First Lady, Not President, To Make Chicago Olympic Pitch

Michelle Obama Will Serve As Chicago 2016 Ambassador

First Lady Michelle Obama will “serve as an ambassador for Chicago 2016 when it states its case” for the ’16 Olympics on October 2 in Copenhagen, according to Skiba, Bergen & Hersh of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. White House officials said President Obama on Friday informed IOC President Jacques Rogge that the effort to pass health-care reform “keeps him from committing at this time" to making the trip. However, the statement “seemed to leave open the prospect of a last-minute surprise trip by the president.” SportsCorp President Marc Ganis said that the announcement that Michelle Obama would “take the lead convinced him that the president would indeed show up at the 11th hour, creating a bigger splash.” Ganis: “This is a great strategy to generate much more interest and have a much greater entrance.” The First Lady will be joined by White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and a “group of athletes and celebrities.” Chicago 2016 Chair Patrick Ryan “applauded the choice” of Michelle Obama and “termed Chicago’s bid historic, citing ‘total cohesion’ in support 'from City Hall to the state capitol to the White House'” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/12). Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey yesterday said that she is “open to the idea of going to Copenhagen next month to help Chicago sell” its bid. Winfrey: “There’s some talk about it, and if I feel I can be useful there, then that’s what I will do” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/14).

BAD SIGN FOR BID? The AP’s Tim Dahlberg wrote under the header, “No Obama A Sign Chicago Oly Bid Is Shaky.” Chicago’s bid to host the ’16 Games “seems to be sputtering just as the finalists make one last sprint toward the finish line.” The U.S. “doesn’t have the built-in voting blocs enjoyed by the other cities,” and that “might be why Michelle Obama is coming instead of the president himself.” It “wouldn’t look good for Obama to make a trip to Copenhagen and come home short-handed, especially with the more weighty issues he is dealing with at home” (AP, 9/12). In N.Y., Rachel Swarns noted the president’s decision to stay home “comes despite pressure from some political allies,” including Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. However, officials are "keenly aware that Obama might be criticized for devoting time to such a venture when he has other pressing matters closer to home, particularly if the Chicago bid fails." Ryan said of Obama focusing on health care, “He’s got an important issue that he’s identified and that he’s working on. He has to see that through” (N.Y. TIMES, 9/12).

PRESIDENTIAL POWER: An IOC member from Europe said that he “believes the First Lady will be a plus, but that President Obama would make the vote a lock.” The IOC member: “If he went to Copenhagen, Chicago would win.” The source added that it is “still hard to read how his IOC colleagues will react to the presence of Mrs. Obama, especially from Asian and African nations where gender bias is still ingrained in culture” (AROUNDTHERINGS.com, 9/12). GamesBids.com’s Robert Livingstone said, “While the first lady will excite and impress IOC members, that simply can’t compare to a handshake and a promise from the internationally popular United States president.” He added the president’s “presence would almost certainly sway at least one vote, but probably more” (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 9/12). In DC, Tracee Hamilton wrote sending Michelle Obama “is a great start,” but the USOC “could use the buzz” the president’s presence would provide (WASHINGTON POST, 9/12).

PROVIDING A BOOST: In Chicago, Bergen & Lighty reported the Chicago Park District has “committed to kicking in” $20M to help build a canoe and kayak slalom course on Northerly Island if the city is chosen to host the Olympics, “more than doubling the district’s financial commitment to the Games.” The Park District’s pledge is mentioned in the more than 500-page bid book “outlining the vision for the Games” by Daley’s ’16 Bid Committee (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/13). Also in Chicago, Dan Mihalopoulos wrote bringing the Olympics to the city “would represent Daley’s crowning glory, showing the world how the city has changed under his guidance.” But the Olympics “would do more than validate the mayor’s track record -- the Games represent what could be his best chance of overcoming the financial troubles that have made his job increasingly difficult” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/13).