You clearly are not a proper liberal if you think merit should have anything to do with it.

It could be as simple as the fact that the US hosted the games as recently as 2002 (Salt Lake). They want to spread the wealth a bit so Chicago was eliminated early. Really, what is the shock here?

Maybe it was because there is just no way in which Rio can compare to Chicago...

tyler, even the poll answers were political. But maybe the reason Chicago only got 18 votes out of 94 for the 2016 games and New York only got 19 out 94 for the 2012 games (four years ago) was because of the negative opinion of the USOC. The USOC and IOC have been at odds for many years and nothing is being done to improve the USOC in their eyes. Maybe that should have been one of the choices. But I agree that maybe Rio did on the fourth try out bid and out present the other three. Why must there always been only blame and no way to reward a job well done?

This wasn't a political issue until Obama went to Europe and made it one.

Ask yourself, if it was any other city in the United States, would Obama have involved himself in this issue? I think not.

rio was considered a front runner from the gitgo. It also will be the first olympics in south america. There was also a split in attitude in chicago, not everyone was on board with hosting the olympics. Terrorism and crime I think were a push between Rio and Chicago. However the IOC has always shown a negative attitude toward the US, so honestly this decision doesn't suprise me. I do think that having the Obama's and Oprah plead our case was a mistake. The world isn't interested in celebrity wannabes like this group.

archangel316

archangel316 I was with you until you stated

However the IOC has always shown a negative attitude toward the US, so honestly this decision doesn't suprise me.

Going back to 1904, with the exception of WWII when the games were canceled the US has hosted either the Winter or Summer or both ever 20-30 years. It hasn't even been 10 yrs since the last game was hosted here. Japan & Spain have not had the games in their countries for a longer period of time then us. I for one don't know why anyone thought we were entitled to it again and for that fact that anyone is surprised at the decision. We have had the games far more than anyone in the top 4. I am not surprised we didn't get it, I am surprised that people are surprised we didn't get it. IOC got there vote dead on, like they normally do.

Summer Games:
1904 - St. Louis, Missouri, USA
1932 - Los Angeles, California, USA
1984 - Los Angeles, California, USA
1996 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA

1940 - Cancelled, World War II Scheduled for Tokyo, Japan
1964 - Tokyo, Japan

1992 - Barcelona, Spain

Winter Games:
1932 - Lake Placid, New York, USA
1960 - Squaw Valley, California, USA
1980 - Lake Placid, New York, USA
2002 - Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

1940 - Cancelled due to World War II Scheduled for Sapporo, Japan
1972 - Sapporo, Japan
1998 - Nagano, Japan

Why is anyone surprised?

Taking it one step further - for North America:

1976 Montreal

1980 Lake Placid

1984 Los Angeles

1988 Calgary

1996 Atlanta

2002 Salt Lake City

2010 Vancouver

If Chicago won 2016, then 8 Olympics in 40 years (out of 22 games) would've been held in North America (and only 2 countries at that). And Montreal & Vancouver are less than an hour drive from the US and Calgary is only a 3 hour drive.

There was no way that the IOC would award North America another Olympics so soon. This is a worldwide event that should be hosted on a rotating basis around the world.

This is one of several comments I've read concerning Olympics in North America...obviously geography has not been a big part of education for the past 40 years. There is one more Olympics that was held in North America and that was held in Mexico....contrary to popular opinion, Mexico is not a part of Latin America, they are one of the three countries (along with some islands)that make up North America. So the original person who wrote that Latin America had never had an Olympics was correct and the extraordinarily rude person who commented on his post by stating Latin America did when Mexico held the Olympics and tried to infer the original poster was ignorant, take a look in the mirror sweetie and you'll see the one who is ignorant.

Question for us all to consider...

Many seem to agree that Chicago was never really in contention here. And that South America was the most logical choice in most peoples minds. Right?

Then the only conclusion to make is that our current President is either out of touch, or truly arrogant enough to think he could tip the scale in Chicago's direction.

