http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/chicagos-loss-is-passport-control-to-blame/

“It’s clear the United States still has a lot of work to do to restore its place as a premier travel destination,” Roger Dow, U.S. Travel’s president, said in the statement released today. “When IOC members are commenting to our President that foreign visitors find traveling to the United States a ‘pretty harrowing experience,’ we need to take seriously the challenge of reforming our entry process to ensure there is a welcome mat to our friends around the world, even as we ensure a secure system.”

Bush's legacy, still lingers

though why anyone thinks they'll be safer in Rio is anyone's guess...

though why anyone thinks they'll be safer in Rio is anyone's guess...


I'm sure the video of the sixteen year old student getting beaten to death by gangmembers didn't help our image much, either.

Chicago should be happy.  They just saved millions of dollars by not being the host.

Pretty much any host of the Olympics has to dump absurd amounts of money into the preparations for not much in return other than hollow prestige that's usually forgotten in a matter of years.

Chicago should be happy.  They just saved millions of dollars by not being the host.

Pretty much any host of the Olympics has to dump absurd amounts of money into the preparations for not much in return other than hollow prestige that's usually forgotten in a matter of years.


Salt Lake came out ahead.

It was in the bag for Rio, we didn't lose, Rio won, and in my opinion rightfully so.  South America hasn't hosted an Olympics, I didn't know that, and that was the big reason.  That and it seems Rio is a place that a lot of people love.



I'm sure the video of the sixteen year old student getting beaten to death by gangmembers didn't help our image much, either.



That, I am sure, didn't even enter into the equation.  It isn't like Rio is a haven of peace and tranquility.

I don't understand why people from any end of the spectrum would get their panties in a wad over Chicago not getting the Olympics.  ::)

I mean geeze, the USA has hosted so many Olympics just in my lifetime... Squaw Valley, Los Angeles, Lake Placid, Salt Lake City, Atlanta.  Spread the games around alot more so that other countries can host 'em, that's the spirit of the games anyway.

I'm glad to see Brasil step up and host the olympics.  :)

One thing to say though, and this is not "sour grapes".  I've been to Rio and it is very compartmentalized.  You go two blocks in the wrong direction and you find yourself in a VERY dangerous part of town, much worse than, say Chicago, but on par with Detroit..  Security is going to have to be VERY tight, and that does not even include the anti-terrorism concerns.

Salt Lake came out ahead.


They are probably the exception.  Montreal took 30 years to finish paying for the games they hosted.

I don't understand why people from any end of the spectrum would get their panties in a wad over Chicago not getting the Olympics.  ::)

WHS.. I'm starting to get really pissed off with news reports saying this is some kind of serious hit to Obama's credibility


One thing to say though, and this is not "sour grapes".  I've been to Rio and it is very compartmentalized.  You go two blocks in the wrong direction and you find yourself in a VERY dangerous part of town, much worse than, say Chicago, but on par with Detroit..  Security is going to have to be VERY tight, and that does not even include the anti-terrorism concerns.

And this will be only a few short years after a football World Cup finals in South Africa..

They are probably the exception.  Montreal took 30 years to finish paying for the games they hosted.


It helps that we didn't have to do alot of building.  They used existing arenas.  Plus what was built is still used to this day.  They built with the future in mind, not just the Olympics.

It was in the bag for Rio, we didn't lose, Rio won, and in my opinion rightfully so.  South America hasn't hosted an Olympics, I didn't know that, and that was the big reason.  That and it seems Rio is a place that a lot of people love.





I don't understand why people from any end of the spectrum would get their panties in a wad over Chicago not getting the Olympics.  ::)

I mean geeze, the USA has hosted so many Olympics just in my lifetime... Squaw Valley, Los Angeles, Lake Placid, Salt Lake City, Atlanta.  Spread the games around alot more so that other countries can host 'em, that's the spirit of the games anyway.

I'm glad to see Brasil step up and host the olympics.  :)

One thing to say though, and this is not "sour grapes".  I've been to Rio and it is very compartmentalized.  You go two blocks in the wrong direction and you find yourself in a VERY dangerous part of town, much worse than, say Chicago, but on par with Detroit..  Security is going to have to be VERY tight, and that does not even include the anti-terrorism concerns.



I agree with both of you. What I don't understand is why everyone is turning this into a political issue. The Olympics is SUPPOSED to be above politics. I know, it hasn't always worked that way-Mexico City 1968, Munich 1972, Moscow 1980, etc. etc.

What disturbs me about it is that the right-wing is cheering that the U.S. lost. They are happy that our country lost? WTF?? These are the so-called patriots who wrap themselves up in the flag.



Cat

Bush's legacy, still lingers



note that the IOC wank who complained about USA border procedures is a Pakistani.

You know, Chucky, Pakistan... The country that supported the Taliban for years. Taliban... The guys who sponsored Al Qaeda in the 2001 terror olympics. If Bush made it hard for those people to enter the USA, I shed no tears.

