Kerry's NASCAR Envy

[burnedout]

Kerry Blasts Bush's Daytona Photo Op

Kerry Blasts Bush's Daytona 'Photo Op' By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

WAUSAU, Wis. - A confident John Kerry launched a full-throttle attack on President Bush's economic policies, mostly ignoring his Democratic rivals on the eve of the Wisconsin primary. Howard Dean's campaign shed another top manager and John Edwards vowed to press on no matter how he fares Tuesday.

Kerry, who has a commanding lead in the race to oppose Bush this fall, chided the president for taking time out Sunday to attend the Daytona 500, saying the country was bleeding jobs while he posed for a "photo opportunity." Bush had donned a racing jacket to officially open NASCAR's most prestigious event in front of some 180,000 fans.

"We don't need a president who just says, `Gentlemen start your engines,'" Kerry said. "We need a president who says, `America, let's start our economy and put people back to work.'"

The Baltimore Sun has more:

About 200,000 fans roared their approval when Bush arrived and worked his way along pit road, stopping to chat with pole winner Greg Biffle, who drives the Army National Guard car.

He patted the shoulder of retired champion driver and noted Republican Richard Petty. He chatted with Teresa Earnhardt, the widow of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt. And he stood at attention for the national anthem with Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who owns a NASCAR racing team.

The Washington Post also adds more details that must have Kerry pulling his hair out.

Bush sought to maximize his exposure to racing fans during his visit. Air Force One circled low over the speedway so the president could get a look - and to give racing fans a dramatic look at a symbol of the presidency.

[...]

With his wife, Laura, trailing him, Bush walked the pit, mingling with drivers, shaking hands with fans. He peered into car No. 16, sponsored by the National Guard, and if the car reminded him of the tempest swirling around his own service in the Texas Air National Guard, he didn't show it.

Bush referred to that history in an interview with NBC just before the race.

"I flew fighters when I was in the Guard, and I like speed," he said. "It would've been fun to drive up on these banks. ... I'd like to, but I'm afraid the agents wouldn't let me."

The president got a much warmer reception than Bill Clinton did when he visited a NASCAR race as a candidate in September 1992, when the question of his lack of Vietnam-era military service was dogging Clinton.

At the Southern 500 race in Darlington, S.C., Clinton was booed and heckled by fans, many shouting "draft dodger!" at him.

As Bush strode through pit road, he received rock-star treatment. An extravaganza unfolded around him.

And several thousand miles away a lot of GI's gathered to watch in Germany had ear to ear smiles.

*edit* Edited formatting.

 

[DealMonkey]

Nascar dads have political clout -- who would have imagined? Too bad they can't differentiate between a Rhodes Scholar and a priviledged son landing a soft position in the ANG. They both avoided Vietnam in their own ways. I guess nuance doesn't come easily to the Coors Light-drinking demographic. It's all about going fast and blowing stuff up. Kinda like 5-year olds.

 

[SuperTool]

How much were the tickets to the Daytona 500? I am guessing the people who lost jobs under Bush, or had to decide between affording health insurance or paying rent weren't there.

 

[tec699]

So? I would rather have the backing from the spanish americans which number in the millions then with a abunch of red neck, white bred no tooth bastards. The problem is Bush is pissing off a lot of groups. The gays, legal immigrants, and so on... Bush had the Spanish vote locked up but I doubt that anymore. Bush is done!

 

[SuperTool]

Bush never had spanish vote locked up. I am not even sure what percent of hispanics vote.
The problem is that Bush's appearing at Nascar is not going to restore the jobs a lot of these "Nascar dads" lost, it's not going to provide insurance for everyone. It's just politicizing a sporting event, like he politicized the war with that aircraft carrier photo op. And I don't know what that AF1 flyby was all about. I don't think after 9/11 jumbo jet flyby's next to large crowds are such a good photo op.

 

[tec699]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Bush never had spanish vote locked up. I am not even sure what percent of hispanics vote.
The problem is that Bush's appearing at Nascar is not going to restore the jobs a lot of these "Nascar dads" lost, it's not going to provide insurance for everyone. It's just politicizing a sporting event, like he politicized the war with that aircraft carrier photo op. And I don't know what that AF1 flyby was all about. I don't think after 9/11 jumbo jet flyby's next to large crowds are such a good photo op.

