Obama and the Olympics: Perspective

It's stunning to me that so many people assumed that the International Olympic Committee wouldn't dare refuse the almighty Obama and his wife and the rich, powerful Oprah.

They arrogantly assumed it was a lock, but it wasn't.

Chicago wasn't chosen to host the 2016 Olympics.

How could Obama be denied, or as Rush Limbaugh put it, "bitch-slapped" by an international body like the IOC?

From the Chicago Tribune:

It was the kind of stinging defeat Chicago sports fans know all too well.

Mayor Richard Daley took one grand shot at landing the Olympics, devoting more than three years to an effort that involved thousands of volunteers and more than $72 million in donations, but in the end Chicago was done in by a combination of Rio de Janeiro's more compelling story line and the quirky politics of Olympic voting.

Despite an appearance by President Barack Obama at the final presentations Friday, Chicago's candidacy landed with a thud. The city was ousted in the first round of voting for the 2016 Games, rejected before the mayor's car could even arrive back at the convention center to witness the drama of the International Olympic Committee vote. He had the car turned around and headed straight to a suddenly deflated Chicago backers' party.

Back in Chicago, the celebration also ended practically as quickly as it began. Would-be revelers arrived at Daley Center and other locations expecting a tense morning culminating in a victory announcement just before noon locally. Instead, Chicago was out of the running by about 10:15 a.m.

Chicago's main pitch was to put on games along the spectacular backdrop of Lake Michigan. That turned out to be no match for Rio, not because the beach at Ipanema outshines Oak Street, but because of a more powerful geographic symbolism. Time and time again in this intense contest, Rio de Janeiro hammered away at the fact that an organization devoted to international understanding through sport had never deigned to give the games to South America.

Rio's argument won the day, and the games, over Madrid in the third and final round of voting, 66-32. Chicago got the least votes in round one and was eliminated, followed out the door by Tokyo in round two.

I think it was positively ridiculous that people thought the IOC couldn't resist the alleged star power of Obama, Michelle, and Oprah.

I think it was a terrible mistake for the Obama White House to tie Obama to the 2016 Olympics, as if he would have been responsible if the IOC had picked Chicago, deserving the glory.

The administration chose to make this all about Obama. The world was supposed to be so impressed with global citizen Obama that it would do his bidding and award the Games to Chicago.

Obama himself turned this into his Olympian defeat.

It never ever should have been about him, yet Obama gambled and put his credibility on the line. He chose to make the IOC's vote on the host city for 2016 a referendum on him.

The fact that Rio was picked, the very first time the Games have been given to South America, is a loss for Obama because that's how he decided to frame the 2016 Olympics -- all about him.

It would be his win or his loss.

I don't know why Obama wanted it this way, but he did. He lost. Now, he has to deal with that.

I really don't think the IOC bitch-slapped the Obamas. However, had Chicago been awarded the Games, Obama most definitely would have declared it to be his personal victory. It's ego run amok.

Since Chicago was eliminated in the first round, Obama must now experience the agony of defeat. He owns it.

His choice, his loss.