Obama not doing NASCAR sponsorship

JOLIET, Ill. — NASCAR's BAM Racing team has presented Barack Obama's presidential campaign with a potential sponsorship deal in the Sprint Cup series later this year, but it doesn't look like an Obama car will be burning rubber on the track anytime soon.

BAM team spokesman Rhett Vandiver told The Associated Press on Friday that the team made a sponsorship proposal to the Democratic presidential hopeful's campaign, and has made similar proposals to the campaign of Republican John McCain and at least one third-party candidate.

Late Friday, the Obama campaign said there would be no sponsorship.

"The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we will continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Senator Obama's message of change." said Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman

Sports Illustrated first reported the proposal on its Web site, saying Obama's campaign is in talks with BAM, a part-time operation that hasn't raced in recent weeks, to sponsor its No. 49 car in the Aug. 3 race at Pocono.

"The Obama campaign will not be sponsoring a car in the Sprint Cup series, though we will continue to look for ways to reach out to voters and convey Senator Obama's message of change." Bill Burton, Obama Campaign Spokesman

It would have been a fairly bold move within a sport whose competitors spend all year turning left on the track but tend to lean to the right politically.

BAM's choice of drivers and car brands might have been a little too sticky politically for the Obama camp.

The car, a Toyota _ the only foreign automaker racing in NASCAR _ would be driven by veteran Ken Schrader.

According to the Federal Election Commission's Web site, Schrader gave $1,000 to the campaign of North Carolina Republican congressman Robin Hayes in June 2004, and a total of $2,500 in 2003 and 2004 to the failed Virginia congressional campaign of Republican Kevin Triplett, a former NASCAR official.

Also according to the FEC, Mrs. Ann Schrader of Concord, N.C. and Ken Schrader Racing donated a total of $2,000 to President Bush's campaign in May 2004 and $900 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee in August 2004.

NASCAR has been playing an increasing role in politics, as so-called "NASCAR dads" were considered a key constituency in recent elections.

A Cup series car carried a George W. Bush logo in 2004 but wasn't officially associated with the campaign. And Democratic presidential hopeful Bob Graham sponsored a truck in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2003.

Comments

[Nommo]

I'm guessing he doesn't know about that 225 mill lawsuit...

[KaAp]

Oh please how much pandering is going on! Why can't Obama be Obama? NASCAR give me a break!

[IndependentTogether]

Pandering? It's called "ADVERTISING". That's what you do in order to reach a target audience. And the last time I checked, NASCAR fans vote, too.

[JohnIII]

When is his action figure coming out?

[joeyp404]

Apparently no one liked the sock puppet, so it's being retooled. I think Jesse Jackson is a consultant.

[CtJean]

He IS the action figure. He's so brilliant - it's almost scary.

[PAposter]

I agree on all points, CtJean, damn he's good!

[PAposter]

Action, Action, we want Action, A-C-T (pause) I-O-N!

He is the action baby!

O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!

[UCLAHistorian]

FYI The action figure is already out. It is made by Jailbreak Toys.

http://www.jailbreaktoys.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=OB000

[JohnIII]

Hilarious.

How about Obama: The Video Game?

[oscartucker]

I hope that the car will be American made. Racing is a big sport, especially in NC, SC, and with the Daytona 500 being held in Florida and the Indianapolis 500 being held in Indiana, it might not be a bad idea. It has been said that the racing of vehicles helps with the development of cars. O's campaign needs to be ready for the "backlash" from the Republicans and anyone else not in agreement because it will be forthcoming. What's the rationale other than pure advertisin­g/campaign­ing to get votes, which is going to be called "pandering"? Oh, I hope the driver is excellent! ***Toyota has a plant in West Virginia, and parts are made in other Ameircan cities. ***Race cars use a different blend of fuel.

[AliHajiSheik]

Toyota is probably the only manufacturer currently hiring American auto workers, rather than firing them.

This is a great idea from the Obama camp.

[obamanation31]

who is the driver?

[JohnTalbutt]

I suggested Dale Earnhardt Jr. He is a decent guy, he took his crew to see Fahrenheit 911, and a helluva driver.

[uvymopkq]

I hope he shows up in a Batman suit!!!!!

[Bagger]

Cool marketing.

[3Gs]

And my boy Ken Schrader will be driving. This is a sign.

[JennyJay]

Help! . . . Help! . . . . Obama is turning into THE BIGGEST SUCK UP I have ever seen. He will spend little old lady's money, and poor supporters money on a NASCAR SPONSERSHIP??? What a total jerk he is becoming. . . . Ahhhh, the reason is - his campaign is flooded with all those disgusting CLINTON people he brought over. . . . Well, it sure shows. I am getting off this stupid train.

