Skip to Main Content

Inside Obama's Olympic Stumble

Obama wasn't planning to go. But a boost from Chicagoans, and his competitive drive, tipped the balance. Richard Wolffe on what went wrong—and how much it matters.

Richard Wolffe

Published Oct. 3 2009 3:35AM EDT

articles/2009/10/03/inside-obamas-olympic-stumble/wolffe-olympics_53827_i5ng7s — Mandel Ngan, AFP / Getty Images

articles/2009/10/03/inside-obamas-olympic-stumble/wolffe-olympics_53827_fxadoy

The president went to win the Olympics for America. And did not bring home the gold. How did the White House get itself into this Olympic-size mess?

To hear Obama insiders discuss it, the president was just too competitive not to make the trip.

Richard Wolffe

Richard Wolffe

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.