Column:
Obama's political Olympics with the IOC
Published Oct. 9, 2009
Last week, President Barack Obama flew to Copenhagen, Denmark, to lobby to the International Olympic Committee in hopes of having the 2016 Summer Olympics awarded to his hometown of Chicago.
Instead, Rio de Janeiro won the first games to be held in South America and Obama was left with egg on his face as Chicago was the first bid to be eliminated.
There are a few ways to look at this: One option is to simply point and laugh at Obama for having the results reflect the idea of him falling flat on his face in his attempt to win the Olympic bid.
Another is to claim Obama could not have done anything because of the damage former President George Bush has done on the international scene, as Jesse Jackson and Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., have so stupidly suggested.
The most likely answer isn't even political: Chicago probably didn't have the best bid. Rio had guaranteed money and the Olympics had never been in South America.
Before going any further, I'd like it noted I was hoping Chicago would get the games because St. Louis (my hometown) would undoubtedly feel an economic benefit through tourism, if just a small bump.
Despite this, I found it simply hysterical Chicago was picked dead last, being eliminated in the first round of voting. Many in the liberal media and those who blindly follow the president feel slighted that the IOC would decide against the president after he and his wife flew over.
After all, Michelle Obama described flying on a presidential aircraft (Obama flew over a day later on Air Force One) with Oprah as making a sacrifice.
Personally, I call that a vacation.
What's most curious about all this is the president flew over to Copenhagen days after asserting he would do no such thing. I don't think he lied, simply because he has no reason to, leaving us with the only other option, he changed his mind.
Many on the left are upset with the president and his indecisiveness. Simply put, nobody knows exactly what the administration's position is on issues like the public option in health care or adding more troops in Afghanistan.
In the Olympics, the health care debate and the war in Afghanistan, Obama has hesitated. This first began when he met resistance in late spring. Since then, the opposition has not hesitated with its game plan, and it has gained momentum. That saying rings true when we look at poll numbers for health care, 2009 gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and Obama.
The problem for Obama that if he takes the firm stance he wants to on these issues, those numbers will fall even more, being left to feel like Tyson Gay in a 100-meter dash against Usain Bolt.
My piece of advice to the president is to get a new strategy for running his presidency. If he doesn't, I firmly believe he and his party will have to settle for the silver medal in the 2010 midterm elections.
Eric Hobbs is a senior and is the vice chairman of the Mizzou College Republicans. He can be reached at emhn75@mail.missouri.edu