by Christi Parsons and Mark Silva
Rio de Janeiro has won the right to host the Olympic games in the summer of 2016, a decision that will set the games in South America for the first time.
"In every competition, there can only be one winner,'' said Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee.
Today's announcement dashes the hopes of U.S. boosters - President Barack Obama chief among them - who had put their reputations on the line to help win the games for Chicago.
Word came from the International Olympic Committee as the president and the first lady headed back to Washington, hours after making a last-minute, appeal for their hometown to the committee meeting in Copenhagen.
Their rival in the campaign, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, asked the Olympic panel to choose a country that has never gotten to host the games.
"The opportunity now is to expand the games to new continents," Lula told the panel in his presentation. "Light the cauldron in a tropical country, in the most beautiful of cities. Send a powerful message to the world that the Olympic Games belong to all people, all continents, and to all humanity."
Chicago's elimination was one of the more shocking defeats in IOC voting history. The city had long been viewed as a front-runner.
But the emotional appeals from Obama and his wife Michelle -- who both had flown to Denmark to make Chicago's case -- fell on deaf ears in the European-dominated IOC.
The IOC's last two experiences in the United States were marred by controversy: The 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics were sullied by a bribery scandal and logistical problems and a bombing marred the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
U.S. officials in Copenhagen did not immediately comment, and the word was greeted with stunned confusion and disappointment in Chicago, where thousands had gathered in Daley Plaza to hear the news.
In the final days of the campaign, Chicago's bid appeared to be gathering both momentum and clout. As it made its way to Copenhagen, the city's delegation picked up travelers from the U.S. Senate and Obama's Cabinet.
When Obama himself decided to go, it seemed like the wind was behind the U.S. bid. No one has better vote-counters than the president, and political wisdom held that he wouldn't stick his neck out if there weren't a very good chance of a win.
In the wake of the announcement today, though, his top aides were at a loss for answers.
"I'm sure there will be quite a bit of post mortems done on this,'' said David Axelrod, the president's senior political adviser, appearing on CNN, calling himself "engrossed'' in fathoming the politics of Washington without getting into the politics in Copenhagen.
Comments
Tough luck Chicago. Congratulations to Rio de Janeiro for bringing the Olympics to South America for the first time.
Posted by: Jamaicafest | October 2, 2009 1:29 PM
No way would I set foot in a city that has a Murder Rate twice that of Chicago. Nor would I visit a region of the world where drug lords waltz into Discoteques and toss 5 severed heads on the dance floor to send a message. That's a page from the terrorist handbook al-Qaeda hasn't discovered.
Posted by: janet | October 2, 2009 1:43 PM
That viral video of the honor student being beaten to death at Fenger HS, spread worldwide on the tube, did not help.
Nor did all the drive by shootings that are reported almost daily.
Another thing that didn't help:
Since Barack announced in Feb. 07, the Clinton machine and later the right wing hate machine which posts regularly here, constantly attacked him as a corrupt Chicago Machine party hack.
And continue to do so to this very day.
So, overkill: bash Chicago and US loses the Olympics.
Posted by: ornery | October 2, 2009 3:00 PM
Yes, ornery it is the "vast right wing conspiracy" that is partly to blame. Sorry, but that is just plane BS, but par for the course from the Loony Left.
How about blaming the narcissistic speeches from the Obimbos?
Seems the Idiot has no magic beyond the media and adoring throng that is the Loony Left. He is failing at everything he touches, Obimbo is.
And Janet, dear, before you go dissing the crime and terror problems in Rio, perhaps you should look in your own backyard? A 16-year-old honor student getting the life bashed out of him? Gangs running amok in Obama's Chicago?
Oooops, I'm sorry, Mark is telling the truth going to get me censored again????
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 3:14 PM
Yes, ornery it is the "vast right wing conspiracy" that is partly to blame. Sorry, but that is just plane BS, but par for the course from the Loony Left.
How about blaming the narcissistic speeches from the Obimbos?
Seems the Idiot has no magic beyond the media and adoring throng that is the Loony Left. He is failing at everything he touches, Obimbo is.
And Janet, dear, before you go dissing the crime and terror problems in Rio, perhaps you should look in your own backyard? A 16-year-old honor student getting the life bashed out of him? Gangs running amok in Obama's Chicago?
Oooops, I'm sorry, Mark is telling the truth going to get me censored again????
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 3:28 PM
Any of you republicans realize that the leading "civilian" in the effort to bring the Olympics to Chicago was Pat Ryan? A republican shill and fundraiser, who is part of the evil insurance cartel that has caused the United States to have one of the worst health care systems in the developed world.
