Disappointed White House Struggles to Explain Chicago's Defeat

The Washington Post ^ | 10/2/2009 | Anne E. Kornblut

[Smogger]

With the stunning news that Olympic officials had swiftly rejected Chicago as host the 2016 Olympics, despite a personal, last-minute appeal from President Obama, the White House was left Friday with the immediate and difficult challenge of explaining what happened.

Did the president falter by making remarks that were emotional and personal, rather than giving specifics about his adopted home town? Is the defeat a sign that Obama's global popularity has begun to wane?

White House advisers -- many of them Chicago natives, with a personal stake in the bid -- rushed into the back recesses of the West Wing to digest the outcome, and then emerged, looking glum, to comment.

[Smogger]

I'll say it. The IOC is RACIST! How dare they reject a heartfelt and personal appeal from The King of the United States. Where's Kayne to comment? ;-)

[cranked]

It will be OK, no lives lost, but yeah, throwing the race card would seem prudent about now...../s

[Recovering_Democrat]

[Jeff Chandler]

BUSH"S FAULT!!!

[uncitizen]

Is the defeat a sign that Obama's global popularity has begun to wane?

Uh...yeaaahhhh

[Recovering_Democrat]

[rockinqsranch]

They didn’t sacrifice enough.

[colorado tanker]

Maybe now the Moron in Chief gets why no other American President has made this mistake. You don't place an administration's credibility in the hands of the corrupt and very political IOC.

Like Sarko said, this guy is arrogant and naive.

[uncitizen]

Speaking of Kanye, he’s got more clout than Obama. We shoulda let him give it a shot.

[Obadiah]

...the White House was left Friday with the immediate and difficult challenge of explaining what happened.

In other words how can we spin this away from Obama. Look for the corrupt MSM to start pointing fingers at everyone, but Obama.

It was Bush's fault.

Obama inherited this from Bush.

The IOC is racist.<>The IOC is actually part of the vast right-wng conspiracy.

[RobinOfKingston]

Struggles? Lemme help ‘em. obama’s a pr!ck — chicago is a political cesspool.

[milwguy]

He knew the unemployment numbers would be terrible and figured even bad news about the Olympics would be better than asking why the economy is still tanking depsite the ‘green shoots’ he says are growing.

[robert561]

I wanted the Olympics back in the U.S., and I’m pissed that more of you don’t care that the country lost out on the Olympics. 0bama is proving to be a failure all around, so he didn’t need this “loss” to show how flawed his presidency is. I wanted the Olympics whether he was credited or not.

[NCjim]

Schadenfreude!

[cranked]

Barry and company's "green shoots" are nothing more than liberal unicorn and rainbow dead grass.

[FourPeas]

Axelrod can blame it on international politics all he wants, but we all know that Obama’s ego and personality FAILED in something he apparently thought was a done deal. He has made the President of The United States an international joke.

[NewHampshireDuo]

I’m sure Glenn Beck will be blasted by the WH.

[Dianna]

I wanted the Olympics back in the U.S., and I’m pissed that more of you don’t care that the country lost out on the Olympics.

I think we have many bigger things to worry about than the Olympics. Let's clean house before we invite the neighbors in.

[marstegreg]

I guess the strong-arming that works on congress, didn’t work on the IOC. Maybe they should begin the name-calling soon.

[I see my hands]