Obama’s Olympic failure will only add to doubts about his presidency

[Crabtownboy]

There has been friction between the US Olympic Committee and the IOC for a long time.

IOC members "don't hate America, they hate the USOC, and with good reason," said Dick Ebersol, who controls the Olympic operation for NBC, the biggest Olympic rights holder. "Congress doesn't need to do any new reform. The USOC just needs new leadership."

Ebersol and USOC International Vice President Bob Ctvrtlik speculated that the USOC's failure to connect with the Olympic world at large hurt the bid. The USOC recently changed its president and chief executive, and the United States has not had a seat on the IOC's executive board for years.

"The U.S. Olympic movement hasn't engaged with the IOC in a long time," Ctvrtlik said. "I don't think it's anti-American, but we still don't have the horsepower to do the politicizing."

"I know in the U.S. it's going to be all, 'Barack Obama failed,' but he and Michelle were the highlight," said Olympic historian David Wallechinsky, who attended this week's session. "What people in America might not realize is that IOC politics are much bigger than the United States."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100200550.html?hpid=topnews

 

[Spear]

"What people in America might not realize is that IOC politics are much bigger than the United States."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...l?hpid=topnews

What does that last sentence mean ? Does he mean that US people don't realize that their USOC is riding alone, far from the IOC ?

 

[Crabtownboy]

What does that last sentence mean ? Does he mean that US people don't realize that their USOC is riding alone, far from the IOC ?

I believe you have it right. Many here do not realize that we are a single player in a big pond with the IOC ... and that relations between the US group and the IOC have not been good for a long time. I fear the USIOC has been guilty of arrogance and that does not play well in a large group.

 

[rbell]

I understand the disappointment of the american people.

I never really understood how the Olympic comitee decides, and honestly, it isn't because Chicago was " under " Rio, that it wasn't chosen.

Two things come to my mind :
1) USA got the games two times, maybe they decided a third would be too much for now compared to those who applied many times but never got these.

2) Lobbyism. Even after the decision, everybody agreed that Paris was the best candidate for 2012 Olympic games, that the presentation, infrastructures, all was better than its concurrents. London got the games ... being the best candidate, even approved among other, isn't enough to get the games.

The US has hosted eight Olympic games...that's more than any other country. We've had plenty of shots, and there will be more in the future.

Keep in mind...it's questionable if even most Chicagoans wanted the Olympics. There was significant resistance.

 

[KenH]

badmouthed America

What did President Obama say to the IOC that badmouthed America?

 

[carpro]

Michelle Obama gave an impassioned speech, but alas, she talked almost exclusively about herself and Barak, as usual.

Maybe the IOC just got tired of all the self promotion.

 

[Twizzler]

I was disappointed they didn't come to Chicago as it's so close to me, but I'm even more disappointed by the insistence of some to turn this into a political issue. When I saw that the liberals were pointing at the past eight years and saying that's probably what held us up, the latent, unforgiven past, I was quite upset... and then to say it was caused by Obama was also ludicrous.

We've had them here many times in my lifetime and although it's a disappointment not to have them in 2016, it's not the end of the world. I was quite happy for Rio to get them as they've never had them before.

What a crock to lay this at the feet of Obama OR Bush... shame on anyone that's doing that.

 

[Revmitchell]

.. and then to say it was caused by Obama was also ludicrous.

.

Who said this?

 

[HankD]

Who said this?

Right, everyone knows it was "GWB"'s fault.

HankD

 

[just-want-peace]

Some claim that Chicago was destined to the scrap heap prior to the Obama's vist and plea bargaining! Maybe so, but this tells more about the arrogance of the Obamas than it does about the criteria for selection.

Did this have any influence?? I certainly don't know, but I do think it certainly adds validity to the title of this thread. (If any more were needed!!:BangHead::BangHead: )

Of course Barack and Michelle Obama failed in Copenhagen. Their strategy could not possibly succeed. In their academic arrogance, they thought they could sell a product they clearly do not believe in (the United States) and moreover, they could do so by stressing the benefits to the seller (Chicago) and not the buyer (the IOC). And to top it off, they committed the faux pas of talking too much about the sales force (themselves) and not about the product or the buyer.

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/the_obamas_violated_first_thre.html

 

[KenH]

Pastor Mitchell, what did President Obama say to the IOC that badmouthed America that you referenced earlier in this thread?

 

[Revmitchell]

Pastor Mitchell, what did President Obama say to the IOC that badmouthed America that you referenced earlier in this thread?

The same thing he has said all over the world already on his badmouth America and the former admin tour of the world. America and Bush bad, Obama Good, trust Obama.

 

[KenH]

Okay, I thought you meant that he had badmouthed America during his address to the IOC. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Revmitchell]

Okay, I thought you meant that he had badmouthed America during his address to the IOC. Thanks for the clarification.

He did..........

 

[KenH]

He did..........

Okay, would mind sharing to those of us who haven't heard it what President Obama said to the IOC that badmouthed America?

 

[Revmitchell]

Okay, would mind sharing to those of us who haven't heard it what President Obama said to the IOC that badmouthed America?

