For a guy like Obama, whose only serious weapon is his alleged personal magnetism, that lesson goes double at least.
This whole business of the President of the United States -- and his wife -- making a personal project out of selling Chicago's bid ... it is not only highly unusual and tawdry, it's also a ridiculous waste of prestige.
Prestige is not something you can replace if you spend it on stupid efforts, and if you lose on something stupid, your prestige really takes a hit.
A good chief of staff would have duct-taped both POTUS and the First Lady to the floor, rather than let them run off on a goose chase like this one.
You have isolated, identified and described the precise issue here.
The local Chicago media is saying the same about Daley. That he has always been able to “control” the outcome of a vote in his favor before it is acted upon. (How’s that for being blatant about Chicago politics/government??) He could not exercise the same “control” over the IOC, and that it was a big step out of his comfort zone to even attempt the Olympic bid.
No one on the TOTUS-reader's staff or administration is "good." They don't make decisions, they just hold up mirrors and take orders from ayers and soros.
This is true for his staff, his cabinet (has there ever been a weaker SoS than clinton?), his appointees and his czars.
His ego is writing checks his butt can't cash.