But the biggest issue screaming out here is the fact that Chicago was never going to win and the Obama's took yet another expensive vacation on behalf of the over burdened US tax payer. I guess there was nothing more pressing for Obama to be working on?

Wake up America!

Amen brother

FrancescaParma -

My comment was about 'if Chicago had won', so the 40 years was ending in 2016 (1976-2016) there would've been 8 of 22 Olympics in North America. It took 120 years (1896-2016) for Rio and the continent of South America to land their first. Being a worldwide event and the IOC a world committee, they need to spread the hosting around.

Mexico City was in 1968, even if I was referring 'from today' that was still more than 40 years, currently 41 years ago, a little math lesson for you.

Seriously Tyler? Some of the poll questions have deep political undertones, as did the posturing before the trip to make the pitch. How is this not political?

This reeked of political payback, as most know hosting the Games has no financial benefit, this was about the corrupt Chicago political machine supporting this President, and his paying them back.

And the arrogant remarks made by our President and Michelle guaranteed that they would fail.

Exactly. I had read that our presentation was flat, unprepared and not well researched. Also, why did Barry go a mere 5 hrs before the decision was to be made? As far as Mrs O and Ophra Windbagfry waste more taxpayer money to follow in Air Force 2 to throw in their two cents? Maybe they wanted a new sport to be added...dog and pony show.

Actually Iwas impressed that MSN put answers up there like that. Good Job MSN. The fact is buddy the rest of the country see's through all the B.S. the administration is feeding us right now. Why are we worrying about the Olympics when we have financial issues, crime running rampant, two wars, threats from third world countries, racism, drug wars, hate crimes, unprotected borders, failing school systems, and 16 year old honor students being killed in the street in front of God and every body...and that was just in Chicago. Now look at the rest of the country. The world see's it, you might want to and get your head clear of the historic election and see how much we all screwed up!

Congratulations Rio, I hope you can pull this off for this will be wonderful for your country, and we will all be watching!

PennellUSA:

Wake up and smell the idiocracy. The Olympics brings billions in economic activity, reduces crime rates in cities it is brought to, Rio has way more corruption and crime than Chicago, I have been to both, and no man, even the president should EVER focus on one thing above all else. I.E. GWB. It may take a while to get used to a president who has the ability to focus on more than one thing, terror, at any given, terror, time but it is more, terror, reflective of the country, terror, as a whole than Bush was, terror. I do not agree with Obama all the time but atleast I can place my pride far enough away to realize he has made leaps and bounds past Bush with the international community. It sounds like you are not happy with all the things you mentioned but instead of being happy Obama is trying to address them, whether you or I agree on method or not, you just want to be angry and be made he is trying to change them at the same time. He is not adressing....... wait, I dont like what he is addressing........wait, he is not doing enough for our image abroad.......wait, he's doing too much to fast........wait, he isn't moving fast enough on the economy........wait, I just hate the guy. Grow up.

casis, you say grow up. Okay maybe later, but for now if this child your refering to can see the light , then you should not get so caught up in the dark. Our image abroad during the Bush campaign was fear. the image Obama has offered a hand to is "Oh, sorry were all a bunch of arogant, over zealous feeble minded people who cannot dig their way out of a hole. Isn't it funny how he can actually go over seas and say these things about us, then on the next breath, he's trying to fix everything Bush screwed up. then on the breath after that he's asking for a hand out from the Olympic committee for a city in my respects needs it. But what you have forgotten as you make your rambling non-sense of a reply, The whole country needs the help, not just Chicago. Maybe if we stop asking for that hand to shake we can get off our own butts and remake the image this country was founded on. Ask Not what your country can do for you... oh wait I'm too young to remember that I havn't grown up yet.

your right it has to be Bush's fault.

No, the Obamas have no one to blame but themselves. They should have stayed away. If I was part of the IOC I too would have voted other than Chicago just for the arrogance of the Obamas and Oprah. Sorry but Chicago politics doesn't work in the real world. You can not cheat lie and steal your way to a bid. I guess Acorn couldn't muster enough international votes. LOL. Maybe now Obama will appoint an Olympic czar.

