Why I think Chicago didn't get the games.

[Are_grits_groceries]

In the official question-and-answer session following the Chicago presentation, Syed Shahid Ali, an I.O.C. member from Pakistan, asked the toughest question. He wondered how smooth it would be for foreigners to enter the United States for the Games because doing so can sometimes, he said, be “a rather harrowing experience.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/sports/03olympics.html?hp

The USOC had already made the IOC mad by trying to set up an Olympic tv network. They had to be pressured to drop it.

The IOC hasn't been thrilled with the US during the Bush years.

Now imagine you are an IOC delegate and you have been watching the news. If they have picked up just half of the lunatic anger, it isn't a pleasant sight. They have seen the protesters with guns and the horrid signs. Imagine how all of that had gone over with them.

Then you have the unfortunate problem of youth violence in Chicago that was just highlighted by the video of a student being beaten to death. I don't know where Chicago stands on a list of cities with problems with youth violence, but they have been portrayed as the worst.

A lot of people here aren't happy with the protests and the anger especially when the Republicans are sitting by and seemingly condoning it. I'll bet the nutters would have made Chicago a special target just because Obama was involved.

I wish they had gotten them in one way. In another, it might be better that they didn't. I'm not saying that all the delegates' fears are justified, but I'll bet they were there.

[jeffbr]

1. The Olympic business is corrupt

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. True!

I'm still pissed at them for dropping softball. I think part of that was a poke at the US.

[Thickasabrick]

2. Whoa....that is something I never even thought about. It is a pain

in the ass to travel here now. Good point.

I personally think it was also time for them to hold them in South America....one of those "first" moments. I think that carried a lot of weight but we'll see when they pick between Rio and Madrid.

I'm hoping it will be Rio!

[MelissaB]

16. I just posted Wednesday night about my brother's laptop and iphone getting seized by customs

as he was coming back into the US. He doesn't know when/if he will get them back. Thread here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6667444#6679705

Traveling to the US just may have something to do with it.

[Thickasabrick]

39. I remember reading that - has he heard anything? Does he have

any idea why?? That is so creepy...and wrong.

[MelissaB]

44. He's been detained several times in Detroit. The only thing he can come up with

is a painting he had done of my daughter (for me) when she was about 4 and wrapped in a blanket. Nothing was showing, but he and everyone he's talked to who works for an airline thinks this had to be it.

He still doesn't have his iphone or laptop and doesn't know when he will get them. He'll have to buy a new computer this weekend.

[CTyankee]

3. Rio has a terrible crime problem as I understand it.

I was there many years ago when I was only 18. I thought it was the most beautiful city in the world. Flying into Rio was positively breathtaking.

I was sorry to hear about its crime problem. Its people are all gorgeous and many are very, very nice.

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. I don't doubt it.

However, Rio hasn't been plastered all over the news.

[Subdivisions]

8. They'll crack down hard on that. At least people will be able to get into Rio

without having to take their shoes off and be subjected to TSA.

[anonymous171]

37. What are you talking about? Brazil is a model neoliberal country.

[Subdivisions]

4. Your first paragraph hit me right between the eyes. BINGO. K&R. n/t

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. I was thinking the same thing - who in their right mind wants to fly here?

and get the American full body cavity search barefoot while all their toiletries are confiscated?

I can't believe we still get ANY tourists except for the fact that they consider us the Filene's Basement shopping mecca of the world due to our weakened dollar.

[SuperTrouper]

19. Also Chicago is a corrupt place, corrupt former Governor and corrupt

Senator Burris. The only good thing that came out recently from Chicago are the Obamas. I hope Rio de Janeiro gets it. There has not been a Latin country hosting the Summer Olympics...as far as I can remember, at least not in recent memory... after1968 Mexico City

[scheming daemons]

7. Nah..... it was simply that the Olympics have never been in S. America

You're trying to read too much into it.

