Chicago eliminated from 2016 Olympics bid.

[sledgehammer]

Source: CNN

Details to come.

No link yet.

---

Eliminated in first round!

[Solly Mack]

1. Tokyo was too...just now

[JonLP24]

2. Knocked out of the first round of voting

I think they're two more rounds to determine who will host.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. Link from MSNBC

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/33138973/ns/sports-olympic_sports/

[ecstatic]

4. ABC did this major breaking news thingy that scared me to death

They couldn't wait to report that the bid had failed, but they had me worried that something bad had happened!

[DinahMoeHum]

5. Link at ESPN

www.espn.go.com


Looks like Rio will get it.

At least Brazil will be saddled with the monetary problems, not the US.
Besides, they will host the World Cup Soccer in 2014, so, that should help.

[MetaTrope]

6. Oh thank God, thank God

Chicago would have become a living hell of Daley crony land-grabs (not that it isn't already).

[Stuart G]

19. Agreed. Bread and Circuses are not really needed here.

While the games would have produced many jobs, and helped the economy in the city for a while, would any of the real problems of the city been dealt with till after 2016? At least now citizens of the city can ask real questions and hope they might be answered..

If Chicago had gotten the games, everything would have been cheerfully ignored for the good of the games..

That particular excuse no longer exists.

[ThatsMyBarack]

Amen!

:hi:

[Doctor_J]

7. When the Prez announced he was going there for a personal pitch it was a mistake

Don't understand that decision.

[SIMPLYB1980]

8. Damed if he did Damed if he didn't.nt

[havocmom]

24. Yep & he can't compete with all those pretty ladies of carnival

He is cool. He is smart. He is charming. He is not a busty chorus line in nothing but feathers. ;)

[MilesColtrane]

79. In the eyes of the world America still has the stink of an unnecessary war, torture, and the...

...instigation of a worldwide recession on it despite Obama's efforts to rebuild its image.

[havocmom]

88. Seriously, you are right. And so is DUer AllentownJake:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6681144

DUer Are_grits_groceries adds another element that could be very valid: the difficulty getting through US airports

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6680914&mesg_id=6680914

[WriteDown]

90. Unlike China?

:shrug:

[Spouting Horn]

66. I don't recall Bush Sr.

lobbying on behalf of Atlanta, or Carter lobbying for Los Angeles. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[iceman66]

71. You really can't fault Obama too strongly for this,

considering that the leaders of Japan, Brazil and Spain also made in-person presentations to the IOC!

If Obama had NOT gone, given that the others did, you can bet he'd be blamed for the loss!

[Blue_Tires]

76. but then again

Bush would have if say Houston was a candidate city...and I'm pretty sure Carter did some work with the Atlanta Olympic Committee

[Doctor_J]

101. I suppose. A tough decision.

Glad I didn't have to make it :-(

[Myrina]

14. Yup - Faux is going to be all over him as a "Loser" now ...

... cause they have nothing better to report on.

[KamaAina]

57. ESPN Radio didn't miss a beat

Colin Cowherd :puke: : "Rough month for Obama. First health care, now this."

This must be why KO left sports broadcasting... :eyes:

[JonLP24]

61. Colin Cowherd is a dumbass

I've known this for about a few years. Skip Bayless is more intelligent then that jackass and that's saying something.

[Blue_Tires]

77. cowherd is a tit

listened to him his first ever week on the national show, and haven't been back since...he makes the Jim Rome show look like Masterpiece Theatre

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. I'm sick to my stomach about it b/c...

...the wingnuts are going to have a field day over that.

Somebody needs to get a photoshop of GOPers standing over centrifuges with a caption: FOX news - we spin so you don't have to

[gauguin57]

46. To expand that: "We spin, so you don't have to THINK."

THAT should be Fox's motto.

[glinda]

18. No matter what Obama does, he is going to be criticized. If he didn't go, he would be blamed

if he did go and they lost the bid, he would be blamed. I give him credit for trying because I was watching the presentation at 2 am this morning and the speakers, including the Mayor, rambled on, said nothing, were totally boring, gave no information. It was like they were winging it.

[liberal N proud]

20. Oh pleeeeeeeze

[WinkyDink]

32. Kings and PMs went, also.

[gatorboy]

36. Why?

[MidwestTransplant]

43. Every other leader went. If he didn't Chicago would have lost for sure.

[Aramchek]

48. was it a mistake for the heads of state of the other losing countries to go?

[Igel]

170. Seems to me that's up to the citizens of the

other countries to decide. We value diversity, right? Then why does the US have to be like every other country?

I think he shouldn't have gone. It's not the US that would host the Olympics, it's Chicago; it wasn't a Chicago leader pitching the Olympics, it was the leader of the US. He made it about himself, to some extent (by virtue of the kind of presentation he gave); and he made it about the US, not about Chicago. Both were mistakes, IMHO.

I don't know if it was a mistake for the Squid to go or not, and I don't know if his presence mattered to the IOC or not. I don't vote for him, I have no say in his election, past or future. Not my business.

[Cha]

104. Only if you look at it negatively..the PO had to try

for Chicago and the jobs it would produce. Nothing ventured nothing gained..so what if Rio was meant to get it?

Our Prez tried.

[dipsydoodle]

9. BBC News link & NYT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/8282518.stm

Good job too. Exactly why should those from abroad who'd want to attend need to run the gauntlet, after tickets had been obtained , as to whether or not the USA would've been kind enough to admit them.

edit - BBC changed link when live broadcast ended.

