1.  US security-uber-alles making entering and being in the US difficult for even internationally-famous people.
   
2.  No change in the US empire-building project in the MidEast/Central Asia.
   
3.  No change in the US policies of torture and covering up torture.

4.  The continuing fallout from the 2002 Salt Lake winter games and the investigations and indictments (later dismissed) over how the Organizing Committee "induced" members to vote.  Them IOC members like the perks they can get, perks which others might be inclined to call "graft".

5.  A general dislike among the internationals of the US as an Olympic venue, which really came to the fore in the 1996 Atlanta games.  Remember that the then-head of the IOC, on closing the Atlanta games, called them "one of the best ever", as opposed to the traditional "the best ever".

6.  A recognition that the US is over-the-hill as a great power and the US' century is over, too.  That, and Brazil is recognized as a coming, rising power of the 21st Century.

7.  Rio - for all its crime, violence and poverty (and there's a lot of all of them) still has an aura of being a place where people with money can have a lot of fun without a (lower-class) cop busting you, or busting your head.  Chicago, OTOH, (and rightly or wrongly) still bears the burden of Al Capone and '20s gangsters.  Play a game of "first thing that pops into your head" with foreigners, particularly Europeans, and say "Chicago".  You'll be shocked how many will say "Al Capone".

8.  The IOC got offended by a hard-sell from the Obamas - if it needs a hard sell, it ain't worth buying.

Over 50 million spent for Olympics presentation when Chicago's crime scene is currently horrific, the internal politics are seriously corrupt, and from what I'm hearing on CNN Obama's presentation was a clunker. Corporate, dull, poorly executed.

We never stood a chance as anyone clued in to the politics of the IOC knew. Rio and Spain were the favorites from the get go.

Obama used poor judgement to go without understanding the dynamics. Chicago is hardly the joyous youth quake that we see from Rio.  Brazil will be challenged no doubt regarding security and infrastructure. More importantly Obama had far better ways of spending his capital. Afghanistan. Healthcare, where he's been MIA.

I am  watching Obama's  naive lack of experience, combined with considerable cluelessness and hubris.

We stayed up to watch Chicago's presentation live, and it wasn't, in truth, as polished or as on-point as was the presentation from Rio de Janeiro, which many observers -- at least in private -- have long suspected had the edge in this entire process. If Rio indeed had an advantage going into Friday's final presentations, Chicago final pitch wasn't likely to sway many votes. Our presentation was obviously tightly choreographed, but for the most part it lacked that vital, sustained spark that would have galvanized the minds -- and hearts -- of the IOC. The videos shown did little to further the city's cause. The first of them used a bluesy "Sweet Home Chicago" musical underscoring , which probably didn't touch many IOC members, though it is a song  reflective of Chicago's music scene. The rest of the videos leaned on the sweet imagery of children against various Chicago backdrops. But in the end, this work felt far from fresh or emotionally-wrought.

In the end, Chicago's final pitch depended on the power of the speakers there in the meeting hall in Copenhagen to close the deal.  And three of the key performers, Mayor Daley, Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan and, yes, President Obama, simply didn't have the touch when it was most needed.  Everyone knew Daley and Ryan could never be charismatic speakers, but President Obama surprised us with a speech that never took off.  He seemed a shadow of his typically forceful self -- only half there in the Copenhagen and never fully committed to the message he was delivering.

Only Michelle Obama came through for Chicago. And she was extraordinary -- talking with great emotion and simple eloquence about Chicago, its people and, most importantly, her father's love of sport.  But she alone couldn't seal the deal

Beijing 2008 virtually eliminated Tokyo 2016.

Eliminating Chicago early makes it easy to pick Rio.

I disagree with you however on the wisdom of the choice. I think it is not going to be a particularly successful Olympics in Rio imo. I do not believe that holding a World Cup in 2014 will leave Brazil in a great position to do what is necessary for an Olympics in 2016. There is a huge crime problem in Rio.

I think the IOC made a mistake today.