[Sultana]

38. LOL, seriously.

Ppl are reading way into it. It is done, lets move on...

[MercutioATC]

9. Obama shouldn't have gone, Blagojevich should have.

The IOC has long been an opinionated, corrupt organization. The only way Chicago was going to get the Olympics was a very large pile of cash.

That said, I'm of two minds on the issue. It would have created its own set of problems, but it also would have been a decent shot in the arm for the local economy.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. At least Chicago and the US will not be saddled with cost overruns

this go-round, unlike Brazil and Rio.

Beside, the Olympics have never been held on the South American continent. If any city there deserves 1st shot at it, let it be Rio. Or Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[Drunken Irishman]

11. Other factors:

South America has never hosted the game. This made Rio the favorite.

The United States just recently hosted the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics (1996 Atlanta, 2002 Salt Lake).

North America, too, if you add Vancouver.

Chicago was never a favorite. Their winning is not a surprise. Had they won would have, though.

[cbdo2007]

12. Correct - I think this too is carryover of the world view toward Bush rather than Obama.

Obama hasn't done much to overturn some of the horrible things Bush did so that bad taste is still in everyone's mouths. The world HATED Bush!! BAD! Like as bad as most of us here at DU and I think this is their way of trying to punish us still for all of that.

We still ARE in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We haven't fixed the economic mess, in fact Obama is still using Bush's advisors for a lot of this.

We did see change with Obama and I'm mostly happy to this point (realizing that things will not change overnight) but we haven't seen the amount of change necessary YET to regain our standing with the rest of the world.

[rpannier]

13. Disagree...

Face it...Chicago was the fourth best of the final four

As I've posted in other threads
1. Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup. They will have much of the infrastructure in place already.
2. Spain was planning on bidding for the 2018 World Cup and had begun building up it's infrastructure to improve its chances (It has recently decided to abandon its joint host bid)
3. Tokyo was able to guarantee an 'All Green Olympics'

What exactly is Chicago able to offer in the way of assurances that the sites will be first rate and that they'll be better than what the other 3 have to offer?

[lib2DaBone]

15. Thanks to Bush and the Creation of the TSA Goon Squad....

Air travel is a miserable experience thanks to the TSA, The War on Terror, The war on Drugs.... The War on common sense.....

[mopinko]

17. we have our local nutters, too.

they have been out in force.
stunned i am.

[Are_grits_groceries]

18. I won't argue that there were other factors.

However, the question by the Pakistani rep is a clue why some might not have been happy. They can say it was only other things, but I still believe that the crap over here didn't help.

Security at the Olympics is always a nightmare.

[Oregone]

20. On the BBC, I heard Madrid already has 85% of the venues constructed for the Olympics

And Chicago...well...they probably just shuffled together the paperwork after it crossed someone's mind it was a good idea. Besides the charismatic leadership in America, did they have a shot in hell?

[City Lights]

26. If you build it, they will come.

I thought Rio would get it, but based on your post I'm wondering if it will be Madrid.

[Oregone]

29. Nope :)

It helped them be considered a bit more thou

[RaleighNCDUer]

21. The youth violence would be much less of a problem with the increase

of employment the Olympics would bring.

But there is another factor - there is much less likelihood of a RW terror bombing if it is in Rio than in Chicago. I guess for the crazies, the Olympics seems to be the sports branch of the UN. We may be better off without another Eric Rudolph popping up.

[CTyankee]

22. You get more for your U.S. dollar and a LOT more for your Euro in South America also.

I don't know about Rio's currency, but I just read that in Argentina the US dollar is worth about $3.78 in their currency.

I just paid $1.56 per Euro as I am going to Portugal next week. Betcha the Europeans are just salivating over a nice trip to SA. That is, if the money exchange is still good when the Olympics are held...

[Orsino]

23. Are you suggesting that all those foreigners might arrive here...

...not speaking the English? Would they really have been so arrogant?

