Nascar! Presidential candidate Obama to sponsor Cup car at Pocono race

[DeepModem Mom]

SI: Presidential candidate Obama to sponsor Cup car at Pocono race

SI.com has learned that for the first time in history, a major presidential candidate may sponsor a race car in NASCAR's premier series. According to sources, Barack Obama's campaign is in talks to become the primary sponsor of BAM Racing's No. 49 Sprint Cup car for the Pocono race on August 3. Details of the agreement are expected to be worked out over the coming days.

A BAM spokesperson has revealed the team will hold a press conference July 23 in Miami to reveal the partnership, currently a proposed one-race deal with an option to continue. Obama will be at the briefing, which will be tied to the "Get Out The Vote" campaign message he spread throughout the 2008 primary season.

Sources claim one of the options being considered would allow individual campaign donors to get their name on the race car for as little as $100. Obama will also be present for a second private fundraiser on July 30 in Miami, in which team owners Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau -- staunch Republicans -- will give the Democrat an opportunity to spread his message of change. Randy Moss and Fergie are among the celebrities confirmed to be a part of that fundraiser in support of the candidate and his venture into NASCAR.

While George Bush was prominently featured on Kirk Shelmerdine's No. 72 car in 2004, this is the first time a national presidential campaign has actually given its own money to make itself a primary sponsor of a race car. The sport has typically shown itself to be a Republican stronghold, and in recent weeks two-time champ Jimmie Johnson is among the growing list of well-known NASCAR stars who have come out in favor of Obama's opponent, John McCain....

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_bowles/07/11/obama/index.html?cnn=yes

[Pab Sungenis]

1. Just what we need with gas at $4.00 a gallon.

A presidential candidate wasting hundreds of gallons on drivin' fast and turnin' left.

When you watch NASCAR, you watch with Bin Laden!

[jakem]

2. im pretty sure Obama wont be driving...

smart, if you were to ask me.

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

37. Yep, I hate nascar, but it sure can't hurt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Geez louise.

You people will complain when Obama turns right, and when Obama turns left.

[SteveM]

8. HA! LOL! (nt)

[LTR]

10. Race cars typically run on ethanol

AFAIK

[cherokeeprogressive]

20. NASCAR uses gasoline.

[Ian David]

4. I had suggested to MoveOn.org that they sponsor a race car. n/t

[tishaLA]

5. don't like it. At all.

1. seems inauthentic
2. too many "metaphor" possibilities. what if the car crashes? starts off strong and the engine blows?

[SteveM]

12. Jeeez... what if the car WINS? (nt)

[Connie_Corleone]

14. What if the car flies into the clouds??

[SteveM]

16. The car would be disqualified, but Obama would win big!(nt)

[tishaLA]

19. if the car wins, great

but we know what the media loves to do with shit like this. think about hillary and eight belles in the derby.

[leftofcool]

6. pandering to the NASCAR crowd..........

what ever works I suppose

[SteveM]

11. And those crowds are HUGE! (nt)

[leftofcool]

15. I know, they certainly are and I don't get it

Of course, many people don't get why I hike the trails, so I guess it is all about what we like.

[SteveM]

17. The Daytona 500 is other-worldly, THE original 360 degree theater...

I hike the trails as well, preferably before dawn when the coyotes are singing to each other and the turkeys are sounding stupid and sleepy.

[DevonRex]

32. How about fighting for their votes, rather than pandering?

Just sayin'...

:shrug:

[VolcanoJen]

7. Sounds like a pretty decent and creative idea to me.

Definitely helps with the Ohio NASCAR crowd I'm surrounded by.

The thought of a huge, totally-decked-out "Obama-Car" is rather appealing to me. Maybe you have to live here to appreciate it. :-)

[anonymous171]

9. It won't even have to turn right.

[woolldog]

33. good one!

:spray:

[CakeGrrl]

13. Team Obama's on top of it again - not afraid to campaign *anywhere*

including traditional Repub strongholds. Good on them. Votes can come from anywhere if you reach out to people - all the better to nullify any PUMAs!

[liberal N proud]

18. Will the NASCAR crowd embrace it

Could be the very thing Obama needs to get the NASCAR vote that the GOP boasted about in 2000 though 2004

[dsomuah]

21. Apparently for a $100 donation, you can get your name on the car.

[KittyWampus]

22. kick

[Ron Green]

23. NASCAR is symbolic of the past. I wish our candidate would leave it alone.

I'd rather see him sponsor a team in the Tour de France.

[dsomuah]

26. You are not seeing the beauty of this.

Somewhere there is a Nascar fan / Obama supporter who is thinking to himself: "If I make a $100 donation I can get my name on this car in the race. So he goes and signs up. Of course, the real reason Obama's people raise money so aggressively isn't because they want the money, but because they want you to supply your name and email address. Once they get that from this Nascar fan, they will attempt to recruit him to join their "persuasion army" he will be yet another Obama supporter that holds house parties and tries to convince other Nascar fans to vote Obama. It may be a long shot, but because this demographic has so many undecideds, and because so many Nascar fans live in swing states, the effort could go a ver long way.

[Zynx]

27. The Tour de France has become one of the most corrupt sporting events in history.

It also doesn't play very much in the states.

[Clark2008]

28. Apparently, you don't know any rural voters. eom

[woolldog]

34. you mean rural voters don't prefer the Tour de France?

:rofl:

[Clark2008]

24. This is the smartest move the campaign has made thus far.

There are more than quite a few rural folk who love this stuff - folk who were voting Republican, but now hate them, but who still think the Dems are too "elitist" to vote for.

This will help, tremendously.

[ram2008]

25. Whine whine whine

My god this site is getting unbearable. I can't believe people are seriously complaining about him sponsoring a race car. Please find something better to complain about.

[snowbear]

42. Ram ..

You're zeroing in on the negative comments and aren't paying any attention to the positive comments.

I agree with you. It's a shrewd move and he should go for it.

[OhioBlue]

29. It is smart. It should generate a lot of conversation and shouldn't

cost too much as the team hasn't even been racing lately. They probably won't even qualify for the Pocono race. But, a lot of people will talk about it.

[Baclava]

35. You're right, they will be lucky to even get that car to qualify for the race

But there will be talk, for sure.

[jillan]

30. Very smart political move.

[DevonRex]

31. What a great move! There is no reason not to fight for that vote.

And there is every reason TO fight for that vote. Obama is brilliant, as usual.

[KoKo]

36. Actually it's a Great "Marketing Stunt for Obama!" Good for HIM!...BUT...what about his Base

who doesn't have a "Nascar" in this race...but our hopes and dreams. :-( Maybe there is something he could do for us and get some "donors" and flash it by for a Media Op like this one.

I'm still hoping and waiting for this....:shrug:

[Duder]

38. Good marketing but...

Someone will accuse him of playing the race car.

[Lisa0825]

39. ROFL

:rofl: bingo!

[thewiseguy]

40. So this race car has to qualify?

Now with the big NASCAR drivers endorsing McCain, this move by the Obama camp should make the race interesting. :popcorn:

[snowbear]

41. Mudcat Saunders and Gov. Mark Warner are DEFINITELY smiling!

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