Prez-Elect Obama Makes Plea for 2016 Olympics: Hey, World! I’m the President, not Bush!
EmailPresident-elect Obama today sent a video plea to the European Olympic Committee XXXVII General Assembly meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, today, to make the case that Chicago should host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
If all goes well for the President-elect, his last Summer in office will be spent watching the games in his adopted hometown, and Mr. Obama makes an interesting pitch: "In the coming years, my administration will bring a fresh perspective on America’s role and responsibilities around the world," he says. "But if we are to truly meet our shared challenges, we must all work together. By uniting the world in a peaceful celebration of human achievement, the Olympic Games reminds us that this is possible."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
"The United States would be honored to have the opportunity to host the Games and serve the Olympic Movement," he says. "As President-elect, I see the Olympic and Paralympic Games as an opportunity for our nation to reach out, welcome the world to our shores, and strengthen our friendships across the globe."
(Read: Hey, world. I am not George W. Bush. Please give the American people and me an Olympics as a reward.)
– jpt
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
PEBO has much bigger issues to deal with than getting the Olympics in Chicago in 2016, but I can understand why the Chicagoans wanted his support in front of the USOC.
Posted by: moder8 | November 21, 2008, 11:42 am 11:42 am
Suggestion to Jake. Label stories like these with something like, “Kumbaya moment #__”, You did something like that with the Biden stories from during the campaign, and the headlines always brought a grin to my face.
Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | November 21, 2008, 11:52 am 11:52 am
He sure assumes a lot. He will not be president in 2016 because he will not be reelected in 2012. He will have done so much damage to this country by then that we will be glad to not reelect him. We would have voted for Hillary Clinton because we already know what she is – it’s the right wing, stupid. No, he is not Preident Bush – he could never be the man President Bush is, regardless of what he says.
Posted by: Janice | November 21, 2008, 11:53 am 11:53 am
“He will have done so much damage to this country by then…”
You’ve sure got the wrong president here…
What planet have you been living on?
Posted by: bco | November 21, 2008, 12:10 pm 12:10 pm
Janice, who exactly is “we”
Posted by: Just Wondering | November 21, 2008, 12:15 pm 12:15 pm
bco
It is not possible to do any worst than Bush have already done over the past 8 years. No one could be worst than Bush and if you think Bush has done a good job than you must be one of those who got a piece of the 7B bailout backage.
Posted by: barb | November 21, 2008, 12:20 pm 12:20 pm
Everyone is crying that the economy is bad and you need jobs but you are knocking Obama’s plea to get the game to Chicago. Well the Olympic will certianly bring a lot of jobs to the US. As soon as the hosting city is approved, the jobs will start as the government will need to prepare of the event which means jobs! jobs! jobs!
Posted by: Barb | November 21, 2008, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
…”It is not possible to do any worst than Bush have already done over the past 8 years.”
My Point Exactly.
George W Bush
Worst President Award
Posted by: bco | November 21, 2008, 12:24 pm 12:24 pm
barb : Exactly! I mean just because the economy is imploding in response to his election victory can’t possibily mean anything.. right? Maybe whoever we elect to replace Obama in 2012 will help the economy recover from him enough that we’ll be able to pay for the olympics.. but the damage will be severe, and the olympic comittee will have to take that into consideration.
Posted by: howwouldiknow | November 21, 2008, 12:32 pm 12:32 pm
I cant stand it anymore! That prostitute in the ABC ad is getting really annoying, She’s not even attractive looking, which would make the ad at least tolerable. Elliot Spitzer should be re-inauguarted as New York Governor so he can resign again, this time over his exhibition of poor ethics, questionable judgement, AND bad taste.
Apologies to all for going off topic. Please resume your Kumabaya moment.
Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | November 21, 2008, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm
Given Bush’s standing with the international community, it’s probably not a bad argument to make.
Posted by: Bob | November 21, 2008, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
howwouldiknow,
yes, how would you know?