In the official question-and-answer session following the Chicago presentation, Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, asked the toughest question. He wondered how smooth it would be for foreigners to enter the United States for the Games because doing so can sometimes, he said, be “a rather harrowing experience.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/sports/03olympics.htm...

Credit where due - I found the NYT stuff here : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6680914

[beachmom]

82. Well, that is one positive aspect to this lost bid. Americans are largely ignorant

of the horrible time foreigners are given entering the U.S., with most of them being tourists. I met some folks from New Zealand who took a vacation in Europe. They purposely made sure their plane did NOT connect through the U.S. We are losing money because of the harsh treatment. I have seen it myself. Really, really bad. Embarrassing.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. Yahoo link:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091002/ap_on_sp_ol/oly2016_bids

[high density]

11. Now we will experience the news media hyping this up as an Obama failure

3...2....1...

[greennina]

180. It was a win by racists!

It wasn't a failure by Obama.

[Romulox]

12. I think this was a deserved rebuke. The President shouldn't have gotten involved. nt

[leftynyc]

29. Every other country in the

running sent their leader. Why shouldn't the US?

[Romulox]

35. Any of those other leaders prosecuting two wars of agression?

:shrug:

[Spouting Horn]

69. Well China had the Olympics last year

and they have been waging war against their citizenry for 60 years.

[Romulox]

74. Well, ONE war is nice and all...but TWO...

If you haven't tried it, you just wouldn't understand!

[leftynyc]

105. Prosecuting?

Are our wars on trial? The President was out of the country for 16 hours and met with the general running the Afghanistan adventure. What exactly is your point?

[Romulox]

113. Check your dictionary.

:hi:

[Stumbler]

13. I'm waitng for Hannity's response:

"... why couldn't 'the Messiah' bring the Olympics to Chicago? How much more must we endure before we assassina.... er, I mean, impeach him?...."

[Phoonzang]

16. Way to go Obama. Another loss...an very avoidable one.

The media and right-wingers will be harping on this for days.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

17. Wait and see what the wingnuts do with this news. They'll be celebrating it as a major failure for

the president. This country is going straight to hell!!

[Vidar]

21. Good for Rio.

[Mudoria]

23. Wonder if any of the athletes will get murdered there?

[Critters2]

78. That could've happened in Chicago.

Young people seem to die on an all-too-regular basis in Chicago these days. I wonder if the violence issue was a factor in this decision.

[Blue_Tires]

84. edit: delete

[rollin74]

80. same could be said of Chicago

[JonLP24]

27. Madrid is still in the running as far as I know

Watching.. waiting but it comes down to those two, Rio and Madrid.

[clixtox]

22. Perhaps we are not so popular anymore?

Even the world's best propagandists can't hide the disgusting truth about our criminal activities forever.

[robcon]

30. There's nothing disgusting about the U.S.

I love my country, and it is the best in the world, IMO.

[Romulox]

37. LOLOLOL. Too bad I can't unrec a response! nt

[Thickasabrick]

40. +100

[kath]

54. "best in the world"? In what way, in which areas?

Health care? Crime? Poverty rate? Freedom of the press? Death penalty? Workers rights, including such things as parental leave, vacation, pensions, unions? Infant mortality? Torture? Police brutality? Percentage of population incarcerated? Wars of aggression and illegal occupation of other countries? War crimes? Energy usage? Production of greenhouse gases and concern about the environment in general? Public transportation?

In which of these areas (or any other) does "we're number one!" (in a good way) hold true?

Eagerly await your response...

[City Lights]

70. LOL!

:rofl:

[WriteDown]

89. Could be...

I've been all over the world and I'm still here. It has its advantages and disadvantages.

[Triana]

25. Media propagandizing this as "Obama Failure" in 5...4....3...2....1...

You KNOW they will.

I don't blame Chicagoans for not wanting the whole mess in their town. I'd be proud if they got it (ol US of Arse pride) but can't say I blame the locals for not wanting the whole damn thing there.

If it was my town, I'd DREAD it.

[Igel]

171. Ask yourself this question:

If Chicago had gotten it, would it have been an Obama victory or win?

If your answer is "yes", there's little to be said about their response. They're using the same framework you're using, so you're stuck with it being an Obama failure or loss but just don't want to hear it.

If your answer is "no, but it would have been a victory for the US," then there's room to argue. (Of course, nabbing "victories" for the US over such things sounds strange to my ears, but my opinion matters but little.)

Then again, during the last Olympics we tuned in just so our tyke could see the fireworks display and bits of the opening ceremony. Oh, and we also turned to the Olympic coverage so he could see what some of the sports were--things like soccer and track.

[AngryOldDem]

26. I'm amazed at how many thought Chicago was a foregone conclusion.

Why? Because we're the United States, and everything is ours by right?

Those days are gone.

[think]

28. The Republicans wanted him to fail. They are to blame

The republicans showed how unpatriotic they can be during this whole process and they got what they wanted.

Way to go John Boehner

[timo]

45. errrrr

yeah I dont think the ioc is controlled by the gop

[think]

49. Ya I know

But the republicans rants and people like Glen Beck comparing Copenhagen to cancer make America look real classy.

They acted like spoiled children ranting against the president for taking the trip and raised a ruckus of how unimportant it was for us to hold the olympics. bush's presidency hurt our world standing and the republican temper tantrum reinforced the negative stereotype created during those years......

