Obama’s Olympic-Sized Gamble
He’s being mocked as “head of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce” for the Copenhagen junket to pitch Chicago for the 2016 Olympics. Kristol at the Weekly Standard bets he’ll get some real work in, with a surprise visit to Afghanistan. Good idea … Afghanistan is just one of the increasingly serious problems he’s facing.
But the Olympics could turn out to be another.
Not just because hanging around with IOC party animals in Copenhagen when you’ve been blowing off your theater commander really doesn’t look very good.
This Reuters article suggests that while the presidential thumb on the scales is weighty, it isn’t a done deal. Flaming Brazialian socialist Lula, flaming Spanish socialist Jose Luis Zapatero and center-left DJP PM Yukio Hatoyama are all coming in to make their own plugs. It’ll be a lefty-palooza. I like Lula in this race. Very third-worldy after London 2012. And I have a sneaking suspicion that after the hobnobbing is done, the IOC members will check their gift bags, look at the boxset of DVDs from Obama …
Anyway, Obama probably just thinks this a fun, feel-good sideshow, stepping up for the home team. Doesn’t seem like that big a deal. What he probably hasn’t figured out is that, taken with a health-care failure, an Iran debacle, bucking the generals on Afghanistan, and that climate change thing that has “health-care redux” written all over it, being dissed by the IOC is going to make him look like an Olympic-sized loser. Can’t get anything done. Especially since the wife said it’s “gloves off” and “take no prisoners.”
It’s a big gamble. This idea that you can treat not only your own top agenda items but actual serious national security concerns with less apparent interest than a big, expensive party for your hometown, and think there won’t be consequences.
Heinrichs in comments appears to be cyncially suggesting the august members of the IOC might be swayed by the girl from Ipanema, or maybe her topless, thonged granddaughter, more like it. Hey, I have a question. If they have the summer Olympics in the Southern Hemisphere, do they have to have them in January? Looks like the 2000 Sydney Olympics were held in late September-October, basically spring. The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were held in late November-December … and disturbing the routines of Northern Hemisphere athletes was a big concern. Turns out the Suez War and the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian Uprising were bigger distractions, causing numerous pullouts.)
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:59 pm on Tuesday, September 29, 2009
5 Responses to “Obama’s Olympic-Sized Gamble”
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September 29th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
1. Here is a beach, in Chicago.
2. Here is a beach, in Rio.
Decisions, decisions …
Cheers
September 30th, 2009 at 2:26 am
It would do him good to be told no, for once. Chicago is hot, humid and muggy in the summer. Not a palm tree in sight. And if it’s run by usual Chicago rules, it’ll end up costing the city and states, maybe also the feds many millions more than estimated. That’s not a federal sized deficit, but I don’t think the people will relish having to pay for the priviledge of having their lives disrupted for two weeks.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:03 am
This is pretty funny: http://www.chicagoansforrio.com/
Breitbart.tv: “The Drudge Report cites inside sources that claim WFLD-TV station management ordered that this story not be re-aired after they received a complaint from the Chicago Olympic Committee.” (Where “this story” is a TV news report on this amusing group, Chicagoans for Rio–their website has stuff like “match the Olympic host with its estimated budget overrun.” News video is at Breitbart.)
September 30th, 2009 at 11:15 am
[...] is already a failure for the President. As Jules Crittendon states, this is an Olympic sized gamble for Obama. How embarrassing will it be now if Chicago is not [...]
October 1st, 2009 at 4:11 am
I’m a Chicagoan, who thinks having the Olympics here is a good idea. The planning should get some outside oversight, but it’s not like it is impossible to get things done here. Daley is not like Obama - he’s harsh, uncharismatic, but dedicated to getting things done.
I’m looking at it for the infrastructure improvements we would get - not like I could gt tickets for the olympics on my salary.