CNN reporting on Chicago crime harmed 2016 Olympic vote

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, won the right to host the 2016 Olympics, beating Madrid, Tokyo, and most famously Chicago - which stunningly was dropped out of the first round of voting, even with a great bid and a visit from the President of the United States and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Here's the voting tally from GameBids.com:

Ballot 1: (95 eligible, 94 valid ballots)

Madrid - 28
Rio - 26
Tokyo - 22
Chicago -18

Ballot 2: (97 eligible, 1 abstention, 95 valid ballots)

Rio - 46
Madrid - 29
Tokyo - 20

Ballot 3: (99 eligible, 1 abstention, 98 valid ballots)

Rio - 66
Madrid - 32

Rio de Janeiro elected.


What vexes me is CNN's constant drumbeat of reports on Chicago crime - and specifically two teen murders - in the very week before the vote and leading right up to the day of the IOC vote.

It seemed like CNN was trying to influence the vote to me, even mentioning the Olympics in their segments on the Chicago crime problem. Moreover, CNN failed to mention the crime issue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Rio has a huge drug and crime problem called "critical" and puts it in direct competition if not worse than Chicago. With all this why no mention of Rio's crime problem?

CNN is an international news organization with incredible reach and thus can certainly have an impact on how the IOC voting members would see Chicago. But the simple fact that CNN failed to report the drug and crime problem in Rio calls its intentions into question in the wake of America's voting loss.

CNN should explain what it was trying to do and why it did not mention the crime problems of Olympic competitor cities. One could make the argument - I will - that CNN was trying to politically hurt President Obama. Indeed, CNN's actions were irresponsible for a "trusted news source."

Tom Hayes - Obama's Denmark trip is much bigger than Chicago

We've embarked on a "War on Terrorism" that doesn't have fronts on a map, or massed armies. Fighting to win means engaging in ways that win the hearts and minds of people half-way 'round the world from us, people who listen to neither Jon Stewart nor the Fox network to inform their opinions of the USA.

Foreign policy:
more than insuring oil supplies and limiting nuclear proliferation.

All our military strength and intelligence gathering wasn't enough to stop the terrorist attacks in 2001.

"It's easy to assume the Obamas connections to Chicago are driving their interest, but the reality is they're using that obvious familiarity to the advantage of our entire country in this case.

Plain and simply, this is a great chance to put our American principles on display, and it's just a fortunate coincidence that the President and First Lady have personal ties to the only U.S. city in the running for the 2016 games."

The reason Tokyo, Rio, and Madrid are still in the hunt for the summer Olympic bid for that year is that world opinion matters, and hosting the Olympic games boosts any country's image.

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, and political analyst who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.

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