Obama and the Chicago Olympic Bid

While I feel slightly bad for Chicago in not winning the 2016 bid, I really think they should look at the bright side of this issue. I recall the chaos that the Olympics caused in Atlanta and in Utah, and I don't think Chicago--which has problems enough, the first one being its mayor--needs the aggravation.

On the political side of things, I'm not one to gloat. It's a loss for the U.S., not just Obama. That said, it is primarily a political loss for the president. Didn't someone tell him what his chances really were? Or did he think that his personal charisma was so grand that his mere presence would be enough to woo the judges of the International Olympic Committee? One reason presidents don't usually get in the middle of these types of activities is precisely because they are not a sure thing. Given the domestic and world situations right now, it was a gamble, not a calculated risk, for Obama to join the bid pitch. Not a good call at all. Rather like betting the farm on a horse race because you got a "sure thing." And now the President has to live with the consequences of that loss. Whups.