by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Oct. 4, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

            Taking a redeye flight to Copenhagen on Air force One, President Barack Obama made his best pitch to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to his Chicago hometown.  Only a few days before, the International Olympic Committee—and world—watched Chicago gang-bangers bash-in the skull and murder an innocent man.  Even the silver-tongued president couldn’t dislodge the horrific images weighing on the minds on of the IOC.  Flying from Washington to Copenhagen, Barack made his best pitch but couldn’t in the end convince the IOC to overlook hosting, for the first time, the Olympics in South America. Chicago’s muggy mid-summer’s weather also no doubt played some part, while Rio de Janeiro’s temperate winter appealed more to athletes.  Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama gave it their best shot but fell short.  Rio represents the exact kind of place needed by the IOC.

            Obama wanted to give Chicago—and the U.S.—the best possible shot of landing the games.  Taking 24 hours out of his busy schedule was regarded as a reckless use of his presidential duties.  Competing with Brazil, Madrid and Tokyo, Chicago lacked the international cachet.  When the games take place in 2016, it will have been over 50 years since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, begging the IOC to award the games to a Latin American Capital.  While it’s been 13 years since the Atlanta Olympics, Latin America has been aced out since 1968.  Alternating every two Olympic years with the World Cup, it only made sense to give Brazil a shot at the Olympics.  “I’m asking you to choose Chicago.  I’m asking you to choose America,” said Michelle, making her best pitch to the IOC.  Despite her appeals, when you look at the bigger picture, Brazil was the logical choice.

            Barack’s enemies have tried to make political hay out of his failed bid.  “If you do, if we walk the path together, then I promise you this:  The city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud,” said Barack, only hours later aboard Air Force One learning that Brazil got the nod.  Had Barack not taken his best shot, the GOP boo-birds would be out in full force complaining that he failed to make America’s best pitch.  “As President Obama travels to Copenhagen to bring the Summer Olympics to his hometown seven years from now, Americans back at home are increasingly concerned they won’t have a job seven months from now as they see more and more of that nightmare and friend lose jobs today,” said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, taking a cheap shot while the president was out of the country.

            Hammering Obama on everything from health care to national defense, Republicans find themselves in the unenviable position of dealing with approval ratings still above 50%.  Despite the rocky economy, Barack still manages to hold his own on the issues that matter to most Americans.  He’s showed a steady hand when it came to managing the U.N. Security Council to deal with Iran’s nuclear question.  Barack’s winning high marks for his mature approach to Afghanistan, trying to get the strategy right before he signs on to the military’s request from more troops.  Whatever happened in Copenhagen, it’s not Barack’s fault.  He went with Michelle and gave it his best shot.  If you look at the big picture, it was logical for the IOC to extend Brazil Latin America’s first Olympics since the 1968 Mexico games.  Having gone and failed was better than not going at all.

            Barack’s political image and approval ratings live and die with economy.  Whether or not he got the Olympics to come to Chicago has little bearing on what happens to the economy.  Recalculating health care, Barack should take into account the effect of underwriting national health care on growing national debt and budget deficits threatening long-term economic growth.  Going to Copenhagen doesn’t demonstrate a poor use of presidential time.  It shows a commitment to sell America to the world even when there are no buyers.  Former President George W. Bush’s go-it-alone ways didn’t help the receptivity at the U.N. or any other international body, including the IOC.  Regardless of recent U.S. foreign policy, the IOC might have gone for Brazil simply on the merits of breaking new ground in Latin America.  Keeping the Olympics in Europe, Asia or the U.S. isn’t enough.

            Barack showed patriotism and courage going to Denmark to make the best pitch for the 2016 Olympics.  Whether he got it or not, he showed that he cared about putting America’s best foot forward.  “It’s a classic political hullabaloo that will fade quickly,” said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato.  “I think it actually points to a problem the Republicans are having, which is focusing the unhappiness and disagreement they have with Obama.  In politics, you have to be able to complain about the right things,” blaming the GOP for piling on.  Obama showed good sportsmanship congratulating Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from Air Force One en route back to Washington.  Whatever the odds of landing the Olympics, Barack risked political capital, especially the ire of his conservative critics.  Politics aside, Obama needs to focus more on improving the economy.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.