[think]

55. I'm not saying that we would have got it otherwise but

The republicans weren't helping us get the olympics so now they can only blame themselves and their party of NO. Blaming Obama would just show how repugnant they can be.....

[timo]

56. sheeessh

I sorta wonder how many of the ioc listen to glen beck, every country in the running has "issues" of one kind or another, I seriously doubt you can blame this on conservatives, the ioc is pretty good at being non biased

[think]

62. Ya the republicans were so supportive of the president I guess you are right.

I mean none of the republicans complained about Obama going to Copenhagen correct? They came out and showed our unified effort as Americans to show the world we were ready to host the games right?

No. I went over the top on blaming the republicans but I am sick of their shit and their efforts to undermine anything Obama does. Boehner, Cantor and the others that spoke out publicly against the president's efforts to get the olympics can wallow in their victory now......

[timo]

67. it's not about that

The point I am trying to make to you is that the IOC does not base their decision on local politics alone.......we lost get over it, its not the end of the world!! it isnt really Obamas fault,it isntreally the conservatives fault.......the games are not for political purposes anyway, they are to transcend that...fuck it whatever dude blame away it wont make it tru tho.

[think]

72. I'm just trying to say the republicans wanted him to fail and they succeeded

I am calling out the republicans on this for their lack of support for America and our president in this matter. If you think the republicans helped us try to get the games here in America please show me their support.

[think]

85. Name one conservative congressman who supported the president in this effort

They did nothing to help. The reason I am harping on this is because I will have to listen to republicans blame Obama for this for weeks while they did their best to make sure Obama failed.

Like I said we still probably wouldn't have gotten the games but we as a country were not unified in our effort and the republicans did not help and came out publicly against the president's efforts. Once upon a time in America republicans and democrats would have put partisan politics aside to unite as Americans and put our best face forward in situations like this.

[timo]

97. hmmmm

so like in 95 with the bribe scandal that was bi partisan participation?? dude the olympics are not about politics

[rayofreason]

164. Obama is not to blame...

...for the IOC choice of Rio. No one outside of the IOC is. And the IOC lives by it own rules, and thrives on corruption.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=ioc+corruption&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

What Obama IS to blame for is acting like a Mayor instead of the POTUS, putting the personal prestige of the Presidency on the line without having sewn everything up in advance. His fault. Not Repugs, or RWers, or Beck, or Pelosi, or Reid, or any other scapegoats. HIS fault, for squandering political capital on a trivial matter. Yes trivial, compared to issues where he will be less effective, like health care. What will wavering Blue Dogs make of him now? Who will follow his lead and go out on a limb for him? And he has nobody to blame but himself.

Olympic-sized fail.

[nolabear]

31. I think the msm got it right. Chicago's not all that.

I mean, it's a nice city, has a lot going for it, but if Obama wasn't from there it would never have been as much in the running as it was. It's no Rio.

[MidwestRick]

39. It's no Rio?

yep, not nearly as many murders as Rio, good call.

[Critters2]

99. But not for lack of trying. nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

33. Now Obama can get back to promoting something that would REALLY benefit all

Americans: real health care reform. And reform would help LONG before 2016...

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

52. +1. This Olympics nonsense is a dumb diversion

I voted for Obama hoping for health care reform and and end to the wars.

In my book, he's zero for two. Barack, quit screwing around with dumb ego-boost issues like the Olympics, and get to work!

:hi:

[Willo]

34. WTG CNN & MSNBC....you accomplished your mission.

Now feign surprise and rag on the President for the next 48-72 hrs.

[Blue_Tires]

116. that's exactly what they will do

CNN was on in the gym last night (about the olympics), and you should have heard the uninformed, wingnut conversation from the guys on the treadmill next to me

[Beacool]

38. Well, we've hosted them more than once.

It's time to let someone else have the limelight.

Go Rio!!!!

:woohoo:

[davidwparker]

41. I'm pulling for Rio, actually. I'm about over all things from Chicago. n/t

[timo]

42. I can hear it now

what a huge carbon footprint and the result was jack shit!! all that fuel, time and effort, build up and hype for nothing, yup thats what they will be harping on...all the $$$$$$ spent on this couldve gone to help needy AMericans, thats what they will be gassing about!!

[lobodons]

44. Gang Violence days before Vote at fault

The latest incident of a gang violence in Chicago did not help the cause. It makes me sick to my stomach that these f'in thugs can blow such an opportunity not only for Chicago but for the country overall.

CLEAN UP THE STREETS NOW!!!!!!!!

[Lone_Star_Dem]

51. You're not real familiar with Rio I assume?

Massive problems with gang activity there.

[lobodons]

60. Not familiar with Rio

Not so familiar with Rio, just the kidnapping problem in that part of the world. But days before the vote a major news story of a honor role student being beaten to death didn't help nor has the rash of killings this year in Chicago. I am familiar with that.

However, MSNBC Chuck Todd summed it up best: "Chicago contingent got out politicked." Kinda ironic don't you think.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

81. That sort of thing would mostly be fodder for the US media

The International Olympic Committee knows how prevalent the gang activity is in Rio, and in Brazil. Even with what improvements they've managed to make, they still make US gangs look like amateurs. Part of the problem there is the corruption at the police and government levels helps to protect the gangs - for a profit. It's a massive power/drugs/money struggle taking place on a daily basis. Not unlike with American gangs, just much bigger and more blatant. A single death like the one you mentioned wouldn't even warrant a reaction in the gang laden regions of both Rio and Brazil where all out gang wars are common.