I just told you

 

[KenH]

I don't see it. Can you give me the post number? Thanks.

 

[alatide]

I just told you

I'm calling you out on this one. Here is the president's entire speech to the IOC. What is unAmerican about it? (BTW this is from your favorite FOX News.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

October 2, 2009
President Obama remarks at IOC meeting
http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/02/president-obama-remarks-at-ioc-meeting/

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery To the International Olympic Committee
President Rogge, ladies and gentlemen of the International Olympic Committee:
I come here today as a passionate supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games; as a strong believer in the movement they represent; and a proud Chicagoan. But above all, I come as a faithful representative of the American people, and we look forward to welcoming the world to the shores of Lake Michigan and the heartland of our nation in 2016.
To host athletes and visitors from every corner of the globe is a high honor and a great responsibility. And America is ready and eager to assume that sacred trust. We are a nation that has always opened its arms to the citizens of the world – including my own father – who have sought something better; who have dreamed of something bigger.
I know you face a difficult choice among several great cities and nations with impressive bids of their own. So 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. And it’s not only because it’s where I met the woman you just heard from – though after getting to know her this week, I’m sure you’d all agree that she’s a pretty big selling point.
You see, growing up, my family moved around a lot. And I never really had roots in any one place or culture or ethnic group. Then I came to Chicago. And on those Chicago streets, I worked alongside men and women who were black and white; Latino and Asian; people of every class and nationality and religion. I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, but one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods.
Each one of those neighborhoods – from Greektown to the Ukrainian Village; from Devon to Pilsen to Washington Park – has its own unique character, history, song, and sometimes language. But each is also a part of our city – one city – a city where I finally found a home.
Chicago is a place where we strive to celebrate what makes us different just as we celebrate what we have in common. It’s a place where our unity is on colorful display at so many festivals, parades, and especially sporting events, where perfect strangers become fast friends at the sight of the same jersey. It’s a city that works – from its first World’s Fair more than a century ago to the World Cup we hosted in the nineties, we know how to put on big events. And scores of visitors and spectators will tell you that we do it well.
Chicago is a city where the practical and the inspirational exist in harmony; where visionaries who made no small plans rebuilt after a great fire and taught the world to reach new heights. It’s a bustling metropolis with the warmth of a small town; where the world already comes together every day to live and work and reach for a dream – a dream that no matter who we are or where we’re from; no matter what we look like or what hand life has dealt us, with hard work, and discipline, and dedication, we can make it if we try.
That’s not just the American Dream. That is the Olympic spirit. That’s why we see so much of ourselves in these Games. And that’s why we want them in Chicago. That’s why we want them in America.
We stand at a moment in history when the fate of each nation is inextricably linked to the fate of all nations – a time of common challenges that require a common effort. And I ran for President because I believed deeply that at this defining moment, the United States of America has a responsibility to help lead that effort, and to forge new partnerships with the nations and peoples of the world.
No one expects the Games to solve our collective challenges. But we do believe that in a world where we have too often witnessed the darker aspects of our humanity, peaceful competition between nations represents what is best about our humanity. It brings us together, if only for a few weeks, face to face. It helps us understand one another just a little better. It reminds us that no matter how or where we differ, we all seek our own measure of happiness, and fulfillment, and pride in what we do. And that is a very powerful starting point for progress.
Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn’t about me as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America’s experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals. It sprung from the hope that in this ever-shrinking world, our diversity could be a source of strength and cause for celebration; and that with sustained work and determination, we could learn to live and prosper together during the fleeting moment we share on this Earth.
That work is far from over, but it has begun in earnest. And while we do not know what the next few years will bring, there is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family’s home and welcome the world back to our neighborhood.
At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more; to ignite the spirit of possibility at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement in a new generation; to offer a stage worthy of the extraordinary talent and dynamism offered by nations joined together – to host games that unite us in noble competition and shared celebration of our limitless potential as a people.
And so I urge you to choose Chicago. I urge you to choose America. And if you do; if we walk this path together; then I promise you this: the city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud. Thank you.

 

[KenH]

Thanks for posting this, alatide. It doesn't appear that he talked very long. And I agree with your assessment. I see no America bashing in it.

 

[Nonsequitur]

I'm calling you out on this one. Here is the president's entire speech to the IOC. What is unAmerican about it? (BTW this is from your favorite FOX News.)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

October 2, 2009
President Obama remarks at IOC meeting
http://whitehouse.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/10/02/president-obama-remarks-at-ioc-meeting/