This is such an ignorant comment.  It is views like these that has made, and will continue to make, America a laughing stock around the world.   Get over it, America is NOT a perfect country...wouldn't want to live ANYWHERE else....but we do have our FAULTS!  The Obamas, Oprah, and the Chicago contingency did exactly what other countries did that wanted the Olympics to come to them...you go and sell your country to the voting delegation.  They failed.  So what?  Your nasty comment about Acorn implying that they stole the election for Obama shows your racist, bigoted, tunnel vision and your inability and unwillingness to accept the fact that this man won the election fair and square.  All this hatefulness and nastiness will bring America down.  Our downfall won't be from terrorists from the outside, it will be internal and stem  from an inability to accept others that are different from mainstream white America.  This internal turmoil resonates around the world where you're primarily talking about people with some "color", and the hypocracy of America pushing human rights,  rings loud and clear to these countries.  You're wrong....it's not about Chicago politics not working in the real world....it's about America's politics no longer being acceptable to the rest of the world!  When will we as Americans learn....the world is bigger than the U.S.....we're NO longer the "big I" and the rest of the world the little "me".  We need to look deep inside of ourselves and accept the fact that we "should treat people the way we want to be treated" and watch things turn around for the better in this country and the REST of the world.  Look at the man in the mirror, Jorge, and ask "Lord, could it be me and my perspective that needs to change?"

Should there even be an arguement over this?

The concept of the games is to promote two things. All people are equal, and to celebrate the physical perfection of humans.

Historically these games have been held predominately north of the equator. Typically in Europe or the US. The games should be free from politics and focused on the physical prowess of the athletes. There is no reason Rio should not be given the opportunity to host the games. For the first South American city to do so, it will be a great honor. I feel confident Rio will rise to the challenge of showing the world they are a friendly people without bias.

re: # 3.1 - Retired Sailor - Thank you for this intelligent perspective. GG

Nobody but dittoheads and beckerheads and the manHannityzed are saying that. Rio had the best argument and that was that. All the presidents were there to represent, why not ours.

Yeah ... THAT'S IT!!!! The entire world is RACIST!!!

giuliag - Man, those "dittoheads", "beckerheads" and "the manHannityzed" sure have your number don't they?!

giuliag, OUR president Hussein Obama made a flash in the pan vist showing his arrogance over the situation. He thought he had it in the bag otherwise why wqould he have invested his polotical capital in the process... He overestimated the IOC... Go RIO...

Dave and "working american" SHUT UP ALREADY... your arguments are getting boring! Just like your parties healthcare plan, your humor is old and boring.

Dave

The problem with you is your delusions of being a superior race who is now victimised by people you believe are inferior. If you had anything ressembling a human brain rather than a Ditto-head Parrot you would be able to look pass President Obama's apparent Blackness and see he is faithfully following Reaganomics and the Bush Doctrine. This is why people in the know like Carter and now Clinton are calling you out as a racist because Obama's policies are completely in opposition to the legacy of Martin Luther King and the traditional Civil Rights Movement which is responsible for him being President. He has given the financial and insurance establishment (Republican Corporate Fascist Oligarchs) the US Treasury without any real conditions. Since he is for what you claim to be for the only logical reason for your hatred of him has to be because he's Black. That has blinded you to the reality unless you are ready to call the real owners of Bank of America, AIG and Citicorp the things you have called Barak.

He has continued the destruction of the Unions by targeting the UAW which is the model and is now going after teacher's unions in continuation of Bush's privatisation problems under the heading of 'No Child Left Behind.' And in short time will move to break the government unions which represent Postal Workers as more focus will be on the destruction of the US Post Office by Reaganomic favouring of Fed Ex and UPS to replace the USPS. If you were not such a Racist you would see that by destroying the Post Office President Obama and Congress are eliminating the traditional role that department had in hiring practices for Blacks to enter the Federal government. The Post Office has been a stepping stone for a vast number of Black professionals and political office holders and is the largest number of unionized employees in the Federal govt.

