To start, in your #35 to me you wrote:
Let us hope when you get home you can come up with something more substantive than an ad_hominem.
Now, from long experience in communications, I know that someone like you with so adamant, entrenched a conviction will not be swayed by anything that doesn't dovetail with your point of view. However, other people read these threads, so the facts I'm going to post are for them to consider should they be of a mind to do so.
In your Post #25, you categorically state:
Rick Hendrick gave $1 million to Bill Clinton’s Foundation thus earning him a Presidential pardon. In my book, that makes him a "Clintonista."
Hate to break it to you, fideist, but despite your certitude, you are 100% wrong about that. Rick Hendrick never paid a dime to Bill Clinton or his foundation. Heck, this is so easy to refute, that I'm going to cite sources that are thoroughly anti-Clinton -- and, by extension, anti anyone he pardoned, including Rick Hendrick. There are many sources on the internet for this information, but I'm going to cite references in our own FreeRepublic.
A search in FR's archives for 'Rick Hendrick Clinton' yields the articles at this link.
You will note the info in these sources (and many others on the internet) makes it clear: Despite ANY evidence, rabid partisans implied that a $500,000 gift from the Bank of America Foundation to the Clinton Library was tied to the Hendrick pardon. Why? Because Rick had been on the Board of Directors of a smaller regional bank purchase by Bank of America. Guilt by association -- a favorite trick of demagogues on all sides of the political divide.
As I said, fideist, I'll let readers of this post make up their own minds. However, I'll note that you mixed up the BofA Foundation with the Clinton foundation, and stretched $500,000 to $1,000,000. And I'll note that the Congressional investigations of these pardons turned up zero evidence of any wrongdoing by Rick Hendrick or the BofA Foundation.
Next:
Rick Hendrick happens to be a registered Republican. He is also a businessman and, like thousands, if not millions of businessmen around the country, he sometimes contributes to the campaigns of Republicans and Democrats. Here is a link to a 2005 USA Today article which shows that in the 2004 election year, Rick contributed comparatively small sums to both a Republican and a Democrat campaign. You'll also note in the same article that Bill and Betty France, Roger Penske, Brian France, and Chip Ganassi all did likewise, despite the fact that some 90% of NASCAR political contributions go to Republicans. (There is a similar list which shows that Dale Earnhardt Sr. contributed 80% to Republicans, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson 100%, and Dale Junior zero to either party.)
As for your viewpoint that someone pardoned by Bill Clinton means they are a "Clintonista," that can't be refuted because it's your belief. However, I'm glad to note that the Founders who wrote the United States Constitution heartily disagree with you.
Now, as to your extraordinarily presumptuous claim:
Junior is a traitor to the company his father and Theresa created. It was his and Theresa's job to work out their differences. Junior abandoned the mission, that makes him a traitor in my book.
I see that, in addition to all your other qualities -- so ably displayed by you in your posts -- you arrogate to yourself the ability to channel Senior's ghost. So let me get this straight. In your world, any child whose father builds a business is to be enslaved by and forced to run the business after the old man retires or passes on. (Hmmmmm...should I ask if that only goes for sons? Only sons who have the old man's name? Only sons of famous racing icons? Only sons of famous racing icons because fideist was a fan of the old man?)
So it is fedist's edict that such boy children are not entitled to their own lives, but must live out the dead father's life instead. Charming worldview you have there, fedist.
FYI: I just noticed that the link to the FR search page with the Hendrick pardon articles does not “stick.” You’ll have to select “Archive” in the first field (vs. “Quick”) and then click the search button. Then you’ll see the articles.
Bravo Wolfstar.
It’s unfortunate that some folks need to spout irresponsible claims. Most say ignore those type of posts, but I feel there are others who may read lies written on the internet about others and then believe them to be true. Thus, continuing that kind of misinformed garbage on other forums.
I am so tired of Rick Hendrick being castigated over and over. It needs to be put to rest once and for all and you hopefully have done that.
Now, as for Jr.
I agree with you when you ask does he have to remain at a place his father owned, no matter what? He needed to leave the nest and be his own man, no more being compared to the old man over and over and over. He has said it was a very difficult decision, but one he had to make for reasons we may never know. We do know, he said they sold bits and pieces of him many times over and he honored that only because he honors his father. But, when there was no give and take and they could not agree on the direction of the company to make it viable he felt it was time to leave. And, as I have had to say before that is his perogative.
There has to be a damn good reason Tony Eury Sr is now working at JRM.
It was reported yesterday that all merchandising for Jr will happen through JRM. He said previously the PTB at the old place had more than 70 that he was contracted to in some form or other. He wants to keep it VERY small beginning with Sony and Adidas. I have corresponded with the VP over at JRM and she was instrumental in putting those two together for him. Yes SHE, lol........Kelley and Thayer are instrumental in Jr’s business his future and his life.
He is his own man and one his father would be very proud of.
I thank you for your honest and truthful debate here.
And thanks to all who did stand up for truth here.
I have no real dog in this fight, but I think that you're whitewashing this a bit by implying there's no connection between Rick Hendrick and Hugh McColl, Jr., other than the former was a director of a bank that the latter purchased.
...smaller regional bank...
It was the third-largest bank in the country at that time! And although it took on the name "Bank of America," it was actually NationsBank that bought BankAmerica in the deal. And who was the Chairman of NationsBank while Rick Hendrick was a director? Hugh McColl. Who became Chairman and CEO of Bank of America? Hugh McColl. Who is a longtime political ally of Bill Clinton? Hugh McColl.
Hugh McColl also wrote a letter to President Clinton recommending a pardon for Rick Hendrick, and--as chairman and CEO of Bank of America--announced a $500,000 donation toward the Clinton library immediately prior to the pardon. While BoA has also donated toward other libraries and the donation itself might be unrelated, it would be disingenuous to simply dismiss any connection between the pardon and Hugh McColl, considering the letter.
My interest in the sport is what happens on the track...and I am not defending fideist's posts...but I just had to comment that this seemed a bit too far in the other direction.