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Dems Ditch NASCAR
Wall Street Journal ^ | 2/22/11 | John Fund

Posted on 02/22/2011 2:51:27 PM PST by rhema

Democrats have apparently given up on the NASCAR vote. Several of the party's House members are backing an amendment to the fiscal 2011 budget that would block any Pentagon money from going towards the sponsorship of stock-car racing as part of the military's marketing efforts.

It wasn't so long ago that Democrats actively courted NASCAR fans. They became all the rage after Democrat Mark Warner won the Virginia governorship in 2001 partly on the basis of his assiduous attendance at NASCAR races. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrats were hunting down "NASCAR dads" (mostly Southern white males) for votes the way Republican were angling to secure the support of "soccer moms" in the 2000 election. But John Kerry, the party's 2004 presidential nominee, fell flat both in the South and with NASCAR fans, and Democratic interest in the demographic waned.

It apparently has hit rock bottom now. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat, wants to yank $7 million a year in Pentagon funding for NASCAR sponsorships, despite a strong overlap between enthusiasm for the sport and areas where large numbers of young people volunteer for the military. Surveys have found that one out of every three members of the military is a NASCAR fan.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; US: Minnesota
KEYWORDS: democrats; mccollum; nascar
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To: Forgotten Amendments
“Good for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE don't tell me there's “conservatives” who think that was a good idea!”

I agree. I have no problem with the Military buying recruiting commercials during NASCAR events. But they should not be sponsoring drivers.

21 posted on 02/22/2011 3:16:54 PM PST by CapnJack
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To: rhema

Trade...NASCAR for WIC


22 posted on 02/22/2011 3:22:11 PM PST by screaminsunshine (34 States)
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To: rhema

So, is she (and all of you who agree with her) in favor of stopping all Federal government advertising payments to CBS/NBC/ABC/CNN etc.

I seem to remember a lot of TV and radio ads for the military and other Federal departments.

I’ll be that the cost of TV ads FAR exceeds the $7 million figure.


23 posted on 02/22/2011 3:22:45 PM PST by BwanaNdege
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To: I cannot think of a name
Bankrupt GM has a ton of TV commercials for every NASCAR race. They are there with TV ads during the Camper World Truck Races, The Nationwide Races and The Sprint Cup Series Races.

Obama put the screws to the bondholders, gave GM to the unions and made the big loans that will never be replayed.

Government Motors then spends tens of millions on NASCAR and GM's TV ads, do we hear one word from congress about that spending?

Betty McCollum and the liberals hate the US Military or NASCAR or both as told by their actions and words.

24 posted on 02/22/2011 3:24:46 PM PST by TYVets (Pure-Gas.org ..... ethanol free gasoline by state and city)
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To: rarestia

Great response. Wish all libtards could hear your comment.


25 posted on 02/22/2011 3:26:39 PM PST by sanjuanbob
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To: TYVets
Government Motors then spends tens of millions on NASCAR and GM's TV ads, do we hear one word from congress about that spending? Betty McCollum and the liberals hate the US Military or NASCAR or both as told by their actions and words.

If Dems didn't constantly practice double standards, they'd have no standards at all.

26 posted on 02/22/2011 3:28:32 PM PST by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: Jack Black

Pentagon NASCAR participation is advertising for them. The Pentagon does not spend this money because they like cars. They do it to get recruits and get their name out there in a positive light.

Shall we stop them from running radio spots, TV spots, magazine ads?

Renting spots in malls? How about sponsoring air shows? Shut down these wasteful air shows!

We could save even more than $7M if we did all these things!

I’ll bet the military TV ad budget is bigger than 7Mil and does not buy the same coverage as NASCAR (they have drag rails too, you know).

If we let this go through, you can bet that other forms of military advertising will be next. Gosh, why would dems be against outreach and advertising by the military they love so much? Must be purely budget consciousness, eh?


27 posted on 02/22/2011 3:30:35 PM PST by DBrow
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To: DBrow
If we let this go through, you can bet that other forms of military advertising will be next. Gosh, why would dems be against outreach and advertising by the military they love so much? Must be purely budget consciousness, eh?

The DNC position: "We don't really need actual "fighters," do we? Couldn't we just entrust our security to these redoubtable peacekeepers?"


28 posted on 02/22/2011 3:36:19 PM PST by rhema ("Break the conventions; keep the commandments." -- G. K. Chesterton)
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To: rarestia

Don’t disagree with you, but we have bigger fish to fry. Let the Democrats have Pyrrhic victories while the GOP gets something accomplished for a change.


