Cracks appear in NASCAR voters' Republican loyalty

[bigtree]

Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:53 AM ET

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - {snip}

NASCAR fans, or more specifically "NASCAR dads," were highly courted voters in 2004, a group targeted by conservative Republicans after their earlier successes with suburban "soccer moms" and blue-collar "Reagan Democrats."

While politicians focused on NASCAR's core in 2004, some polls indicate cracks may be appearing in the overall fan base of an estimated 75 million people.

Polling by Zogby International in August found that while more than half of NASCAR fans voted for President George W. Bush in 2004, 56 percent now say the country is on the wrong track.

Almost one-third of NASCAR fans now intend to vote for Democrats in congressional races this fall, similar to the number planning to vote Republican, according to the Zogby poll. According to political analysts, this has occurred despite no significant increase in Democratic campaigning aimed at this group.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-08-17T125236Z_01_N24358398_RTRUKOC_0_US-NASCAR.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-C5-politicsNews-3

[jedicord]

1. Maybe Dale Jr. is helping.

I'm not sure which political side he is on, but he has spoken out against the war and shrubbie.

Maybe I'm helping - I'm a big NASCAR fan (go 99) and am outspoken politically with my NASCAR friends. Every little bit helps...

[wicket]

4. Dale Jr. also took his whole crew to see Fahrenheit 9/11

n/t

[AX10]

7. Do you have any links?

[VolcanoJen]

12. Here's an old DU thread...

... about Dale Jr. taking his crew to see "Fahrenheit 9/11."

HOLY SHEE-ITE !!! - NASCAR's Earnhardt urged crew to see Fahrenheit 9/11 - By WillyT

Verbatim from Chris Myers (Fox Sports announcer) on today's race at Pomona pre-race program..

"You think you know Dale Earnhardt Jr.? He advised his crew to go see the Michael Moore movie Farenheit 911. He said hey, it'll be a good bonding experience no matter what your political belief. It's a good thing as an American to go see... and it just shows you that Dale Earnhardt Jr. can reach far beyond the steering wheel."

[bigtree]

13. Not so fast

Dale Jr. Holds His Own With a Journalistic Icon

October 1, 2004

"In what could have been a risky segment about racism in NASCAR and his political opinions, he was cautious but direct in expressing his own feelings about long held beliefs in the southeast and explains that that’s not him, and never has been. After affirming he is a Republican, he was asked what his motivation was in taking his entire crew to see the Michael Moore movie, “Fahrenheit 911”. His answer led you to the conclusion that it was more out of curiosity, that he felt it would be a good film and that it hardly changed his mind about his political views. More bluntly, he said that he knew Moore “would try to push a few buttons” and in pure race speak said he wanted “to see how far he’d mash 'em”.

http://insiderracingnews.com/CB/100104.html

[jobycom]

2. I had a NASCAR friend who vowed never to vote Republican after Katrina

Cold hearted, racist bastard who spouted the most wicked racist slurs and wanted all black people returned to Africa. He watched the story of the man in Biloxi, a black man, who let his wife drown because she asked him to live for his grandbabies, and he crumpled into tears. Later he saw the people in the Superdome, and overpasses, and saw what Bush was doing. He's still a racist MF, but he swears he'll never vote for a Republican again. When I went to Mississippi after the hurricane, he gave me a hundred dollars, which was a lot for him, and told me to make sure I only gave it to black families who needed it, not to white families or the government. Yeah, try figuring him out.

[MrCoffee]

3. If you haven't read "Foxes In The Henhouse", read it now!!!

Edited to add: "Go 20 GO!!!!"

[datadiva]

5. MrCoffee

Are you a Tony Stewart fan? I've been a fan of his since the Triple Crown. Just askin.

[MrCoffee]

6. yes i am.

[Clark2008]

9. A lot of people think my husband looks like Tony Stewart.

Just adding... :)

[TahitiNut]

8. $3.10/gallon must put a hitch in their getalong.

Just sayin'. :shrug:

[Renew Deal]

10. I'm a NASCAR fan and I have no idea what cars have to do with politics

It makes no sense. If NASCAR is a working class sport, then it has nothing to do with republicanism.

[bigtree]

11. Yet, the republicans have been able to convince them it does

their divisive 'values' argument has prevented many in the 'bible belt' from embracing our party.

Now, it's up to us to figure out how to counter that, while at the same time, continuing our economic appeal. I think where the division is coming is from these rural areas who have sacrificed soldiers in disproportionate numbers for Bush's meddling abroad, which has a huge impact on their small populations. 'America first' used to be a popular conservative motto. They just don't see the threat to America from Iraq (because there isn't one), and I don't think they're buying the latest attempts to tie Iraq and Bush's 'terror war' together.

I wonder if they've done a poll to find out how many actually know the name of the Iraqi president, or can identify the different sects there? That's the disconnect from the Bush regime's priorities that we should be exploiting.

[Bretttido]

15. I think its a similar coorelation between driving a Hummer and being

a Republican. Some kind of lust for Power, whether political or from the depths of a car engine. :shrug:

[Rosemary2205]

14. This lifelong NASCAR fan has NEVER voted for a Republican nt

[MrCoffee]

16. This is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT story.

Democrats CAN win in the South. We can, and we should. Don't ignore the southern states.

[AX10]

19. If not win, at least pull down the GOP's vote totals to the point where...

we can gain a few Senate seats and some more house seats.
The southwest/west coast holds more hope for us though.

[Solly Mack]

17. Paul Newman loves NASCAR. He loves sport racing period.

and in his 80's, he still races


There are votes to be had

Just saying...

[zbdent]

18. They're starting to realize how much it's costing them

to get to each event ...

[MrCoffee]

20. Please read this article!!! Hunting Bubba

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/716psthq.asp

yes, it's in the Weekly Standard, but it's a really good article about the guy who got Mark Warner elected.


DEMS CAN WIN THE SOUTH. Dave Saunders knows how.