[Blue_Tires]

91. yeah, it's a mess and the gangs are a lot worse, but Rio

has done somewhat of a better job of containing it -- iirc, i've heard for a while now there has been sort of an unofficial 'agreement' between the crime lords and cops to not kill the golden goose of tourism by committing violent crimes against visitors (as long as they keep their noses clean)...

[Lone_Star_Dem]

115. I suspect there's an agreement

There is great money to be made off these games being there, and I don't doubt some of that will trickle down to the gangs if they play by the rules.

[BREMPRO]

111. I think the main factor was the Olympics have never been hosted in South America

This shows the rise of South America in the world, the loss of American power on the world stage, and the bitterness of the US Olympics past experiences ie. SLC scandals, Atlanta bombing.

[Willo]

58. In spite of all the media's negative hype I doubt that incident swayed the votes. nt

[GinaMaria]

64. It was probably more about infrastructure

the 'L' is pretty old and we have a hard enough time managing transportation with suburbanites and city dwellers. We have a great city but just not sure we could really accommodate hosting the world here. Hell, we can't even manage our parking meters, our sales tax is the highest in the country and with the economy in the tank some maintenance work has been neglected. It may be that some cities are more Olympic ready right now.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

47. Meh. It seems fair that we didn't to me.

We've hosted before and Rio, nor any other country in South American to my knowledge, never has.

[JonLP24]

50. You're right

I'm watching this on ESPN and they showed a map of countries that hosted and none in South America ever has. I'm hoping it goes to Brazil. It's also down to the Madrid, Spain as well.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

59. It'd be nice to see it hosted South America for a change

Brazil or Rio either one would be historic for South America. I'll be happy for them if they get it.

[JonLP24]

63. Rio is a city of Brazil (Not sure you know based on "Brazil or Rio")

I agree with you about the olympics being hosted in South America.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

107. Goes to show how much I've kept up with this

I wasn't sure if they were considering more than one possible area in Brazil. I have a friend who lives in Rio de Janeiro so I knew of there being a choice.

[Dumak]

68. I agree, I like to see other countries get it

USA gets olympics too much. Other countries seem to appreciate it much more, and do a much better job of reporting the events. Vancouver 2010 is great for US viewers.

[Xenotime]

53. I blame the racisim of the tea baggers.

[onehandle]

65. Republicans and other America haters, win. nt

[fencesitter]

73. Oh Well. Better luck next time.

n/p

[WriteDown]

75. So none of the steroids and the blood doping with be in the....

US? Sounds good to me.

[JonLP24]

83. Olympics

Have by far the most effective and strictest drug testing and punishments that I know of all in all sports.

[JonLP24]

86. Rio wins the bid to host Olympics

No link, just announced.

[LovableScamp]

87. We can thank the F'ng Republicans for this

According to an ESPN writer... in his article "The European-dominated IOC's last two experiences in the United States were marred by controversy: the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were sullied by a bribery scandal and logistical problems and a bombing hit the 1996 Games in Atlanta."

History means everything... I think some of that thought process now is you dont reward countries with bad behavior.

To bad... we really could have used those games.. <sigh>

[WriteDown]

92. Huh?

:shrug:

[Ganja Ninja]

109. Exactly.

We're like a married couple that no one wants to visit because while one spouse is a nice likable person, the other is a rude obnoxious a-hole. They won't come here because they'd rather not have to deal with our right wing lunatics.

Way to go Republicans! You give America a bad name.

[rayofreason]

93. Obama is an idiot!

When I read that he was going to Denmark to press for the Olympics I thought " Isn't there more important stuff for him to do?"

But I figured, OK he owes Daley and the others back home for their support and it is payback time, and if the Olympics comes to Chicago it will mean big money for all of his supporters as well as lots of jobs for the ordinary folks. Also, he must have it sewn up. After all, why would anyone put the prestige of the Presidency on the line in such a public manner unless it were in the bag already?

Now this.

So read this NPR piece

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113420578&ps=cprs

The thing I got from it was that the presentation they made was all about THEM! From the article:

"Michelle Obama gave a passionate account of what the games would mean to her father, who taught her as a girl how to throw punches better than the boys. She spoke of fond memories of growing up on the South Side of Chicago, sitting with her father and cheering on Olympic athletes.

She noted that her late father had multiple sclerosis, so she knows something about athletes who compete against tough odds.

"Chicago's vision for the Olympic and Paralympic movement is about so much more than what we can offer the games," she said. "It's about what the games can offer all of us — it's about inspiring this generation and building a lasting legacy for the next."

The president anchored the U.S. charm offensive.

He referenced his own election as a moment when people from around the world gathered in Chicago to see the results last November and celebrate that "our diversity could be a source of strength."

"There is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family's home and with Michelle and our two girls welcome the world back to our neighborhood," Obama said. "At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more."

Early on Obama gave an air of super competency. His campaign was picture perfect, a well oiled machine that resonated to the American people's desires. Since the election I see more and more tone deafness. The bailouts are the biggest ($$$$$!) example. He can't seem to communicate with ordinary people and convince them that the government is not going to take over their health care, unionize all doctors within the SEIU, and make all the decisions in DC.

