to connect this epic failure to the larger question of what happens to American sovreignty when you export it to an international body in other more important matters. Americans should get used to rejection over the next 3 years.

Depends on which half you spoke with.
48% - Yes
45% - No

So at least half the city is pleased with the decision.

Given their gross arrogance and hubris, this must seem to them to be a bad dream.

And the Chicago political machine is surely going to have second thoughts about the power of the man in whom they have so much invested.

As for me, the first word that came to mind was schadenfreude.

who were counting on all that cheap slum land to skyrocket in value and make a killing in the real estate market. Payback time. What goes around, comes around.

Though I’m not sure whether it was because Obama is white and black, Michelle is mad and black, Oprah is fat and black or if it was the video of all those black kids beating the other black kid to death.

n/t

“but I take at face value for the moment that Chicagoans really wanted this one and felt it would be good for the city.”

Uh, no. Big business, Daley cronies and some residents wanted this Games. Most people–left, right, whatever–saw it as a promise to increase taxes, and a promise that King Daley would continue to neglect basic services while focusing on a two-week party, and a promise that corruption and the Machine would grow.

Seriously, so many people in Chicago are happy right now. It feels like a party.

Atter this humiliation, Obama will be even more desperate for a win on ObamaCare (or something he can spin as a win) to try to regain some credibility as a leader - which means he will pull out every stop to get some kind of bill through, any bill through.

In the silver lining department, he did use this occasion to meet with McChrystal for 25 minutes at the airport after the vote before heading back to the U.S.

Obama will - with the more active assistance of his friends in the formerly main stream media - be pushing even harder for a win. And now that support for His prized takeover of the health care system will soon dip below 40%, We should brace for a huge and vicious effort by the left to jam health care takeover through Congress.

This is just one more reason Americans are so angry. ( http://www.conservativeblog.thewebinfocenter.com/conservative-blog/three-reasons-america-is-angry ) The Congress isn’t making decisions for the people they purport to serve.

I assumed like a lot of people that Chicago had this one locked up tight after having lived there for so long.

How could he go if he was going to lose?

But you’re right, Dan: it was a shocking display of his inexperience and his team’s attempt to do everything at once, not thinking about the consequences for the office if he failed (which I guess they thought was inconceivable.)

They believe too much of their own hype, and once that starts to fall apart, groups like the IOC with their own internal politics who don’t necessarily care about the hype can and will give you a huge smackdown.

As someone who has been in office for well under a year, Obama should have been — dare I say it — much more Conservative. In the end, the odds were only 1 in 4, and Axelrod must have known that.

He and Rahm Emanuel should go for a long, long solitary walk together when Rahm gets home and start thinking seriously about the ramifications of believing their own propaganda, and what it means for the United States when they advise the President to take on these very public endeavors based purely on their own mythos.

Luckily this time it was just the Olympics they tried to influence with the showbiz.

POTUS 101 is that you never put your prestige on the line unless you have a done deal. Just ask Bill Clinton. He said in an interview that he would not have gone to North Korea unless he was sure he would bring the two journalists back with him.There is no way Obama should have gone to Copenhagen unless the fix was in. He can’t even spin this as Chicago being in the running since Chicago was eliminated in the first round.I’ve had my doubts about Obama’s political skill since he allowed the DNC to portray townhall protesters as a “mob”, nazis and Un-American.

on the Bush Presidency and the lingering hostility the international community feels toward the U.S. Obama just has more work to do to repair the damage done to reputation of this country.

They will blame the unfortunate gang beatings in the last days for sabotaging NObama’s efforts!

And why are there murderous gangs in Chicago?

Because of Poverty! And Racism! And to solve the problems of Poverty and Racism we need to have…

(Drum Roll)

adequate Health Care!

These are problems REPUBLICANS have allowed to fester for 30 years! And so now it is even more urgent and necessary THAN EVER BEFORE to pass Hell-th Care legislation to address these problem!

You saw it here first!

Frankly, I believe Obama lost because he did get involved.

Despite his groveling on the world stage, constant apologetic demeanor, submissive foreign policy and quest to correct past “wrongs” this global crowd still loathes America.

Obama’s “Presidential” actions have been weak, naïve and demote the essence of our countries greatness to be equivalent with a cheap marketing campaign.

There is no feeling, passion, belief or grounding in the fundamental liberties, sacrifice and unique attributes that represent our society. Hence we have this empty shell of a man with his slick marketing campaign and MTV appeal running around as the antithesis of everything which makes us great.