So all of your associations of Barak Obama as a socialist are absurd unless you want to call Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush and George W. Bush Socialists or Muslims too,

The Bush's count a number of prominent Muslims as friends and business associates. Guys like the King of Saudi Arabia and the Emirs of the UAE.

The healthcare reform is nothing but a bailout of the health insurance companies. So no communist, socialist or Muslim jihadists would be helping Bank of America, Citicorp and AIG with plundering the American people and what's left of the US treasury. But a Conservative, Republican corporate facist Christian fundamentalist would, even one who is Black and poses as a product of the Liberal Civil Rights movement which was necessary to insure those people left out of the freedoms the USA boasts of got their fair and equal share of rights.

You and the other Rush Limbaugh worm fed Parrot Dittoheads need to shut up because Obama is faithfully representing what you claim to be about. It only looks like he isn't because you are too ignorant and intellectually lazy to look beyond his Blackness and the fact he's President.

Don't worry, the Blacks who voted for him were fooled too.

duwayne: wrong on so many levels.

Glad you agree. Duwayne has drank enough Kool-Ade to quench the entire democratic caucus.

Duwayne has obviously never heard of sarcasm. Hard telling how he would enjoy a night at a comedy club.

Hey Duwayne...I'm kidding and just trying to point out the stupidity of people like Jimmy Carter and the state run media when it comes to identifying those with differing views from our current President as racist.

Chill out and try to enjoy life!

All - Just for the record, none of what I originally posted came from listening to any talk show. I work for a living...no time to listen to the radio in the afternoon.

And what does any of my sarcasm have to do with healthcare? It's about the bone heads on the left that just can't handle an America with opposing views to their own.

By the way, how many of you on the left still have a tee shirt with the image of George W Bush depicted as the devil (my next door neighboor still does)? I never heard Jimmy Carter, Nancy Pelosi or the media comment on that during the 8 years before Obama moved into the White House.

Wake up America!

I am sure you will be sorely missed down there in Rio...

First time in South America and its about time. Good show by all however. And can't wait for World Cup as well.

Hmm, let's see the last I read, yesterday, it's GE that's selling-off non-profitable NBC elements, due to a major lack of viewership, because Fox is running them out of business. Must be their Cool Aid division!

H-1382249, whoa and back the train up. Not much ANTI American going on at FOX. They still have a respsect for free speech and the American way. It's the "old media" that is in the same situation they have been in for years. bowing down to sppecial left interests at every turn. Maybe the pres will realize he needs to talk to the majority rather than the minority... You could learn a few things too from the Fox folks...

People tune in to FOX because we like to watch fools make jackasses of themselves. It's a known fact that sensationalism always draws people and, let's face it, no one can be more sensational than beckerhead, dopehead and hannity-no-sanity. Having said that, it was time for South America to get a chance to sponsor the Olympics and I hope that all goes well for them.

I agree grandma. Not everyone who watches Fox agrees with them. I used to watch all the time, because I found it fun to yell back at the screen. The old "people you love to hate" thing. But i have since stopped because I don't want them getting my ratings point.

Anti-Americanism, have you listened to Obamas speeches of the past few months? No-one spews more anti-americanism that the Chosen One himself. He was the man of change and hope, he's done that alright, his change has set the country back 40 years, and his hope has been limited to the many black racists that live among us. He's not the President of Unity, he's become the President of Division. God help us all.

Yep, Fox is kicking their behinds, and Beck nailed the chosen one on both Acorn and the Marxist green czar. Now that they picked up John Stossel it will be yet another feather in their cap.

Perhaps MSNBC has finally been embarrassed enough to start at least pretending to do their job.

There is no middle any more--Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck vs Maddox & Ooberman. No middle class & no "class" on either exreme. We are becoming haves & have nots. Which side you wanna be on? Which side you gonna be forced to be on? The more they give you, the more you want. Just think about it the next time you get a chance to vote! This is a very serious crossroads for this country & I'm scared, very scared.

