Why Obama Failed in Copenhagen
No one outside of the Chicago-White House axis, or the International Olympic Committee (IOC), can claim true understanding of the reasons for Obama’s trip to Copenhagen or its surprising outcome. Going into the vote, Chicago was the favorite, with 4-5 odds from one of London’s best bookmakers. In the event, the city received only 18 votes out of 94 and finished behind long-shot Madrid, which had gone off at 8 to 1.
The most rational explanation for the reversal is “money.” Oh, not bribery, even though the IOC is rumored to be less than perfect. But the main concern of IOC members must be that every set of games be a glitzy and successful affair, and this means they must be confident that if the deadlines loom and the facilities must be constructed out of bricks of hundred dollar bills, such will be done if necessary. Personal connections or even corruption might determine the choice between qualified cities, but they would not overcome committee members’ determination that success be guaranteed.
When President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke, there was no doubt that his bid was by the nation of Brazil ($14 billion worth of commitment) and not by the city of Rio alone. The bricks of reais will be there if needed. Chicago’s bid was supported only by the city, and even that support was a bit dubious because Mayor Daley had only reluctantly agreed to commit the city to cover any losses and had repeatedly assured taxpayers that they would not be on the hook and that money would be coming from other sources.
There was no national backstop for Chicago; the U.S. government does support the Games when they are held in this nation — usually with a couple of billion or so — but no federal promise was formally part of the proposal. If Daley turned out to be wrong because of a bad economy, corruption, or incompetence, his voters might have rebelled whatever the consequences for the Games.
It is called underestimating your enemies.
Obama’s trip to Copenhagen was a diversionary gamble calculated to get healthcare reform and Afghanistan off of the front page indefinitely.
If the IOC had awarded Chicago the 2016 Olympics the MSM would have immediately began the most insane, sickening non-stop coverage of how great Obama is and the upcoming 2016 Olympics will be because of him.
The IOC didn’t swallow the bait and in the process of it all probably did more to actually help the United States than the world will ever know.
Maybe Michelle didn’t sacrifice enough…or perhaps Cthulhu found her sacrifice lacking…
Teh Funneh: http://tinyurl.com/ycg5tqn
Is it possible that the magic dust sprinkled on the world at large by the fairies of the mighty “o” is beginning to wear off? Are others actually beginning to see him for what he is- an empty suit/puppet of soros and co. We can only hope. . . . I await the shrill squeals of denial soon to be trumpeted by the dust snorting trolls. . .
He failed because he has two of the worst characteristics possible:
He’s arrogant and he thinks he’s brilliant.
Scary.
As the Olympics have never been held in South America (Mexico doesn’t count) the IOC was bound to smile on the first serious bid by a South American country….especially given that the USA has hosted the Games many times already.
I guess the Obamas thought that history was reset on January 20, 2009 and so those other Games don’t count…..Sorry!
Wow.. As the WhiteHouse.gov page you proffered SLOWLY loads, the first glimpses, scans of the text nauseatingly say it all:
My.. Me.. I…………….
What (the [frip]) happened to….
We, the People..?
Are you still proud that you voted for Obama? [ROFLMAO]
1.All gone is all right. His adoring press coverage would have been insufferable and lasted through the 2016 Olympics. We dodged a major bullet.
“Was this the first meaningful poll for the 2012 presidential race?”
No, but thanks for asking.
“The most rational explanation for the reversal is “money.” Oh, not bribery, even though the IOC is rumored to be less than perfect.”
That’s EXACTLY what I said in another PM thread!
“Four possibilities come to mind. The IOC:”
All wrong.
You should know better and tell the truth, not write something foolish but appealing to the ignorant pajammers. You already said it was MONEY. Obama didn’t cough up the ‘bribe’ or made any promises, and the USOC just blew it. And the Brazilians are not stupid, they know how to bag politicians.
To be fair, Michelle never said it was a SACRIFICE sacrifice.
President Obama is an arrogant self-absorbed narcissistic swine who believes the world, let alone the universe, cannot function without Obama; the first lady, Michelle Obama, unfortunately suffers from the same self-absorbed ego-maniacal distortion. They couldn’t sell food to hungry people. They would be too busy talking about how great & wonderful they are selling such things. Arrogance, vanity, & ignorance make for a combustible concoction.
How about possibilities 1, 2, 3 and the beating to death video of a black honor student by black gang members?
1) Obama went to Copenhagen because he had to. There are plenty of Chicago pols who stood to make millions on the Olympics who were holding Obama’s markers. They called in their chips and he had to go. It wasn’t a choice.
2) The USOC, Obama, and the Chicago effort seemed to have forgotten the ill will generated by then Atlanta Mayor and now convicted felon, Bill Campbell at the 1996 Olympics. After 1996, it’s doubtful the IOC will ever let an urban U.S. political administration put on the games ever again. Why has this not been mentioned? Why was the travesty that was Bill Campbell’s 1996 fiasco not even in the discussion recently?
Consider Montreal. Chicago got lucky. By the way, with the Olympics in the southern hemisphere, are they still the summer games?
The IOC was being politically-correct (or geo-politically correct) … the decision had very little to do with Obama.
Why Chicago says Chicago lost the Olympics:
George Bush
George Bush
George Bush
George Bush
It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with Obama and cronies pathetic no-sale presentations, the world being as sick of Obama as America is, memories of America’s past Games, Chicago street crime, Chicago crooked politicians, the media tanking for Rio in dread of six winters in Chicago before 2016….
It couldn’t be as simple as the IOC member asking their spouse: “Honey, do you want to go to Rio or Chicago for summer vacation?”. Duh!!!
