Did you all know our tax dollars are going to sponsor NASCAR racers?

[Toots]

The Military is a Major Sponsor of NASCAR spending about $16 million dollars a year doing so. They say it is for recruiting purposes. They say NASCAR draws the type of people they would like to target for recruitment. I wish we could designate where we would like our tax dollars to go. Sponsoring NASCAR racers is not my first choice that is for sure. I don't have a link but read an Associated Press story by John Zenor about this.

[whistle]

1. Yea, Nazi storm trooper types driven by testosterone and the buzz

...that comes from the inhalation of carbon monoxide, stale warm beer and french fry vapors.

[ewagner]

2. Air Force Reserve sponsors

two cars (Ford Focus) in the SCCA races.....that absolutely amazed me.

[slor]

3. I bet recruitment from the foam at the mouth jingos

at those races has been light too. I would like to see those numbers!

[BOSSHOG]

4. Conservative Hypocrisy in all its glory

One would rightly think that NASCAR races would be fertile recruiting ground for Young Patriots willing to put on the uniform and defend their country, since we all know how patriotic conservatives are. So how come the Army and the National Guard are missing recruiting goals month after month with the country chock full of patriots? Boggles the mind to watch the swagger of the chickenhawks deftly avoiding any mention of service to country, while lapping up every lie that leaves bush's mouth. Add to the irony, I am an avid NASCAR fan, a military veteran who did his time and a flaming liberal to boot. Swaggering chickenhawks fuck with me just once.

Against all enemies foreign and domestic.

[msmcghee]

9. You must have put up with some real . .

. . crap in your day. I'll bet you have some stories to tell. Thanks for the mini-bio. And thanks for serving our nation.

[ellenfl]

5. seems unlikely since most nascar fans are

past recruitment age. however, i can see where they might think otherwise. h*ll, kids can't AFFORD to go to races unless they live next to the track.

ellen fl

[TWiley]

6. Ya, gawd, dead Muslims, country music, and apple pie.

Let them have all the rednecks. Maybe the shrub will get them all killed off.

[mikeiddy]

7. profiling?

Don't ya think you're casting that net a bit too broadly. I happen to like apple pie and country music (at least back when it was country anyway). Wife is a big nascar fan.

[Tux]

8. What is whith NASCAR?

I'd watch it and the winner came in 4th place. WTF? Is it rigged or something?

[TWiley]

13. The republicans set up the finish like the presidential elections.

Now you see it, Hay, the other guy one from 16 cars back!

[TWiley]

12. I love apple pie.

Especially with cool whip on it. I was just casting the familiar big broad patriotic net. You know, Mom, Gawd, Baseball, and Apple Pie in a sarcastic sort of way.

The evil Sith always publicize their cause in this way. Right down main street, right through the center of the American population. They attach their issue to a group, sell it to them. I have not witnessed their agenda being the spontaneous effect of a grass roots movement; it is from the government dictated down to the people in a back-wards "democratic" sort of way.

The truth is that the bush republicraps are a fringe element with a good public relations firm behind them. They need to align a group toward military recruitment, and the NASCAR folks just seem to be the sweetest melon in the patch.

[mikeiddy]

17. apple pie, NASCAR and inclusion

I agree with Speed8098's comments below. NASCAR fans are not all the enemy, many of them are us. Stereotyping them as Republican troglodytes is not likely to make us many friends or converts, and is unfortunately more akin to the divide and conquer tactic the Republicans seem so adept at.

I think it most likely the armed forces are spending $$ sponsoring NASCAR teams because NASCAR, if I recall correctly, has the largest fan base of any organized sport.

[zbdent]

10. Yeah, I can see that the recruiting $$$ are working

:eyes:

[Baclava]

11. NASCAR on Sirius...

Interesting...

NEW YORK and DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 22, 2005;
SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced an agreement to give SIRIUS North American satellite radio rights to broadcast NASCAR racing and events that will bring unprecedented programming and marketing opportunities to NASCAR fans. Beginning in 2007, SIRIUS will broadcast all NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races live on a specially created, 24/7 NASCAR channel, and SIRIUS will be the only place on satellite radio to listen to NASCAR.

As part of the agreement, SIRIUS will become the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, with exclusive trademark and marketing rights, and the right to sell all advertising time on its NASCAR channel and during the race broadcasts. SIRIUS will pay NASCAR rights fees totaling $107.5 million over the term of the agreement

NASCAR is the number 2 rated sport on television, second only to the NFL. Its 75 million fans nationwide are a testament to the sport's overall growth and broad appeal. NASCAR has the most brand loyal fans in all sports. Plus, with a 10-month season, the longest in U.S. pro sports, sponsors and advertisers are visible to NASCAR's fan base for most of the year.

http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/02/22/001124.html

[Speed8098]

14. $16Mil

So.....if the military wasn't spending that money sponsoring a race team, you think it would be put to better use?

Sorry to burst your bubble Toots, but that money would've been spent on some way to increase recruitment anyway.
Whether it's posters, tv commercials, celerity endorsements, that money would've been spent.

I'll say this one more time: NOT ALL NASCAR FANS ARE REPUBLICANS.

All of you that paint with that broad brush should be ashamed of yourselves.

We are the party of INCLUSION, not EXCLUSION.

[NMMNG]

15. The type of people they would like to recruit for what?

[demobabe]

16. Better there than elsewhere

Sponsoring racers comes down to spending advertising dollars. I actually like the idea of the money being spent there rather than putting that money in the pockets of the corporate media. They get enough of that pie!

Of course, I'd really prefer that money be spent in a place where it is really needed, say education...