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Obama Considers Sponsoring Sprint Cup Car in NASCAR Race
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ShareJuly 11, 2008 6:27 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Presidential gentlemen, start your engines! Sen. Barack Obama is considering sponsoring a race car in a forthcoming NASCAR series.
"We get a lot of good ideas every day but there are no such agreements in place at this time," Obama spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters -- not exactly stopping the news as first reported by Sports Illustrated in its tracks.
In an article on their website, SI.com reported "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."
Obama, D-Ill., opted out of public financing in the general election campaign -- breaking a campaign pledge allowing the presumptive Democratic nominee to raise an unlimited amount of cash in his battle for the White House against Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
The Illinois Senator's fundraisers boldy predicted he could raise $100 million dollars in June but fell far short raising a respectable $30 million -- $8 million more than McCain, who had his best month of fundraising to-date, hauling in $22 million.
According to SI.com, a July 23 press conference is scheduled to reveal the details of the arrangement that will put Obama and "racing 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."
No word yet on whether McCain will respond in kind -- making the Pocono series truly the first race of a tight turning campaign.
But is Obama wasting his time trying to steal McCain support from hard core NASCAR fans? Sprint Cup race driver Jimmie Johnson told U.S. News & World Report as much. "I think our core fan base being strong Republicans like they are, that's going to be the first choice. I also think his credits in history and what he's done for our country, certainly for our country, a lot of those things will be fully noticed by our fan base," says Johnson.
Not surprisingly, RNC spokesman Alex Conant agrees. "Barack Obama’s words – whether they’re at a San Francisco fundraiser or on the hood of a car – will not get him to Victory Lane.".
Obama wouldn't be the first Dem to pull it off. Let's not forget that back in 2001, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner sponsored a car at a NASCAR race with historic results.
UPDATE: Just before midnight, Obama campaign spokesperson Jen Psaki tells ABC News' Sunlen Miller: "The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Senator Obama's message of change."ABC News' Jake Tapper contributed to this report.
July 11, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (110)
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Is this political pandering at its best? There are a lot of NASCAR fans out there. Maybe, he thinks this is a way to buy more votes.
Posted by: Mary | Jul 11, 2008 6:50:17 PM
Please McCain. Do not even dignify this NASCAR idiocy with a response.
A predictable Obama ploy. From a vow against to a private funding extravaganza.
Posted by: zeke | Jul 11, 2008 7:05:06 PM
This is the the height of stupidity.
Posted by: Bill | Jul 11, 2008 7:10:13 PM
People see through this kind of pandering. I would not recommend this. Obama would be better served just going and enjoying the race.
Posted by: Ben Straub | Jul 11, 2008 7:10:48 PM
Ahh Mary, zeke, chill....I think this is hilarious.
Posted by: jmengate | Jul 11, 2008 7:11:36 PM
mary i'd call it getting the biggest bang for your buck.
Posted by: linda n carolina | Jul 11, 2008 7:12:21 PM
McCain, please sponser Kyle Bush, he will win for sure.
Posted by: Bill | Jul 11, 2008 7:15:42 PM
This one makes me smile and shake my head.
Posted by: LongT | Jul 11, 2008 7:17:54 PM
Somewhere there is a scrabble champiomship, can Obama spell.
Posted by: Bill | Jul 11, 2008 7:19:12 PM
Just read elsewhere that W did this in 04--ya'll still consider this stupid or pandering
Posted by: Pax | Jul 11, 2008 7:28:52 PM
Monster trucks?
Posted by: Mack | Jul 11, 2008 7:34:09 PM
Pax; Really? W sponsored a NASCAR race car in '04? Don't remember hearing that.
Posted by: LongT | Jul 11, 2008 7:39:09 PM
Very cool!!!
Posted by: Sandy | Jul 11, 2008 7:39:50 PM
Those cars run on gas not kool-aid.
Posted by: Mack | Jul 11, 2008 7:42:35 PM
Obama's sponsoring a race car is silly indeed. And I'm saying that as a strong supporter of Obama.
The idea of putting donors' names on cars so obviously offensive that I strongly doubt the "source" claims that such a scheme is actually being considered by anyone in the campaign.
At this point, even chucking the sponsorship idea and just showing up at a race would fall flat. Obama should just leave this alone and stick to the issues.
Posted by: ToastOnDayOne | Jul 11, 2008 7:44:12 PM
Maybe before the race he can make a speech to the fans about the importance of conserving energy.
Posted by: Mack | Jul 11, 2008 7:49:03 PM
Caroline, did you see this? Isn't he just like your Father? Caroline, you know Jackie would have broken your Father's kneecaps before she'd allow him to stoop so low. Caroline, what are you doing running around with this slick marketing guy posing as a serious presidential candidate? Caroline? Caroline? You're not the Caroline we knew.
Posted by: Mandelay3 | Jul 11, 2008 7:49:05 PM
You would think that an elitist like him would be more into Formula 1 racing.
Posted by: Mack | Jul 11, 2008 7:52:01 PM
LongT--reread the SI story--W did not pay for it--looks like it was a freebie--kinda like welfare
Posted by: Pax | Jul 11, 2008 7:53:56 PM
Hello? We are in an oil crisis here, trying to make it through $4 plus a gallon gas (Just the beginning of bad, mark me, it'll be far worse come fall.) and he wants to make a show of himself through NASCAR? How ignorant! And I'm no McCain fan either... So first we have McCain crew saying we're a bunch of "whiners" and now we have Barrack blowing money on NASCAR and frivolous, wasteful oil usage? Good grief, TPTB have NO CLUE! NO CLUE! NO CLUE!
Posted by: LH | Jul 11, 2008 7:55:28 PM
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