And now this. How DARE he squander political capital on something that was so iffy, so that he appears to be weak and incompetent! In politics, image is everything. I people perceive you as someone who can be rolled, you lose all ability to do anything.

I am stunned beyond belief.

[phasma ex machina]

165. +1 nt

[newspeak]

178. To me, "it's much ado about nothing."

Yeah, that approximately seventeen hour trip took Obama away from his responsibilities.:eyes: I mean, * starts two wars, was on vacation when the PDB report came out and probably, has spent more time on vacation than any other president. But, aghast, Obama spent seventeen attempting to bring the olympics to Chicago to help businesses and he's squandering his time.

I remember the SLC olympics, and the political posturing by the * administration. Remember, he had declared his axis of evil and I remember when those countries walking into the stadium and his disdain for those athletes. I mean, our MSM mentioned his eye avoidance of NK--it was made into a political platform. Not to mention, the bribery scandal.

A South American country has never hosted the Olympics, don't you think it's about time a country in South America is chosen? I can see it now, the opening ceremony will be like one great Carnival. The colorful costumes, the latin music--it'll be great.

And, some have also mentioned, that it takes money to fund the olympics. Some countries have gone in the red. I don't know if we need that right now, as we're spending approximately ten billion dollars a month on our wars of choice.

[rayofreason]

179. I am happy Rio got it..

..for the reasons you state.

If the Administration had thought more clearly about the issue, they would have seen that Rio was the likely choice and not invested prestige in trying to get it for Chicago. Of course, some would have blasted Obama for NOT helping. There are plenty of folks who will criticize him no matter what. Those he can ignore. The others - supporters and (especially) undecided - he has to pay attention to them. And this event did not help make the case for Obama's "smart diplomacy" and leadership.

[vinylsolution]

94. Major coup for Rio there....

... Many thanks to Republicans - and their corporate media - for trashing our Nation's image in the eyes of the world.

Dumbasses.

[Blue_Tires]

95. Chicago was a longshot to begin with

and Obama was hoping to even the scales with a 11th hour appeal to try and balance the scales before the vote...of course, to hear the MSM and the GOP tell it, you would have thought Obama was presiding over the entire city's olympic committee from the start :eyes:


And while I realize Rio was the better and more obvious choice, are there *really* people on the left and right fuckin' CHEERING the fact that one of our cities didn't get the world's biggest sporting event? Were they even paying ANY attention to the selection process until Obama announced he would appear?? :wtf:

[JonLP24]

98. I don't live in Chicago so it doesn't concern me

But from what I understand there was people there that opposed the idea because of the high cost to set-up. Estimated to be over 2 billion I believe. If I were to put a finger on why people on the left oppose the idea it may be the high cost for the set up.

[Blue_Tires]

103. But if done right, and i DO mean 'IF'....

the city gets back so much more in infrastructure, prestige, investment, pride, etc...

and I didn't take a hard look at the preliminary numbers, but would the city really be on the hook for the entire $2 bil?? what about corporate sponsors and the like?? Granted, I know U.S. consumers are kind of a dry well for corporate marketing as opposed to the vast untapped fertile valleys of Brazil -- which we know played a much bigger role in the selection process than we would like to admit...

[LovableScamp]

166. Exactly

Working in an industry that's a wholesaler to commercial construction in the midwest... this was huge. 6 years is a relatively short time. Once you get the architects and the engineering put together with the planning, every industry involved starts to gear up... with bidding and contracts to new equipment.... it runs the whole gammit of the economic chain. Jobs are created in every single aspect from making millions of dollar equipment to the person who makes packing expanded polystyrene... to advertising.. Hotels...souvegniers... transportation revitalization...freight transportation... to even toilet paper manufactures... omg the tenacles of job creation affect an incredible amount of people all over on undertaking of that size of project.

[Willo]

96. WTG Brazil!! I was rooting for the home team

but we got knocked out of the running.

I'm happy for Rio.

[KamaAina]

100. Were there any billy goats around?

:scared:

[Yavin4]

102. In NYC, Mayor Bloomberg Campaigned Hard To Get The Olympics To NY

He lost the bid, but he won re-election handily. Now, he's about to win his 3rd term.

By 2012, folks will have forgotten all about this, and we would have moved on.

[Cha]

106. Thanks, Yavin, and I look at it

totally differently than a lot posters here.

PO had to try for Chicago..you can only do your best. They obviously wanted it and it was meant for Rio but they tried and that's what a lot of people in Chicago will remember.

[SIMPLYB1980]

108. Anyway. TGIF!

All the moaning will be done by Monday.

[FreedomTrain]

110. Great news that Rio got it!

Why should we get the games again when we've had them two times in the last 25 years and South America has NEVER had them? Rio and South America deserved this.

Also, if it should've been hosted here, I can't think of a worse place than Chicago (except maybe New Jersey). The corruption there stinks to high heaven.

Too bad President Obama didn't stay out of this. He could have avoided a lot of humiliation.

[amandabeech]

162. You're not counting the Winter Olympics.

Some of us who grew up in the ice and snow really like them.

Salt Lake City held the 2002 Winter Games--remember Mitt Romney out there?

If you're willing to go back 30 years, we held the 1980 Winter Games at Lake Placid, New York. For those of you on the young side, our Olympic hockey team was the definite underdog then, but we went on to beat the mighty Soviets and take the gold medal. It was a huge deal back then when the Cold War was definitely still on.

Just a little info from a figure skating nut.

