Sunday, October 04, 2009

By Barbara Simpson

The Obama dream team – Chicago version – crashed and burned in Copenhagen last Friday when Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting for the 2016 Olympic games.

It couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch.

There they were: Obama, Michelle, Oprah Winfrey, Valerie Jarrett, Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, Mayor Richard Daley – all from Chicago, by the way – plus media flacks, staffers, aides, security – and, for all we know, their own chef and food taster.

No doubt, Michelle brought a complete wardrobe with assistants to help with makeup and hair.

Chicago to the core, Obama was on the Daley bandwagon to lock in the games for that city. There was a lot at stake, not the least, the opportunity for lots of money to be made in the development of the Olympic Village and varied venues.

Obama didn't just "go" to Copenhagen as U.S. president to make a pitch for Chicago; he moved in, in force, for an Obama blitz, with all the troops he believes had "the power."

Obama arrived on Air Force One along with extra planes for staff and cars and security. But before him, Michelle arrived on her own jumbo jet with Oprah Winfrey in tow – apparently hoping to dazzle those Olympic hicks with some real star power.

They preened and schmoozed, aiming to impress with glitter. Reporters referred to Obama as a "rock star," and some allowed that Michelle won the "gold" with her charm offensive.

Yeah, that's the word: offensive.

They were offensive, and I don't mean their push to get voting support. I mean they offended people in the old "ugly American" way and no doubt, came across as pushy.

Pushy? Barack? Michelle? Oh no!

I loved the line I heard on Rush Limbaugh's program and saw on Drudge: "The ego has landed!"

Yeah, Barack Obama thought he could show up, make a pitch for Chicago, have his wife provide glamour, Oprah Winfrey add "star power" and his staff do what staff does to promote the big guy's agenda.

He thought he had it knocked.

After all, Europe loves him, right? After all, he had those massive crowds for his speeches in every country where he could snag an invitation. Media said the folks considered him a rock star.

They loved him – they really loved him!

So, when he offered Chicago, how could they refuse?

(Column continues below)

I'll tell you how.

They didn't vote for Chicago on the first ballot, which gave the Obama crowd a quick ticket home. It was a pleasure to see their overarching grandiosity taken down a notch.

Am I gloating? Yeah, a little. Well, maybe a lot.

I've said it before. I do not agree with Barack Obama's political philosophy and do not want his proposed changes for this country to take effect.

I believed that before the election and haven't changed my mind.

In fact, as I've observed his "presidential style," I've become more and more opposed to everything he stands for, mainly because he doesn't seem to stand for the accomplishments and inherent goodness of this country – which is, in case any of you are bubbling with fury at me, the country of which he is president.

He's spent hours speaking across the world apologizing to everyone and anyone about the United States. He doesn't see us as unique, although we are. He doesn't want us to excel, and his economic moves are doing everything possible to bring us down – not a notch, but possibly all the way down.

If that's the "hope" he had, and the "change" he wants, then count me out!

That philosophy does not represent my goals for this country, and I do not want my country dominated by politicians in that camp.

Earth to Obama: I'm not alone in that belief.

I don't care whether the U.S. hosts the 2016 games. I don't see it as an ego trip for this country, especially at a time of record-setting unemployment, bank closures, business failures, mortgage foreclosures, soaring debt, increased taxes and a war that the president is dithering about while our best and brightest are being picked off like ducks in a shooting gallery. On Saturday, another "record" was set in Afghanistan for Americans killed in one day – eight.

The president had time to make commercials to pitch the Olympics, to have a White House office for Olympic planning and time to make the trip, but he doesn't have time to make decisions on how to fight the war. He's even said he's not sure that "winning" is an objective!

For someone who presented himself as "of the people" – who could feel everyone's pain – the Obamas took to the good life pretty quickly. It didn't take long for Obama's ego to take center stage as he traveled around the world speechifying and denigrating and demeaning his own country and its history.

It was Obama's apology tour.

America haters and America's enemies loved it because it signaled weakness.

America's allies were appalled, and American patriots grew more than angry.

Unfortunately for Obama, the "haters" won out in the Olympics vote. He thought they loved him.

Now we're waiting for the other shoe to drop – waiting to see how our "enemies" will use his weakness to sucker punch us again.

There was more to the Olympic vote than Chicago's loss. It was a clear indication that other countries see Obama as a patsy – someone easily rolled – someone who deserts allies.

There are words for people like that, and those words aren't very nice.

One word that should not be applied to someone like that is president of our country, the United States of America.

The people of this country deserve better.