Civil discourse

Look, we’re not going to top that opening ceremony, with the dude running sideways in the sky, nor are we easily gonna top the sheer scale and wonder of the new architecture created in Beijing (though we should not lower our standards, by any means). But we can really outdo Beijing in one area, and that is public discourse. What’s more American than showing that we can put on a great show without locking up all the voices of dissent? The Olympics can stand for much more than a showcase for what Chicago is; it can be a forum for building consensus on what Chicago can be. This won’t be easy to accomplish, since Chicago government often resembles the one in Beijing more than the one in Washington, with a single party ruling with authoritarian power. But it’s worth a try.

Audience choice
Better air quality

Audience Comments: “Age requirements for gymnasts”; “Athletes to compete in the nude: Just like in old school Athens”; “Build an underwater Olympic City in Lake Michigan”;“Completely overhaul/redo the transit system. Create traffic lane for carpoolers”;“Don’t do anything Beijing did…i.e. stifle dissent, shut down industries, limit auto use…”; “Have Barney in the stands to distract their Gymnasts”; “Include bungee jumping off the Sears tower”

Best of Chicago 2008

Oprah’s season premiere

If Oprah can sell books, why not the Olympics, too? Capitalizing on the success of the 2008 competition, Chicago’s sweetheart invited 176 of the best American contenders to her twenty-third season premiere at Millennium Park on September 4 where (surprise!) Mayor Daley had a front-row seat for his well-timed first visit to the show. And hey, if the park’s security can handle 2,000 crazed Oprah fans, there’s no reason why they couldn’t handle millions more in 2016, right? 

Best of Chicago 2008