[ItNerd4life]

112. How soon does someone say the IOC is racist?

Oh, silly me. I see some posters are already saying it's because of racism.

I'm happy for Rio!

[rabs]

114. Think the popularity of President Lula da Silva on the world stage

may have had a big influence for Rio getting the games. Lula emerged as leader of South America during the bushista-era long night that ignored Latin America for eight years.

It was the best thing that could have happened to Latin America and leftist leaders sprouted across the continent, except for U.S. puppets Colombia and Peru. The U.S. "backyard" is no more and Brazil is now the big boy.

Btw, for the first time the Summer Olympics will be held during winter, as seasons are reversed south of the equator.

[Segami]

117. Chicago LOSES Olympics Bid; CONSERVATIVES REJOICE

Source: SALON

" It's not often that conservatives celebrate the U.S. losing out to countries like Brazil and Spain, especially not when the loss involves a prominent event like the Summer Olympics. But when the International Olympic Committee eliminated Chicago as a potential host for the 2016 games in the first round of voting on Friday, the right broke out the champagne.


Chicago's attempt to secure the Olympics had become a partisan fight with the entrance of President Obama into his adopted hometown's efforts. Obama had flown to Copenhagen, where the vote was held, in order to lobby for Chicago, and from the moment of the announcement he'd do so, his opponents had suddenly turned into die-hard foes of the idea of having the U.S. play host to the 2016 Summer Olympics. It had been a crusade for the Drudge Report all week, and people like Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin had happily joined in.


So when news of Chicago's loss came in, the response was swift, and joyful. Drudge's banner headline (screenshot above) read, "World rejects Obama: Chicago out in first round. The ego has landed." On the Weekly Standard's blog, John McCormack wrote of the news, "Cheers erupt at WEEKLY STANDARD world headquarters. " (The sentence was later removed from his post.) RedState's Erick Erickson wrote:



Hahahahaha.


I thought the world would love us more now that Bush was gone.


I thought if we whored ourselves out to our enemies, great things would happen.


Apparently not.


So Obama’s pimped us to every two bit thug and dictator in the world, made promises to half the Olympic committee, and they did not even kiss him.


So much for improving America’s standing in the world, Barry O.




A persistent theme in the taunts has been the suggestion that if Obama can't bring home the Olympics, he won't be able to rein in Iran, either. At the Corner, one of the National Review's blogs, John J. Miller wrote, "If he can't work his personal magic with the Olympians, why does he expect it to work with the Iranians?" Miller's colleague Ramesh Ponnuru quipped, "I'm sure that Obama will be a lot more persuasive with the Iranians."


Miller was on a similar wavelength with another poster at the Corner, Jonah Goldberg. At nearly the same time, the two joked that the IOC must be racist for voting Chicago out, mocking claims that opposition to Obama is motivated in part by race. "Frankly I am stunned that all my colleagues can do is score cheap political points against Obama's failed effort to win the Olympics for the United States. Where is the outrage at the IOC's transparent racism?" Goldberg wrote.


There is at least one veteran Republican operative out there asking his ideological allies not to celebrate a U.S. defeat, though. On Twitter, Scott Stanzel, who served as press secretary on President George W. Bush's reelection campaign and as a deputy press secretary in his White House, said, "Note to GOP officials/consultants - resist the temptation to pile on about Chicago losing the Olympic bid just because Obama made the pitch."

Read more: http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2009/10/02/olympics/

---

I guess these wingnuts DON'T care about injecting about 22 billion dollars into the economy and providing permanent full time jobs to Americans.

[BlooInBloo]

118. No-one can root against America like republicans can

[Segami]

130. WEEKLY Standard DELETES Reference To ' CHEERS ' after Chicago Lost Bid.

" Soon after news broke that the International Olympic Committee had rejected Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics, which President Obama had personally lobbied for, Weekly Standard blogger John McCormack published a celebratory post on the magazine’s blog, titled “Chicago Loses! Chicago Loses!.” McCormack wrote that “Cheers erupt at WEEKLY STANDARD world headquarters”:


<>


But the post has now been changed. The reference to cheers have been removed and the title has been shortened to a non-exclamatory “Chicago Loses.” The current post neither acknowledges nor explains the changes that were made.


<http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/02/weekly-standard-chicago/>



Seems they're afraid of blowback for cheering against possible jobs for Americans

[BlooInBloo]

132. Thank gawd for screenshots.

[Wizard777]

134. We've let them get away with selling out America and cutting our throats for decades.

So this lil knife in the back is really no big deal. We can ignore this too.

[MetaTrope]

159. Ironically, only people who would have benefitted from the Chicago Games would have been Republicans

Or as they're otherwise known, Chicago's "Democratic Machine", a cesspool of corruption and cronyism that makes the Bush Administration look like a day school. For those of us still trying to catch our breath at the city privatizing its street parking at a $1 billion loss (and a 200 percent jump in parking fees), the Olympics would have only meant further destruction of the civic infrastructure.

[ginnyinWI]

119. Oh they had an angle in case Chicago won, I'm sure.

Let's see--what would it be? "Oh Obama--he's just as corrupt as the rest of the Chicago politicians! It was fixed, I tell ya!" And they would never let it go.

And if he hadn't gone to Copenhagen to try to win it: "Oh he doesn't care about his own home town! He's too good to go to bat for them! And now because he didn't, they lost!!" And they would never let that go either.

