOSE money was SLC AFTER Romeny took over. (as he made his money turning failing business around.)

It’s about the “prestige” (re: EGO). The average worker in an Olympic venue doesn’t make anymore money than if the Olympics NEVER came.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:47 pm 169. ked5:

148. Marie Claude:

D’ya know that each nation that sent representatives to Copenhagen, they took the money on the taxes payers too !

~~~~
The DIDN’T send their heads of state. (and I’m sure their delegations spoke about how wonderful their particular city was and what they could offer the IOC.)

And yeah, obummer makes EVERYTHING about him. He is the great won. Sorry to break it to you old man, but you are NOT the center of the universe, or the galaxy (though with a black hole there, I wouldn’t mind sending him there . . .), or even the solar system. . . )

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:52 pm 170. ked5:

152. Pragmatist:
For example list ONE just ONE country who sent TWO Official Jumbo Jets

~~~`

mabellyache came in a 757, obummer came in his 747, BUT, he also had ANOTHER 747 as backup/decoy (SOP), then there were the C5’s carrying larger items (like his limo and other toys)Also SOP whenever he goes anywhere. multiple escort planes . . .

I guess he believes the “he who has the most toys wins”.

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:56 pm 171. ked5:

163. goy:

“Daley” Plaza?? Srsly? These people really are in love with themselves. The guy was a thug.

~~~

“was”? Did he die!?! . . (that would be one less thug.)

Oct 2, 2009 - 11:59 pm 172. whyamInotsurprised?:

#144 jharpy -

And getting the Olympics was all about payola. Nothing else. And payola leads to political prosperity.

What is it with you guys? Why can’t your see that?

There are a lot of pissed off benefactors in Chi-town tonight!

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:27 am 173. Morton Doodslag:

164 – skylark:

Thanks for the quesrion. On its face your question sounds reasonabl, but I think it pre-supposes some equivalence or parity between the global roles, prestige, and power of a US President and the other leaders you name. There is no parity. Also, I’d be stunned to learn that those orher leaders decided to fly to Copenhagen under such short and slapdash fashion as Obama just did. If they had, then they too would be guilty of some measure of irresponsibility, perhaps even abuse of office, but never in a similar degree to the POTUS under current circumstance. Does the significance of the actions of a Zapatero or a “Lula” even remotely bear any semblance to those of any American President’s deeds and comportment? Will they have much influence in the great questions of our times, such as whether or not the Islamic monsters in Iran obtain their bombs? Of course not.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:30 am 174. Nosingin:

Did anyone else see Roland Burris blame this on Bush!! LMAO! He said “it’s gonna take some time for him to get back the goodwill lost in the last 8 yrs.” OMG are these people pubescent yet?

Oct 3, 2009 - 4:16 am 175. Peter the Bubblehead:

142. Arty:

LOL!!!

Oct 3, 2009 - 4:23 am 176. Mike2:

165. jharp:

Who said I was celebrating? But, that said, I am glad Rio got the bid. Brazil is a great country and they deserve a shot. They are after all, part of the world community and a very diverse country. That alone should make them the favorites in left wing circles.

Chicago’s mistake was to send the wrong people over to Copenhagen. They should have sent Bill Clinton. He is a heck of a lot better salesman than Obama.

Remember the mantra, “It’s Bush’s fault”. Works for everything.

Oct 3, 2009 - 5:42 am 177. RightwingHippyChick:

Can the people of London interest you in a second-hand (but not used yet) Olympics?

They have lots of lovely debt, white elephants and other goodies the Olympics generate to give away FREE.

Go on, be devils — move London 2012 to Chicago 2012, you guys can do it, you know you want to!

=)

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:08 am 178. Marie Claude:

Lula : (sorry in french, check the whole article with a translator http://tinyurl.com/yapy6jz )

[Si Chicago avait gagné, cela aurait été la 5e fois que les Etats-Unis auraient organisé les Jeux (d'été), pour l'Espagne et le Japon, la deuxième fois", a renchéri Lula."Notre pays a été colonisé et nous avons l'habitude de penser petit, avec le sentiment que l'on ne compte pas", a-t-il repris. "Aussi ce matin, quand Obama est arrivé à l'aéroport, les gens m'ont dit -"Oh, il est arrivé, nous allons perdre"-]

