Chicago Tribune

WASHINGTON -- Will he stay or will he go?

The question of whether President Barack Obama goes for the gold -- and sprints to Copenhagen to try to close the sale for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid -- looms large as the Oct. 2 vote by the International Olympic Committee nears.

Next Wednesday, Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will join representatives of Chicago 2016 in welcoming Olympic athletes to the White House "to help promote Chicago's bid for the Olympics," an administration official said Thursday.

But White House officials are noncommittal about whether the president will be part of the hour-long final pitch before the 100-plus members of the IOC, who will choose a victor among Chicago, Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro.

Some observers say two factors weigh heavily in favor of a road trip. One is recent history, since Britain's Tony Blair and Russia's Vladimir Putin were on hand for high-level persuasion when London and Sochi scored Olympic games in 2012 and 2014.

The other factor is that VIPs are expected to lobby the IOC for Chicago's rivals. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made it clear he's in. King Juan Carlos of Spain will lead his country's delegation. And Japan stands to be represented by its royal family and new prime minister.

But global uncertainties suggest the White House will wait to announce whether the sports-loving president plans to turn out.

"I think he needs to do everything to go to the mat for having the United States be the host for the 2016 Olympic Games," said Ken Duberstein, who was chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan and once chaired an ethics committee for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

But Obama needs to measure whether making the trip would increase the likelihood of victory, or be viewed by some at the IOC as "high-level intrusion," Duberstein said. One option is for Obama to appear by video, he said.

The USOC has made it clear that it wants Obama to show up in the Danish capital. "We are hoping he could join us there to enhance the Chicago 2016 bid," USOC Chairman Larry Probst said.

Patrick Ryan, CEO of Chicago 2016, was asked whether people would feel let down if Obama is a no-show, and said: "Everybody would be disappointed, because wouldn't it be thrilling to meet Barack Obama?"

But the suspense over whether Obama goes to Copenhagen has benefits, since it heightens the drama, Duberstein said.

"This is not a decision that you have to make or announce now," he said. "The drama and suspense help, but you also need to be careful before making a decision before all factors are known, including crises around the world or here at home."

One longtime IOC member, Canada's Richard Pound, said he expected that an Obama visit would trigger excitement among many IOC members. Asked whether the nuts and bolts of hosting an Olympics--from TV revenues to venues to housing to transportation--would trump Obama's stature and star power, Pound said: "I don't think so. He will be there to say that the U.S. will be there when it matters."

Obama has long been Chicago 2016's cheerleader-in-chief. He has touted the city's suitability in videos aimed at key decision-makers. He has set up a White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport, installing at its helm a trusted adviser, Chicagoan Valerie Jarrett, who is Copenhagen-bound.

Presidential scholar Fred I. Greenstein, a professor emeritus at Princeton, has no answer to the riddle of whether Obama will go, but noted the president's "willingness to take on everything and anything. He seems to have no fear of being overexposed, seems willing to express himself constantly in practically every venue, and seems indefatigable."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs did nothing to clarify the situation at a news briefing Thursday. Asked whether Obama was going to Copenhagen, the spokesman answered: "Not that I'm aware of, no." But another White House official quickly explained that "no" was not a "no," and that a final decision was still in the works.

Katherine Skiba reported from Washington, with Philip Hersh in Chicago.

(c) 2009, Chicago Tribune.

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