And it ain't Dem's vs reb's, it's more us vs them

Excellent observation 56Coop.

Obama, Michelle, Opra, etc. were all elitist show boaters. You don't insult your guests by leaving early, even if you're the Anointed One from NA. Then again maybe the IOC is all racists and POTUS BHO should have taken Clinton and Carter to make the Windy City's pitch.

That's ridiculous... South America has never hosted the games and I think that Rio drove that point home to the IOC. The USA has had many turns and chances to prove ourselves in hosting the Olymics and it is time to give the South American people a chance to display their talents, abilities and creativity on a world stage as well. I personally think Obama would agree.

We should be proud that Obama took the greatest international event on the planet seriously. We should be furious that no other president has. Not the other way around. Every other country sends their leader, it is snobbish not to, George for instance. Not showing up says that he is better than the other presidents sitting at the table. Obama proceeded in a manner that represents that the United States cares about the Olympics. Not like every other president in history who sent the message, we don't really care about the Olympics, but we will take it if you want.

Personally I think that every BRIC nation deserves to host the games before we host them again.

China has had their games, Russia will get the 2014 games, now Brasil will. Next should be India. I would also like to see a games hosted in a middle-eastern country. Egypt, Saudi, Iran or Iraq might all be prime canidates come 2020 or so.

Mexico should also be considered before the US, they last hosted in 1968. It makes no sense that the US should host so many of the games, that defeats the global nature of the games. The US has hosted nearly twice as many olympic games as the second place host of France. 15% of all Olympic games were hosted in the US. There are far too many developed nations that have never hosted and should be given a chance.

casis -- There is no dignity in having the President, First Lady, and Queen Oprah badgering the Olympic Committee personally.

The Olympics is only a sports event.

There are many more important issues today that concern the United States. I wish the President would stay in the U.S. and address those.

What a crock. Obama is the biggest show boater ever! More so than any other president in U.S. history. He is an actor in politician's clothing, plain and simple. Have you ever seen a president on TV as much as this guy? He thought he was all that and more and felt he had what it took to win the bid, so to speak. A true narcissist! I am sooo glad (NOT) that our tax dollars of a cool million or so paid for this useless, un-necessary trip! it's amazing how many people don't know that it costs no less than 1/2 million just to fly across the country let alone to another continent! This trip was ridiculous. Obama was just trying to give payback to the cronies in Chicago that paid to get him where he is at today! President Bush and every president prior didn't go because they couldn't warrant the expenditures...plain and simple. Happy for Rio!

To D-1382251: I imagine that in your opinion, President Bush's eight-year term in office, with its belligerent diplomatic policy, wrongheaded warmongering and economic mismanagement, had nothing but the most positive effect on Chicago's bid for the Olympic Games. President Obama has been in office only since January 19 of this year, but the IOC's alleged anti-U.S. decision is all his fault. Oh, right.

Please, go listen to Rush -- and Fox, Hannity and Beck -- for your own entertainment and information. I'll be among the majority who will be considering the views of more educated, sophisticated and worldly commentators regarding this democratic decision. In the meantime, I congratulate Brazil and Rio de Janerio for getting the opportunity to host this prestigeous world event for the first time. IMO it is an acknowledgement for South America that has been long overdue.

Ziti To D-1382251: I imagine that in your opinion, President Bush's eight-year term in office, with its belligerent diplomatic policy, wrongheaded warmongering and economic mismanagement, had nothing but the most positive effect on Chicago's bid for the Olympic Games. President Obama has been in office only since January 19 of this year, but the IOC's alleged anti-U.S. decision is all his fault. Oh, right.

