Five NASCAR Drivers Decline President Obama's White House Invitation

[Purveyor]

Source: SBNATION

President Barack Obama will honor NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson and the 11 other Chase drivers from last year in a White House ceremony on Wednesday – but nearly half of the 2010 playoff contenders won't be there.

NASCAR said Thursday that five drivers – Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart – will not be attending the White House visit due to "schedule conflicts."

They must be very busy people. Regardless of one's political views, the president is still the president – and an opportunity to speak with the leader of the free world is a rare and special one.

You'd think whatever photo shoots or sponsor appearances these drivers have lined up on Wednesday afternoon – if that's indeed the reason – could be rescheduled. After all, this is the President of the United States we're talking about here.

MORE...


Read more: http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/1/2399376/nascar-drivers-decline-president-barack-obama-white-house-invitation-jimmie-johnson-2011

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Considering NASCAR can barely retain the fan base they currently have, I suspect that by Wednesday, these drivers will have changed their minds.

Or not?

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MineralMan]

2. Rude Bastards.

NASCAR America is not Obama's America, pretty much.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Well, they probably would have been falling all overthemselves to meet Bush and THAT...

...assumption (which I believe to be correct) is more telling than anything else.

PB

[Dawson Leery]

8. Small Dick Petty refused to be seen with Bill Clinton back in 92'.

[leveymg]

4. There's a reason NASCAR is an all-white, mostly Southern sport

that only turns one way.

[EFerrari]

14. So, the sterotype turns out to be true. Classless idiots. n/t

[pnorman]

17. Did you say: "NASCAR"? Paging Mister Bergis!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug-3e3jmtI8

[leveymg]

32. Those radio show hosts are effing ill. Effing b-ll suckers . . .

[7wo7rees]

33. +1

[benld74]

5. Is it because the entrance to the White House driveway is a right turn,,,,,?

[Proles]

81. Haha, good one. (nt)

[TheDebbieDee]

6. This is further confirmation that NASCAR is a red-neck sport......

Isn't it?

[yellerpup]

9. When living in NC, we were amazed that people listened

to NASCAR races on the radio. Vroooom, vroom, vroom! That really tells a story, doesn't it?

[Bluenorthwest]

16. What are baseball fans hearing when they listen to a game?

Noise and commentary. Same for all sports on the radio. Noise and descriptive commentary.

[jberryhill]

24. Baseball is great on radio

Even if you are watching the game on TV, it is better to listen to the radio commentary, since they tend to focus on the actual state of the game instead of a lot of irrelevant crap.

[NOMOREDRUGWAR]

34. Agreed

Comparing baseball on the radio to NASCAR on the radio is ridiculous, imo. Baseball on the radio is incredible. Sometimes I still listen to the radio broadcast of the Yankees on my porch, instead of watching it on tv, because I like to picture what's happening myself. It is America's pastime for a reason.

[BadtotheboneBob]

65. Yeah! What he said!

Ernie Harwell broadcasting for Tigers was the best! 42 years and a part of my youth. There was a reason why the Tigers wore his initials on their uniforms last year after he died in May 2010 and that was cuz he was a hall-of-fame announcer and a great human being. "That one is Lo-o-o-o-ng Gone!" (home run) and "he stood there like a house by the side of the road" (after a called strike out) Even though Ernie was born in Georgia and never really lost his soft southern accent totally, he became a devoted Michigander and Tiger. As a sign of respect after his passing, fierce rival Cleveland named their visiting radio booth for him. I could go on and on... Baseball on the radio is the best!

[yellerpup]

43. It's another left turn! And the second car turns left!

Sure, great way to give yourself premature hearing loss. Baseball is played without noise pollution. To each his own.

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Well all sport is riddled with bigotry.

Any fans of the NFL or NBA want to defend the periodic public use of homophobic slurs? Anyone think I just judge all the players for what their hate soaked members say? It seems so.
I don't like racing or any sport, but 5 are no shows, 6 are going. A similar minority of each sport is publicly anti gay. I see no real difference.

[Dawson Leery]

7. Here they are;

"Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart"

I assure you that I pay NO homage to this simplistic sport or their "musically inclined" :eyes: cousins in country. :thumbsdown:

[jmowreader]

89. It's not a simplistic sport.

SOCCER is a simplistic sport. "Hey! Let's create a sport where twenty people run from one end of a field to the other end of it kicking a ball. You try to score points by kicking the ball into a net. There's a guy in the net who catches it 99 percent of the time and throws it back, and those twenty people run to the other end of the field kicking the ball. At that end there's another guy who will catch it and throw it back, and then you run back downfield. You do this for a whole hour and then they decide the outcome of the game by having you make penalty kicks."