This outcome shows that he gave it an honest try with nothing under the table. Their joy has to be mixed with chagrin.

[Blue_Tires]

147. it honestly would have been "Obama gave them too much!"

or, "He overbid" or some shit like that...and as sure as the sun rising tomorrow, the teabag crowd would march on Chicago railing against the taxes

[truthisfreedom]

120. The far-right hates America more than anyone.

They're world-reknowned haters.

[bluestateguy]

121. Will Mark Kirk reject and denounce and sever all ties with them?

That was the standard, remember, when someone said something stupid last year.

[alsame]

122. It never fails to amaze me how much the right hates America and Americans. nt

[indepat]

137. And it never fails to amaze me how 'puke hatred of America and Americans is supported by tens

of millions of people in this country. Sociologists will surely be pondering this national mania for decades. :D

[alsame]

145. One of the things the right is good at is getting some of the American

people to hate other Americans. They figured out how to channel rage and direct it at the segments of the population they don't like, deflecting anger away from the corporate masters and robber barons.

[Ganja Ninja]

123. Congratulations Republicans! You give America a bad name.

[BlueIdaho]

124. No one hates America like the Republicans hate America... nt.

[Democrats_win]

125. Further proof that Conservatives are too negative to lead America.

[tridim]

126. It's obvious they don't care about America's recovery

The President is for it, so they're against it. It's just that simple.

I hope lots of high-profile Repukes come out to defend their Anti-American mindset in the media. Everyone needs to know where they stand.

[TerribleLarryDingle]

127. America First?

[FreedomTrain]

128. Is there a genuine consensus here that Chicago should have gotten the games?

Or were you for it just because the conservatives were against it?

Personally I think Rio is much more deserving than Chicago. We've had the games twice in the last 25 years; South America has NEVER had them. There's more to the world than the United States. I sincerely congratulate Rio.

[lady lib]

131. You are missing the point.

And, no, I'm not going to spell it out for you. Re-read the OP.

[Plucketeer]

149. I congratulate Rio too......

..and I think it's good that a So. American country will host the games. The thing here is that the GOP has to try and pin failure of Chicago's bid as a failure for this presidency. It's just ONE MORE THING of insignificance that they're trying to pump up as if it had significance. Like lying Johnson's shout of LIAR! Like Boehner's lament that he's not met anyone who want's health care reform - like Bachmann's declaration that we're gonna have sex counselling for school kids that parents won't know about - This is just one more grasping for a handhold while disappearing into the quicksand that is their own platform.

[Berry Cool]

129. Ah, but do the wingnuts realize this??

Only a few days ago, this country WON the right to stage a major international sporting event.

We're going to host the 2014 Gay Games right here in CLEVELAND!!!!!! :bounce:

And it's gonna be FABULOUS!!!!

As a resident of this fine city, I heartily invite all wingnuts to attend our Gay Games.

They're just gonna looooove it!!!!

[ima_sinnic]

174. lol! congratulations!

:thumbsup:

[stratomagi]

133. I feel like i'm on crazy pills here but...

why are we really upset about this? How many Olympics have we hosted in the past few decades? Does it really have a long term affect on the economy? Personally I am glad this distraction is over, now maybe Obama can be working on realistic LONG term solutions to fixing the economy. The Olympics won't solve shit for us! I was actually disappointed the president wasted time on this. FIX OUR CROOKED FINANCIAL SYSTEM! FIX HEALTHCARE! FUCK THE OLYMPICS!

[Segami]

136. Some people can actually walk, chew gum and rub their bellies all in the same breath.

There was NO TIME loss like so many want to believe. Obama was right in making a last minute high profile pitch for the O games. When it comes to selling America, the president is our greatest asset.

[stratomagi]

138. 8 months without much headway on much of anything.

I guess if you take in account that very little has actually been accomplished then you are totally right.

[Segami]

140. How do you know what has or hasn't been accomplished or averted as a

direct result of Obama's actions? Do you think if McCain were sitting in the Oval office these last eight months making decisions that we would be fairing better today or worse?

[stratomagi]

160. It isn't either or its...

...do the fucking job we elected you to do and quit dicking around.

[Cha]

139. PO also met with General McCrystal in Copenhagen and

is quite capable of doing more than one thing at a time.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8681097

[semillama]

144. I believe studies have shown that recent Olympics cause more debt than growth

for their host cities. At least the Summer Games do. I'll have to see if there's an online article that discusses this - I'm sure I just read something in print that had a good analysis of the issue.

[Old Hob]

135. Republicans typically harbor a special resentment for Chicago too. A hatred really.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

141. Man, we steal one lousy election in 1960 and they just can't let it go.

Allegedly.

[GinaMaria]

143. and the southern part of the state did the same for the other candidate

Allegedly.

[Old Hob]

172. I suspect that there have been no more than two honest elections in our countries history

the first two. I started researching this a while back and there have been countless acts of fraud and disenfranchisement throughout our election history. Our particular model of democracy absolutely sucks and, as such, its little surprise to me that communism is doing better than democracy these days.

[alp227]

142. The Olympic delegates watch Fox News and the right-wing media?

Because Fox News and company have been behind all these attacks on Chicago. Could they have been influential?

[Twinguard]

146. It's sad, really.

There was a time when hosting the Olympic games was a source of national pride. That time started the first time the USA hosted the games, and it ended a few days ago.


We sure dodged a bullet, didn't we. Think about all of those potential jobs we no longer have to worry about. Think of the potential billions our economy didn't need.