It's all politics SuperTool. Bush is feeling the heat from Kerry so he needs to get out a bit more and make himself visible. If Bush gets reelected, lets just see how many lunch-ins he does with Nascar fans. My guess will be 0.

 

[Red Dawn]

A Major Issue that will be important to the "NASCAR DADs" will be jobs. Bush needs to convince them that their jobs are safe or he might lose that normally strong Republican Base

 

[tec699]

Exactly. What hurt his father is going to damage Bush Jr and that is the economy. I read that when Kerry was winning those states the economy perked up a bit from just that alone. But we are losing an alarming number of jobs. Economist say that big buisness need to hire cheap labor to keep cost down and in return the goods will be inexpensive for consumers but if there aren't any jobs left how are we going to afford the merchandise?

 

[Ldir]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
A Major Issue that will be important to the "NASCAR DADs" will be jobs. Bush needs to convince them that their jobs are safe or he might lose that normally strong Republican Base

I am not so sure. They are not rational if they jeer Clinton as a draft dodger but cheer Dubya as a hero. Some here get angry about calling Republicans sheep. This shows why the shoe fits. Every time Dubya plays dress-up they cream themselves.

 

[EXman]

Nascar dads have political clout -- who would have imagined? Too bad they can't differentiate between a Rhodes Scholar and a priviledged son landing a soft position in the ANG. They both avoided Vietnam in their own ways. I guess nuance doesn't come easily to the Coors Light-drinking demographic. It's all about going fast and blowing stuff up. Kinda like 5-year olds.

What A snob but their kid will beat up your honor student!

 

[conjur]

Kerry firmly shoved his foot in his mouth with that.

I heard that on the news this morning and thought, "Wow...if he's having to stoop that low to come up with some zinger on Bush, then Kerry is DOOMED!"

Like Bush is supposed to spend every waking hour working? Perhaps Bush was keeping holy the Christian Sabbath? Does that make Kerry an atheist? Hmm...maybe I *will* vote for Kerry.

And, as far as the economy, Bush has almost nothing to do with the recession we were in.

Look at the dot-com bust. Thousands of high-salary workers going unemployed when venture captalists et al. were funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into questionable start-up businesses. Those high-salaried positions were not easily replaced once the dot-com bust moved in. People were having to settle for even up to half their original salary. Also, that venture capital went nowhere!

As a result, you have people who formerly had much disposable income now with barely enough income to support their families.

It just snowballed from there.

 

[SuperTool]

Did Bush tell those Nascar dads how outsourcing their jobs is good for them? Or did he skip over that part?

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Did Bush tell those Nascar dads how outsourcing their jobs is good for them? Or did he skip over that part?

And john "internationalist" kerry is going make them more secure in their job? Pffftt.

CkG

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Did Bush tell those Nascar dads how outsourcing their jobs is good for them? Or did he skip over that part?

And john "internationalist" kerry is going make them more secure in their job? Pffftt.

CkG

Kerry's already pretty adept at outsourcing campaign financing to China!

 

[SuperTool]

Originally posted by: CADkindaGUY

Originally posted by: SuperTool
Did Bush tell those Nascar dads how outsourcing their jobs is good for them? Or did he skip over that part?

And john "internationalist" kerry is going make them more secure in their job? Pffftt.

CkG

We don't know that, but we do know how Bush administration feels on the issue. If your job is outsourced, you should feel happy that efficiency of our capitalist system has been improved while you suck on your thumb

 

[NetGuySC]

These outsourcing rants are coming from the same people that shop at WalMart for the "Low Low Prices"

The two are related you know ...Low Low prices at WalMart = Less and Less employed Americans.

Maybe once everyone decides to make a difference with their wallet, rather than just going online to rant about outsourcing, the exodus of American jobs will stop.

The majority of us showed our non-allegiance to American Products way before Bush took office.

Basically we are reaping what we have sewn...

 

[dirtboy]

Where was Kerry that day??? Oh yea, doing a photo op at a school.