Last week, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley led a delegation to
Lausanne, Switzerland, where the Windy City made its bid in front
of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2016
Summer Olympics. Chicago is competing against Madrid, Rio de
Janeiro and Tokyo to host the games. The IOC will announce the
host city on October 2 in Copenhagen.
While Daley was the public face of Chicago's bid in Lausanne let
there be no mistake. The true public face of Chicago's Olympic
bid is its favorite adopted son, President Barack Obama. The
night before Chicago's presentation, President Obama established
a White House Olympics office to
make clear the games were about him even if they weren't
backed by financial guarantees. Mayor Daley subsequently
announced in the safe confines a Swiss canton near the shores of
Lake Geneva that the City of Chicago would
spare no expense in funding the Olympics. Had Daley made this
announcement in Chicago he might have been tossed into cold
waters of nearby Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. But even if Chicago
taxpayers end up footing the bill, the 31st Olympiad will be
forever known as the Obama Olympics.
Dick Pound, who has represented Canada on the IOC for more than
thirty years, is characteristically
blunt as to how President Obama has improved the chances the
2016 Olympics will be hosted on U.S. soil:
Without Obama in the White House, I would say there would be no
chance whatsoever for the U.S. winning. The U.S. is the only
country in this race that has had an absolutely extraordinary
transformational experience with the election of Obama, which
weighs heavily in its favor.
Naturally, some in the IOC try to downplay Obama's significance
where it concerns the 2016 summer games. Juan Antonio Samaranch,
Jr. is one. His father, Juan Antonio Samaranch, was President of
the IOC from 1980 to 2001. The younger Samaranch recently said,
"It is one thing to be impressed and to be excited about greeting
the President of the United States, and it is another thing to
vote for Chicago because you had coffee with the U.S. President."
Of course, Samaranch is from Spain and is keen to see the games
come to Madrid. Coffee with Obama might not mean much to him
individually but the thought of other IOC members having coffee
with Obama undoubtedly gives Samaranch the jitters.
While Samaranch might keep his anxiety to himself the same cannot
be said of former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori who is
eager to have the eyes of the world on Tokyo seven years from
now. Yet he doesn't seem optimistic about Tokyo's chances and
worries openly about the Obama factor. Mori recently told
Reuters:
You also have to ask if the Games will come back to Asia (so
soon) after Beijing last year. The threat could come from
America. Chicago could be the biggest rival, helped by Obama's
popularity. Like many people, I thought Paris was almost
certain to win the vote to host 2012. Then Tony Blair got
involved at the end and people say that tipped it and London
won. I don't think (Japanese PM) Taro Aso would have much
impact. I do wonder how many times the U.S. needs to host the
Olympics though.
The thought of Obama addressing IOC delegates directly scares
Japan, Spain and Brazil to their very core and rightly so. Should
Obama wax eloquent IOC delegates might not only award Chicago the
Olympics they could also elect Obama President of the Whole
World. It is worth noting that the BBC World Service conducted a
poll in 22 countries last summer regarding the 2008 U.S.
Presidential election. Brazil was amongst those countries
surveyed. By a four-to-one margin, respondents favored
Obama over Republican standard bearer John McCain. The selection
of the Olympic host city is the one opportunity the international
community has to cast a ballot for Obama. And they could so
without committing ground troops to Afghanistan.
If elected to a second term in 2012, Obama would be due to leave
office only a few months after the Olympics. Should Chicago be
selected to host the 2016 Summer Olympics the games will become a
celebration of Obama. His local political base plus his legion of
admirers from throughout the United States and the world would
descend upon Chicago for the Obama love fest to end all Obama
love fests. It will make the Roman columns used for his
Democratic National Convention acceptance speech last August look
modest by comparison. Think of the ostentatious style of the
Obama Inaugural only in much warmer weather.
But suppose Obama is somehow defeated in 2012. Well, let us
remember there will be a Presidential election in 2016. Obama
would be 55 years old and undoubtedly eager to pull a Grover
Cleveland. He would still have the same legion of admirers who
would treat him as their leader in exile (albeit a very
comfortable exile.) The Chicago Olympics would be the perfect
backdrop for a political comeback especially if any of the
ceremonies were to take place in Grant Park -- the same place he
spoke after prevailing on election night last November.
While it is undoubtedly true Barack Obama would prefer to attend
the Chicago Olympics as President of the United States, either
way if the games come to Chicago they will play an important part
in shaping his legacy both in the United States and around the
world. Who knows? He might even get a gold medal out of it.
topics:
Olympic Games, Chicago, Richard M. Daley