Your problem is you and others think this is an anti-american issue when it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with that or for that fact anything that former Pres Bush did or didn't do. If that was the case the IOC would have never given a game to Germany after what Hitler did to most of Europe and the world!
The US has held the games more than any other country in the world, gee we even got it after the failed Carter years!!! So get over yourself and get over Bush. Whether Obama went or didn't go, Chicago still wouldn't have gotten the vote. For that fact shouldn't even have been in the running, which started by the way under Bush's administration. But if they had any chance, IMO the first lady's speech and the Presidents speech did not help their case. There speeches were both about them...they did this, they had this, they wanted this. The applause from the audience, go back and listen, was one of those "polite" applause. Almost deafening and very obvious that they were not impressed.

Casis ... while I believe that the President is capable of focusing on more than one issue at one time, I am offended that he put the prestige of his office at stake. Despite the high-minded talk, the Olympics are just sporting events and do nothing to foster world peace. The President of the United States should be not begging them to come to the US.

The Olympics is an international steaming pile of corruption.

Host cities rarely show a profit - I believe Salt Lake did only after they turned the management over to a Republican, Mitt Romney, and he cleaned out the corruption and prostitution.

Chicago would have lost money on this, but it would have been a big win for the Pres. With the recent student being beaten to death in the street, I just bet the committee was unimpressed.

Also, consider this. Spain was represented by an ex president of the OIC. If someone like that, who knew exactly what to say and do to win lost to another country, that country must have had a hell of a presentation.

Barry-NJ and Anonymous:

The Olympics is a symbol that countries can come together on common terms and common goals. And both of you saying that Obama should not use his political capital that way and leverage his "prestige" in that way is ludicrous. I guess your right, we should repair our image by torturing uncharged foreigners, not asking for an Olympic games, ignoring the Olympics as a sporting event, THE sporting event for most of the world and man do you guy's have a broad definition of begging. I am so sick of this idea that the US can do what it wants and force other countries to do what the US wants it to with no regard for anything. We can't kill them all and we should start acting like we don't want to.

Maybe. Just maybe. They didn't think anything like that at all.

I doubt the IOC cares how the president spends his time.

Perhaps you have difficulty multi-tasking, but I would hope that Obama is capable of dealing with more than one issue at a time.

I hope Obama can multi-task as you say, since he has spent more time flying to Copenhagen than he has meeting with the commander in Afghanistan. Way more time. Way.

Perhaps you should read the recent literature on "Multi-tasking"? It is now being debunked, in almost every study, and re-termed "Attention Deficit Trait". You can TRY to multi-task, but the outcome is you do neither task to the best of your abilities.

JASFOX...until playing the race card becomes an olympic event, put down the deck.

cattrax. i certainly have a small mouth and big brain and i love rush.piss off..obamas flying around acting like celebrities its a joke...i have to laugh...........they are losers. and chicago sucks

Having a small brain is much better than liberals who have no brains. To be a liberal is to literally have zero common sense. Lots of emotions, but zero common sense. Rant, rant, rant, but never a factual or intelligent answer to any questions.

What's that noise? It is the rants that are coming after this post. Blah, blah, blah.

Obama...0 for 1 on being the Messiah.

Do you actually have your own opinion, or do you routinely resort to childish name calling and disparaging verbiage? Not everyone that disagrees with you is a Limbaugh fan. It was an inexcusable waste of taxpayer money, period!

CatTrax, the replies you have here proves your point, Big mouth. Small brain!

AND YET .... some idiot actually just tried to blame Bush because Chicago lost! GET OVER IT ALREADY, you liberal asskissers! Move on !

Am sure Obama has a big mouth and small brain. Good that he took a few minutes to talk to the General about Afghanistan before his PR trip. Nw he needs to figure out how to pay for the personal trip for his wife. Oh- I know, just tax the wealthy.

I knew they had big mouths, but any brains at all? I don't think so, they made Cheney president didn't they? You may think Dubya was president, but did you ever notice that sometimes when Bush was talking his lips weren't moving and Cheney was near by?

How about when Dubya was reading a story to children with the book upside down? Or not knowing what to say or do when he was told that the World Trade Center as under attack? Why? Cheney wasn't there to tell him what to do.