All in the name of trying to make Obama out to be a failure. Way to be team players, reichpublicans. Way to go.

[Sequoia]

148. I'm glad Rio won.

Not that I don't like Chicago, but Brazil is a wonderful country and I have some good friends from there. You know there's going to be lots of fun and delicious food. If it had been another US city would the conservatives have had the same attitude?

[droidamus2]

150. Hypocrits

So the Dixie Chicks apologize for Bush and that's terrible and unpatriotic but the rightwing wackos can undercut Chicago's efforts to get the Olympics in an attempt to make political points against Obama and that is just fine and dandy. Hypocrisy thy name is Republican.

[EFerrari]

151. That 22 billion costs more than 22 billion. China's cost overrun

was hundreds of times the original estimate. Every city that hosts the games suffers for it afterwards AND they keep the shiney new video surveillance cameras put in for the games. The truth is, Chicago just dodged a bullet and the wing nuttery is just too stipud to understand that.

[WriteDown]

152. Bingo. nt

[Psephos]

154. You speak for me as well. n/t

[EFerrari]

156. Maybe it's worth it somehow and it would have been fun

and exciting but putting it off for when the economy isn't so insane might not be a bad outcome.

Sorry to the folks that are disappointed.

[Fla Dem]

153. It was a Lose/Lose situation for Obama.......

If we won, the meme would have been.."He didn't need to go, it was already in the bag, Obama was showboating."
He didn't go and we won, ..."He should have been there. All the other heads of states made a pitch. Why does Obama hate America?"

He went, we lost....."Obama's magic didn't work on the IOC. He's arrogant to think he could charm them."
He didn't go, we lost.."Obama should have been there. All the other heads of states made a pitch. Why does Obama hate America?"


It's all noise to distract from the real issues. The rethugs are just hate mongers.

[EFerrari]

157. That's so true. They would have found a way to use the story

to bash him no matter what happened.

[damntexdem]

155. More GOP stupidity.

We should all push the line that the GOP is to blame for the U.S.'s loss.

[DuaneBidoux]

158. How absolutely pathetic these people are. They root for America to lose.

This had so much more to do with Rio than Obama, Chicago, or the U.S.
South America had never had an Olympics and it came down to that.

I never did believe that going to Europe was a good idea for this but I certainly would never be happy that the US loses, even if it had been Bush that had gone.

[Best_man23]

161. If I were a conservative pundit, I wouldn't be cheering

Imagine had Chicago won......

The RW media would have spun the win into "Olympicgate", and implied President Obama gave stimulus money to the IOC in exchange for awarding the 2016 Games to Chicago. Trust me, had Chicago won, this foible would be in the process of being forwarded by ClusterFox and all the Reich Wing talking heads right now.

Rio getting the 2016 Olympic games is a lost opportunity for the RW. They would have actually gotten a nugget they, in their twisted, warped minds, could have spun into a scandal the Obama WH would have had to defend, taking time and valuable manpower away from issues important to the American people.

Given this, I do hope Chicago (or another US city) is awarded a future Olympic games. Having lived there six years in the 1990s, it is a good city with tons of culture and would be an ideal site here in the US for an Olympics.

[jenniferj]

175. Actually the image of America is one of racist, right wing

thugs, trying to derail health care that is a birth right in much of the western world.
They see on their news bulletins pictures of Obama with a Hitler moustache and the see Rio a city with for all its problems is more tolerant and liberal than America..
They love Obama, they don't love the imagine of racism and ignorance that has been shown to the world.

[LeftHander]

163. International Sailing hates Lake Michigan....

U.S. would dominate sailing events if they were on Lake Michigan.

Sailing has huge influence on the venue.

[Odin2005]

167. Damn!

:cry:

[arikara]

168. Chicago should consider itself fortunate

2010 Vancouver Olympics are projected to run at least 1.2 billion over budget. In the name of security, they are turning Vancouver into a big brother is watching city, "developing" by first clearing out all the poor people in the city core - actually shipping homeless including drug abusers out to cheap motels in small towns creating a whole new set of social problems in those places. All for a pretty 2 week party for the rich because that's the only ones who will be able to afford to take any of it in. Oh, and the latest is that the big paying corporations are taking a pass on signing up as "official sponsors" so less money is coming in than expected. Of course we as BC taxpayers will be on the hook for it.

[smitty]

169. The Olympics have become a colossal waste of time and money.

It's also disruptive to the host city. Rio has won a fiscal and social nightmare.

[mule_train]

173. I think many people underestimate the true value of the olympics

would we have ever had a butter Shawn Johnson, if it not have been for the olympics?



or how about Bruce Jenner? Would you have ever been as inspired as you have been to hear about how he won the 1976 decathelon, when promoting various products?



I think people really need to think about the difference this has made in our lives

[Name removed]

177. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[alfredo]

176. Several things played into Chicago's loss. One was Rio, but the state of

the USOC played a part. Having bush cronies in the USOC did not sit well with the Olympic Committee. Ari Fleisher was a recent and very controversial hire. Also there was turmoil within the USOC. I don't think they wanted to risk the Olympics to the USOC due to the problems at the top.

The USOC and IOC have been at odds over TV revenue, and that the USOC wanted to launch its own Olympic television station.

I forgot to add: getting entry into the US has become difficult to the point that it is hurting tourism.

[Regret My New Name]

181. I can't say that I really care either way...