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery To the International Olympic Committee
President Rogge, ladies and gentlemen of the International Olympic Committee:
I come here today as a passionate supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games; as a strong believer in the movement they represent(laughing inside enough that I can't read the tele-prompter); and a proud Chicagoan('Nuff said). But above all, I come as a faithful representative of the American people(you wish), and we look forward to welcoming the world to the shores of Lake Michigan and the heartland of our nation in 2016.(I want to release terrosts into the US from Guantanamo.)
To host athletes and visitors (from the terrorist jails), from every corner of the globe is a high honor and a great responsibility(To my muslim brethren). And America is ready and eager to assume that sacred trust. (Hehheh) (Of course only here, if you are having a problem with despots in the country you are living in, you are on your own.)We are a nation that has always opened its arms to the citizens of the world – including my own father (which one?)– who have sought something better; who have dreamed of something bigger.
I know you face a difficult choice among several great cities and nations with impressive bids of their own. So I’ve come here today to urge you to choose Chicago for the same reasons I chose Chicago nearly twenty-five years ago (the graft?)– the reasons I fell in love with the city I still call home (as opposed to your real home?). And it’s not only because it’s where I met the woman you just heard from – though after getting to know her this week,(his wife) I’m sure you’d all agree that she’s a pretty big selling point.
You see, growing up, my family moved around a lot.(No kidding, that's why people think you were born someplace else.) And I never really had roots in any one place or culture or ethnic group.(See above.) Then I came to Chicago. (From where is what they are asking.)And on those Chicago streets, I worked (I call BS. You have never 'worked' a day in your life.)alongside men and women who were black and white; Latino and Asian; people of every class and nationality and religion(Again, I call BS). I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, but one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods.(Sounds like typical political road dumplings to me.)
Each one of those neighborhoods – from Greektown to the Ukrainian Village; from Devon to Pilsen to Washington Park (Now, how would you know?)– has its own unique character, history, song, and sometimes language. But each is also a part of our city – one city – a city where I finally found a home.(In 2005)
Chicago is a place where we strive to celebrate what makes us different just as we celebrate what we have in common. (Um....I have friends and family there. That's not the way they look at it.)It’s a place where our unity is on colorful display at so many festivals, parades, and especially sporting events, where perfect strangers become fast friends at the sight of the same jersey. It’s a city that works – from its first World’s Fair more than a century ago to the World Cup we hosted in the nineties, we know how to put on big events. And scores of visitors and spectators will tell you that we do it well.(Uh, how do you know, neither you, nor your family was there, unless you have some new-fangeled time displacement machine that allowed your family to be there while you were born in Hawaii.)
Chicago is a city where the practical and the inspirational exist in harmony; where visionaries who made no small plans rebuilt after a great fire and taught the world to reach new heights. It’s a bustling metropolis with the warmth of a small town; where the world already comes together every day to live and work and reach for a dream – a dream that no matter who we are or where we’re from; no matter what we look like or what hand life has dealt us, with hard work, and discipline, and dedication, we can make it if we try.(Sounds good, but if you are going to talk the talk, you might try to walk the walk.)
That’s not just the American Dream. That is the Olympic spirit. That’s why we see so much of ourselves in these Games. And that’s why we want them in Chicago. That’s why we want them in America.
We stand at a moment in history when the fate of each nation is inextricably linked to the fate of all nations – a time of common challenges that require a common effort. ( Now that is just funny, coming from an administration that believes terrorism is a 'world adjustment'.And I ran for President because I believed deeply that at this defining moment, the United States of America has a responsibility to help lead that effort, (Of relenquishing (SP?)all our freedoms as a free nation) and to forge new partnerships with the nations and peoples of the world.(Especially my muslim brothers.)
No one expects the Games to solve our collective challenges. But we do believe that in a world where we have too often witnessed the darker aspects of our humanity, peaceful competition between nations represents what is best about our humanity. (Like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Mehn, Breschev, and the other commies and socialists whose names I've mis-spelled.) brings us together, if only for a few weeks, face to face. It helps us understand one another just a little better. It reminds us that no matter how or where we differ, we all seek our own measure of happiness, and fulfillment, and pride in what we do. And that is a very powerful starting point for progress.(As soon as I can get some money from someone who earned it, because God knows, I've never had a job.)
Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election. Their interest wasn’t about me as an individual. (Yes it was. I'll say it since everyone else is too chicken. America tried voting for a black man just to show that it was not prejudiced, in spite of the fact that you were an enemy of the U.S.)Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America’s experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals. It sprung from the hope that in this ever-shrinking world, our diversity (diversity?...anyone remember when we were united?)could be a source of strength and cause for celebration; and that with sustained work and determination, we could learn to live and prosper together during the fleeting moment we share on this Earth.(Fantastic, just don't give my hard-earned money to those that will not work.)
That work is far from over,(we know) but it has begun in earnest.(no kidding.) And while we do not know what the next few years will bring, sure we do, more government confiscation.)there is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family’s home and welcome the world back to our neighborhood.(The 'world' was never 'at' your neighborhood. America was. You just chose to ignore it and chose the communistic way of taking what is not yours and giving it to others.)
At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more; to ignite the spirit of possibility at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic movement in a new generation; to offer a stage worthy of the extraordinary talent and dynamism offered by nations joined together – to host games that unite us in noble competition (Noble competition....you mean when the Olympics was 'supposed to be amateur' and not professional? When the USSR did not use the transgendered? When the 'sport' was to be about the best of the best out of each country and not about what each country could produce?)and shared celebration of our limitless potential as a people.
And so I urge you to choose Chicago. I urge you to choose America. And if you do; if we walk this path together; then I promise you this: the city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud. Thank you.

We should actually thank him. This is one way his muslim brothers will not be able to come to this country under the guise of the olympics and wreak havok.