If they want to listen to and follow a drug addict (Limbaugh) that's fine with me, but if some unknown person had gotten caught with that many prescriptions they would have been in jail for years, not let off with a slap on the wrist.....but then his buddy, Dubya, was in the White House and he probably would have given him an immediate pardon if he had been imprisoned on those charges.

Obama has to fly around the world to prove to all the countries whose toes got stepped on by the Cheney-Bush crime syndicate that the country, as a whole, really isn't like that. Leave it to the repuglicans to smear our image so bad that the democants have to spend most of their time apologizing for the previous administrations crookedness.

The repuglicans lead us into the "Great Depression" and it took a democrat president AND a World War to get us completely out of it. Hopefully the Cheney-Bush crime syndicate didn't dig a hole so deep that we have to wait for the next World War to get us out of the mess they got us into.

Dax...."Lots of emotions, but zero common sense. Rant, rant, rant, but never a factual or intelligent answer to any questions."

funny, that sounds like the Republicans to me. They love to rant (and lie) about socialism and death panels and all kinds of crap. And that Obama "Messiah" stuff is total crap. I've never heard liberals refer to him as anything close to that. It all comes from sarcastic Repubs who have to bend the truth on everything

Yeah, Rush rules and Chicago sucks !

Death panels are alive and well in Oregon as we speak and will be in any government plan. People on Medicare are also denied coverage in some cases and that will only get worse when this bill cuts half a trillion from a program that is already broke, (you can tell these bozo's are lawyers and not economists!).

Obama is a socialist that wants the whole country rearranged so that EVIL capitalists are punished and unions run the country. Except, it's capitalists that create the jobs so here we stand with 9.8% unemployment and no end in sight. Worse yet, all his stupid tax ideas are killing small businesses and sending corporations overseas in droves.

Ah, the good old days when republicans ran everything and unemployment was 4.6%. I never thought anyone could possibly have an economy worse than Carters, but I was so wrong.

I'm with you. South America is finally stable enough to host the games, and good for them! We've had them 8 times in the U.S. Sad I won't be able to drive to the Olympics, but we'll have another chance.

Oh seriously, still ranting about how dumb Bush was, while also claiming he tricked all those smart Democrats into voting for the Iraq war? Can't have that one both ways.

And remember, among other gaffe's your fearless leader visited 57 states during the campaign.

And don't even get started on Pelosi, Franks, or our dear hoot of a VP - I think the sides are pretty even when it comes to dumb.

Opinion and no substance at all to your post. Pure hyperbole. Congratulations Dmitri! If you we're born here I bet you're glad your here to voice your dissent. You can always leave you know, no one is forcing you to live in this terrible country. Hosting the Olympics would have meant serious money to Chicago (which is in America ya know) to the tune of about $10 billion. Show me a city in the United States that wouldn't enjoy a $10 billion stimulus? Keep looking...

Agreed. We here in Europe don't get that "special feeling" when the President of the US speaks. The speeches were all about them and their emotions and experiences and had very little substance regarding what it would do for Chicago or the US and why you were better than anyone else for the games.

Many of us think he's just an empty suit, particularly after the G8. Why would we suddenly believe him now?

coach mcguirk get off you high horse! No one said the US was terrible, but that's right - your name must be Great Spirit or something? Where did your grand parents came from? Cheep shots buddy! I happen to love US and I am a proud Canadian! US does have superiority complex, it comes with achieving greatness unfortunately. But so is the price for it. Truly great ones are humble - not week - humble. Can not say that about Obamas approach and the US attitude.

As for the money - our economies need every cent, not to be blown on crime ridden city. You should read more, not speak, because no city has EVER made money on Olympics. You never get back what you spend.

Maybe if the Canadian government made sure that their citizens could spell we might take you more seriously. Obama has a tough job ahead of him because he has to prove to the world that not everyone in this country lies to get their way, like the Cheney-Bush crime syndicate did to invade Iraq.

They have Weapons of Mass Destruction! None were found!

They are trying to build a nuclear bomb! No sign of any ability to build a nuclear bomb and after the war was over all the nuclear materials that WE, the U.S., were supposed to have under guard DISAPPEARED!

