Michelle Obama Booed At NASCAR Race

Michelle Obama and Jill Biden were booed at NASCAR's season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

The appearance was part of an initiative to honor military troops and families. The first lady and vice president's wife also served as grand marshals for the race, along with Sergeant Andrew Berry, a wounded warrior who survived two bullets and eight bomb blasts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

At the beginning of the race, an announcer introduced the two women, who were met with a loud combination of both cheers and scattered boos. Earlier, Obama and Biden received a standing ovation at a pre-race drivers meeting.

Michelle Obama's communications director Kristina Schake issued the following statement:

"Mrs. Obama was proud to join NASCAR in recognizing our nation’s veterans and military families to raise awareness of this important issue for all Americans. As she has always said, she will proudly stand with anyone making a major commitment to serve and honor our military community and yesterday, NASCAR did just that. They paid special tribute to our veterans and military families at the championship race by donating over 5,000 tickets to military families and by honoring Sergeant Berry and his family, true American heroes. Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden enjoyed their visit to the speedway and are looking forward to working across the country to honor America’s veterans and military families."

Marcus Jadotte, NASCAR's vice president of public affairs, said:

"The NASCAR community and the vast majority of those attending our race Sunday welcomed the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden and the military families in attendance. We are proud to support military families across the country and proud to support the Joining Forces initiative."

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE (h/t Mediate)

Comments

[evingtetun]

01:46 PM on 05/16/2012

How ignorant to heckel a high profile supporter of our American troops. I guess they would boo the country where they enjoy such liberties as attending a NASCAR race. A lot of people just don't have the type of freedom we enjoy, mostly because of our troops who are making sacrifices everyday.

[Denni]

08:59 AM on 12/29/2011

Gosh don't those righties just love America!?!?! BOO the First and Second ladies of our nation, as they are there to support Military families... It warms my heart that they are so true to their rhetoric... the right, all slogan and anger, very little humanity.

[MartyJo]

09:04 PM on 12/19/2011

Michelle Obama is a staunch advocate for veterans and their families. Booing her is booing the vets. Now, who is patriotic here?? Such hypocrites from the rightwing!!

[Barry Risper]

11:32 AM on 11/28/2011

@Fran Bello-- during King George's reign, I went to McLennan Community College in Waco. Crawford was literally a 10 minute drive from campus. Let me assure you of one thing: of those nearly 1000 days of vacation he took, if Bush had spent 1/2 of that time trying to be diplomatic and improving the economy, America would not be in the shape it is right now. Besides, If Obama had spent 1/4 of that time out of the White House, you and I both know you'd have a problem with that. Besides, I "chose to cherry pick the facts" because that's the type of politics the right has resorted to in order to win. If people don't like dirty tactics used on them, they should refrain from it themselves, because nowadays, sadly, the "high road" is a one-way street to defeat in the cess pool that has become our political process.

[Allgovenmentsucks]

12:22 PM on 11/25/2011

I in no way agree with anything this administration has done over the last three years. With that said, I disagree with anyone booing any first Lady. The role of the first lady is to bring awareness to programs and initiatives that are dear to their hearts. A little respect from both sides would go a long way to getting this country moving again.

[Imakarmagirl]

12:19 PM on 11/26/2011

agree...

[drzoon]

02:55 PM on 11/26/2011

fanned even though i know we are not on the same page politically. I actually really liked and respected Laura Bush and considered her smart and reasonable.

[mumb]

12:06 AM on 11/25/2011

NASCAR!

Non Athlethic Sport Centered Around Rednecks

[galinha]

08:30 AM on 11/25/2011

I like your definition. Spot on!

[roudy]

12:06 PM on 11/25/2011

Very accurate description. Your Fanned.

[schtarkiller]

06:46 PM on 11/24/2011

I hope no one is surprised at this. Most (not all) people that like nascar, need someone to hate, and if that person the "look" the part then that's even better. Mrs. Obama was there for the troops yet some people personalized it and showed hate. I know its a free country but would anyone like to further a stereotype by acting like this?

I mean it takes a lot of skill to drive and turn LEFT like that all day, but it takes self restraint to respect anything in honor of the troops. Again I'm not surprised at what happened.

[sasseyfrass]

01:08 PM on 11/27/2011

SCHTARKILLER : If you knew what you are talking about, you might make sense.

[LeanLeftAmerica]

02:08 PM on 11/24/2011

And the sane part of America boos NASCAR and all the losers who watch NASCAR -

- those people are exactly what's wrong with America

- who wants to bet that those people voted for bush, still think iraq was responsible for 9/11 and watch Fox noise

- we know Michelle is a class act "because" these miscreants boo'd her

[purplewg]

11:24 AM on 12/13/2011

Wow, what a brain surgeon. He figured this out all by himself? He is a perfect example of why the only true Americans live in the south. I bet he even voted for Obama. lol

[ejhickey]

01:15 AM on 11/24/2011

Yes it was disrespectful and rude but Americans have aways been disrespectful and rude towards anyone in a position of authority. Part of our DNA.

