As we all know, President Obama got his political start as a “community organizer” in the Democratic political machine of Chicago. His loyalty to the “Daley machine” apparently got him elected to a “safe” seat in the Illinois Legislature where various media reports during the presidential campaign uncovered the fact that he often voted “present” whenever tough issues came before the Legislature.
While dealing with a plethora of very serious national issues (the health care debate, an economy still hemorrhaging jobs and held together by Band-Aids and dubious accounting procedures, an urgent need to make a decision on expanding or winding down the Afghan War, considering what to do after it was discovered that Iran has hidden nuclear facilities as well as the ones previously known to the West, an unimaginably-large budget deficit, etc.), President Obama couldn’t even bring himself to vote “present.” He must have received a summons from his old bosses in the Daley machine in Chicago that he was needed in Copenhagen to help Chicago’s bid to host a future Olympic Games. Dropping all the difficult “stuff” that he has to deal with as President, Obama donned a persona that was more comfortable for him. He acted as the de-facto Deputy Mayor of Chicago and ran off to Copenhagen to work his charismatic magic on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates and secure the Olympic games for his old bosses in Chicago. As we now know, things turned out very badly for Obama.
Instead of swooning before the media-generated charismatic image of Obama, the IOC “dissed” him and his Chicago delegation. The IOC even made sure that Chicago was the very first city eliminated from the Olympics competition right after Obama made his pitch as the de facto Deputy Mayor for Chicago’s bid. The first link below states that the result was a “stunning defeat for Mayor Richard Daley,” but the greater defeat was for President Obama himself. The second link notes it was a “stinging rejection” for Obama, especially since he put his whole personal prestige behind his appeal for Chicago’s bid. It seems it was counterproductive for Obama to even show up at the IOC meeting as it is reported that the “excess of security” for the Obamas (and their, no doubt, large entourage that may have wanted an excuse to visit the famous Tivoli Gardens) “unsettled” the IOC delegates.
The third link below cites a FOX News analyst as saying it was “foolish” for Obama to take the action he did in Copenhagen, that it made him look like an “amateur” in international affairs and that it “raises serious questions about his perceived international star power.” The analyst also adds that Obama’s “public humiliation” may actually be good for Obama as such humiliations “remind us we’re not God.”
Nations and their leaders only have so much “soft power” with which to try to convince other nations and other leaders to take various course of action on major issues. Obama just squandered a great deal of “soft power” by his choice to act as if he were merely the “Deputy Mayor” of Chicago instead of the President of the United States. I also heard on a radio news report that the Obamas had taken separate large jets to Copenhagen, doubling the costs to the American taxpayers for this needless trip to Copenhagen (but also doubling the number of “First Friends” who could see Tivoli Gardens!). Oh well. Its not as if the Obamas were spending “real money.” Such junkets are now being paid for by the endless amounts of “funny money” being created by the Federal Reserve Board, right?
Proverbs 29:2 observes “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn.” It has been a long time since the USA had “righteous” leaders (those who know God is real and act in reverent fear of God’s ultimate judgment) in charge of the ship of state. One cannot blame just Obama and the Democrats for the sorry state of the American nation. Before Obama took office, the Republican Bush family governed the United States for twelve years on either side of an eight-year reign by the Democrat Clintons. The governmental leaders of both political parties will have much to answer for when they “meet their Maker” in the next life. America desperately needs humble, Godly leadership. I’m pessimistic that our nation will again have such leaders.
http://www.startribune.com/nation/63438052.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ
http://www.startribune.com/politics/63358077.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/03/obamas-olympic-failure-highlights-limits-international-appeal/
