Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

A PR Nightmare for the Obamas
NationalReview.com ^ | Friday, October 2, 2009 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 10/02/2009 3:45:41 PM PDT by canuck_conservative

One can understand an American president’s lobbying for an American city to obtain the Olympics, but the blitz by the Obamas proved a PR nightmare. Let us count the ways:

1) Obama’s brand is trans-nationalism and an “America is not exceptional” multiculturalism. According to his worldview, it makes sense that a South American country — especially a powerful, ascendant country such as Brazil — should at last have its turn at hosting the Olympics. It did not seem consistent that a politician who had reached out to the Castros, Chávez, Morales, and Ortega, in parochial fashion, would lobby for his own hometown over a “yes, we can” Latin American initiative, especially one involving an exciting city such as Rio.

2) The Obama lobbying speeches were counterproductive. The world has its own inspirational narratives and is not impressed that much by the Obamas’ Chicago sagas. It was accidental but unfortunate that the global viewers had seen some horrific YouTube clips of street fighting in the Windy City, and then were told by Michelle that her father had taught her how to land a right hook, and that it was a sacrifice for her to fly to Denmark to make the case for Chicago.

3) The Chicago bit was overdone. Obama should remember that there is a perfect storm brewing: The more we hear about Valerie Jarrett, Rahm Emanuel, Bill Ayers, and all his old Chicago friends, along with rumors about Tony Rezko–style backroom deals to cash in on Chicago real estate involving the Olympics, and continuing stories about Chicago’s street violence and corruption — the more it hurts the president to be identified as a “Chicago politician” who tries in heavy-handed fashion to implement change through the “Chicago way.” To a younger Obama, Chicago was the romantic can-do town of Reverend Wright, Michael Jordan, Oprah, and the Daley machine; to the world at large, it is something quite different, and far more unappealing.

4) Obama’s messianic appeal is wearing thin, both at home and abroad. I think that once Sarkozy essentially said to the world, “The emperor has no clothes,” the Obama facade crumbled. And here we are.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chicago; choke; czars; education; epicfail; fail; government; healthcare; islam; israel; kenya2020; latestnews; military; obama; obamacare; obamafail; olympicfail; olympics; olympicsfail; palin; politics; sasquatchrighthook; stupidmuslim; thugs; vdh; veterans; zerofail
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 161 next last
To: Gator113

Today has been a wonderful day.
Just seeing a little karma - what goes around comes around.


81 posted on 10/02/2009 4:48:19 PM PDT by mendedheart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: reefdiver

Very interesting observation


82 posted on 10/02/2009 4:49:22 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The President has borrowed more money to spend to less effect than anybody on the planet. " Steyn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: canuck_conservative
The colorless Olympic officials, committees and bureaucrats consider themselves elegant traditionalists and Keepers of the eternal Olympic Flame.

I'll just bet the traveling road show of Obama, Michelle and Oprah didn't sit too well with them because of the circus-like atmosphere which accompanied the three glitzy Americans.

These three egotistas and their PR blitz soon became bigger than the Committee and The Decision itself....and you can bet they didn't like it one bit.

Leni

83 posted on 10/02/2009 4:50:55 PM PDT by MinuteGal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gator113

Today has been a wonderful day.
Just seeing a little karma - what goes around comes around.


84 posted on 10/02/2009 4:52:59 PM PDT by mendedheart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: arrogantsob

LOL - she’s a zero now

I think the Olympic committee has probably studied Chicago history and decided to pass. :)


85 posted on 10/02/2009 4:53:57 PM PDT by WestCoastGal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: shield

You seem to be a Birther! or is now ethics. Seems Axelrod and Jarrert seemed to have a lot linked to the bid. Maybe we need to follow the money trail. How much federal funds were funneled to Axelroods formerly owned company?


86 posted on 10/02/2009 4:54:38 PM PDT by ncfool (Cash for Clunkers - A big failure and Obama and rats want us to trust them with our healthcare!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: csvset

Can’t Oprah just buy the Olympics? /s

They didn’t want to use THEIR money!