“Mayor Daley had only reluctantly agreed to commit the city to cover any losses and had repeatedly assured taxpayers that they would not be on the hook”
Who else besides the taxpayer would pay? Is the city going to start a profitable business to cover the losses? Even in that unlikely scenario, wouldn’t it be the taxpayer that is charged with supplying the start-up money?
Career politicians begin with the notion that government creates value somehow, when all it does is skim the top off of value created by private citizens. The wealth has already been created by the time it reaches the tax man. If the tax man knew how to invest his “skimmings” in something useful or profitable, I’m sure we would all be more than willing to pay higher taxes. As it stands that is far from the case in almost every instance.
How about words from John Wayne?
Life is tough!
It’s a lot tougher when you’re stupid!
Obama is a legend in his own mind. Apparently he believes his own pr men. Once away from his fawning syncophants his aura dissipates. The Iranians and the Russians treat him with contempt. Sarkozy sneered at him. Kim Ill Jong poked a finger in his eye. Bin Laden laughts at him. They all recognize a two dimensional cutout when they meet one. Obama is not up to playing on the world stage. He’s just a Chicago pol. Just chalk up Rio as another amateur hour skit.
Vivo,
If you are correct, and it is just about money that the USOC didn’t deliver, why did Obama go? Shouldn’t he have known that it was all about the money? Shouldn’t he have known that since he couldn’t promise more money, he wouldn’t actually do any good.
Ha ha not another failure. I think it’s more akin to a growing realization that many DO NOT TRUST Obama. The IOC is an accomplished organization of global thieves and scammers, they could smell the Obama’s BS from thousands of miles away. The real problem for Obama is his only success ever has been to sell his Ego and that has become worthless…bye, bye, commie crook. 2010 we will start taking out the trash in DC.
Again, I’ll go with a PJM commenter last week regarding the losing U.S. bid.
Why would the IOC want to appease Obama and the U.S. considering Obama’s apology tour, telling these folks how much the U.S. sucks?!
vivo, please share Brazil’s supposed prowess in ‘bagging politicians’? Examples..?
I find difficulty in Obama’s little attention given to the Samoan tsunami which occurred.
Not to mention the other 1/2 dozen items on his docket which he’d started though hasn’t completed. Instead of bringing the Olympics to a city where an Honor Roll student is killed with a railroad tie..
What I find most appalling is that a product of the Cook County Democrat machine couldn’t spot a rigged vote a mile away and walked blissfully unaware into an ambush.
Every machine political hack from Cook County knows this in their bones, if they know nothing else: there may be coups, there may be defeats, but there are NEVER any surprises.
–furious
Europeans are just not into unicorns.
I have to agree with several Republican and Democratic politicians. The president is right to try to bring good things to his country for the benefit of the country. Obama did not get the games, but like every other president, he should not stop trying, like most of his formers did. I know you all wanted the games in the U.S. and your upset. But dont fear, there are plenty of opportunities in the future. Our president is a tremendously popular throughout the world and this will of great benefit for our country.
The ioc is not as dumb as democratic primary voters.
When will the Obamas stop habitualy lying? Michel’s speach was moronic. Only an Oprah audiance could listen to that crap.
I happen to be in Chicago over the week-end for a wedding during the announcement. I am from Michigan. I started a conversation with three individuals at different establishments on Friday. All three summed up their feelings almost exactly the same way. They think Mayor Daley is corrupt. His cronnies would make out big time. And no way did they ever believe the event would break even. They were happy Chicago lost! Maybe elected leaders should really talk to voters instead of ignoring them. Ya think!
Poor Citizen: The world leaders, especially the tryants, undoubtedly laugh their heads off when they think of the pitiful clown now sitting in the WH. That is not the same as “being popular.”
Much of the world wants a weakened America and so of course they welcome the WH Wuss. Level-headed foreigners like Sarko are less pleased.
22. WestWright: Potter?
This whole olympics thing is absolutely not a big deal. He went to lobby and lost.
The fact is: I seriously doubt most non politically interested people frankly care that he went to copenhagen and that chicago didn’t get it. South America was up anyways.
And when it comes down to it, obama has already done whole load of things to hang himself with. Keep on target and keep on exposing him for the radical marxist he’s proven himself to be. Let this drop.
Re #10/vivo: [...] Obama didn’t cough up the ‘bribe’ or made any promises [...]
Vivo, I have to admit that again you beat my expectations as the chief issuer of inanities on PJM.
You did it, buddy again, yeah, you are right – actually there videos clearly showing Lula running around at the IOU meeting, distributing wads od cash to grinning Olympic delegates. Yes, sir – but Obama doesn’t this type of things – and take this from Vivo.
21. Paul from Hamburg:
“If you are correct, and it is just about money that the USOC didn’t deliver, why did Obama go?”
We would have to ask him, I’m guessing that he thought using reason and prestige would sway the IOC, or someone really misinformed him. We don’t know the behind the scene manipulations, so it’s difficult to arrive at the truth. Hopefully he learned a lesson here.
23. paul_unalaska:
Again, I’ll go with a PJM commenter last week regarding the losing U.S. bid.
Why would the IOC want to appease Obama and the U.S. considering Obama’s apology tour, telling these folks how much the U.S. sucks?!
23. paul_unalaska:
“vivo, please share Brazil’s supposed prowess in ‘bagging politicians’? Examples..?”
One example:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2242608620070522
We now know the real reason for the Copenhagen trip: Use Chicago style arm twisting for the Nobel.
He wasn’t after the Olympics at all; ALWAYS CAMPAIGNING FOR THE “O”!
So, in our current recessionary times, why is it a bad thing that we did not agree to spend billions?