He actually hosted a major fundraiser with Bush at his Glencoe home during the 2004 campaign.
Posted by: syj | October 2, 2009 3:46 PM
Crackpot John D is at it again. He and other right wing wack jobs would blame a cold and rainy day on the "loony left" and on Obama. What a pathetic bunch of losers.
Chicago losing out to Rio had nothing to do with Obama, Oprah or anyone else. Rio's bid and presentation was better. I'll be curious to see how the Fox nuts spin this one.
Posted by: gibster | October 2, 2009 3:48 PM
Alot of Chicago didnt want the games in the first place. If anyone has anything to worry about its Daily for at the last minute promising taxpayer money when the city's financial situation is in the toliet. I wont be surprised if hes greeted at O'hare with a noose.
Posted by: David B | October 2, 2009 3:51 PM
Get over it, Chicago. Olympics are won and lost based on who can bribe the most committee members, just ask Salt lake City. Besides, the cost of providing security and all the other crap that comes with hosting the Olympics just isn't worth it anymore, IMO.
Posted by: wounded animal | October 2, 2009 4:04 PM
Rio, perhaps you should look in your own backyard? A 16-year-old honor student getting the life bashed out of him? Gangs running amok in Obama's Chicago?
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 3:14 PM
*********************************************
.
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Hey Lil' Johnny Dittohead,
Go cheelead against America somewhere else, chucklehead.
Posted by: janet | October 2, 2009 4:13 PM
* * * * *
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 3:14 PM
.
John,
.
Far be it from me, in the normal order, to take sides with janet against you on issues of politics.
.
But this time janet is right (and that’s true even if janet turned out to be John E.).
.
Why? Because the social order among the powers that be in Rio is despicable. Countless children from the poor barrios in and about Rio are slaughtered there every year by death squads. Depending on whose statistics you use, the rate is between 2 to 5 children murdered every day. Most street kids there can expect to die before their 18th birthday. The only crime these children commit is that they are trying not to starve to death. They are murdered in an organized effort because they beg on the streets and steal from shops - and that’s supposedly bad for the tourist trade. Worse yet, the government does little or nothing to stop this. (What it DOES is pick up the bodies every morning.)
.
I will never go to Rio, or Brazil, as long as children are killed to make some local businessman’s wallet swell. I can only wonder how many children will be killed in order for the local merchants to effectively make money during the Olympics. I realize that Chicago, warts and all, is far from being a paradise. However, compared to the dung heap that is Rio, Chicago it is the Emerald City of Oz.
.
I say we should boycott the summer Olympics in Rio.
Posted by: John W. | October 2, 2009 4:20 PM
when the city's financial situation is in the toliet. I wont be surprised if hes greeted at O'hare with a noose.
Posted by: David B | October 2, 2009 3:51 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.
Wow, another day, another chickenhawk Repugnut dreaming of violence against his political adversaries.
This is one of the many reasons why the Repugs can't win elections anymore, Davey.
Posted by: I wanna be a Republican idiot | October 2, 2009 4:21 PM
Just to be clear, "I wanna be a Republican idiot," that ain't me. In the first place, I can spell "Daley" and "toilet."
Posted by: DaveB | October 2, 2009 4:50 PM
Yes, ornery it is the "vast right wing conspiracy" that is partly to blame. Sorry, but that is just plane BS, but par for the course from the Loony Left.
How about blaming the narcissistic speeches from the Obimbos?
Seems the Idiot has no magic beyond the media and adoring throng that is the Loony Left. He is failing at everything he touches, Obimbo is.
And Janet, dear, before you go dissing the crime and terror problems in Rio, perhaps you should look in your own backyard? A 16-year-old honor student getting the life bashed out of him? Gangs running amok in Obama's Chicago?
Oooops, I'm sorry, Mark is telling the truth going to get me censored again????
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 4:51 PM
Syj nice try but Ryan was on bozo's inaugural committee and his insurance company provides insurance for health care providers, not patients.
As for bozo's involvement, he tripped all over his ego on this one as did his raised in poverty wife. Maybe it was the extreme "sacrifice" they both made to party in Denmark, I'm sure the IOC was impressed. I was glad to see the supreme leader spend a whole 25 minutes nailing down his Afghanistan strategy with the general. Now he just needs a few weeks to settle on a political strategy. Wouldn't it have made more sense to expend effort on saving American lives rather than practicing apologies and hosting Olymic fundraisers?