Janice,
thanks for proving that 20-something approval rating is not an urban myth. I thought 20+% of the population couldn’t possibly be THAT blind. I stand corrected.
Posted by: Question | November 21, 2008, 12:47 pm 12:47 pm
Why even bother responding to such nonsense.. but I will:
“just because the economy is imploding in response to his election”
uh… perhaps you can remember that the already-imploded economy was already THE number one issue in the campaign- you know, the reason that McCain had to Suspend His Campaign, for a day or two, way back in September?
Bush’s 20% approval rating, if that’s where its gotten to now, is partly due to his mishandling of the economy. His trickle-down tax cuts for the top 1% did not work. Deregulating, or Non-Regulating the financial industry did not work.
Obama isn’t even frickking president yet, and you want to lay the blame for an economic crisis that has been festering for years, and that came to a head in September, on him?
I guess that fantasies like these bring you some kind of comfort in a world that you do not understand.
Posted by: bco | November 21, 2008, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
Janice wrote:
“No, he [Obama] is not Preident (sic) Bush – he could never be the man President Bush is”
Janice I think you miss the point. That is the reason Obama was elected in the first place.
Posted by: Bon Vivant | November 21, 2008, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
Hey, look at me…get your mind off your pocketbook, let’s get the olympics in Chicago…my guys need more money to help me get elected in 2012. Hey, I love to play basketball, maybe I can play on the olympic team when I take my vacation. My grandmother has passed, so I won’t have to go to Hawaii and spend a couple of hours with her.
Posted by: Moline | November 21, 2008, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
bco : Perhaps you should take the time to study what economists have been saying about Obama’s policies for months. The possibility of an Obama victory was impacting markets as early as june. The probability of an Obama victory was causing serious concern in august/September. The reality of an Obama victory has caused panic. Is Obama the cause of the problem, no.. but he has contributed heavily to making it worse.
Approval ratings are what they are, and I’m sure Obama’s ratings will be falling pretty low in the coming months when people realize that his policies are only hurting us more.
Trickle down economics actually has worked pretty well. It’s been in effect for about 20 years, and until recently we’ve experienced pretty steady growth. Even with our problems today we are much better off than we were under the “trickle up” economic philosophy employed by Carter and championed by Obama.
The economy is driven by the future as much, or more, than it is by the present or past. And the future is an Obama led US government with anti-business philosophy. No business will be looking to expand their operation here, in fact they’ll do exactly the opposite. If you’re too deluded by your blind belief in Obama to see that.. then so be it. But even your delusion is going to be sorely tested in the coming months.
Posted by: howwouldiknow | November 21, 2008, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
I am from Atlanta and I wish Chicago would be chosen for an Olympic site.
Hopefully they would do a better job than the embarrassment that Atlanta caused the U.S. by putting on the worst Olympics in history.
Posted by: bamaconnie | November 21, 2008, 1:42 pm 1:42 pm
Janice says: he could never be the man President Bush is….
——–
Amen and a big Thank God for that!
Posted by: obamamama | November 21, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
Our Greatest Leader is making a plea for a game in 2016, while he is “voting” present for the current economic meltdown.
If you had failed to understand what his voting record of present meant in Illinois, this is what it means to America now.
“I think … sort of the bottom feels like it is falling out for many people,” said Gergen, who has advised four presidents. “They sense there’s a total lack of leadership in Washington, that the White House is silent, the treasury secretary has been battered, the Federal Reserve can’t speak up. These automakers come up to Capitol Hill and fail. And the president-elect is silent in Chicago.”
Asked if Obama was offering guidance on the issue, Durbin replied, “No, no.”
Yet, our Greatest Leader was busy spreading rumors and feeling waters for his old family friend Pritzker for the Secretary of DoC, only failed and tanked the stock market by 900 and more than 11% in two days.
What a “change” and Greatest Leader we are witnessing.
Don’t say it’s all the stupid George Bush’s fault. He is a duck, and there is a need for new directions.
Where is the insight of our Greatest Leaders, other than “present”?