During the Women's World Cup we ran an op-ed in our sports section that talked about one of the games the Americans played. In it was the line, "If this doesn't make Americans love soccer, nothing will." And then the Americans went to the championship game, which was decided by penalty kicks. Americans, I am pleased to tell you, will NEVER love a game whose world championship is decided by some contrived bullshit meant to keep every soccer game from ending in a 0-0 tie.

NASCAR is different. There are more factors that go into winning a race in NASCAR--well, motorsports in general, but no one calls Formula/1 a "simplistic sport"--than in any other form of competition. Even fuel stops weigh into it. This we will illustrate with a fun example: It's time for your last pit stop and you're running third. You haven't led a lap. The guy leading the race has a shot to win it, you have a shot to win it but the guy in between you is handling bad and slowing down. The fuel window for the first five cars just opened, so sometime within the next five laps you have to come in. Now, should you come in with the leader, get four tires and try to run him down, stay out when the first two guys come in and collect a bonus point for leading a lap, or come in before the leader does and try to keep him behind you when he comes back out? All of those strategies have won races. TIRE PRESSURE wins races, if you get it exactly right. Picking the right rear end gear cluster wins races.

You should watch a race with someone who knows what he's looking at--a lot of NASCAR fans just like one guy and don't get into the sport's technical side. You will enjoy it.

[lunatica]

10. Bless their hearts

They belong to the Idiocracy

[Fuddnik]

11. Ranks right up there with the time.

Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perks wife was too busy to meet with Pat Nixon.

It was her bowling night.

[liberation]

12. Maybe they heard they would be required to make a right turn to enter the WH parking lot

and got too scared?

[MissMillie]

83. this is the best response (n/t)

.

[Lionessa]

13. Due to my current feelings about his lack of performance, his

wishy washy give-it-all-away-before-negotiations-even-start, and his complete inability to do anything about nearly anything, no real employment improvement for the nation now for three years ... I would decline to meet Obama for fear I'd tell him what I think of him and get jailed.

[SpiralHawk]

20. Exactly what RepubliBaggers Against America would say...

...Well insinuated...

[Lionessa]

37. Perhaps, but I dislike him from left not the right.

[nobodyspecial]

26. Unless you made a threat against him

I'm sure you wouldn't end up in jail. It's a shame you haven't matured enough to act civilly in social situations. Are you publicly rude to everyone who pisses you off or would do you just reserve that for the president?

[Lionessa]

40. Knowing the current political climate, as you are so aptly pointing out,

I simply avoid situations where speaking plainly would be considered un-civil.

[Roy Rolling]

45. don't worry Lionessa

I don't think you'd be invited. As for me, if invited to the White House to be honored by this president or any other, I'd show up and respect the office of the president. The NASCAR drivers who are making a point by being disrespectful will pay for it by losing sponsorship. There is a price to be paid for arrogance, but morons do not consider that before "showing their drawers"...to use and old southern term.

[Lionessa]

50. I don't respect a position, and individuals have to keep my respect.

I start always assuming a person deserves respect, but it's up to them to maintain that assumption. Obama hasn't. George W. Bush didn't. Clinton, did, which surprised me because I didn't vote him. But by the time he was into his second term, I was fully on-board and because of the stupidity of Congress worrying about what he did with his private member, I began the transition to being a Democrat. GWB getting the primary nod in 2000 sealed the deal and I've been heading leftward ever since.

[AlwaysQuestion]

56. Amen.

I so agree. Those of us who were pinning our hopes on Mr. Obama have been let down terribly. Sometimes I think that even worse, he deliberately duped us. And yet, to be candid, I don't think any U.S. president these days is really the boss. So much going on in the background that if we had privy to any of it, there would be out and out mayhem among we plebes. It's all so sad really.

However, I don't think that the NASCAR drivers who have turned down the invitation are in the same camp as we are. Disagreeing with anyone based on race is not only rascist, it's sheer ignorance, reflecting only on the rascist.

[Politicalboi]

18. Again Obama trying to take the spotlight

Isn't Wed the night of the living dead debate? Obama's trying to steal their audience. AGAIN! LOL!

[RZM]

19. All this really says is that they don't like the president

Which isn't exactly earth shattering or surprising. Every president is hated by millions of people. Personally I think it's rude to refuse a White House invitation, but whatever. I'm sure they aren't the first bunch to do so.

