Sorry Obama, No Olympics for YOU!

Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the site of the 2016 Olympic games. The annual contest for Olympic hosting duties usually falls pretty far below my radar this changed however, after the President decided to intervene personally and champion his hometown of Chicago for 2016 games.

The issue came to a speedy resolution after Chicago was disqualified during the first round of voting. The embarrassing defeat could have easily been confined solely to the city of Chicago, but thanks to his own efforts Obama now shares in the loss of face. By petitioning the Olympic committee in person, Obama was in effect, placing the outcome on his own shoulders.

The defeat made Obama, and by relation the office of the president, appear weak both at home and abroad. It's hard to justify such a risk for the minimal benefit of securing the Olympics for America yet again. This outcome only feeds the public's perception of an aloof and unconcerned President. And in today's 24/7 media saturated environment, the appearance of propriety is paramount to successfully implementing one's agenda.

It was unwise for the President to risk the negative publicity when there are so many other serious problems jockeying for his attention. The multitude of crises plaguing our nation allow the President little latitude for time spent on less severe distractions. Whether this is fair to the President or not is beside the point, this is the reality of the moment and not even Obama can afford to ignore it.

Although in this instance my criticism is focused on the President, I feel just as much disdain, if not more so, for the all the celebratory remarks right-wing commentators immediately flooded the airwaves with. It's deeply troubling to see members of the opposition explode into fits of ecstasy the instant Obama suffers any kind of setback. The difference, and reasoning behind this entry's main topic, is simply a matter of expectations. I expect this behavior from the right-wing pundits, but Obama's behavior I hold to a higher standard. It's rare to see the President miscalculate events to such a degree. This is not to say his conduct so far has been flawless, but only that his mistakes of the past are, more often the not, the result of a calculated risk in pursuit of a worthy reward. At least this is the impression I've gotten of Obama's behavior up to this point.

The President has set out on an ambitious agenda with far-reaching implications for the future of our country. Seeing a possible reversal of political fortunes and backed up by an army of angry protesters, the opposition is doing whatever they can to torpedo any proposed legislation. With stakes this high even the the most minute of misjudgments will ricochet across the media landscape in an eye-blink and potentially tip the scales irrevocably in the direction of failure.