Posted by: Hans | October 2, 2009 4:54 PM
John W,
ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzz
Posted by: Honorificabilitudinitatibus | October 2, 2009 5:53 PM
John W., I am not dismissing the horror that takes place in Rio, but unfortunately Chicago has nothing to raise its head about when it comes to our own crime problems and murders of kids. And unfortunately, most of those killing kids in Chicago are kids themselves. Whether it's Rio or Chicago, I find it shameful and despicable.
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 6:07 PM
EPIC FAIL !!!
Posted by: Liberalism is a plague -- eradicate it! | October 2, 2009 6:28 PM
Guess who said this:
"They say that the Olympics will come to Chicago if we're fortunate enough to be selected, but really it's coming to America, and I can't think of a better city to represent the United States than Chicago."
Give up? It was George W. Bush, who as stupid as he was, at least seemed to realize that Chicago was actually in America. The wingnuts hate Obama so much, that the hate has been transferred to not just Chicago, but the whole country.
Posted by: Planet Wingnuttia | October 2, 2009 6:30 PM
How about blaming the narcissistic speeches from the Obimbos?
Posted by: John D | October 2, 2009 6:07 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Lil' Johnny PopTarts,
It's not our fault that you voted for a guy (Bush) twice who couldn't speak even when he had a teleprompter.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGRYPYuFZLk
.
Posted by: Disillusioned Republican | October 2, 2009 7:16 PM
Well.....given the corruption of the IOC....I think we can quote Shakespeare and say.....
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Posted by: David J | October 2, 2009 8:03 PM
“Rio Wins”. And Rio should win. It is, check this out democrats, “Only Fair”. America is just too much of a Stain on Humanity to be rewarded with yet another Olympics. democrats, u need to remember how u really feel about this sort of stuff. Sorry Chicago, give the Cubs, da Sox, them Bears, those Bulls, some xtra love.
Actually, it’s all about entertainment anyway. U would think that playing the guitar, drinkin’ and dining with pretty Latinas at all hours of the night would be enough entertainment for some folk. It generally is, but to add a little diversity, was starting to look forward to some enterprising Fox News guy doing the work of the LSM in exposing the $pecial connection$ between Valerie Jarrett, the Big Kahuana - Mayor Daley, Gulag Guy - Dickie Durbin, Mustapha Mond and their special coterie of friends that run the big organ. Glenn Beck and Bill O’Reilly are exceptionally good at this sort of stuff. Just asking the question, that’s all they generally need to do. That entertainment presentation may now go back on the shelf. Until the next time. The Cubs are going to have to have a moment and fill in some of those troughs.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | October 2, 2009 9:21 PM
This is Daley's fault. He just couldn't get enough votes from the dead.
Posted by: Terry | October 2, 2009 11:03 PM
On second thought, let's give BO some of the blame also. Why wasn't ACORN called in to conjure up some voters?
Posted by: Terry | October 2, 2009 11:04 PM
Since the modern Olympic games began, the United States has hosted more Olympic games (8) than any other nation. I'm quite proud and happy about that. The second nation to have held the most games is France with 5, and coming in at third are Great Britain and Canada with 3 each. Chicago and Obama gave it a good try. No shame in that. Rio offered more recession dollars, and it probably is So. America's turn to host. Best wishes to Rio. I'd love to go there in 2016.
Chicago's new motto needs to be, 'Just Do It For Ourselves'. Time to clean up the crime, the slime and revitalize areas of the city for Chicagoans. No world audience is needed. That's a weak place to be operating from, anyway.
The Pugs are in left field to see this as a loss for Obama. Only a Pug would think that when someone else gets a candle lit, it diminishes ours. Lately, when I see a Pug politician on TV, I think--for many reasons--gee, he or she really does have disdain for America and the average American.
And, lets face it, since the Bush/Cheney Vietnam II and Vietnam III "wars"--that have depleated our treasury,--and the Bush/Paulson Great Recession that has and will deplete us forever, we have been knocked off our super power perch. Thank a Bush or a Cheney or a Paulson for our loss in stature. We would be lucky for future consideration by the IOC, and the world.
Posted by: Vivian | October 2, 2009 11:09 PM
Obama and his _itch are so overrated. hahahaha
Posted by: bill clinton | October 2, 2009 11:16 PM
Just asking the question, that’s all they generally need to do. That entertainment presentation may now go back on the shelf. Until the next time. The Cubs are going to have to have a moment and fill in some of those troughs.