Posted by: fat cat | November 21, 2008, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
bco
It is not possible to do any worst than Bush have already done over the past 8 years. No one could be worst than Bush and if you think Bush has done a good job than you must be one of those who got a piece of the 7B bailout backage.
——————————
barb ,
Paste those words on your fridge!
Your going to eat them soon! Bush kept America safe, for some insane reason you libbies refuse to accept or acknowledge that fact!
There are plenty of people from BOTH sides of the aisle eating blame pie for the $700B. You had better call out Barney frank & Chris Dodd, there have the majority slice!
Oh, by the way, you do realize that CONGRESS is controlled by DEMOCRATS right? It is their RESPONSIBILITY to handle OVERSIGHT, NOT the President!
WHY HAVE PELOSI & REID NOT DONE THEIR DUTY AND PUT OVERSIGHT IN PLACE ON THAT $700B ?
Posted by: Mike_C | November 21, 2008, 2:37 pm 2:37 pm
Trickle down, trickle down….
I love liberals, trickle down does not work as far as economics goes.
BUT – Trickle down is an avalanche when it comes to job loss !
Liberals and there typical thought process 1 + 2 = 3, but 2 + 1 is not 3!
Posted by: Mike_C | November 21, 2008, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
Can we stay focused on the 2008 financial meltdown?
Posted by: NumbCitizen | November 21, 2008, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
Why Chicago? Is there a kickback involved?
Posted by: NumbCitizen | November 21, 2008, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
Also,the timing is not good. Bush is still the President YOU KNOW!!! What’s next is he moving into the White House over the Thanksgiving holiday. I am really upset over this!!! FOCUS and PLAN for 1/20/08!!!!
Posted by: NumbCitizen | November 21, 2008, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
Barb,
At the pace we are traveling. The United States will not be able to host the 2016 Olympics. No one will be employed and able to afford tickets!!
Posted by: NumbCitizen | November 21, 2008, 3:11 pm 3:11 pm
“I love liberals, trickle down does not work as far as economics goes.”
Geez! Trickle Down is the “Conservative” economic policy, not the “Liberal” one. Did you go to high school?
Reagan gave us Trickle Down, and tripled the size of the national debt.
Clinton gave us Trickle Up, in the form of tax relief for the Middle Class (as opposed to the top 1% Rich), and that gave us the longest sustained period of economic growth in US history.
Bush then gave us more Trickle Down, and that brought us to where we are now.
Why in hell would the prospect of a return to Clinton-like economics scare the Stock Market? They never did so well as under Bill Clinton’s Trickle Up administration.
By the way, Trickle-Up works because when the Middle Class is doing well, they can buy things and pay taxes.
Posted by: bco | November 21, 2008, 6:33 pm 6:33 pm
This seems like a job for a Mayor or something; Maybe he needs to forget about the Land of Lincoln for a while.
Most of us don’t care about 2016 olympics anyway..at least it’s a little beyond my interest at this point.
Come out and say something about important issues…even if you aren’t the current President..everyone gets it, you are the President..it’s just not official yet!!!
Posted by: Phil | November 22, 2008, 3:43 pm 3:43 pm
numbcitizen said:
Also,the timing is not good. Bush is still the President YOU KNOW!!! What’s next is he moving into the White House over the Thanksgiving holiday. I am really upset over this!!! FOCUS and PLAN for 1/20/08!!!!
really? 2008? Wow!!!! 2009 is when he’s moving in…..stop being so numb and go on with your life….
Posted by: shalom | November 22, 2008, 4:02 pm 4:02 pm
Not so much a reward, Jake, as much as an Olympics at a nation that most of the world would not see us as a rogue bad actor nation like they have seen us under Bush. How neat, I’ll be able to go to Chicago much cheaper than overseas. Nice move Obama.
Posted by: buzziea | November 22, 2008, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
Janice don’t flip don’t make your self sick slow down you can’t change nothing save those issue for the next four year if you last that long you scare me honey pray My God
Posted by: unknown | November 23, 2008, 11:22 pm 11:22 pm