Bush's legacy in Pakistan is that he had plenty of Islamic terrorists snuffed, and the current President has if anything accelerated these operations in  Pakistan and rightfully so.

Amazing, every time somebody on the left has a bunion they want to blame Bush, no different than the Righties who always blame O'bama.

Let me seeeeee......  The judging scandals in Salt Lake City and the Atlanta bombing may have something to do with it.  Then again, it just may be that Rio sounds like a damn good idea.

Kinda makes me wish my "tall and tan and young and lovely" days were back again.  ;D

http://www.photos4travel.com/rio-de-janeiro-travel-guide/brazil_Rio-de+-janeiro_travel_.jpg

note that the IOC wank who complained about USA border procedures is a Pakistani.

You know, Chucky, Pakistan... The country that supported the Taliban for years. Taliban... The guys who sponsored Al Qaeda in the 2001 terror olympics. If Bush made it hard for those people to enter the USA, I shed no tears.

Bush's legacy in Pakistan is that he had plenty of Islamic terrorists snuffed, and the current President has if anything accelerated these operations in  Pakistan and rightfully so.


PUH-LEEZE.  Bush made it tough for EVERYONE to enter the country.  You honestly think he made it tough for ONLY the terrorists?  Only for people from Pakistan?  If that were the case, I'm sure no one else in the room would take that claim seriously.  Even lawful US citizens have a hard time getting in and out of the country, let alone normal foreign visitors.

Want a list of the horror stories from foreign travelers?  There's entire websites devoted to it.  You miss the fact that tourism has done nothing but decline for the last nine years?


Amazing, every time somebody on the left has a bunion they want to blame Bush, no different than the Righties who always blame O'bama.


The difference of course is that Obama hasn't done much yet, and Bush's legacy is pretty clear after 8 years of his policies. Even if we were to ignore the comments about travelers, we know that the opinion of the world towards the US right now is really poor, and we know that can be directly tied to the Bush administration policies.  As much as Obama's election has helped change that, it's certainly not going to change that much overnight.

and hey, I'm glad South America finally gets it for the first time.  I think Chicago deserved it more.  They gave up their spot once about 100 years ago for St. Louis to have it. I don't really think Rio is ready for it yet.

.

Amazing, every time somebody on the left has a bunion they want to blame Bush, no different than the Righties who always blame O'bama.




Double the  PUH-LEEZE.  The bushies blamed Clinton for everything that happened until the day Obama said "I Swear".  Now they blame Obama. 

Chicago should be happy.  They just saved millions of dollars by not being the host.

Pretty much any host of the Olympics has to dump absurd amounts of money into the preparations for not much in return other than hollow prestige that's usually forgotten in a matter of years.

Tell that to Atlanta! They experienced a tourism boom for years.

And just what does President Bush have anything to do with it? He's been out of office for eight months!
Given that Chicago is his adopted hometown, I would hope the loss would be a blow to Obama's narcissism, if nothing else.

But bear in mind the Atlanta Olympic bombing occured before 9-11 and the culprit was a disciple of Timothy McVeigh, not Osama Bin Laden, so it really should have nothing to do with the IOC's decision. Then again, it's probably never that simple.

Your Pal,
Doc
8)

But bear in mind the Atlanta Olympic bombing occured before 9-11 and the culprit was a disciple of Timothy McVeigh, not Osama Bin Laden, so it really should have nothing to do with the IOC's decision. Then again, it's probably never that simple.

Your Pal,
Doc
8)


A bomb is a bomb, doesn't matter who sets it off.

That, I am sure, didn't even enter into the equation.  It isn't like Rio is a haven of peace and tranquility.


True, but our image as a US city filled with nothing but crime is not helping matters.  Couple that with our really corrupt city government, really corrupt city cops, and really shytty modes of transportation (hello, O'Hare Airport)....yeah.

Am I disappointed we didn't get the Olympics?  Slightly, but I don't think we were at all prepared for something that momentous.  Chicago is densely packed, and I wasn't sure where the hell they were even thinking of putting all the facilities needed for it.

By the way, I'm leaving politics out of this.  There is no political issue.  We had some interesting people go to bat for Chicago, we didn't get it, the end.


Amazing, every time somebody on the left has a bunion they want to blame Bush, no different than the Righties who always blame O'bama.


Actually, it is a blister, and yes, I do blame him.  I also blame him for my toothache, my fat, and the fact that I'm poor. ;)

Let me seeeeee......  The judging scandals in Salt Lake City


Can't really blame the US for that one.  That was that idiot french judge. 

I think Chicago, lost the chance, not because of Obama, but because it's close to the Olympics, that are taking place in Vancouver, next year.

And the IOC, likes to space things apart.

North America has hosted it in Los Angeles, twice, Atlanta, Park Lake City, Lake Placid, Squaw Valley, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Spain has hosted in Barcelona, Japan has hosted in Tokyo, Sapporo, and Nagano.

Where as South America, has never hosted an Olympics, ever. It's that simple.

Tell that to Atlanta! They experienced a tourism boom for years.