Years ago there was a Fox News piece where they interviewed some famous driver. The anchor was desperately angling the questions to get the guy to say how pro-Bush NASCAR drivers were and he wouldn't take the bait. He essentially said that he's not political and most drivers aren't political either and that when they get together, they talk about cars, not politics.

These guys will look petty for a couple days and then the whole thing will be forgotten.

[a la izquierda]

22. Or, it says they have scheduling conflicts.

I believe that most of those who declined actually visited Pres. Obama in 2009.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090804/NASCAR/908049984

[tawadi]

21. I knew there was a reson I couldn't stomach most of that group

Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, and Greg Biffle.

The only name there that surprised me was Carl Edwards. He probably did have a prior commitment.


Laughed when I read, "At least two of these guys – Busch and Stewart – are known dickheads."

http://otrsportsonline.com/2011/09/02/five-nascar-drivers-turn-down-obamas-invitation

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. Their cars and uniforms are walking corporate billboards, for heaven's sake.

Yet another reason I never watched sports on tv, it was essential wall to wall screen plastered with stationary advertising logos, interrupted by all too frequent loud advertising commercials.
shows who owns these guys.

In fact, I have not watched or seen a commercial for years.
No magazines, no newspapers, no tv.
NPR once in a blue moon.
And it seems very very weird and strange when I accidentally run across advertising now.

God bless the internet.

[truthisfreedom]

23. Dear NASCAR idiots: I've never watched you, I never will.

Idiotic sport.

[madmom]

25. Helps validate my hatred of this "sport".

[get the red out]

28. +1

I have grown up in a red neck land but am intrinsically opposed to the culture.

[Baby Bear]

27. Who Cares?

I had never heard of these fellows until I read the OP.

[AverageJoe90]

30. It's possible some of them could've been honestly delayed..........

...but it's also possible that some of them just don't want to be seen with a Dem president.

[kestrel91316]

31. They prefer not to alienate their fan base, largely southern white male RACISTS.

[ladywnch]

35. NASCAR = red necks = racists= 'scheduling conflicts' . no surprise here. n/t

[24601]

60. Of course anyone who refuses a Presidential invite must be a

world-class racist. There is simply no other explanation. Here's the proof!

1. http://www.cnsnews.com/node/31160
(Democrats Refuse Bush's Invitation to Discuss War Funding Bill)

2. http://ww.smashits.com/mahesh-bhatt-turns-down-bush-s-invitation/bollywood-gossip-2320.html
(MAHESH BHATT TURNS DOWN BUSH'S INVITATION)

3. http://articles.cnn.com/2002-03-29/us/oprah.bush_1_afghanistan-delegation-harpo-productions?_s=PM:US
(Oprah declines Bush invite to Afghanistan)

4. http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36891
(Social Activist Declined Invitation to Meet Bush)

5. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-10-02/sports/9103300269_1_bulls-owner-jerry-reinsdorf-bulls-executives-president-bush
(Jordan Gives Reception At White House The Air)

[Butch350]

36. WHO CARES? NOT ME! It's NFL time! "Just win Baby"!

[SoapBox]

38. Narrow minded, redneck, hillbillys...

these guys are pigs anyway...screw 'um.

[LeftyMom]

39. He probably would have said their names wrong anyhow.

Poor Timmy.

[MilesColtrane]

41. Hmm..now why would that be?

[Bennyboy]

42. Anybody got a link to contact NASCAR?

Unbelievable if you ask me. Good thing my favorite drivers are gonna be there.

[beac]

44. So, five jackasses who make a living wasting precious gasoline and turning

left at a high rate of speed think their pathetic presence will be missed???

[No Elephants]

46. Five fewer oafs in the WH. Cool.

[harun]

47. I bet if the President of the Confederacy invited them they would show up.

[totodeinhere]

48. I doubt if they will change their minds. Yes, attendance at NASCAR races has been on the decline.

But what is left of their fan base will probably like that they refuse to meet with a black president. NASCAR is a rat's nest of racism.

[louslobbs]

49. Perhaps the writing on this racists shirt has something to do with it?

[blackspade]

51. Idiots.

Even though I'm not remotely a fan of the president, I for one, would not turn down an invitation to meet with him.
That is just plain stupid.

Bush, on the other hand,....well, he is a war criminal, Obama is not.