It’s time Mr. Obama and his cohorts in Congress realize the muffled back rooms sounds are not long sought accolades. It is the laughter of societies possessing philosophies we discarded long ago in search of societal perfection and global leadership. They are enjoying the demise or our republic at the hands of a self-indulgent provincial whose main concern is obeisance to their misguided cause.

here:

I don’t view this as a repudiation of the president or the first lady. I think that there are politics everywhere, and there were politics inside that room.

Hey Dave, I think you should stick to what you know best, pal:

This president seems to think it’s all about him and not his office. His expectations were too high because his estimate of himself is too high.

He hasn’t figured out that you can claim and promise anything during the campaign, but when you get elected you have to deliver.

He’s losing more and more followers because people no longer believe he can fulfill his promises.

Exactly what did all ‘those folks’ expect when they voted for a ‘PARKING TICKET SCOFFLAW’ who refuses to show the country his ‘papers’.

Oh, to be the fly on the wall for a glimps of all the ‘international boys’ slapping thier thighs and rolling off the chair with not only the SMACKDOWN but the groveling ‘PIC-a-NINNY performances of BOTH of them.

Profanity prohibited - the actual danger is the crowd of obvious retards that are advising the ‘Anointed One’, i.e., the BLOODY PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!

Gerald Stephens
Hartford CT

“I don’t view this as a repudiation of the president or the first lady. I think that there are politics everywhere, and there were politics inside that room.”

Yes, and the politics were “let’s embarrass the U.S. President.” My bet is O thought he had a deal and got sandbagged. Apparently, nobody’s afraid to make Obama look the fool. And he does — it’s frightening! I mean, the IOC? We’re not talking Yalta here.

But where was Voldemort? Rahm is not a fool. I’m praying Rahm said don’t go and Me The People went anyway. Because if Voldemort pulled a Serpico on the President … I’m feeling a little unprotected right now.

Dan, sweetheart, I’m surprised you didn’t figure this out earlier: of course Obama and his staff didn’t have to bother with securing backroom deals to ensure their Olympic bid before they put his Presidential prestige on the line!! When you’re The One, your mere presence, your sheer oratory power, THAT’s what secures anything you want! When you’re The Messiah, anything you ask for is yours! Surely the Olympics would be no different, right?

You have to start thinking like a kool-aid drinker when it comes to these things. No, don’t drink the kool-aid!! Just start seeing things from the perspective of the Yes-Men in the White House who are now advising the President. When they think the President can do no wrong, when they think he is a God among men, then surely his presence alone would clinch the deal for Chicago’s Olympic bid. At least, it would in their minds. To them, back room political dealing is unnecessary when you’re absolutely certain that the presence of The One will cause a stream of light to fall upon the Olympic Committee, and in that moment they will know, they have to vote for Chicago!

Remember, hon, reality doesn’t enter the mind of a kool-aid drinker. We really should stop being surprised by snafus like these, since kool-aid drinkers are planning every move the President makes.

I’m new here. I’ve done some posting on Yahoo and ABC. Here you preach to the choir. Everyone seems to be on the same page.

One point not presented on this issue. The Olympics are a PRIVATE EVENT - NOT a Government Policy. H-m-m-m. In that light - Obama was merely acting like a Lobbyist, which is what he does best AKA campaign and TV advertising. He said he would have no lobbyists in his administration. He said he would have transparency. He said he would provide oversight. He said… He said…

He had no intention of doing anything but “Fundamentally change America”.

He and Michelle are on vacation. They are the new “jet-setters” See the world at our expense and blah blah his rhetoric. I think they pinch themselves every day.

What about the cost of the trip to Copenhagen? How many planes and people went to this event? 100 or more? Secret Service, Motorcade, Czars?? Air Force One flies at $70K and hour. That is one airplane. How many government people worked on this event at our expense? Add a big whopping Carbon Foot Print to the Congress pay raise and you have a government that is out-of-control and out-of-their minds!

The Olympic Games is not the war; the Olympic Games is not the battle, I wouldn’t even call it a skirmish in the grand scheme of all things affecting the future of America. Some folks would have made some money in Chicago. The Olympic Games will still go on and they will still be televised. So it is interesting that the President took on this “entertainment” challenge and turned it somehow into a guage US prestige at home and abroad. The return on investment to the United States of which he is President would be small. I doubt world leaders or even the Democratic Party puts a lot of stake in who has had the last half dozen Olympic Games. Mr. Obama….stick to what you should be doing better. If you have decided what that is…………