Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama must find a way to suppress his inner sports fan. Yes, we can, on this Olympic matter, should become No, I can’t.

If Lake Michigan, Soldier Field, the Sears (OK, Willis) Tower, Wrigley Field, United Center, Billy Goat Tavern and the best deep-dish pizza on the planet aren’t good enough for International Olympic Committee wonks then so be it. If landing the 2016 Summer Olympics requires Obama, a busy fellow these days, to make an appearance in Copenhagen in order to secure a vote or two then the process is a sham.

No, I can’t.

Not even if a presidential no-show means disappointment for his adopted hometown of Chicago. Not even for the biggest sporting event in the world, which just might cost Chicago’s taxpayers at a time when too many households don’t have loose change to spare.

If that’s what it takes, then send the Olympics to one of the other competing cities -- Rio de Janeiro, Madrid or Tokyo.

It used to be that IOC members sold their votes for things like cushy jobs, opulent gifts or wads of cash in paper bags. Now it seems that voters require world leaders to bow in their presence.

And you thought athletes had egos.

If the process was legit, there would be no need for any last-minute presidential push. The bids are in. They’ve been carefully evaluated. The cities have been toured. Venues, budgets, transportation and public support have all been scrutinized.

Power Brokers

And yet, the power brokers behind Chicago’s bid are urging Obama to join Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Spain’s King Juan Carlos in Copenhagen prior to the IOC’s Oct. 2 decision. Japan’s delegation, meantime, has invited Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Crown Prince Naruhito to attend.

“The USOC, Mayor Daley, everyone involved at 2016 -- we have all very clearly communicated to the White House that we think his presence would greatly assist the bid,” U.S. Olympic Committee Chairman Larry Probst said earlier this month.

The president in a Sept. 14 Bloomberg News interview said he is too occupied with the health-care overhaul debate to make a final pitch. As of now, Michelle Obama, a native Chicagoan, is leading the U.S. delegation.

The president, though, is “preserving his options,” an administration official said, adding that an advance team will travel to Copenhagen this week to prepare for a possible visit.

No Harm

Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC, said he expects voting to be as close as it was in Singapore in 2005, when London defeated Paris by four votes in final-round balloting for the 2012 Olympics.

That said, Rogge added that the president’s absence wouldn’t hurt Chicago’s chances.

“Absolutely not,” he told the Associated Press. “We wouldn’t see it as a negative whatsoever.”

Obama has already videotaped four messages for various international Olympic gatherings. Enough is enough. Either Chicago’s bid is the best or it isn’t.

Here’s an idea: Send Oprah instead.

It’s true what they say about a Tiger Woodsgallery. You hear it before you see it.

It’s the same with Oprah Winfrey, a Chicago resident who last Friday taped her show in New York’s Central Park, where her guests included singer Mariah Carey. Heck, send her, too. That oughta be good for a vote or two.

Universal Love

You should have seen the crowd for Oprah. Even those without tickets gathered near the venue just to listen. There were tourists from Canada, Ireland, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, Denmark and Greece, just to name a few. All of them professed a love for Oprah.

Three women from England, map of the park in hand, stopped to inquire about the hullabaloo. They were on their way to Belvedere Castle.

Were.

“Oprah,” one of the women said. “Hell with the castle.”

Folks of all ages and nationalities seem to adore Oprah, who during her annual “favorite things” episode showers the audience with gifts. Things like refrigerators, watches, camcorders, laptops and flat-screen TVs. In 2004, Oprah celebrated the 19th season of her show by giving every member of the studio audience a Pontiac.

Maybe Oprah can schedule something special for Copenhagen. And maybe she can stock the audience with IOC muckety-mucks.

We all know how much they like free stuff.

(Scott Soshnick is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: September 21, 2009 21:00 EDT