[louslobbs]

55. It seems as though we are in an environment in this country, where many are no longer afraid to

be racist and bigoted. It seems as though many are not even trying to hide what used to be their sick secret anymore. They seem proud to be hateful and ugly in this backward moving and dumbed down nation of "up is down and down is up."

Lou

[trud]

52. I voted for Obama

My initial reaction was I wouldn't accept either. Then I changed my mind; I'd go and ask, What the f are you thinking?

[Hawkowl]

94. Me too!

I'd just want 5 minutes to give him a WTF are you thinking harangue.

[YOHABLO]

53. A Red Neck, is a Red Neck, is a Red Neck

Good ole boys can't ruin their reputation .. what would their fans think?

[Stuckinthebush]

54. Ugh

I hated Bush but would have gone to a ceremony if he asked AND would have been respectful. My mother raised me better than that. Evidently, these five yahoos were not raised well.

[noamnety]

69. How my mom raised me:

I am not a servant of the president, and an invite from him is just that - an invite, which I can accept or decline in the exact same way that if I invite him to one of my events, he can accept or decline.

He's not a monarch. If anything, he's a servant of us, not the other way around.

Here's what I consider rude: being so full of yourself that you think you should be able to demand the presence of any person in the entire country at any given time at your whim. Now I don't believe Obama is that full of himself, but apparently some DUers feel Obama should be entitled to expect that every citizen will drop everything and rearrange their lives to be at his beck and call. That scares me.

[Stuckinthebush]

91. Wrong

It's not the president but the office of the executive branch which you respect. You would also respect the office of the legislative or judicial branch as well if you were raised well. These guys were not. It has nothing to do with monarchy and everything to do with respect.

These guys are yahoos, rude, and ill mannered.

[noamnety]

96. You are wrong

in that you are very mistaken about what you think I respect. I'm not even sure why you would lecture me about my own values.

Perhaps you respect it, but an office is an inanimate thing and does not inherently have my respect. I especially don't respect job titles that more often than not represent power and corruption.

People on the other hand may or may not have my respect, depending on whether or not they've earned it.

[Major Hogwash]

57. Are there any black NASCAR drivers?

I don't watch car racing, so I don't know.

[totodeinhere]

58. There have been a few in the past but as far as I know there are no active black

NASCAR drivers right now. There is a black driver named Marc Davis who has been trying to qualify for NASCAR races but he withdrew due to the death of his father, but some people believe that he has a bright future. We will see.

[CherokeeDem]

59. Could be scheduling....

Both Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart have attended this event at the White House...last year, when Obama was president.

[lynne]

61. More than likely IS scheduling. These guys sign contracts -

- to attend well publicized events, promote products at a certain place and time, etc., that are legally binding and subject themselves to penalties and/or lawsuits if they don't show up. These contracts are signed months in advance and don't carry an "except if I get invited to the White House" disclaimer clause.

I have no idea why some get their panties in a wad every time they feel someone isn't fawning appropriately over Obama without regard as to their reason. Yes, it's an honor to be asked to the White House but sometimes LIFE gets in the way - even for Nascar drivers.

[Throd]

62. I don't get the outrage. Half of DUers are shitting all over the President anyway.

I wouldn't have crossed the street to meet with George W. Bush.

[tawadi]

80. Speaking out against policy is one thing

Doubtful that most here would turn down an invite to the WH. ;-)

[thewiseguy]

63. I do not think Carl Edwards or Tony Stewart would intentionally miss this

They could get into a lot of trouble with their sponsors if this was politically motivated....Subway and Office Depot

[Brother Buzz]

74. Edwards meets quarterly with the president

Edwards, who meets quarterly with the president as a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, has a non-NASCAR related event previously scheduled.

He gets a free ride in my book


Tony Stewart, on the other hand, has not specifically cited a reason. I suspect his PR boys are working on that as I type.

[glinda]

64. Not surprised at the Repub rudeness. they may as well just spit on him.

[jcamp27]

66. Perhaps if the White House did their homework

Perhaps if the White House did their homework they would have extended this invitation to NASCAR drivers during their off season like they do for other sports. Perhaps if others on this forum did their homework they would find that some of these very drivers have already attended white house events during Obama's presidency.Perhaps if some people on this forum were not so quick to judge and stereotype NASCAR drivers and fans they wouldn't be doing the same thing that gets them so upset when done by Repugs and Tea Baggers. It is our job as liberals to be better than the Cons that are trying to drive this country into the ground. You've disappointed me today people.

jcamp27
Phenix City, Alabama
A tiny blue dot in an ocean of red....

