Posted on 10/02/2009 11:12:27 AM PDT by Steelfish
Rio Win 2016 Games as IOC Rebuff Obama
By REUTERS October 2, 2009
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Rio de Janeiro will stage the first Olympics in South America in 2016, the International Olympic Committee decided on Friday, delivering a stunning rebuff to U.S. President Barack Obama and favorites Chicago.
IOC President Jacques Rogge announced the decision to give the Games to Rio after three rounds of voting which produced a landslide victory for the Brazilians in a final showdown with Madrid.
Chicago, despite a speech to the IOC by President Obama, who had put his credibility on the line by flying in to address the IOC just before the vote, went out as fourth and last in the first round of voting, one of the biggest shocks in an Olympic ballot.
Chicago had started as front-runners and most Olympic observers had expected the Obama factor - first lady Michelle Obama spent two days lobbying in Copenhagen and also addressed the IOC session - to be decisive.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
And there's a perfectly good reason for that...
When it comes time to begin taking stock of Obama's avoidable defeats, this one will rank near (or at) the top.
What an egregiously stupid stunt .. sending not only his wife, but making a personal appeal for a bid that Chicago was almost certain to lose in any case.
What's equally "stunning," however, is the media's apparent assumption that Obama's stupid stunt would actually turn out to make the difference in the process.
And what the hell ... maybe it did. The IOC is supposed to be (snicker) above the petty concerns of international politics. For a president to effectively make Chicago's bid a matter of national politics -- and American politics at that -- it could easily have driven the committee to reject Chicago's bid.
Obama’s saccharine speeches may sway women who watch Oprah, but I don’t think it played well with the IOC. After all those people didn’t spend 12 years being indoctrinated by the American education system.
Chicago or Rio? Tough decision... hmmmm...
LOL!!!!!!! I’m seriously in tears myself now. I’m so glad I brought it up. The crying losers in CHItown reminded me of it. Thanks for the hearty laugh.
All morning I have been singing, “The Girl from Ipenema”, and don’t know the reason.
greatest political photo ever
Imagine getting your way for 30 years by playing the race card.
And then you lose the race card and have to accept the reality that people just think your shiite stinks.
Clinton’s Tarmac HAIRCUT took longer than BAMMY”S TARMAC talk with his GENERAL!
LOL!!!!!!
It was the vast right wing conspiracy.
Never thought I would be happy we lost out, but it is a good thing to bring those two con artists down. I would love to hear the Inside gossip about Michelle/Barry’s impact on the voters there. Heh heh.
Yes, but
“Guess what I just saw at the DUmpter...I kid you not...
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!!!!!! And it’s gonna be FABULOUS!!!!
I checked and it’s apparently true. I don’t eeeven want to know what “games” they will be playing. {shudder}
Just ugh.
Friday, October 02, 2009 2:54:18 PM by ravingnutter
This smack down ... it was beautiful.
IOC resented the Obamas flying in as Superman and Supermrs expecting the IOC to be in awe and fall down and worship
I watched the show Obama and co put on for the IOC and it was slick, but also pretty gross. I don't want to give the IOC more credit than it deserves, because I think they are as politically corupt as the UN, but the US bid, underscored by an over-the-top visit by a US President, stank of Democratic/Chicago politics that even the IOC couldn't stomach. The only reason they swung so hard for the games was for political reasons- the hope that Obama would be finishing his second term in 2016 and the Democrats could do all the flag waving during the Chicago Olympics leading up to the Nov election. Obama was in campaign mode, his speech was foolishly geared towards winning US votes, not IOC votes. Michelle even mentioned Chicago baseball, which is a sport dropped by the IOC starting in 2012. Obama tried to make his story sound like the Olympic story-- growing up a diverse kid, having lived in Hawaii and Indonesia and how Chicago was melting pot of all that; and how he worked hard and overcame obstacles, blah blah. They left no reason at all for the IOC to vote for Chicago.
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