As if President Obama’s opponents didn’t have enough ammunition.
Three days ago, despite the president’s passionate support, the International Olympic Committee out-rightly rejected Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The Windy City failed to clear even the first round of voting.
Already, the administration’s defeat has consumed the undivided attention of its political and media foes — as they strive to link it to all of America’s ills. Newt Gingrich offered this particularly damning tweet of everything Obama: “President Obama fails to get Olympics while unemployment reaches 9.8 percent, Iran continues nuclear program. America needs focused leadership.”
This relentless criticism may cause Obama supporters to further lament the IOC’s repudiation of Chicago. They assume that had Chicago secured the games, Obama’s efforts would have equated to an unquestionable political victory. Yet if we examine the history of past Olympic host-cities, it appears that just the opposite is true.
Had Chicago been chosen as the host of the 2016 summer Olympic games, the administration would have had more problems than a few angry tweets from Newt Gingrich.
Suppose Obama had in fact swayed the votes of the IOC in Chicago’s favor. Of course, celebration would have immediately ensued. Political pundits would have raved about Obama’s unprecedented accomplishment — and rightly so. Never before had a president invested so much political capital into an Olympic bid, let alone possessed the charisma needed to charm a governing body with a history of anti-American sentiment. Certainly, the immediate political return would have been Olympic-sized.
But as planning for the games progressed, the problems would have steadily grown into a political mess —one that would have armed Obama’s political opponents for the next six years.
Cost overages and delays have plagued each of the modern Olympic host-cities. More than five years ago, the 2004 summer games were supposed to have revitalized the city of Athens, giving a new sense of pride to modern Greece. To their credit, the two weeks of competition were a true spectacle of sport, yet the process before and after was hardly as appealing.
The Greek government spent more than $15 billion on its Olympics-one third over its estimated expenditures. Approaching the games, numerous projects were behind schedule, such as the tram system, completed less than 24 hours before competition began. Moreover, the revitalized infrastructure and economy that was promised never formed. The Farilo Bay Olympic Complex is now boarded up and abandoned, with graffiti lining the outside.
Unfortunately this situation is not unique to Athens. Beijing — which spent an astounding $40 billion on its Olympic games-is experiencing a similar hangover. The iconic Bird’s Nest stadium, despite its $500 million price tag, lies unused and will soon renovated into a shopping mall. The trend of Olympic troubles shows no sign of stopping, as Vancouver (2010) recently had its credit rating lowered, while London’s (2012) budget has tripled.
Had Chicago earned the 2016 Olympics, debt, delays and controversy would have undoubtedly followed. And all of the blame would have been directed toward 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Because of his unprecedented support, Obama owned this effort and would have inherited all its controversies.
While intense, the criticism the President currently faces from the failed bid has a short shelf life-a week at most. But a successful Olympic bid for Chicago? That would have been six years of unlimited political ammunition for all Obama opponents.
Joe Wenner is a sophomore in the School of International Service and the College of Arts and Sciences and a moderate columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
