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10/6/2009
Burri: Copenhagen trip was amateurish

Was it a slap in the face, or wasn't it? And will the U.S. ever host the Olympics again?

The answer to #1: yes. The real question is: whose face?

The answer to #2: well, of course we will. Someday. Sooner or later. But the dynamics of getting them – that may have changed forever.

In case you hadn’t heard (welcome back from…geez, where? Mars?), Chicago was one of four finalists in line to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. President and Mrs. Obama both went to Copenhagen (in separate planes, on separate days) to ply their influence, but Chicago came in…last. Rio won.

As I wrote last week, this was a strange way to spend Obama’s fast-evaporating political capital, at a time when he needs all he can get. That he put so much of himself into the effort, and failed…

Well, that’s kind of a slap in the face.

Now: it might not have been an intentional slap at Obama himself. According to this story:

…bad blood between the committee and its U.S. branch — they’ve had flare-ups over revenue sharing and lucrative broadcasting rights — proved to be a note of discord. IOC members said the slap to Chicago was more directed at the U.S. Olympic Committee than to the Windy City itself.

Also, my previous prognostications aside, I wonder now whether this indignity might actually help Obama on the world scene. From the same story:

The indignity suffered by Chicago — long considered a front-runner — was such that some IOC members squirmed.

World leaders might – I repeat might – be a little more careful now not to insult the U.S., to avoid the image of piling on.

World leaders not named Sarkozy or Ahmadinejad, anyway.

How we might take advantage of that temporary reprieve from criticism, I've no idea.

But on to the second question. President Obama was the first U.S. president ever to personally lobby the IOC. Has he set a precedent? Will the U.S. ever host the Games without a similar Presidential effort?

Other nations, it appears, regularly send their chief executives. Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was an active member of his country's delegation. According to this account, Tony Blair did the same in the past.

So: in the future, will the lack of an American president’s personal appeal be a slap in the IOC's face?

Not to mention: this gives the rest of the world an easy way to "humiliate" the U.S., should they wish to do so. We all assume, I think, that President Bush would have been rebuffed, just for being the reckless cowboy that he was. Extrapolating from there, we can assume that anytime the “world community” dislikes a U.S. president, that U.S. president should stay the hell away from the IOC’s deliberations.

Except that if the president stays away, now that President Obama made a personal appeal, he/she will be showing disrespect to the IOC. To the Olympics. To the world.

As you can probably tell, I’ve really no idea what’s going to come out of all this. I’ve even less idea whether it’s good or bad.

I do think, though, that Obama’s trip to Copenhagen was amateurish. For Obama to act like an amateur on the home stage – that’s one thing. Acting like an amateur on the international stage? That’s something else. Something else we can’t afford.

Lance Burri blogs regularly via his site, The TrogloPundit.

COMMENTS

Oh come on. If he had not gone you'd be throwing stones too. I frankly see the decision as appropriate. Brazil was due, we were not.

Jack Lohman (Tue Oct 06 07:23:43 2009)

I, personally, would never have thrown a stone had he not made the trip. Based on the luke-warm enthusiasm in Chicago (don't let pictures fool you ... there are over 7 Million in the Chicago area and it only takes a few thousand to 'pack' Daley Plaza), I highly doubt the choice would have even been written about here.

Until I read the previous comment, I had absolutely no intention of commenting. Olympics? Non-event. If we get 'em, great ... I know I wouldn't go, but great. If we don't? OK.

Jeff Riedl (Tue Oct 06 09:03:00 2009)

No, Jack, I would not have. There are too many other, more important issues. A trip to Copenhagen for that purpose alone (when Michelle had already gone separately!) was a waste of money. No other president has ever done so. I have tried hard to be fair to Obama. I have defended him several times from what I thought were silly attacks. Maybe I just shouldn't bother?

Lance (Tue Oct 06 09:20:18 2009)

Lance, he would have been damned no matter what his decision. Maybe you wouldn't have piled on, but many others would have. That all other presidents went and he didn't would have been a snub to Chicago. The cost? Yea, a little more waste on top of much more waste. But we always seem to overlook even greater inefficiencies in our financial system to cast stones.

Were I making the decision it would have been to stay home, but this has become yet another partisan issue. Too bad.

Jack Lohman (Tue Oct 06 09:37:59 2009)

I do think, though, that Obama’s trip to Copenhagen was amateurish. For Obama to act like an amateur on the home stage – that’s one thing. Acting like an amateur on the international stage? That’s something else. Something else we can’t afford.

I think a world record was set during the Presidential Campaign. It was the most times in a year that the words, inexperienced amateur, were used in connection with a Presidential Candidate. The words were being applied, over and over again, to The One.

Obama's idea that he can talk his way into or out of just about anything is the pinacle of amateurism driven by ego. Personally I think the IOC caught the stench as soon as the teleprompter started rolling and reacted to it.

But you're right, Lance. In ways far more important than just some international games, we can't afford this egotistical amateur. I guess the IOC just wasn't up for the hopey-changey thing. But as each day goes by, neither is America.

Duke (Tue Oct 06 10:25:37 2009)

I couldn't caare less whther BO went or not. I'm MUCH more worried re the economic mess the US is in. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the fed, and the Treasury Dept, all agree that we are headed for financial disaster. Read the whole thig at www.moneyandmarkets.com; the article is on the left column, titled "Three Government Reports Point to Fiscal Doomsday".

THIS is not partisan, this is REAL! When the GOV"T is admitting we've got a problem, we'd all better wake up and smell the coffee! That's why it makes no sense to even consider Cap and Trade, which will hurt the US, not stop emissions, and even potentially make them worse as companies will move overseas, where there will be fewer restrictions on pollution.

That's why it makes no sense to even consider some national health scheme, the NAIS, farm subsidies for millionaires, ethanol subsidies...We just cannot afford this reckless spending anymore. This spending has gone on for over 50 years, so it is not really a partisan issue. It has GOT to stop, and what better than for the guy who promised "change" to start, by eliminating all lobbying?

emily matthews (Tue Oct 06 11:36:41 2009)

Yes govt spending must be curtailed, but as long as the politicians are funded by the special interests that want spending to continue, don't even think about it.

Jack Lohman (Tue Oct 06 13:31:35 2009)

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