[If Chicago had won, this would have been the 5th time that the US would have organised the summer games, for Spain and Japan, the second's" argued Lula. "Our country was colonised and we are in use to think "small" with the sentiment that we don't count" he carried on. 3 Therefore, when Obama arrived at Copenhagen Airport, people told me -"Oh, he is arrived, we are going to loose"-]

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:58 am 179. goy:

171. ked5: – “was”? Did he die!?!

Yes. In 1976. After ruling Chicago and its surrounds with an iron fist for over 20 years (another Teddy-style, lifetime incumbency). He was spawned by the same south-side slime pit responsible for BHO’s rise to political rock stardom. His corrupt issue is presently attempting to beat his father’s all-time record as Emperor of Chicago.

Oct 3, 2009 - 7:56 am 180. Marie Claude:

It’s all about money, ie exemple for Paris project :

“If Paris has the honor of hosting the Olympics in 2012, is the CNOSF
certain to receive for 2005 and 2006 an aggregate
at minimum 5 million euros, then the years 2007 to
2012 a sum at that time will be paid by the future
OCOG and will be minimum of 44 million euros for the 6
years, with a bonus of 10% on the surplus would be achieved
OCOG the future on its own marketing program beyond
the sum of 380 million euros. We believe that
Almost all corporate partners IPTF will sign
by the May 31 agreement with the partnership CNOSF”

Now Paris-ile-de-France had to invest at a lesser point than London, infracstructures already existed for a great part since the “mondial cup” (of soccer), this was only 4 billions €, while London had/still has to find 14 bilions €.

Probably London won because of this opportunity to modernise its infrastructures, and also because they played more on a colorful diversity, while we had strikes in our surburbs.

Also we lost because the parisian elite was defending its project like a school student, only with the “excellence of its dossier”, while Blair & Sebatian Coe were dealing “businesses”

Now, why Brazil won, it is lke I read in one comment, to promote the emerging nations, like they did for China, now, expect that the next choices will be India [or Iran, if everything will go in the best possible world :^)]

Chicago and any city of a well developped westernised world had/will have no chance any more to get the whole votes. Don’t forget that we are living in a “Global World” now

for those who doubt that no other foreign leaders were accompanying their own delegation, Zapatero was there too,(Juan Carlos, was pressed to rejoin the spanish delegation), of course Lula was there, dunno for Japan who was there

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:04 am 181. Donna V.:

jharp: Don’t you care about people in Third World countries? Why do you want to deprive poor people in Brazil of money and employment? Aren’t you being greedy at the expense of the needy? Do you think the people of Rio can’t handle the Olympics?

Aren’t you a raaaaacist?

/Man, isn’t it fun to toss that one back at ‘em?

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:06 am 182. Fen:

Ego. Obama assumed the IOC wanted a role in Obama History.

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:35 am 183. EnemyoftheState:

obama went over to Denmark thinking that Chicago had a lock on the Olympics. He thought that the IOC used affirmative action like his colleges did. He was misinformed.

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:42 am 184. Tell the Truth:

“He placed the prestige of his presidency directly on the line and failed.”

– Rick Moran

What complete nonsense.

You put the presige of the presidency on the line and fail when you tell the world that a country has WMD and it turns out they were mixing cake recipes.

What Obama did was back the bid from a U.S. city. What would Moran and others have him do; say nothing and bite his nails in “hope”? Support the bid of another country?

You can blame politicians for policies that go bad. But blaming a president for supporting the United States of America is downright un-American.

Oct 3, 2009 - 9:16 am 185. colagirl:

I am from Chicago (well, a suburb), and I am delighted that Chicago didn’t get the games. The city’s got enough problems already and doesn’t need the traffic congestion, the expense (as others have pointed out, the games tend to be money-losers), or the corrupt officials lining their pockets. Let Rio have them; I understand it’s a beautiful city, and it’s the first time South America has hosted.

Obama’s whole trip over there to shill for his buddy Mayor Daley just has me shaking my head in disbelief. It’s one of those things that makes me wonder just WTF he was possibly thinking. This is not the job of the President. Particularly at a time when the economy is tanking, Iran is acting up, and the war in Afghanistan is heading toward a crisis. As someone up thread said, if you have to send *someone* send the First Lady: this kind of symbolic gesture is exactly in her arena. But the President has about a million more important things to do and perhaps he should actually try and spend his time on some of them.

