Bush Races for Votes at Daytona 500

[onehandle]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- President Bush was giving the ``Drivers, start your engines'' cry Sunday to begin NASCAR's Daytona 500 in a high-profile speedway visit to court the highly sought votes of the millions of fans of one of the nation's fastest-growing sports.

Boarding Air Force One with his wife, Laura, to leave Washington's sunny cold for breezy Florida and what has been called the ``Great American Race,'' Bush made gestures to reporters as if he were steering a car around an oval track

snip...

"On the way in for landing, the president's jet made a low, fast loop above and around the track, which attract thousands of camera flashes. Then his motorcade of a couple dozen vehicles took a loop around the oval, stopping to let the president and Mrs. Bush out on pit row."

http://nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Bush.html

Keep it up smirk. We'll roast you again, flightsuit boy.

[pinto]

1. what has this campaign stop cost the public?

[alarimer]

5. Campaign stop?

Is this an official campaign stop? If so, isn't it an illegal use of his office to fly on AF1 to campaign stops? Or will the campaign reimburse US taxpayers? If Clinton did this, there would be a huge outcry by Republicans.

[Womblestuffer]

20. It's Good To Be King!

Hail Caesar

[dArKeR]

28. What kind of Pimp takes advantage of people to announce 'NASCAR

supports the troops' so they're good people? Are NASCAR people that stupid they don't know when they're being treated like prostitutes by a Pimp pResident?

And what about the families whose children have died in Iraq and don't support the Pimp? The Pimp is calling them 'bad' people!

I still haven't seen a story EVER about how could a pResident be laughing and joking around when our children are being murdered daily in Iraq!

And I'm sure the Liberal Press will be jumping all over this like they did on Clinton.

If any Dem. candidates had any morals, they'd announce they'd never campaign, fund raise, or take a vacation if America was at war and our children were dying overseas. And they'd never smile until every child was home.

[RoBear]

2. Roomie tells me he said he liked

speed. Hmmmmm.

[bahrbearian]

3. On way to kill Nascar is to have Chimpy there.

"President Bush was giving the ``Drivers, start your engines'' cry Sunday to begin NASCAR's Daytona 500 in a high-profile speedway visit to court the highly sought votes of the millions of fans of one of the nation's fastest-growing sports"
The other is Peak Oil !

[Voltaire99]

4. NASCAR dads: the case for eugenics?

You know, in only a matter of a few generations, we could drive that gene out of existence. So to speak. ;-)

But all kidding aside, I found this pretty funny:

"He looks forward to attending this big event in NASCAR," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Friday. "He views it as a way to really honor some true champions, both for what they do on the track and what they do off the track."

OK, I can see honoring them for driving in loops around a track. That's truly honorable. But honoring them for encouraging the growth of mullets? Gotta draw the line somewhere. ;-)

[gimme a break]

23. NASCAR drivers

do a lot for charities. Children's charities especially. They do a lot of good.

OK, I can see honoring them for driving in loops around a track. That's truly honorable. But honoring them for encouraging the growth of mullets?

I happen to enjoy NASCAR. I enjoy the skills shown by these driver's. I am not a mullet. And just like anything else it looks easier than it is. Out of all sports (whether you feel NASCAR is a sport is not), NASCAR has a more family friendly feel to it.

The driver's may occasionally get into it or say a curse word, but what I really like is many time you'll hear a guy say he's sorry for causing an accident. And instead of calling the guy an idiot for it, the other guys will say that it's just racing.

It's the best place to watch for team work. I've seen pit guys on competing on different teams help each other. I've watched a dedicated tire changer change a tire that was on fire.

If you would watch several races all the way through with an open mind, you may find you like it. And by the way, I wouldn't what you'd classify a NASCAR dad. NASCAR mom though would work.

[dsewell]

6. Time for a Presidential Monster Truck?

Yeah, the Bush Monster Truck... watch it squash smaller trucks that don't vote to support U.S. resolutions! Watch it belch nitro fuel in violation of every EPA requirement! Watch it plow through National Forests clear-cutting everything in its path!

[imax2268]

17. you mean something like this...?

[Claire Beth]

7. Is it true there were some boo's that could be heard? n/t

[kskiska]

8. ``Drivers, start your engines''

Could he utter that sentence without mangling it?

