The Obama Effect: 2016 Chicago Olympics?

For the last several months, Barack Obama and John McCain desperately appealed to voters, each insisting that he had the superior plan to end/win the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, fix the economy, and improve the healthcare system. Since Obama emerged victorious one week ago, however, even left-leaning pundits acknowledged that significant change will not occur overnight and that the American people should be patient with the President-elect. Nevertheless, Obama’s immense international admiration has already led him to the forefront of another major campaign: Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics (pictured below, right). While this proposal will certainly not be the definitive movement undertaken by the new President, it is safe to say that his support will provide a huge boost to Chicago’s chances. Indeed, as ESPN’s Lester Munson reports, “experts agree that… his presence in Copenhagen (at the IOC meeting in 2009) could easily win the Olympics for Chicago.” The importance of this race for the U.S., moreover, should not be understated. One needs to look back no further than August to remember the vast success of the Beijing Olympics for China, both in terms of medals and in terms of international recognition (save for the pollution and human rights issues). The situation in the U.S. presents an even more beneficial scenario for 2016. Obama faces unprecedented challenges in the coming years, but perhaps none will be more difficult than restoring U.S. international standing. As a result, he has already listed the closing of the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison as one of his first executive orders, and he repeatedly maintains that he will be diplomatic with both allies and enemies in an attempt to foster enhanced international relationships. Assuming (for the sake of argument) that Obama is reelected in 2012, a successful bid for the 2016 Olympics would allow him to welcome the world to his hometown in the final months of his Presidency and, as Chicago bid leader Patrick Ryan asserts, to demonstrate that the U.S. is again prepared to “reach out to the rest of the world,” and to continue “building bridges of friendship.”

Certainly, it is much too early to crown Chicago as the winner of the race. Primarily, there exists the possibility that Obama will be involved in some sort of crisis on October 2, 2009, preventing him from attending the IOC meeting in Copenhagen. Perhaps more importantly, Chicago is still not universally considered the frontrunner. As recently as June 2008, the IOC’s technical evaluation deemed Tokyo the top city with Madrid a close second, according to Reuters. Of course, many Japanese media members admit that Obama’s landslide victory will advance Chicago’s chances, but they also stress that the competition is not a popularity contest. Others, such as Madrid bid leader Mercedes Coghen, contend that the election of Obama has been blown out of proportion with regards to the Olympic race, emphasizing that, “I’m happy for Obama’s victory, but in this race for the Olympics, every bid has its moments.” Furthermore, each of the cities (Tokyo, Madrid, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro) must be comprehensive and detailed in their bid, beginning with the required submission of a candidature file by February and including the hosting of a thorough IOC evaluation of the city sometime in the spring. Thus, Tokyo officials, including communications manager Masanori Takaya, remain optimistic that they still have the edge. In fact, Takaya even believes that former Olympic shooter and current Prime Minister Taro Aso will act as their secret weapon, and that he “could prove an even bigger asset to Tokyo’s Olympic hopes than Obama does to Chicago’s.” Although global media members have already proclaimed Obama as the decisive factor in securing Chicago’s nomination, Takaya alleges otherwise, declaring, “not many countries have an Olympian as head of state.”

Still, the advantages that Tokyo and Madrid accumulated over the last several months may have already dissipated in the minds of IOC officials. The Obama effect unofficially began last Tuesday night, when media and observers from Kenya to China watched the President-elect deliver a moving speech (pictured left) in front of 125,000 at Grant Park in Chicago, which, as part of the proposed Olympic village, would host archery, be the site of the marathon start, and offer entertainment such as concerts and big-screen televisions to watch the events. Accordingly, Chicago not only received unprecedented international exposure, but also proved it could handle large crowds on a short notice. This positive view of Chicago is also likely to increase over the next year, suggests Ryan, as people from around the world begin to understand that Obama “developed his professional and political career in Chicago and Illinois.” Recent patterns in Olympic bid contests, moreover, may be the most telling sign that hints towards Chicago’s victory. In 2005, Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair helped win London the bid for the 2012 Olympics at the IOC meeting in Singapore, and according to many experts, his “charismatic presentations were said to have led the IOC to pass over Paris, which seemed to have the leading bid.” Last year, at the IOC meeting in Guatemala, Vladimir Putin’s appearance “was instrumental in Sochi getting the 2014 Winter Games.” Consequently, it would appear that Tokyo and Madrid have little hope. Only a few months ago, Obama appeared in Berlin to give a speech intended to illustrate his determination to improving America’s image, unaware that 200,000 adoring Europeans would be there to chant his name. This admiration is unlikely to wear off anytime soon; rather, his election to office has already begun to sway the opinions of IOC officials, such as Irish member Patrick Hickey, head of the European Olympic Committees, who noted, “if the president of the United States comes to Copenhagen, it has to have a massive impact.” Hence, Chicago now has the inside track towards winning the race, despite the technical advantages of both Tokyo and Madrid. If all goes well, the U.S. will again host the most prestigious international event for the first time since 1996. Coincidentally or not, the Atlanta games twelve years ago (despite the bombings) validated the U.S. as a benevolent hegemon, a dominant but respected superpower. Maybe by 2016, President-elect Obama will return the country to that coveted position.