[Warpy]

24. I think you're onto something.

Until this country drops Empire and the paranoia that goes with it, we're not going to be welcome players on the international stage.

I hope this country can manage to grow up and make the transition away from Empire without another big war.

[newtothegame]

25. What is it about Chicago and inner cities that causes so much crime? n/t

[nebenaube]

32. Desperation, hunger, hopelessness, freezing etc... n/t

[newtothegame]

33. Right. But like in my Iowa town, lots of Chicago inner city residents have moved here.

And now there's tons of crime. There's not hopelessness and freezing here.

[BlueMTexpat]

27. I personally believe that the difficulties for foreign competitors and their supporters to enter

the US played a large role in this.
Of course, this feeling could be based on conversations that I hear in the grocery lines in the Western European country where I reside, where it is still easier for residents to travel to the US than if they were from countries elsewhere in the world. In discussing possible vacation spots, many have completely ruled out the US in recent years because of visa requirements if they don't happen to have a very recent passport and the general hassle they must go through to get them. Applicants are required to present themselves in person at the US Embassy (located only in the capital city) and generally appointments are not made for such. Thus, even if one takes the time to travel to the Embassy, one risks not even getting in.
Most just don't want the hassle. And no, the crazies that fascinate and dominate US media coverage aren't helping our PR one whit. We look pretty scary sometimes ... pretty darn scary.

[KharmaTrain]

28. Everyone Seems To Miss This Question...

When I heard it asked I thought differently than the response I heard and have been reading here. The question isn't about getting in and around Chicago or security at the games, it was about all the hassles foreigner have in getting into the country. It seemed very appropriate for a delegate from an Islamic nation to raise the question considering all the tensions that have and still exist with people from that part of the world.

Dailey's games plan had the Olympic sites segregated and easy to cordon off...but going through customs and dealing with the TSA...well that's another story.

[WeDidIt]

30. My impression is the violence in Rio is worse

but you don't have protesters openly carrying loaded guns in Rio.

[Locut0s]

31. It's time more developing countries get the games!......

I was rooting for Rio all along. So long as a they can table a strong bid that looks workable I say give it to them! If you look at a list of who has hosted the games historically it's a who's who list of western powers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_Games_host_cities

The US has hosted 8 Olympics (winter + summer) in total. This is supposed to be an event for the whole world. It really should be shared more equally. Obviously it's limited to the countries that can financially support the games but more and more countries are starting to join that club. It would be nice to see the games help in India at some point and eventually somewhere in Africa.

[TxRider]

41. +1 It's about time for South America to take the world stage

Well, other than Chavez making an idtit of himself, corruption, drugs and coups etc..

[Libertas1776]

34. I'm sure

they'll put on a fresh coat of bright, vibrant paint on all the shanty's so it looks pretty for the tourists. These Olympics are boon for the wealthy and the shaft for the poor.

[Malikshah]

35. Well, Chicago corruption (historical and current) is matched only by that of Rio

So that can't be the issue...or....

[dembotoz]

36. trouble is all those foreigner look foreign.

they could have given out a new gold medal to which country had the highest percentage of the athletes cavity searched.

[Dr Fate]

40. My take too. The rest of the world is tired of all of our "drama." n/t

n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

42. you aren't kidding!

The firm I work for is in the process of opening more overseas offices because our international clients DON'T WANT TO COME HERE!

Hell, we had one of our own employees (a South African) detained because a customs agent concocted a theory that this individual had come to America to marry somebody she met on the internet. We had another one of our employees (from the Philippines) detained because a customs agent concocted a theory that she was a prostitute!

Both their visas were in order, both had been to the US no less than a dozen times each and both had never made any attempt to illegally remain in the US, hell neither of them had been in the US for longer than a week at a stretch in the past. The South African couldn't even persuade this clown with photos of her house under construction that she had no intention of remaining in the US. These were both native English speakers, no communication barrier.

[Vidar]

43. Very good point.