They are backing Al-Quaida! We found that Saddam was against them as much as or more than we were!

In the end it came out that Dubya attacked because "Saddam wanted to kill my daddy!"

Maybe if someone digs deep enough they might find that Cheney wanted to finish off Saddam because Bush 1.0 wouldn't let him in the first Gulf War. He came up with an idea to attack, made up all the lies and made sure that most of the contracts for supplying our troops and rebuilding Iraq were "awarded" to his "old" company, Halliburton! Nothing like keeping it in "the family".

To: Gonpher Coughie do prove my point please! Cheep shots from your back of the woods. I would like to know - how do you manage to reason previous administration and your internal politics into my comment? Then again, I do not want to know! Yak!

P.S. I do speak four languages, English is the forth. ( oh! and we all have health care! and rated to live longer than in the US! Oh yes... I did misspelled... sorry..)

There I go again! Poor Canadians its cheap not cheep! lol!

coach mcguirk Hosting the Olympics would have meant serious money to Chicago (which is in America ya know) to the tune of about $10 billion. Show me a city in the United States that wouldn't enjoy a $10 billion stimulus? Keep looking...

I actually would love to know where you get your figures from. Looking at historical figures of other games held in the US, most recently Utah. Utah NET was $76 million, created 12,600 temp jobs. This is only after Mitt Romney went in and took over cleaning out the corruption. Chicago's corruption based on history would have been far worse and probably no Romney to go in and clean it out.
That net Utah made, is what Chicago has reported spending so far to even get the bid. So please, post your sources that show Chicago would have enjoyed $10 billion. I suspect that is a projection, something like Utah was projected to get $5 billion. Projection cannot be a basis for an argument of why one should get something. Anymore then the projection that if we spend billions on stimulating the economy our unemployment won't go above 8%...yeah right!!

No kidding. Well said.

Paraphrasing Rush. I just heard that. Geez. Nothing like an original thought.

Spot on. Couldn't agree more. There is a credibility issue there.

Ask your own GOP leaders who was badmouthing the US. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/10/03/martin.olympics.defeat/index.html

Anyone not for having a US olympics should be shown to the border because you dont deserve to be here. This isnt about Obama, its about the US so stop looking for blame and start thinking positive. I pitty you.

Anyone not for having a US olympics should be shown to the border because you dont deserve to be here.

Really? Who made differences of opinion illegal? Since when have you had the right to decide which citizens do and do not deserve to live here?

I'm a citizen and I happen to oppose having the Olympic games in the US because I believe that they're a bad bet financially. I'd rather have something like a World Fair, which requires less dedicated infrastructure and runs over a longer period of time, helping to recoup costs.

I have.... you need to look!

Immediate Iraq withdrawal NOT

No taxes on anyone below 250k NOT

Unemployment below 8% NOT

Transparent white house NOT

New era of bipartisanship NOT

Does not want to run the auto industry NOT

I could go on forever but you get the picture

Well said, that poor kid was doing everything right and if you see the video, you seen everyone just watching. He was American, now what do you think those same Chicagoans would do for a foreigner. It's a sad day for America and not because of us loosing a stupid Olympic bid, but for that poor inner city kid how was preached his whole life to do the right thing and when he does he got his head bashed in by a bunch of punks. Now with that being said, good job IOC for at least waking the people up in this forum!

You mean unlike the street violence that takes place on Rio on a everyday basis? Rio's gangster violence amongst its youth has grabbed international attention. I suggest you watch the film, City of God. So, I don't think violence was a determining factor, Rio has the highest violence rate of the final cities, combined.

New Yorker Magazine has a article about the violence in Rio in their latest issue.

..It really shouldn't come as no suprise since the U.S. has hosted it more than any other nation (at a glance)....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_countries_hosted_each_of_the_Summer_Olympics_since_1896e

Reckon it's time to 'pass the torch' on to developing nations and let them benefit from the games also.....

Ditto