# Using the Olympics for political ads?? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 19, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595 "2004-08-19T19:19:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/1 "2004-08-19T19:19:04Z")
I just cannot fathom where Bush gets the BALLS to even sanction something like this!!! Words fail me… [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/19/iraq/index.html?cnn=yes](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/19/iraq/index.html?cnn=yes) From the article: > [@](#): > > In those spots, the flags of Iraq and Afghanistan appear as a narrator says, “At this Olympics there will be two more free nations – and two fewer terrorist regimes.” Dickhead is just not strong enough of a word for this “man”. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/2 "2004-08-19T19:31:51Z")
Kerry supporter, Bush hater here. I don’t see the problem. How is mentioning two of the few positives to come out of our military activities a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/3 "2004-08-19T19:35:13Z")
You don’t see a problem with lying? Iraq was not a “terrorist regime”, and neither country is “free”. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/4 "2004-08-19T19:37:03Z")
Sorry, but the Olympics have long since lost any real meaning in an orgy of commercialism, drug abuse, and bribery scandals. Might as well use them for political fodder: it’s not like they’re good for anything else anymore. Besides, Bush has already shown that he has no scruples about using 9/11 for political leverage, and that’s far more craven and insulting that trying to squeeze some capital out of a glorified track meet. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/5 "2004-08-19T19:37:48Z")
Some of the Iraqi players are [not happy](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/19/iraq/index.html?cnn=yes) with the ad either. One of them states that if he were not playing soccer, he would be fighting with the resistance. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/6 "2004-08-19T19:48:32Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > You don’t see a problem with lying? Iraq was not a “terrorist regime”, and neither country is “free”. The OP does not raise such a concern, though. Seems to me, that the OP is primarily concerned with linking Bush’s campaign to the Olympics, or at least of connecting what Bush sees as two of his accomplishments with the Olympics. Bush’s lies weren’t mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/7 "2004-08-19T20:11:27Z")
Man, those soccer players are pissed. > [@](#): > > Sadir had a message for U.S. president George W. Bush, who is using the Iraqi Olympic team in his latest re-election campaign advertisements… > > “Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign,” Sadir told [SI.com](http://SI.com) through a translator, speaking calmly and directly. “He can find another way to advertise himself.” > > Ahmed Manajid, who played as a midfielder on Wednesday, had an even stronger response when asked about Bush’s TV advertisement. “How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?” Manajid told me. “He has committed so many crimes.” > \ > > But they also find it offensive that Bush is using their team for his own gain when they do not support his administration’s actions in Iraq. “My problems are not with the American people,” says Iraqi soccer coach Adnan Hamad. “They are with what America has done in Iraq: destroy everything. The American army has killed so many people in Iraq. What is freedom when I go to the [national] stadium and there are shootings on the road?” > > \ > > “I want the violence and the war to go away from the city,” says Sadir, 21. “We don’t wish for the presence of Americans in our country. We want them to go away.” > > Manajid, 22, who nearly scored his own goal with a driven header on Wednesday, hails from the city of Fallujah. He says coalition forces killed Manajid’s cousin, Omar Jabbar al-Aziz, who was fighting as an insurgent, and several of his friends. In fact, Manajid says, if he were not playing soccer he would “for sure” be fighting as part of the resistance. > > “I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the people resist, does that mean they are terrorists?” Manajid says. “Everyone [in Fallujah] has been labeled a terrorist. These are all lies. Fallujah people are some of the best people in Iraq.” > > \ > > When the Games are over, though, Coach Hamad says, they will have to return home to a place where they fear walking the streets. “The war is not secure,” says Hamad, 43. "Many people hate America now. This seems to be totally blowing up in Bush’s face. Maybe he should have asked the team how they felt before he decided to exploit them. I hope the Iraqi team keeps winning because it’s good for the morale of the Iraqi people. It would also be nice to get a few more sound bytes like this on national TV. “And Sharon is on the field with the Iraq soccer team who has just won the Gold. Take it away, Sharon.” “Thank you, Bob. I’m here with the Iraqi team captain, Salih Sadir. How are you feeling right now, Salih?” “FUCK BUSH!” “Thank you. Back to you Bob.” ---
