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In Copenhagen, Mr. Obama did not invoke his campaign slogan, “Yes We Can,” but the Chicago bid team consciously echoed it with its own motto, “Together We Can,” repeated in the video shown to committee members. And the president summoned the spirit of his election, reminding them of the emotional crowds in Grant Park celebrating his victory last fall and effectively inviting the rest of the world to validate it by sending him the Games.

“Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election,” Mr. Obama told the committee. “Their interest wasn’t about me as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America’s experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals.”

In his presentation, the first by an American president on behalf of a city seeking the Olympics, Mr. Obama portrayed himself as an unabashed city booster, noting Chicago’s international character in neighborhoods like Greektown and the Ukrainian Village. At one point, responding to questions from the committee, he touted the diverse nature of Chicago’s population. “We’ve got everybody,” he said. “This could be a meeting in Chicago because we look like the world.”