# Reaction to Chicago's failed Olympics bid **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 2, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372 "2009-10-02T17:43:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/41 "2009-10-03T04:47:49Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > But as has been pointed out elsewhere, if he DIDN’T go we’d be hearing speeches about how he missed out on an opportunity, isn’t doing his job and so on. You are accusing people of doing something wrong in a situation that didn’t happen. This is an unfalsifiable accusation, making it worse than useless unless you have proof to back it up. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/42 "2009-10-03T05:13:55Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > You are accusing people of doing something wrong in a situation that didn’t happen. No, I’m predicting that the right wingers wouldn’t change their behavior. Accusing Obama of failure and evil is the only reaction they have to anything he does or doesn’t do. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/43 "2009-10-03T05:22:36Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No, I’m predicting that the right wingers wouldn’t change their behavior. Accusing Obama of failure and evil is the only reaction they have to anything he does or doesn’t do. Rubbish. Even you must concede that, at the very least, the right-wingers don’t comment _at all_ on some things Obama does or doesn’t do. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/44 "2009-10-03T05:38:21Z")
I’ve said lots of good things about Obama on this board. In fact, now that I know he met with McChrystal on his trip, I’ll give him a pass on the Olympics thing, too (although I think it was a bad political move). I don’t mind giving Obama credit where it’s due, but the problem for me is that recently he’s been making many bad decisions, and not a lot of good ones. Maybe it’s just a cold streak and he’ll make some decisions I can get behind. The thing is, I think Obama is actually being tested hard for the first time right now. His health care program isn’t going where he wanted it to, Afghanistan is deteriorating and public opinion is turning against it, Iran is a huge problem, his allies are complaining, and millions of people are marching in ‘Tea Parties’ at home. This is where we’re really going to find out what kind of leader Obama is. I hope he’s a good one. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/45 "2009-10-03T05:42:08Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > …and millions of people are marching in ‘Tea Parties’ at home… Millions? This might charitably be described as a “generous assessment.” ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/46 "2009-10-03T06:26:18Z")
Mayor Daley was not in a position to commit the funds necessary to guarantee the financial demands needed other than to swear that private insurance would cover the process. In addition to not being able to commit public funds the Mayor didn’t have public support so tax levies would be a tough sell. The President’s advisors had to be aware of the situation. It was pointless to go over and sending the First Lady over first was just another set of Aircraft/cars/security. It easily cost over $1 million dollars to pitch something that was a financial risk for Chicago at best. And finally, Why the hell did Oprah Winfrey go over? Her star power is in the US and completely unrelated to sports. We should have sent over someone like Michael Jordan. This ship sank with streaks of champagne still on her bow. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/47 "2009-10-03T06:38:13Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’ve said lots of good things about Obama on this board. In fact, now that I know he met with McChrystal on his trip, I’ll give him a pass on the Olympics thing, too (although I think it was a bad political move). So even though the reason you gave for it being a bad political move was debunked, you still think it was a bad political move. Mmmmk. > [@Sam Stone](#): > > I don’t mind giving Obama credit where it’s due, but the problem for me The problem for you? WTF problem for you? You’re Canadian. :rolleyes: > [@Sam Stone](#): > > is that recently he’s been making many bad decisions, and not a lot of good ones. Maybe it’s just a cold streak and he’ll make some decisions I can get behind. Get behind how? You’re Canadian. You don’t get a vote in the US. What will you do? Eat more bacon? Celebrate with box seats at Leafs game? > [@Sam Stone](#): > > and millions of people are marching in ‘Tea Parties’ at home. Cite? “Millions”? And not one of your usual cites that don’t say anything about what you say it says, please. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/48 "2009-10-03T07:29:10Z")
Obama had very little to do with the bid - there was an entire organization that ran the Chicago bid by the USOC, then a joint effort by the USOC and the Chicago bid people in running it by the IOC. Expecting a two-day drop-in by Obama to help is ludicrous. And the impact of hosting the games benefits a limited set of people, the host city itself and the usual people who make money from the olympics. We’ve been spared a Daley/Chicago Machine driven debacle that would make the incompetent graft, craven greed and nonsense in Atlanta 1996 look like amateur hour. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/49 "2009-10-03T09:26:32Z")
I read the Times article,what a pathetic crock of shit it was too. How the author can consider himself to be a journalist or even expect to be taken seriously defies all belief. The I.O.C. stay well clear of politics for the simple reason that if one member started then inevitably others would follow and then almost certainly the Olympic movement would fall apart in a very short time. So all that stuff about Obamas reaction to the Honduran coup is so much nonesense. The Southern Hemisphere has been underrepresented for Olympic venues and as other posters have said,S.America is one of the continents that have so far not joined the hosting club. It looks like the Obama bashers will sink to any lengths to find something to slag him off for. What next ? My mail has been delivered late the last few days,its raining,kids are so disrespectful nowadays… Obviously its all down to Obama. Pathetic. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/50 "2009-10-03T09:51:16Z")