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | October 2, 2009 9:21 PM
******************************************
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Hey Wingnutter Scotty,
Obviously you're delusional (Texas, that says it all) otherwise you'd be to embarrassed to come on here and spout off about Chicago considering that you gave us war criminals Shlub Jr and Darth Cheney and your teams are crap like the Rangers, the Astro's and the overpriced/overhyped perennial chokers, the Cowgirls.
As for your other heroes:
Bill O'Reilly hit with Sexual Harassment suit.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1013043mackris1.html
Dry drunk Glenn Beck - long history of extremist rhetoric.
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/glenn-becks-long-history-extremist-r
.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/23/glenn_beck_three/index.html
Posted by: Tito El Bambino | October 2, 2009 11:46 PM
The Olympics have thier own politics. Just because Obama spoke on behalf of Chicago, doesnt mean a thing. If anything, it swayed thier vote to dismiss Chicago, just despite. "That'll show him!", I'll bet they're saying. He should be concerned with the economy, Troops still dying, and getting this country straight. Not hosting the Olympics blocks from one of his many houses.
Obama had one of three agendas. One....because he has a home within blocks of the sight, he was going to rent it out to the highest bidder, and pocket a hefty payday. Two....getting Illinois votes for his re-election, (Its never too early, to be a asset kisser). And third....He has no idea on how to fix any of our problems, and decided to do something on a small scale, (like he has been since he has been in office), to keep himself and the American people off the "subject". Smoke and Mirrors people....and you are all his ignorant audience, clapping and yelling "Horray!" for no reason what so ever.
Chew on that for a while......Peace!
Posted by: Marcos | October 3, 2009 9:43 AM
The City of Shrugged Shoulders: this stuff just doesn't mean as much to the U.S. as it does elsewhere.
And the Fenger incident? Please. Chump change compared to regular occurrences of Beijing police gassing "dissidents" or Rio police beating the crap out of poor people in the Favelas just for kicks.
Now they can raze the Favelas and shove their poor even farther away from the city like they've been trying to do for generations.
So the IOC didn't think the US sucked up to them enough. Big deal.
At least "this wasn't all about Rich Daley" ...
Posted by: Meena | October 3, 2009 12:50 PM
John E,
U continue to bring so much joy into my day. I love besbol’. My favorite teams are the Dodgers of L.A. in the NL and da Red Sox of Boston in the AL. If they ever get lucky enough to lock up, I would have to decide then. I have a Koufax and Drysdale connection and a Buckner, Rice, and Evans connection that is somewhat eternal. Guess I’m not much of a homer.
Football is great, isn’t it. My favorite team is the Niners of S.F. SF, where liberals are pretty much 100% Marxists. I love the Niners. Guess I’m not much of a homer. Did u know that going into his senior year at Notre Dame, Joe Montana was not the starter. What a QB he was. Montana and Rice ~ true greatness.
Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck are great aren’t they. I loved it when Glenn Beck dropped the frog, a Kool-ade drinker, into the pot of boiling and then looked back in shock to see how the frog, u possibly, was making out. That was a classic. When Beck and O’Reilly go head to head, it is some great dialogue there. Those guys are so smart. Just asking the questions. That’s all they need to do. U gotta see it.
And then there is Ann Coulter, and Laura Ingraham, the great one Mark Levin. “Liberty and Tyranny”, by Mark Levin, what a masterpiece. U gotta get it, U gotta read it. One of those concepts is really good, the other one, not so much. Even Juan Williams is down with some of the brilliant analysis that gets made every day on Fox. U gotta see it.
And once again, each day that the sun comes up, I know that I am closer to Django Reinhardt than the little troll known as jimmy carter would ever be to ever becoming any kind or statesman. I practice harder just on the thought of that, and I owe it all to u. THANX!
Posted by: Django - N Exile In/Around the 30th Parallel | October 3, 2009 12:53 PM
Let's see:
1. Before Obama's trip, Chicago was a "favorite"
2. After Obama's trip, Chicago finished last.
Perhaps some great journalistic mind can connect the dots here......
Posted by: Bruce | October 4, 2009 11:09 AM
Umm....
Perhaps the IOC didn't want to see athletes and fans beaten to death with sticks?
Perhaps Chicago wasn't "in the lead" at all, despite the claims of the media?
Perhaps the IOC was put off by the arrogance of the President and Mrs. Obama?
Our economy is still failing, unemployment is at a high, we can't reach an agreement on healthcare,but by golly, POTUS knows where the priorities are -- grovelling before the IOC.
Posted by: jim | October 5, 2009 8:27 AM
The IOC members must all be racists. That's the only possible explanation.
Posted by: Liberalism is a plague -- eradicate it! | October 5, 2009 8:45 AM