[CtJean]

quick - jump

[ghop]

Yes, he should totally spend his money on something that would appeal to his base. Perhaps some Code Pink geurrilla theater action?

Seriously though - this is just another type of ad buy. He's getting all sorts of free press for this. Are you just P.O.'d that he's serious about winning?

[JimR]

You were obviously never on the train. Presidential candidates need to spend money on ads. Know what's plastered all over NASCAR vehicles? Ads. It's brilliant.

[gwhizz]

Turning into?

[CA40]

Let me help you off the train so you can vote for Mccain and lose everything you have.....N­ascar draws thousands and I am a Nascar fan. McCain can't even get through a townhall, again talking about his "perfect" voting record for Vets; and get's called on the carpet by a Vet tell hiim he's a liar!!!!! Yeah - that's priceless.­....McCain has nothing else, but GRAMM.

[jpcline004]

Good GAWD I hope this is a joke. Please say you are kidding me O. I thought we were campaigning against these kind of shenanigans. Why not just bring WWF wrestlers to the conventions again? SIGH

[timthemedic]

Why are you opposed to this? It seems like a smart thing to do - lots of people love racing, and it will get his name out to an audience that may not support him.

If nothing else, think of it as a moving billboard.

I don't see any issues with this.

Maybe he should do something on WWF, Pride, or UFC now that you mention it.

[brendanm]

It will come off as inauthentic and shameless pandering. Is he going to go hunting next? People want an authentic candidate, and that is why Kerry lost.

[JohnTalbutt]

I agree with your main point but keep it to NASCAR. It shows that Obama doesn't share the stereotypes that have caused other candidates to write off large groups of folks.

[JimR]

What's wrong with it? It's basically an ad. Millions of people watch NASCAR.

[joeyp404]

An ad on a car?

Veros possumus.

[joeyp404]

And you probably thought Obama was against immumity for the Telecoms and for public financing. The move to the center becomes a media march.

[cinnysmom]

very smart move!! I watch Nascar every Sunday and when they race on Sat. night. Nascar has a huge audience. To bad it wouldn't be Dale Jr. #88 that he was going to sponser, or thinking about sponsiring. Anyways, great idea O!!!!

[DRaymond]

The best thing about this is that it is mold-breaking. The 'NASCAR-dads' were supposed to be Bush's core constituency. So instead this is Obama's way of saying that he is willing to reach out to everybody and willing to go outside the box. Now admittedly nothing is sure in a race and there is a lot of potential for results that would be jokingly played into a metaphor by opponents.­..the car crashes, runs out of gas, finishes last, etc. but all that would be inside-the­-box-think­ing if ti let them scare them away. In reality every advertizer in the race knows that is part of the risk and every race fan does to sit it isn't seen as any big deal. NASCAR cars crash, big deal.

[nyc4obama123]

I think its a smart idea he's appealing to people who like Nascar seeing as they are from the south and mostly vote republican

[mom2sons]

Sending my $100 and I don't even drive, but it is a smart move! Gas will be eaten up anyway! Go Team Obama!

[lovethesinner]

This is brilliant.

I'll try to explain. I'm a Formula 1 fan, but in the US those races are carried on a FOX channel called the Speed Channel, who carry all the NASCAR events.

Right now in F1, a rookie driver, an Englishman named Louis Hamilton, is one of the leading contenders for the championship. He missed winning in his first season last year by one point (out of 110). Louis Hamilton is the first racing driver of African descent, EVER. He's the Jackie Robinson of racing.

NASCAR fans turn their nose up to Formula 1, but they respect it.

NASCAR, having been labeled A RED NECK MOTORSPORT, finds itself missing a lot of market. NASCAR is looking to expand it's market with the same southerners who are giving Obama big turnouts in the south.

Since most of the big racing occurs in larger metropolitan areas, and the money from residuals is now a bigger portion of the market (T-shirts, caps, etc) NASCAR wants to show how INCLUSIVE they are.

It's BIG BUCKS.

Those "Stars and Bars" flags in the back window of their pick-up isn't putting gas in their tanks, if you know what I mean, and having Obama connect NASCAR to a gigantic new market is ADVERTISING GENIUS. For both.

This is a race Obama wins, even if the car blows up on the first turn.

As Daryl Waltrip always says at the beginning of a race, "Boogity, boogity, boogity, let's go racin' boys."