[Another sample analysis from the other side of the aisle.](http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/post-hoc-criticism-of-obamas-trip-justified/) I have to agree that I just don’t see this as having legs. No one is gonna be talking about this a year from now, let alone in '12, especially when there are things that even conservatives care more about that they’ll almost certainly still harp on, like the economy. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/51 "2009-10-03T13:27:31Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I have to agree that I just don’t see this as having legs. What if Obama’s _puppy_ died? That’d be the president’s fault, _and_ have legs. The right’d have a field day then! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/52 "2009-10-03T13:37:05Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > We’ve been spared a Daley/Chicago Machine driven debacle that would make the incompetent graft, craven greed and nonsense in Atlanta 1996 look like amateur hour. Agreed. An event of this scope with Daley involved couldn’t fail to be a corruption extravaganza. I question the wisdom of his involvement, but I don’t think Obama’s prestige is likely to suffer much or for long due to this. Long-term it might have been worse if the bid had been won and he was charged with some responsibility for the inevitably absurd cost of staging the Olympics. Reports are that China spent something over $16 billion (some say $20B) on the 2008 games, and that the total cost for London (2012), budgeted at around $4B when their bid was made, will actually be around $15B. This is beyond crazy, and an excellent reason to be glad Chicago lost. Good luck to Rio - they will need it. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/53 "2009-10-03T21:23:54Z")
Does everyone who questions the wisdom or propriety of Obama’s involvement in the Olympics bid also question the involvement of the King of Spain or the Premier of Japan for THEIR involvement in their countries bids? The heads of state of all four countries were there, so why is only Obama’s involvement stupid or partisan? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2009, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/54 "2009-10-03T21:55:22Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Does everyone who questions the wisdom or propriety of Obama’s involvement in the Olympics bid also question the involvement of the King of Spain or the Premier of Japan for THEIR involvement in their countries bids? Knowing little about the details of the issues they currently face at home, I can’t say whether such questions would be well founded. But Obama has a lot on his plate just now and is facing significant challenges in Afghanistan and over UHC - good reasons not to open himself to imputations of being distracted. At a time when he needs to appear strong and in control, he has associated himself more closely than necessary with what proved a rather dismal showing (first country eliminated). As noted, I think a bit much is being made of this and it will not long signify. But it has to be considered a small misstep at an inopportune time.. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/55 "2009-10-04T03:32:11Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Isn’t the selection process supposed to be, like, apolitical? Don’t say that it’s hypocritical Say rather that it’s apolitical “Once the Olympics are up, who cares how they go down That’s not our department,” says the International Olympic Committee. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/56 "2009-10-04T04:31:18Z")
> [@Kolga](#): > > Does everyone who questions the wisdom or propriety of Obama’s involvement in the Olympics bid also question the involvement of the King of Spain or the Premier of Japan for THEIR involvement in their countries bids? The heads of state of all four countries were there, so why is only Obama’s involvement stupid or partisan? It’s stupid because Chicago didn’t have the financial backing or public support to make it happen. The President and the first Lady spent over a million dollars on separate aircraft to deliver nothing in the way of additional support and the result was dead last. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/57 "2009-10-04T12:51:43Z")
[Obama meets with Afghanistan commander in Denmark](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZ7612MNwURQJjGYm5aordIHKC9gD9B368FG0) > [@](#): > > The Copenhagen meeting was an extension of those war council sessions “as we reassess and re-evaluate moving forward in Afghanistan,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/58 "2009-10-04T22:51:31Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > [Obama meets with Afghanistan commander in Denmark](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZ7612MNwURQJjGYm5aordIHKC9gD9B368FG0) What does that have to do with anything I said? Was the General part of the Olympic planning committee? Did he have a date with Oprah? What? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/59 "2009-10-04T23:11:35Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > What does that have to do with anything I said? It’s a fine reason for the president to go to Denmark, and also shows that Obama wasn’t just slackin off by cutting brush in Crawford; not that our last president was ever actually _not_ working hard. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372/60 "2009-10-04T23:23:40Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I think the biggest criticism Obama’s likely to get is that his decision to spend days on an Olympic bid shows a very poor set of priorities. His generals are waiting for his decision on Afghanistan while the situation deteriorates, and he tells them he needs a few more weeks to think about it - and then decides to focus his effort on bring the Olympics to Chicago. At the very least the appearance of misplaced priorities is very bad. Do you believe crap like that? Obama can do more than one thing at a time. He has computers and phones. He is always in contact with his people. Does the war all boil down to the day he was gone? Can nothing be done ? I guess he should lock himself into a cell and just think about Afghanistan for a couple days. No TV ,no family ,no health care ,just war. Then you would complain about that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaction-to-chicagos-failed-olympics-bid/512372.md?page=4)