Posts Tagged IOC

Rio may have gotten the Olympics regardless of President Obama’s ill-advised junket to Copenhagen to lobby for Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Chicago did not even make the first round and it was Barack Obama himself along with Mayor Daley’s Chicago machine that caused the stinging humiliation.

Kai Holm, a former Olympics committee member, told the newspaper (translated): “The fact that Barack Obama came, could not do it. I think we lacked emotion, it seemed too empty and business-like. So when Tony Blair promoted London he was around three days to lobby and talk to people. You can not just come with the train one day and try to affect everything. People have felt that it was a lack of respect for the Olympics and sport in general. I think people felt it was too business-like to get into the way we have now seen it many times, and you would have feelings back.”

Obama came across as the classic ugly American who arrogantly swept in thinking he and Chicago were entitled to take the prize simply on Obama’s mystical powers of persuasion. Obama wrongfully thought that jetting in on Air Force One giving a speech then quickly jetting out would be enough to woo the IOC into submission. Was he ever wrong.

This inexperienced President missed the first rule of negotiations. Never send the the President to seal a deal unless you know beforehand it’s a done deal. Since Obama has never run anykind of organization he and his staff were unaware of this basic tenant or too arrogant to think about it.

The Olympics does not reach the level of negotiating with Iran or North Korea on nuclear weapons but you can bet these countries are encouraged by the real or perceived weakness of Barack Obama and thus the President’s humiliating failure has severely damaged the prestige and credibility of the United States.

Advise to IOC members, watch your kneecaps.