However, as has *also* been pointed out, if he really, really couldn’t fight the temptation to appear and let the world bask in his glow, he shouldn’t have shown up unless he was certain the fix was in. It’s irresponsible for the President to waste his time in this fashion, but inexcusable that he should waste so much time (and money) to bring home nothing. He invested time, money and prestige for a net result of … zero.

And it’s *that* that worries me more than anything else.n Not the loss of the games itself (as I said earlier, Rio getting them is fine by me), but what this whole thing says about Obama. Because what it says to me is that he has no understanding of what the proper role of the president is, no understanding of where he should be focusing his efforts, and no way to estimate if the efforts he is putting in will bring back a reasonable return. Needless to say, these are all very, very bad traits for a president to have.

I didn’t vote for Obama, but when he was first elected I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and allow some time for a learning curve. But for crying out loud, he’s been in office for nine months now. Shouldn’t some actual, you know, *learning* be taking place? In a year’s time, probably nobody will even remember that Obama lost the Olympics to Rio. But will Obama himself still be the same bumbling incompetent that he appears to be now? I sincerely hope not, for the good of the nation. But I’m not hopeful.

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:10 am 186. Theo Goodwin:

In the words of Rev. Wright, “This is Chicago’s Chickens coming home to roost.”

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:34 am 187. goy:

@184. Tell the Truth: – You put the presige of the presidency on the line and fail when you tell the world that a country has WMD and it turns out they were mixing cake recipes.

And you put your credibility on the line and fail when you have to build a straw man as high as that one in order to tell a very simple lie.

Besides, Hillary, Edwards and their president-wannabe ilk weren’t President when they were stirring up rage against Iraq for their own political gain.

– What Obama did was back the bid from a U.S. city.
Wrong.

What BHO and his celebrity entourage did was back a bid that would have made the Dem-controlled, political slime pit in Chicago – along with its financial benefactors (and beneficiaries) – richer, more powerful and more arrogant. It had nothing to do with supporting the U.S.A. If it had, the OIC would’ve heard a lot less “I”, “me” and “my” from BHO and FLOTUS and a lot more about what America has to offer. But BHO has stated outright that America is not exceptional. He’s far more enamored of his own person, which is all he knows how to sell. That’s why he failed. That’s why he’ll continue to fail.

Oct 3, 2009 - 11:43 am 188. myth buster:

I wonder if maybe Obama was had. Perhaps somebody promised him that his appearance would secure the Olympics, and the whole thing was just a set up to make him into an international laughing stock. If it was, it worked.

Oct 3, 2009 - 12:58 pm 189. Now and Then:

181. Donna V.:
Why do you hate America?

Man, isn’t it fun to toss that one back at ‘em?

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:01 pm 190. Senorita Bonita:

Moran either sux nookies or non-nookies, Certainly there are no synapses firing in the vast empty chambers of his cranium.

Too rethugs please beware, latinos y hispanics esta aqui

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:03 pm 191. Desert Diva:

Moran ou suc; all otros wboyz/girlz same same.

Oct 3, 2009 - 1:13 pm 192. nobtucky:

Yeah……… where’s Acorn when you really need ‘em…..again.

Oct 3, 2009 - 6:18 pm 193. SMA:

165. jharp:

Mike2:

144. jharp:

“You can rest your mind now. Just repeat the mantra that heals: “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”, “It’s all Bush’s fault”. See you feel better already!”

Maybe so, maybe not, but I am willing to give Bush the benefit of the doubt.

WE didn’t get it. And why you would celebrate sure seems to be un American. Doesn’t it?

Yah, I find it funny that all of a sudden you left-wingers are now lecturing us about how “we” shouldn’t celebrate. I find it funny that now, all of a sudden, it’s WE when before it was “your president” and “his war” and “he’s a Nazi”, etc. Your side was rooting against Bush and his policies, with his “immoral war” to fail from the day you guys heard about “hanging chads”.

