President Barack Obama honors 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, right, on the South Lawn of the White House NASCAR drivers looking on from left to right: Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart. (Photo by Charles Dharapak)
by Mark Silva
The newest mudtrack on the NASCAR circuit:
The South Lawn.
At a White House where virtually every sports championship is honored, the president may have taken it to another level with today's guest: NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson.
Of course, any good vote-hunting consultant will tell you there's gold in the NASCAR vote -- ask Dave "Mudcat'' Saunders about the truck that he got Florida's Bob Graham to sponsor in Iowa in one ill-fated primary campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. But really ask him about what NASCAR has done for the Democrats in Virginia.
President Barack Obama himself passed up a chance to sponsor a NASCAR Sprint Cup car in his own campaign -- something the Southern-vote specialists were encouraging him to do. But, alas, as then-campaign spokesman Bill Burton said one evening on the dusty campaign trail: "The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we will continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Sen. Obama's message of change.''
"You know, it is not every day that we have a championship stock car parked out on the South Lawn,'' Obama said today. "Fortunately, we got Jimmie to agree not to do any burnouts or tear up my backyard.
"I also suggested to Jimmie that, in exchange for free parking, he should let me take the 48 out for a few laps,'' Obama said. "He said that was fine -- but Secret Service didn't think it was fine. ...But that's okay, because I'm just glad Jimmie could be here so we can honor him for winning his third consecutive Sprint Cup Championship...
"We want to keep... everyone who keeps the 48 up front... we want to congratulate all of them: owner Rick Hendrick... Crew chief Chad Knaus... And all the folks at Hendrick Motorsports.''
Because, after all, there just may be one good political lesson for a president and his own pit-crew in these tougher-than-normal times on the dirt track of the health-care debate: "We all know NASCAR, winning isn't just about who's behind the wheel during the race, it's also about who's got your back in the pit and everyone back at the shop who preps these cars week after week.''
(Former NASCAR champion Richard Petty is pictured above at the White House ceremony for Jimmie Johnson today. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Comments
Pres Obama shouldn't waste his time on this. The toothless NASCAR rednecks are the only ones who are still dumb enough to make up what's left of the Republican base.
Posted by: LoveBuzz | August 19, 2009 6:10 PM
One thing is for certain, ain't no way the bubba's at NASCAR will fall for Obama's "banana in the tailpipe" disingenuous doublespeak kool aide that he passes out to his lefties, who drink it up with reckless abandon believing every word as gospel. Didn't see him even take the time to visit an event in the past and probably never will, cause the WH PR machine would have to hear thousands of boos and hecklers against his lefty agenda and they sure can't cherry pick this audience like they do at those bogus so called town-halls he produces. Stick with B-ball.
Posted by: bubba Porter | August 19, 2009 7:13 PM
That stock car looks a little tacky on the White House grounds.
Posted by: ornery | August 19, 2009 9:18 PM
One thing is for certain, ain't no way the bubba's at NASCAR will fall for Obama's "banana in the tailpipe" disingenuous doublespeak kool aide that he passes out to his lefties,
Posted by: bubba Porter | August 19, 2009 7:13 PM
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Yeah Slick,
I think most of us are already well aware of the fact that low IQ nutbags from the south can't think for themselves - thus their blind support for the Repugs.
Posted by: Ming | August 19, 2009 9:20 PM
I could care less about racing, but you people with your bigotry show a lot more about your character than you do about those who like racing. You're nothing but arrogant jerks.
Posted by: beth | August 19, 2009 10:36 PM
WOW love all these wrong comments.... people that don't understand cars or have no interest in racing shouldn't comment, there is over thousands of people behind the cameras that make it possible and nascar has more fans and viewers then Foot ball. all troughs that insult nascar you try driving 180mph a few inches apart and then talk. and no iam not from the south.
Posted by: tom | January 26, 2010 6:11 PM