What the Communists want out of the Olympics

Human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng best explained the Olympic objectives for the Chinese Communist Party (Epoch Times):

The Chinese population recognizes only too well that the regime wants to achieve two goals with a successful Olympic event—first, to prove to the Chinese people that the world still considers the Party a legitimate regime, in spite of the tyranny and all their horrid crimes against humanity, that cost more than 80 million people their lives during the last few decades. Second, to show the
world that the Party is still all-powerful over China and enjoys the full support of her people.

The latter of these goals may be a bit difficult now (Epoch Times and the Times of London), but what's more important to the cadres is the former. The more outsiders come to Beijing and look at the CCP as "a legitimate regime," the happier the regime is.

Still, even on that front, it could be a mixed bag. More political turmoil in Taiwan will help (Washington Post), and the Battle of Flushing seems to be winding down (Epoch Times), but the Sudan issue certainly isn't (Washington Post). As hard as this is to believe, the "success" of the Games (from the Communists' perspective) is growing more uncertain.