**Author:** ![Dob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Dob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dob)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/8 "2004-08-19T20:24:25Z")
> [@](#): > > The OP does not raise such a concern, though. Seems to me, that the OP is primarily concerned with linking Bush’s campaign to the Olympics, or at least of connecting what Bush sees as two of his accomplishments with the Olympics. Bush’s lies weren’t mentioned. correct! my disgust is using the Olympics as some sort of twisted justification for the deaths of thousands of people! At this point WMD’s are a joke for justifications. Hussein and Osma connections were never proven…at least not enough to justify war. So basically we are now at the point that we had no real reason to go to war, 'cept to allow the Iraqi soccer team to compete!? Honestly it wouldnt bother me so much if someone actually FIGHTING in the wars said something like this. But for him to say it?? Bleh… ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/9 "2004-08-19T20:35:17Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Some of the Iraqi players are [not happy](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/olympics/2004/writers/08/19/iraq/index.html?cnn=yes) with the ad either. One of them states that if he were not playing soccer, he would be fighting with the resistance. Something about that strikes me as hilarious. Insteading of fighting the evil invaders he’s off playing a silly game. Nice to know where his priorities are. Marc ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/10 "2004-08-19T20:45:42Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > Something about that strikes me as hilarious. Insteading of fighting the evil invaders he’s off playing a silly game. Nice to know where his priorities are. > > Marc Huh? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/11 "2004-08-19T21:03:37Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > This seems to be totally blowing up in Bush’s face. Maybe he should have asked the team how they felt before he decided to exploit them. Nah, that’d be some of that pussified Kerry sensitivity… ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/12 "2004-08-19T22:05:48Z")
> [@MGibson](#): > > Something about that strikes me as hilarious. Insteading of fighting the evil invaders he’s off playing a silly game. Nice to know where his priorities are. The lift to his fellow Iraqis from his playing soccer is greater than what he can provide as another body in the resistance, is what I would imagine his thinking woud be. He can always hook up with the resistance after the games. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2004, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/13 "2004-08-19T22:27:46Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > He can always hook up with the resistance after the games. Do the Sadrists have a special salute they could use at an awards ceremony? That’d be sure to cause much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the part of our president’s minions. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lodoen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b3f665/32.png) [@Jeff\_Lodoen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lodoen)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/14 "2004-08-20T10:14:58Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > The lift to his fellow Iraqis from his playing soccer is greater than what he can provide as another body in the resistance, is what I would imagine his thinking woud be. > > He can always hook up with the resistance after the games. Yeah, like now he won’t be watched by the new regime (evil American regime!) Note to wannabe resistants: Don’t lay out your plans to the international press! (unless it’s an idle threat of course) ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/15 "2004-08-20T10:26:47Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > The lift to his fellow Iraqis from his playing soccer is greater than what he can provide as another body in the resistance, is what I would imagine his thinking woud be. > > He can always hook up with the resistance after the games. Fuck, in another thread I mentioned I was rooting for the Iraqi soccer team. Now a player says he’d like to kill Americans. Anyone wonder why I’m now hoping every team beats them 25-0? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/16 "2004-08-20T10:33:10Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Fuck, in another thread I mentioned I was rooting for the Iraqi soccer team. Now a player says he’d like to kill Americans. Anyone wonder why I’m now hoping every team beats them 25-0? No, for a change I don’t think anybody is going to have to strain to understand your reasoning. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/17 "2004-08-20T11:29:10Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Fuck, in another thread I mentioned I was rooting for the Iraqi soccer team. Now a player says he’d like to kill Americans. Anyone wonder why I’m now hoping every team beats them 25-0? Lemme guess. Because they didn’t drink the Kool-Aid. OTOH, I’m now rooting for them all the way to the gold. Ain’t integrity grand? ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/18 "2004-08-20T11:35:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Now a player says he’d like to kill Americans. What he is saying is that he would be willing to take up arms to defend his country in an attempt to quell the violence and continuation of aggressive attacks against innocent Iraqis. Do you think this is a invalid concern, or is patriotism solely an American virtue? ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/19 "2004-08-20T11:45:00Z")
> [@Aro](#): > > What he is saying is that he would be willing to take up arms to defend his country in an attempt to quell the violence and continuation of aggressive attacks against innocent Iraqis. > Do you think this is a invalid concern, or is patriotism solely an American virtue? Patriotism is great, as long as it’s not for a country Bush is invading, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595/20 "2004-08-20T11:52:16Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > Patriotism is great, as long as it’s not for a country Bush is invading, apparently. And as long as it doesn’t include opposing Bush invading a country. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-the-olympics-for-political-ads/260595.md?page=2)