Your side, with your Code Pink friends, your “dissent is patriotic until you start doing it to a president from the DNC” crowd, with your phalanx of people telling the rest of us that “he’s not my president”, “bushliter”, “same shit, different asshole”, “prosecute for war crimes”…wow. Really? The hypocrisy is depressing, folks.

You guys are funny. It sucks when it happens to you and/or your presidential candidate, eh? I’d say so, judging by your side’s reaction to all that has gone on. I had to listen to 6+ years of it, and now the chickens have come home to roost, albeit for a brief moment.

Am I disappointed that the US did not get the Olympic Games? Sure I am. I am an American. I root for America first. Was I laughing at the arrogance and arrogant response from the side of the aisle that, for 6+ years, told me that my country is too arrogant? You bet. That’s what I am celebrating. You guys have finally found out what it’s like to be conservative in the United States.

Oct 3, 2009 - 8:59 pm 194. Matthew:

You guys really are over-analysing this. The way I see it, obama did the show and tell to try to help his home town win an olympic big, simply because winning an olympic bid would be a good thing for chicago, and a good thing for america (don’t underestimate the benefits to america’s image overseas that come from running a successful olympics). Why does it have to be more complicated than that? Why does there have to be some nefarious conspiracy behind the scenes? Sheesh. Anyone here heard of occam’s razor?

On the other hand, the IOC made its decision on whatever basis they usually do. They have their own reasons, and perhaps there really just wasn’t the support for the US bid that people were assuming. Why does it have to be a cryptic psycho-drama?

Some of the comments here are showing signs of trutherism. You hate this guy so much that you’re prepared to bend the rules of logic and evidence in order to prove that there are horns growing out of his head.

Oct 4, 2009 - 12:01 am 195. Don:

The democrats have finally found a stooge that fits into their program. No doubt, with the way Chicago politics work, Obama is probably a wealthier man today than before he made to trip to Copenhagen, but at what cost to the Office of the Presidency of the United States of America

Oct 4, 2009 - 5:27 am 196. John "birther" Samford:

In the end this won’t matter. The economy is climbing the “W”. It will peak in December or there abouts and crash again in January. By April “official” unemployment will be over 12% and unofficial unemployment about 24% Inflation from the bloated budgets will start climbing rapidly. When it hist 20%, the wheels will come off. Obama will be under 30% in the polls and the Democrats will enter the summer looking at massive loses in Congress. By fall Berry will declare a state of emergency and suspend the Constitution. At that point Civil War starts. Once there is a Republican Congress, Obma wil be required to grant access to his Birth Certificate, or Congress will send in the military to get it. Since there isn’t one, his entire administration and everything it passed will be decalred null and void. Joe will have to try and put the pieces back together. I think he can do it. Everybody laughs at Biden the loose mouth, but his mouth problem is caused by him being a very smart guy with poor communication skills.

Oct 4, 2009 - 8:45 pm 197. Kate:

Here’s my working theory. Powerful people in Chicago stood to make lots of money with a 2016 Chicago Olympics (Real Estate Deals / Business Contracts etc) – some of the same people who supported Obama in his political career. He owed them. They called in the favor.

Its not far fetched. Real Estate Deal / Political Deals often work like this.

Oct 4, 2009 - 8:52 pm 198. deguello:

#181 Donna V :You go girl!

Oct 5, 2009 - 10:32 am 199. deguello:

#194 Matthew:The O’hole got his skinny butt kicked,for his arrogant incompetence,as did his 2 ho’s. He wound up up looking like an egotistical fool.Besides, why give the Olympics to a guy who throws like a girl?this is neither cryptic, nor a psycho-drama,Obama behaved like a pleading buffoon,and got what he deserved:ridicule.He’s beginning to seem like another Bush:an idiot puppet promoted by his handlers,way beyond his competence.

Oct 5, 2009 - 10:39 am 200. carla:

Obviously the IOC is a racist organization.

Oct 5, 2009 - 11:34 am 201. deguello:

200 Carla:Also lookist! Michelle is being discriminated against because her face looks like a puckered butt,while Oprah ia a vitim of speciesism,because she looks like a lachrymose elephant!

Oct 6, 2009 - 12:06 pm

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