[noamnety]

70. I hope people read your post.

It's always easier to stick with stereotypes and assumptions than to absorb new information that challenges what we think we know, so I'm not too optimistic.

[tammywammy]

73. +1 n/t

[riderinthestorm]

85. My husband's a professional athlete and his sponsors would CREATE time for him to meet the Prez

Sorry but these are gold mines for sponsors - they amplify an athlete's "prestige" without the sponsor having to pay a cent. Hear me?? Sponsors do not have to pay a single DIME for their athlete to get national exposure - sponsors eat this shit up, promise you that. Those NASCAR drivers would be photographed with their sponsor pins on their lapels (as would my husband if he's ever lucky enough to be invited), and that photo would be tucked away for use whenever or wherever that sponsor needed it for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

If the athlete or the sponsor aren't "allowing" a scheduling deviation for this, it's because they passionately hate this president and want to make a point, or they don't see any financial gain by being there. For sponsors, it's about the money, period.

[NoodleyAppendage]

92. Good points...but these points do NOT negate the FACT that NASCAR fans are typically HICKS.

NASCAR attracts a certain type of people. Too bad the majority life in mobile housing and at one point in their lives had a Dixie sticker or gun rack on their car.

J

[Ineeda]

67. This thread is a perfect example of making wrong assumptions

that are quickly shown to be wrong. Here's a thread with the true story: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1865876

[Mudoria]

75. Don't confuse DU'ers with facts

They like to spew without a clue

[kiranon]

77. Thank you. May cooler heads prevail. n/t

[pitohui]

68. i vote they're racists jerks

screw 'em

[melm00se]

71. at least one changed his mind

http://www.sbnation.com/nascar/2011/9/2/2401073/kurt-busch-nascar-driver-visit-white-house-president-obama-2011/in/2164767

"We'll be there next Wednesday," he (Kurt Busch) said. "I mean, who would turn down the opportunity to go to the White House? To me, it's an honor and it's a privilege. I've had the chance to meet Bush and Obama in the past. To be a Chase driver and go to the White House, it's an important visit because I might not make the Chase every year, and I'll miss out on those opportunities."

[Hawkowl]

95. Sounds like Chase leaned on him

Chase: "Get your ass to the WH and make nice you stupid fuck! We just got sued on Friday and we don't need any of your redneck shit! Be there or your fired!"

Bush: "Yes sir! I'm a Chase man all the way sir!"

[MaineDem]

72. Look to the sponsors. They have final say.

And I think Edwards is a Roush Fenway driver. I'm going to write to the Red Sox and express my outrage.

[krabigirl]

76. How pointless for the white house to honor any sport, ugh. NASCAR is not important, sorry.

[KamaAina]

78. Et tu, Tony?

Kurt Busch sticks a flag out his window before he does his donuts after a win. I'd expect this from him. But Tony? Carl Edwards? We hardly knew ye... :(

[alarimer]

79. Right-wing pieces of shit

And so are their "fans".

[BNJMN]

82. Spectator sports are a joke and watching a few cars loudly zip by once every 25 minutes is....

...the grand poobah of idiotic sports.

The noise is kinda neat, but overall I was less than impressed with the activity.

[Union Scribe]

84. Lol, funny thread.

I hope the party doesn't put any of you in charge of southern state outreach.

[S_B_Jackson]

86. NASCAR can't retain their fan base?

if you were talking, IRL or CART, you might have a point....NASCAR, OTOH, is having no such difficulty.

As for the drivers, who cares??? If Chimpy, the commander in bunnypants, had invited me to the White House, I would have turned him down flat as day-old beer.

[diveguy]

87. If i am not mistaken

Kevin harvick has an appointment with a young girl that day with the Make A Wish foundation. Its a local girl, i'll have to look into it. All i heard was the rumors

[pettypace]

88. They got every right not to show up

What would an appearance with Obama help do to help them in any fashion, espcially in their line of work?

Can you argue against his unpopularity amongst moderates and conservatives? Even the country as a whole, he's hovering around 40%.

Secondarily, what a shitty website to cite...SBnation.com? really? Take it from a sports fan, that's not a credible website.

[One_Life_To_Give]

90. Fans Come First

50 weeks after the 2010 Chase Field was set! Over 10 months since Jimmy took his 5th championship and Now Mr President.

Wouldn't the time to honor them been in the weeks leading up to the Award Ceremony in Vegas. Such as your predecessors had done. Or did that conflict with a basketball game?

[tabasco]

93. Rancid, inbred assholes.

Why do they hate America?