October 03, 2009 OK, so it wasn't health care, climate change or war. Still, President Barack Obama's high-profile failure to win the Olympics for Chicago could feed negative narratives already nipping at his heels _ that he's a better talker than closer, more celebrity than statesman.
And this could hamper his efforts on the weightier issues.
Despite Obama's fabled charm and powers of persuasion, his in-person plea for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Games fell flat. It was a hugely embarrassing defeat. His adopted hometown considered a front-runner heading into Friday's voting didn't just lose, it took last place, shocking nearly all by getting knocked out in the first round while the remaining three contenders moved on.
The defeat could soon be a distant memory, and may never be more than a quixotic-blip trip. But if, for whatever reason, bigger losses start piling up in Obama's corner, his performance in this case could be regarded as emblematic.
Obama tried to put the best face on his trip, saying upon his return to the White House,
"One of the things that I think is most valuable about sports is that you can play a great game and still not win." He said he was proud of everyone's effort.
However, almost every aspect of his involvement this week in the Olympics quest recalls a strain of criticism that has been gaining ground on him:
He's trying to do too much at once.
The line is familiar by now: It's nuts for Obama to tackle the dismal economy, the overhaul of two wars, a remaking of the U.S. health care system and climate change all in one year, and with other difficult issues on the agenda as well.
He has achievements to be proud of in less than nine months in office. But with most of the bigger issues still in the air, voters _ even some in Obama's own Democratic Party _ are beginning to wonder whether he's someone who tries a lot but succeeds at little, and whether he has the sense to focus on the most important things. A jaunt across the Atlantic, and an extraordinarily expensive one at that, doesn't help.
He doesn't have what it takes to close a deal.
The why-Chicago-lost story has many contributors, with Obama's last-minute flight to Copenhagen for an emotional appeal probably among the least of them. Regardless, he is now tied inexorably to Chicago's defeat, and that verdict isn't good.
He is a celebrity, for sure, but is that always a good thing?
Remember how Republican John McCain tried to stoke doubts about Obama during last year's presidential campaign by calling him all flash and no pan? A bit of that is in play here, too, where some perceive Obama as arrogantly relying too much on his celebrity status and not enough on the nitty-gritty work of winning votes. For instance, some IOC members resented the fact that Obama blew into Copenhagen for just five hours, jetting back down the runway toward Washington hours before the result was even announced.
"It can be that some IOC members see it as a lack of respect," said former IOC member Kai Holm.
He's too casual with the use of his own time.
Continued...
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