[nbb]

07:58 AM on 11/24/2011

I don't remember seeing or reading of any incident when a sitting president's wife was booed in public. Not even in the dark days of Nixon..... Showing some of our worst side.

[ejhickey]

01:17 AM on 11/25/2011

Andrew Jackson's wife receive much worse treatment.

[drzoon]

03:01 PM on 11/26/2011

i really disliked Nixon .... really really disliked him. AS in; i was in the streets protesting him. And not for a nano second would it have occurred to me to boo Pat Nixon.

(and for the record; i enlisted in the military)

[drzoon]

02:59 PM on 11/26/2011

that's not the way i've raised MY kids!

my kids have been raised to even respect people who they disagree with, and not for a moment would they consider being rude.

[sasseyfrass]

01:23 PM on 11/27/2011

How greatful we are to have the perfect parent on this post.

[amerson]

05:01 PM on 07/22/2012

Unfortunately your children will become polite victims and polite servants to their rude and ruthless opponents. Sometime the time comes and man has to fight.

[RJrocks1]

11:58 PM on 11/23/2011

That is a lie.

[sasseyfrass]

01:28 PM on 11/27/2011

She stated on National TV that she was never proud to be and American until he became the presidental candidate so you calling Indie Voter a lier just shows how uninformed you are just saying what you think rather than believing the truth. I HEARD HER SAY THIS, THIS IS NOT HERASAY.

[Matthew Walters]

12:04 AM on 11/24/2011

Yea she actually paraphrased a speech given over and over by Republican John McCain who was given taxpayer free college and special treatment in the Navy and said repeatedly that He didn't love America until he was 35 years old and finially became proud of it. Even FOX published it until the racists attacked Omaba's wife and then they removed McCains speech!

Keep watching FOX where NASCAR fans, and highly intelligent WWF wrestling fans, and the intelectually challenged are made to feel welcome!

I guess if your a white NASCAR FAN you can hate the American establishment, work towards its overthrow, and attack the institutions that it's flag stands for and that makes you a patriot and a HERO!

Lets all cheer fior the right wing overrthrow of America while our guys are fighting to protect it. Let's wave those old foriegn flags against the red white and blue and show your pride in the civil war attempt to destroy the United States. If she should be booed then we should return to shooting traitors who pretend to be patriots while fighting for the distruction of America!

[Indie Voter]

07:54 AM on 11/24/2011

So let me get this straight...if one person says such a despicable statement, it now means we don't hold the next person accountable for making it as well? Pathetic.

[Tony McDay]

09:19 PM on 11/23/2011

can't say I'm surprised. Nice to see The First Lady showed more class; then some of NASCAR audience.

[YepYep6598]

10:43 PM on 11/23/2011

she did didnt she i could have sworn i saw her float from the sky out of the clouds

[sasseyfrass]

01:33 PM on 11/27/2011

CLASS??? Took Jill Biden's project and made it her's so she would get the limelight and the praise? You call that class?

[purplewg]

11:30 AM on 12/13/2011

I'm glad someone else saw this. She didn't hardly let Jill speak either.

[winderwoman1]

06:45 PM on 11/23/2011

You know you're a redneck if ....

[lilly091]

05:36 PM on 11/23/2011

You really had to listen to hear the "boos." But even as a republican I found that to be super disrespectful. I really like Jill and Michelle.

[YepYep6598]

10:33 PM on 11/23/2011

you are not republican

[Matthew Walters]

09:15 AM on 11/24/2011

Your fans are behind you on that!

[Matthew Walters]

09:13 AM on 11/24/2011

Nice! Your respect will not please a far right hater but it will let the opposition know that your philosophy is not hate based as so many are. Good Americans still respect the chioces voters make and that's what makes this country great.

[lilly091]

08:59 PM on 11/24/2011

Thanks for a nice comment :)

[KaliKross]

05:05 PM on 11/23/2011

"Earlier, Obama and Biden received a standing ovation at a pre-race drivers meeting."
Shouldn't that be "driver's meeting"?

Editors really are becoming a commodity. I'd better put my trusty red pen to work. $

[Chris Purcell]

09:17 PM on 11/23/2011

No, it shouldn't. Don't quit your day job.

[lilly091]

09:58 PM on 11/23/2011

It really doesn't bother most people.

[Tony McDay]

09:10 PM on 11/23/2011

Fact of the matter is,your dimwitted. cheer about that...

[sunlightb4signing]

09:46 PM on 11/23/2011

That's exactly the kind of void of substance reply I would expect from the party of food stamps, and student loans for illegals.

[RJrocks1]

11:59 PM on 11/23/2011

THAT is a lie.