29 posted on 02/22/2011 4:13:36 PM PST by yup2394871293
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To: rarestia

The Army is used by blacks and hispanics and any other group as a way to move up or get out.
You ever been to Canute, Oklahoma?
Car broke down there in 68.
Went through there again in 2009.
I’d do anything to get out or do serious drugs if I were there forever.
And there are a whole lot of Canute, Oklahomas.
And a whole lot of folks wanting to move up.


30 posted on 02/22/2011 4:18:04 PM PST by Joe Boucher ((FUBO))
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To: rhema
I have no problem with the sponsorship in drag racing, but the circle deal is a waste of money.
31 posted on 02/22/2011 4:33:34 PM PST by org.whodat
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To: paul51
“How do we know that. If it is so, why isn't the evidence put forth to make the argument?”

I'm not going to wade through it, but yes that is public knowledge. It is buried in all the available data about Pentagon spending. There is a number for how much each recruit cost in advertising, and whether the number is increasing or decreasing. And yes, every use goes against a “metric” of results.

Many years ago the military sponsored several cars in NHRA drag racing. There was lots of complaining when they stopped. But it was simple - the results stopped so the money stopped.

I noticed that congresswoman dingbat said nothing about the money spent advertising on MTV - and yes there is LOTS of it. A friend of mine was complaining about that some years back. As I told him, where should it go, to “The Military Channel”? Who watches that? Well I do for one, and so do most of my friends. But why would you spend money on a channel that has mostly 50 and 60 year old ex-military viewers? None of us are going to join again unless the age and medical standards get relaxed - a bunch.

Ultimately the rules of advertising are the same, no matter what you are selling. You have a target audience, and you buy head count. And that's true whether it's NASCAR, or Two and a Half Men, or even MTV. You have to spend the money where you get the results.

32 posted on 02/22/2011 4:37:55 PM PST by I cannot think of a name
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To: HiTech RedNeck

“but are these chaps really ignorant of the existence and purpose of the American armed forces until “OMG! the Air Force logo is on that car!”

How many people do you think you can find that have never heard of “Coke”? Yet they will spend about 300 million next year on advertising.

Almost sorry to say it, but advertising does work. We tend to buy what we see. That’s why people like Coke, and Home Depot, and IBM, and Ford, and Chevy, and etc, etc, etc will continue to spend BILLIONS on advertising.


33 posted on 02/22/2011 4:44:49 PM PST by I cannot think of a name
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To: rarestia

They would rather spend that 7 Million at a gay pride parade for recruiting apparently.


34 posted on 02/22/2011 4:59:34 PM PST by castlegreyskull
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To: laweeks
I agree . . . what the hell are we funding them for . . . I’m a devout Tea Partier . . . all politics aside, what do we give them a dime for? What am I missing?

What you're missing is they're not doing it for charity to Nascar, it's to advertize, the same reason all the other sponsors are on the cars. The military outbid others to sponsor a car, and then used that sponsorship for recruitment, the same as a TV commercial. You can debate whether or not the sponsorship was successful in recruitment, dollar for dollar compared to expenditures on traditional commercials, but it certainly wasn't charity, it was a business decision.

35 posted on 02/22/2011 5:15:04 PM PST by Partisan Gunslinger
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To: HiTech RedNeck
They sponsor or spend money from other departments beside the military services. Here's one promoting the Census 2010.


36 posted on 02/22/2011 6:04:18 PM PST by deport
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To: rhema

I can’t say I blame the Dems on this one, given the way they tow each other around the track. It’s really annoying.


37 posted on 02/22/2011 6:04:23 PM PST by BobL (PLEASE READ: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2657811/posts)
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To: deport
The amendment was defeated on Friday of last week.


38 posted on 02/22/2011 6:11:34 PM PST by deport
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To: SunTzuWu
It's called 'advertising' folks. How much do you think the military spends on TV commercials, billboards, radio, magazines etc... It sounds like the NASCAR crowd is a prime source for recruits and this is money well spent.

The dems aren't proposing to cut this for fiscal reasons. They know it's a heavily republican crowd and NASCAR fans are very pro military.

Thank you!

it took 20 posts for someone to point this out, and you did it well.

39 posted on 02/22/2011 7:30:22 PM PST by digger48
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To: deport

Surely the IRS has a car or two.


40 posted on 02/23/2011 12:53:05 AM PST by oyez (The difference in genius and stupidity is that genius has limits.)
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