The Olympics in Chicago?

I was chatting with a friend today when he asked, in seeming puzzlement, "Why on earth does Chicago want to host the Olympics? Why has the President gone to Copenhagen to root for them? Surely Chicago's got so many problems already it won't be able to cope with an Olympic Games on top of them all?"

I explained that the answer was simple. To wit:

1. Chicago is a cesspit - perhaps the cesspit - of American politics. It's riddled with graft, corruption, nepotism, special interests and good old-fashioned crime, from top to bottom of the system. New Orleans, New York and St. Louis are close runners-up, or so I hear.
   
2. President Obama is the product of Chicago politics. He came up 'through the ranks' there, and owes big favors for patronage and support to Mayor Daley and the Democratic party machine there.
3. By going to Copenhagen to lobby for Chicago, he's paying back some of that debt.
4. As for Chicago and its problems, forget them. They're not relevant. It'll cost tens of billions of dollars to build the facilities for the Olympics . . . and all the contracts to construct and operate those facilities will be administered by Mayor Daley and his cronies. Just think how much of that money might stick to a dishonest mayor's person's hands as it passes through them!

After due consideration, my friend agreed. He's now trying to figure out how to help some other city - any other city! - to win the Games.

Peter