[cubsfan6969]

9. Next, he's off to visit some trailer parks

[jmowreader]

18. Lori says he mangled it

..

[LiberalFighter]

10. made gestures to reporters as if he were steering a car around an oval

Why couldn't the photographers had gotten a picture of that???? Darn!!!

Could use it with the caption... "See how crazy I am?"

[Blue_Tires]

11. NECKCAR

isn't even real racing!

[CO Liberal]

12. 50 Cars, 51 Dipsticks

:-)

[frank frankly]

13. how tasteless

surreal. insane.

[Thaddeus]

22. Yes

Indeed.

[diamond14]

14. AP: all white/all male crowd, with pickles trailing the shrub.....

and shrub even 'gloried' his slimy reprehensible AWOL-TANG performance...


-snips-

The crowd in the stands was almost exclusively white and heavily male. The phrase "NASCAR dads" has become political shorthand for voters who like Bush but who could be persuaded to vote Democratic if the issues and candidates were right.



With his wife, Laura, trailing him, Bush walked the pit, mingling with drivers, shaking hands with fans. He peered into car No. 16, sponsored by the National Guard, and if the car reminded him of the tempest swirling around his own service in the Texas Air National Guard, he didn't show it.

Bush referred to that history in an interview with NBC just before the race.

"I flew fighters when I was in the Guard, and I like speed," he said. "It would've been fun to drive up on these banks. ... I'd like to, but I'm afraid the agents wouldn't let me."





http://www.comcast.net/News/POLITICS//XML/1151_President__White_House__Advisers/f48d8b55-7ff7-41f0-bc34-801915306798.html

[PaDUer]

21. So frigging sickening..

think I'm going to barf!! What slimebags, both of them!

[Just Me]

15. BWAHAHAHAHA,...his BS is getting WAY, WAY too obvious *smirk*!!!!

I know like so many race fans,...and they are pissed about this!!! They even compared it to his "commercial" (yup, that's what they said) on the ship "ending combat". He is truly insulting the intelligence of the Americans. Of course, all arrogant-types do that.

This spoiled, snot-nosed, inarticulate wimp,...is insulting the citizens of this country. He will not win over the people,...even with a piece in his ear giving him all the Rove answers. I gotta message for Rove,...you are a deceptive, selfish asshole and the American people hate everyone who is like you!!!!! Hence, they will hate that puppet you and the likes of you master.

<edited for "clarity" *smile*>

[DoYouEverWonder]

16. Seems the NYT has revised this story already?

The part about:

"On the way in for landing, the president's jet made a low, fast loop above and around the track, which attract thousands of camera flashes. Then his motorcade of a couple dozen vehicles took a loop around the oval, stopping to let the president and Mrs. Bush out on pit row."

seems to be missing or am I just going blind?

[jmowreader]

19. Bushism of the day

After the race, Bush called Little E to congratulate him on the win.

Earnhardt spoke for a little bit, listened...then said "yes, it was the most exciting race of my life."

You know shit-for-brains asked him if it was the most exciting race of his life. Let's see...it's the Daytona 500, the race everyone wants to win, and he won the race six years to the day after his dad won it. No, sir, I was bored all day long. It's more exciting watching paint dry than winning the Daytona 500. Of COURSE it was the most exciting race of my life, you fucking idiot!

Does this rank up there with asking the president of Brazil if they have black people there? It's very close.

[teryang]

24. The Chimp 500

...pathetic.

[atre]

25. Nascar dads?

How is this supposed to be the swing voter subset for 2004? Nascar dads probably go 95-5 GOP. The ones that bother to vote, that is.

There's no way the electoral outcome hinges upon a solidly GOP voter subset that hasn't had any "new" reason to switch sides.

[Kat45]

26. They were handing out Bush bumper stickers at the event and

there were tables to register Republican voters. Since when do voter registration tables have the name of a particular party on them? I saw it on the news tonight, so I don't have a link. So yes, I would say this would qualify as a political event.

[anarchy1999]

27. Should we file this with the FEC?

I mean, if it was taxpayer money, like he said "not a political event", then why WERE there RNC people everywhere? Why ISN'T is coming out of that massive war chest? I say this is fraud under election laws. He can be moved into further shaky ground.