Inevitable: Chicago pols blame Bush for Olympics loss
posted at 7:15 pm on October 4, 2009 by Allahpundit
Makes sense. What better way for the international community to express its contempt for Bush’s policies than by … publicly humiliating the guy who got elected by repudiating him?
“There must be” resentment against America, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said, near the stage where he had hoped to give a victory speech in Daley Center Plaza. “The way we [refused to sign] the Kyoto Treaty, we misled the world into Iraq. The world had a very bad taste in its mouth about us. But there was such a turnaround after last November. The world now feels better about America and about Americans. That’s why I thought the president’s going was the deal-maker.”
State Rep. Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago) said she saw firsthand the resentment against America five years ago when she was in Rio de Janeiro. “I feel in my gut that this vote today was political and mean-spirited,” she said.
“I travel a lot. … I thought we had really turned a corner with the election of President Obama. People are so much more welcoming of Americans now. But this isn’t the people of those countries. This is the leaders still living with outdated impressions of Americans.”
U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said she was approached by a consul general at the plaza as they waited for word Friday. “He said … he was hearing that there wasn’t enough time for Barack Obama to dispel the old image. … But I don’t know if that’s it.”
The implication, of course, is that it would have been justifiable and possibly even advisable to shaft Chicago if the Bushitler was still president and had gone to make the pitch. Good luck reconciling that with the left’s magnificent faux outrage at the right for not putting aside politics and rooting on America the city the corrupt Daley machine this time around. Frankly, for once in his life, Mike Lupica’s dead right: Chicago got lucky, whether they realize it or not.
Here’s George Will on “This Week” floating an alternative theory. And he’s not the only one.
Update: A nice point from the comments: Chicago was selected as a finalist for the 2016 games last summer, when the Chimperor was still president. So much for Bushism poisoning the city’s chances.
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From Emperor Misha I’s site:
mile66 on October 6, 2009 at 11:17 AM
George Will, you are only partially correct as to the name vain being attached to the Obamanation. Try any of these:
1. Incompetent
2. Liar
3. dirty Liar
4. Scoundrel.
5. Indecisive.
6. Dirty rotten liar.
7. Socialist
8. Panderer.
9. Lazy
10. inexperienced.
11. Cheat
12. Poor academic record??? Who knows..
13. Anti-American
14. Narcissistic/vain.
15. Street Thug and no values.
Just to name a few..
highninside on October 6, 2009 at 3:40 PM
Some constructive criticism; Get it quick before it’s removed for being RAAAAACIST!
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/10/how_obama_has_failed_black_ame.html
Cybergeezer on October 6, 2009 at 5:45 PM
That’s actually a pretty lousy point. If the USOC puts up a city for contention, it becomes a finalist.
Check it out. Do you see any American cities in the column that says “Non-candidate
applicant cities”? Nope, not even one in the past 100+ years. So whichever city got selected by the USOC was a shoo-in for finalist status. Even Bush couldnt screw that up.
I’m not saying I buy the idea that Bush was responsible for this. If he was, I think it’s more in relation to the hurdles put in place for people trying to get visas (and yes, that’s something Obama could have worked on since he got inaugurated, so even that wouldnt be 100% Bush’s fault).
Also, you guys here keep framing this as if all of Chicago is devastated that we didnt get the Olympics. Check the facts. Opinion was split evenly between those who wanted it and those who didnt. And 84% were against having it if it was paid for with tax dollars (which it would have been). Sorry for requesting some nuance from you guys; I know you find it much easier to deal with the world when you oversimplify things. But the truth is preferable to simplicity, isnt it?
orange on October 7, 2009 at 12:16 PM
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