87 posted on 10/02/2009 4:56:28 PM PDT by dusttoyou (libs are all wee wee'd up and no place to go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Fu-fu2

I think is how Chicago has been associated with in recent years, not Al Capone, but Air Jordan.


88 posted on 10/02/2009 4:59:27 PM PDT by Biggirl (Called To Be Patriots!:)=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: HiTech RedNeck
Why can’t Chicago DO anything about these thug gangs.

What? Those aren't gangs. Those are training sessions for future community organizers. That's how the Daley Machine trains officials for the Democrat Party in Chicago.

If I were a member of the IOC that voted for Rio, I would start to worry about somebody with a big board ringing the door bell at 3 AM.

89 posted on 10/02/2009 5:00:22 PM PDT by stripes1776 ("That if gold rust, what shall iron do?" --Chaucer)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: noiseman

Just like Jimmy Carter, Obama will be a one term President, ONE AND DONE.


90 posted on 10/02/2009 5:01:17 PM PDT by Biggirl (Called To Be Patriots!:)=^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: Fu-fu2
Stockyards have been closed down for decades.

I know that, but it's still a historic institution (you have to imagine the smell)

My favorite image of Chicago was from the top of the Sears tower, where over...there...on the shore of Lake Michigan, was the Chicago water treatment plant.

And way over there... on the shore of Lake Michigan...was the sewer treatment plant. (but of course, it doesn't discharge into the lake...wink wink.)

Also the Chicago river, that now runs backwards, to carry effluent away, and gets dyed green every year. It runs right through town.

I really like their airport.

91 posted on 10/02/2009 5:03:31 PM PDT by ROCKLOBSTER (RATs, nothing more than bald haired hippies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 78 | View Replies]

To: David1

anyone know where that music at the end is from?


92 posted on 10/02/2009 5:05:32 PM PDT by musicbymuzak
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Vision Thing

“But, but, but how could the world turn down OPRAH?”

Frankly, sending two badly dressed, ugly, fat-assed black ‘ladies’ to a country (or Europe, for that matter) where men are accustomed to beautiful, svelt, blonde, sexy women was a big mistake; and yes, I use the term ‘big’ intentionally and no I am not a racist but I do know about European men.


93 posted on 10/02/2009 5:10:09 PM PDT by Happyinmygarden (Yes, actually, I have pretty much seen and heard it all before...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: David1

Great post.
Thanks.


94 posted on 10/02/2009 5:12:36 PM PDT by MaryFromMichigan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: ShandaLear

Or “Our time has come.” Who do people think he was talking about?


95 posted on 10/02/2009 5:12:58 PM PDT by RC2
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: WestCoastGal

They decided not to have a “Killing Innocent Kids in the Street” competition, I guess.


96 posted on 10/02/2009 5:13:11 PM PDT by arrogantsob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: canuck_conservative; WestCoastGal; redgolum; narses; Bean Counter; 69ConvertibleFirebird; ...
"Obama’s messianic appeal is wearing thin, both at home and abroad."
97 posted on 10/02/2009 5:14:41 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Kirkwood

Nobama, manschelle and nopra all failed to recognize that Old Europe was racist before racist was cool.


98 posted on 10/02/2009 5:16:11 PM PDT by dusttoyou (libs are all wee wee'd up and no place to go)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: noiseman

“When it comes to someone who exhibits Obama’s personality defect “

I think he will exhibit the narcissistic personality disorder through extreme anger that will be only displayed in private and will be used to order underlings to take extreme action (i.e. threats) to everyone and anyone who fails to carry out his wishes. Hence, the weaklings in Congress will be shoved into doing his bidding. The state controlled media will cow and he will ultimately get his way.

This personality type uses tantrums as their fall back position.


99 posted on 10/02/2009 5:16:56 PM PDT by Happyinmygarden (Yes, actually, I have pretty much seen and heard it all before...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: canuck_conservative

100 posted on 10/02/2009 5:17:19 PM PDT by Iron Munro (You can't kill the beast while sucking at its teat - Claire Wolfe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 161 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson