“We’ll Make Sure (Critics) Get Some Good Seats”: Rahm Emanuel on the President’s Olympic Pitch

As President Obama prepares to leave for Copenhagen, Denmark, this evening, to make his pitch for Chicago to the International Olympic Committee for Chicago to host the 2016 games, we spoke with White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel – also a favorite son of the Windy City — about the pitch.

Q: What is the pitch? Why Chicago over Rio and Madrid?

Emanuel: First of all, these are America’s games. There’s no better city in the United States or the world to host the international community than Chicago — because of the diversity. 

You’re going to bring literally the whole world together for Olympic games, sports games, and competition.  Chicago’s a great competitive city—has always been that. It has a great amount of diversity and it would be great for Chicago also for not only its diversity but for the economic opportunity that it provides in the sense of jobs and economic growth. So Chicago is a perfect city to host the international community as the president will be making in his remarks tomorrow.   

Q: How is that different from Rio and Madrid?

Emanuel: They’ll have their strengths to offer, nothing against them but Chicago is what none of the other cities have and this is again what I think the president’s remarks will be, not saying anything negative against them, but you’re bringing all the world together. You’re going to be hosting it. The world will feel comfortable given the diversity of Chicago all the different ethnic communities are there. And reaching out to the world to come to the United States, Chicago has that diversity and the capacity to hold these games in a way that nobody else does.

Q:  So your campaign and the President’s campaign is very positive. But there’s got to be some politics, some bad mouthing that goes on.

Emanuel: Well, that’s not going to be what the president participates (in). He’ll be selling all the strengths and capabilities of the city of Chicago and its people. And what the city has to offer. It will be an affirmative argument for the United States and the city of Chicago. Nothing against anybody else. Obviously we’ll accentuate where we think the strengths of voting for Chicago is an advantage.

Q: What will the President tell the members of the IOC to assuage any concerns they may have about holding the games in Chicago?

Emanuel: His main point is about the international community. It’s about why America is reaching out to the world. It’s about why Chicago has the capacity and why the United States has the desire to make these a world class world event in the city of Chicago, in the United States. That would be the main argument.

Q: Will the president be working as hard if it were another city?

Emanuel: Sure. Yeah, I mean obviously, you know, it goes without saying, this is where he was a United States Senator, where he was a state senator from. But his pitch is going to be this is about the United States.

It happens to be obviously you know an extra benefit in his home town and he has something individually personal. But if it was Atlanta…he would be out there as hard pitching it. These have become now, you know, President Lula from Brazil is going to be there.  Other leaders from other countries are going to be there. So to put our best foot forward, and to give us that competitive edge, the president wanted to travel, to make that pitch for the United States.

The Atlanta games were in the United States, Salt Lake City, America, obviously different cities host it, America is hosting it the world community. I think the benefit of having it in the city of Chicago, in a personal sense, but if it was another city he would be out advocating with the same energy and as much commitment in the same  way that world leaders are going to be advocating for the cities in their countries.  In many ways you put your country’s best foot forward, the city of Chicago.

Q: There was a debate within the White House about whether the president should go – he’ll spend more time in the air than on the ground. What tipped the scales?

Emanuel: Well, you know, he wants, other leaders around the world are going to make their pitch for the four remaining cities. We didn’t want to have Chicago or in this case not have that edge, not have that kind of level playing field with other countries.

We are doing all the work. You saw his comments today on Iran. He’s also been in the office making calls on health care. We had a meeting today with his economic team on the economy. The Vice President and I are staying behind working on other aspects and he will be working constantly, having been on the airplane, he’ll be working on a number of other topics beyond the Olympics.

Q: Do you have any response to Republicans criticizing the President for doing this instead of focusing on other issues, and this idea that this would help financially friends back in Chicago?

Emanuel: First of all, one is they work on a number of issues in their day. The president will work on a number of issues. Today he met with his economic team, on the economy, on a jobs agenda. Two: he has been on the phone working health care with individual Senators. Third, he made a statement on Iran with what was going on there. You know very well his day has multiple parts to it. … Now in all respect to them, I don’t remember them, I don’t remember them criticizing President Bush when he went to China to watch the games and cheer America on.

Here we’re going to go to Denmark to help secure the games for here in the us. It was not criticism them when George Bush went to China and he had a right to go do that. They shouldn’t try to make politics of this. I think they should take some pride in the US’s win, and you know we’ll make sure they get some good seats once Chicago does host the games.

Q What happens if he doesn’t succeed?

Emanuel: First of all that’s not how he views it.  If that was the case, then he probably wouldn’t have run for president, if all you do is just take a look at the odds. Other leaders are going to make the case for their city. We don’t want the US not to have a competitive, or be at a competitive disadvantage. It would be good for the city of Chicago – economically. It would be good for the US, for America to host the world here in the US with a great city, given Chicago’s diversity and economic capacity to host those games and make it a world class event.

Q: White House adviser Valerie Jarrett spoke with British Prime Minister Tony Blair last week – Blair made a successful pitch for London to the IOC – what advice did Blair give Jarrett?

Emanuel: Part of that is you know showing up and making the right sales pitch. I mean this has now become where you get a country or a city – get the events to the Olympics or the World Cup or etc.  — the leaders got to go make the pitch for their country and that was one of the critical decisions we had to make and the fact is that given that other world leaders are going and making the pitches for the other countries and the other cities we did not want the US and Chicago to be at a disadvantage.

-jpt