And just what does President Bush have anything to do with it? He's been out of office for eight months!
Given that Chicago is his adopted hometown, I would hope the loss would be a blow to Obama's narcissism, if nothing else.

But bear in mind the Atlanta Olympic bombing occured before 9-11 and the culprit was a disciple of Timothy McVeigh, not Osama Bin Laden, so it really should have nothing to do with the IOC's decision. Then again, it's probably never that simple.

Your Pal,
Doc
8)


Atlanta has been booming in general, although it looks like that may change soon due to the widening gap between the rising cost of living and the stagnant wages.

Obama isn't anymore narcissistic than most other presidents, especially when you consider that running for president itself is pretty narcissistic.  He's also been remarkably consiliatory to a mostly ungrateful and obstructive GOP.

One thing to say though, and this is not "sour grapes".  I've been to Rio and it is very compartmentalized.  You go two blocks in the wrong direction and you find yourself in a VERY dangerous part of town, much worse than, say Chicago, but on par with Detroit..  Security is going to have to be VERY tight, and that does not even include the anti-terrorism concerns.


As far as I can tell, Rio is more dangerous than just about anywhere in America, including Detroit.  Then again, as you said, if you stay on the good side of Rio, I'm sure you're safe.

As far as I can tell, Rio is more dangerous than just about anywhere in America, including Detroit.  Then again, as you said, if you stay on the good side of Rio, I'm sure you're safe.


True.

I live in C-Town and they accepted the Gay Olympics for 2014 (I wish we would have the Winter Olympics).

But...how the fudge can this be Bush's fault?! Some countries in Europe probably have the same security tasks force as well as America. And look how many Summer Olympics the U.S. Hosted....

1904-St. Louis
1932-Los Angles
1984-Los Angles
1996-Atlanta

Four! Chicago got the bid in 1904, but St. Louis got it instead because of the World's Fair. Other cities that were nominated....

1916-Cleveland (98 years later...we get the Gay Olympics)
1920-Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia
1924-Los Angles
1928-Los Angles
1944-Detroit
1948-Baltimore, Los Angles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia
1952-Chicago, Detroit, Los Angles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia
1956-Chicago, Detroit, Los Angles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Fransisco
1960-Detroit
1964-Detroit
1968-Detroit
1972-Detroit
1976-Los Angles
1980-Los Angles
2012-New York
2016-Chicago

Maybe Chicago can get the bid in 2020, but another reason why this isn't Bush's fault is because if he did what Obama did, he would try to get the Olympics in Dallas in 2008...but that didn't happen.

True.

I live in C-Town and they accepted the Gay Olympics for 2014 (I wish we would have the Winter Olympics).

But...how the fudge can this be Bush's fault?! Some countries in Europe probably have the same security tasks force as well as America.



I'm not sure that it is as hard to get into European countries.  I do know what a pain in the arse it is to get into the US.  The visa application takes forever to process and then getting through immigration when you arrive is also nerve-racking.

I mentioned this thread to my husband and he said that the visa thing causes problems all the time.  He was helping with a meeting in LA and got lots of complaints from customers who wanted to attend but couldn't get visa's.

I'm not sure that it is as hard to get into European countries.  I do know what a pain in the arse it is to get into the US.  The visa application takes forever to process and then getting through immigration when you arrive is also nerve-racking.

I mentioned this thread to my husband and he said that the visa thing causes problems all the time.  He was helping with a meeting in LA and got lots of complaints from customers who wanted to attend but couldn't get visa's.


It's a balance.  On the one hand, our visa system is kind of dysfunctional and our border security is crap.  On the other hand, it's easier to get into Europe but harder to get citizenship.

There was no "failure" per se on Obama's part.  He vied for Chicago and, like many other competitors for the 2016 Olympics, he didn't get the games.  It's okay with me.  I think it's South America's turn anyway. 

This is a non-issue.  Should be a non-starter, but nowadays....

::)

It's a balance.  On the one hand, our visa system is kind of dysfunctional and our border security is crap.  On the other hand, it's easier to get into Europe but harder to get citizenship.


But visitors (such IOC officials and then the athletes) don't want citizenship.  And they don't want to jump through 20 hoops and still be refused a visa at the end of it all

But visitors (such IOC officials and then the athletes) don't want citizenship.  And they don't want to jump through 20 hoops and still be refused a visa at the end of it all

Maybe hoop-jumping ought to be the next Olympic sport?

Maybe hoop-jumping ought to be the next Olympic sport?


How about fish-slapping?

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/splat.gif

But visitors (such IOC officials and then the athletes) don't want citizenship.  And they don't want to jump through 20 hoops and still be refused a visa at the end of it all


Them's the breaks.  We have to have a certain amount of security protocols.  I know they can be unwieldy, but they are somewhat necessary.  I agree that visas do need some reforms though.

How about fish-slapping?

http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/10/splat.gif

:)  For the Finland Olympiad?

Paul Krugman had some interesting observations about this in his latest editorial.