Skip to comments.
NYT ed: Nascar's Swinging Voters (this year's 'soccer moms')
The New York Times ^
| 08/05/03
| editorial board
Posted on 08/04/2003 9:32:53 PM PDT by Pokey78
If you've got to have a gimmick in politics, Senator Bob Graham may have found the next big thing. Mr. Graham, one of a slew of Democrats running for president this year, has spent as much as $500,000 to help underwrite a souped-up Jack Roush pickup truck that has been screaming around some of Nascar's racetracks. After the Bob Graham Ford won a race in Kansas City, his campaign got thousands of dollars in free publicity as TV cameras followed the machine for a full victory lap.
Politicians nowadays are setting their sights on "Nascar dads," as opposed to the oh-so-yesterday "soccer moms." Political consultants have no end of ways to slice and dice the always desirable uncommitted voter. Last time, she was a waitress. This year, he's rooting for Jeff Gordon.
While the emergence of the "Nascar dad" might suggest that women have given up their position as queens of the gender gap, in fact the enormous Nascar audience itself has grown more female in recent years, as well as more middle class and less rural. The fans have a reputation for being fiercely independent, and there is nothing presidential candidates yearn for more fiercely than genuinely independent American voters ready to swing one way or the other at the drop of an argument, or perhaps a well-timed political pitch. Democrats are speculating that stock car aficionados are the very people whose jobs are in jeopardy in the sluggish Bush economy and whose families have been placed at risk by the administration's military pursuits overseas.
So far, Mr. Graham has been working the Nascar crowd harder than other politicians. Right now, he's doing better at the speedway than in the polls.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 2004; bobgraham; gimmicks; nascar; nascardads; redzone; soccermoms
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-24 next last
1
posted on
08/04/2003 9:32:53 PM PDT
by
Pokey78
To: Pokey78
Hmmm. Let's see.
Aren't the Democrooks and their trial lawyer shakedown buddies the ones who have attacked big tobacco and are trying to take it down?
What's the biggest prize in NASCAR? The Winston Cup. Doesn't seem to work. Let's vote for the pukes who are trying to destroy and/or impose politcal correctness on our favorite sport?
Are these DemoRats smoking something else besides highly taxed tobacco?
2
posted on
08/04/2003 9:44:22 PM PDT
by
MCH
To: MCH
You so right!
This whole thing is an absolute freakin' crock:
The fans have a reputation for being fiercely independent, and there is nothing presidential candidates yearn for more fiercely than genuinely independent American voters
No, no, NYT -- That is what the Democrats fear above ALL ELSE. Whatta buncha @#$%!
To: Pokey78; NormsRevenge; All
Hey Pokey that not first time I hear Demos try work NASCAR circuit Demos you still going lose
It is known fact that Kerry don't even who is Jeff Gordan or Dale Earhart Jr is
4
posted on
08/04/2003 9:56:44 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
(Not everybody in it for truth, justice, and the American way=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: Pokey78
Pokey that so true about NASCAR fans they are independant voters
They are family issue oriented so Bob Graham you still a loser
5
posted on
08/04/2003 9:58:02 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
(Not everybody in it for truth, justice, and the American way=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: Pokey78
Let me tell you this, I have been around some sort of racing all my life and at least 85% of Nascar Fans are conservative and probably 80% of all other race fans are conservatives. Sure any car owner will take Bob Graham's money to put his sorry name on the side of the car, but he isn't gonna win a bunch a votes from it.
All Georrge W. Bush will have to do is show up at Daytona next February and Bob Graham will wish he never sponsored anything connected to NASCAR The place will go wild in support of him and our troops. Clinton and Janet Reno going after the Tabacco industry will never be forgiven
6
posted on
08/04/2003 9:59:04 PM PDT
by
MJY1288
(The Enemies of America can Count on the Democrats for Aid and Comfort)
To: Pokey78
I saw Bob Graham in a duck blind the other day on espn, sure is courting the redneck vote.
To: Pokey78
Well I will give Graham credit for realizing that the democrat party has for all intent and purposes banned the white male from its ranks. This is just a gimmick that might get him some more votes.
8
posted on
08/04/2003 10:12:32 PM PDT
by
KC_Conspirator
(This space for rent)
To: MJY1288; All
OHH how about this
Remember back in da day Reagan went to NASCAR event do little sport annoucing on Campaign trail
Hey Ronnie was former sport caster he did good job on that
Also I remember when then Prez George Bush SR arrived at NASCAR event during 1988 election
NASCAR fans went crazy
I bet Dubya get same reaction from NASCAR fans reason is
Dubya is them
Well yeah he grew up in Texas
Bob Grahman is wantbe NASCAR Fan
Dubya is real deal
9
posted on
08/04/2003 10:19:36 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
(Not everybody in it for truth, justice, and the American way=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: Pokey78
has spent as much as $500,000 Can anyone verify this amount ( I think it's too low )? The reason I ask is because back in 1988, I worked for a candy factory. Jolly Rancher sponsored a car at the time and our company checked into trying the to do the same. Their research told them that $500,000 would only buy them their name on a car in minor circuits, no NASCAR or Bush Series ( types ) were to be had at that price. They were talking at least a million for any NASCAR type sponsorship in 1988 ( Winston Cup was more expensive ).
10
posted on
08/04/2003 10:19:41 PM PDT
by
Hillarys Gate Cult
("Read Hillary's hips. I never had sex with that woman.")
To: SevenofNine
Here is one for ya :-)
11
posted on
08/04/2003 10:30:10 PM PDT
by
MJY1288
(The Enemies of America can Count on the Democrats for Aid and Comfort)
To: razorback-bert
Hunting is not redneck,where do you get that from?
12
posted on
08/04/2003 10:33:11 PM PDT
by
noutopia
To: SevenofNine
I also remember when Beelzebubba was campaigning in '92 and rode on the coattails of Mark Martin through the Winston Cup garage......it was reported that the crews and lookers-on booed him, ignored him, refused to shake his hand, and even went so far as to call out "draft dodger". So, you see, they don't necessarily buy these phoney baloney politico's fake interest in the sport. Take their money? Hell yes. But they underestimate the intelligence of the average fan. NASCAR has been very supportive of our military endeavors, noted especially during the Gulf War and after our military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, so I doubt the common unwashed masses (no doubt as how the DNC candidates view NASCAR fans)will buy their spiel.
Whew. Where's the Tylenol?
13
posted on
08/04/2003 10:33:29 PM PDT
by
giznort
To: Hillarys Gate Cult
To be a primary sponsor of a Winston Cup car would cost you about 3 million a year. Bob Graham is a co-sponsor of a Busch Series car. That deal probably cost him about $250,000.00 for the rest of the season
14
posted on
08/04/2003 10:37:50 PM PDT
by
MJY1288
(The Enemies of America can Count on the Democrats for Aid and Comfort)
To: MJY1288; All
BTW Dale SRRRR meet with Ronnie before the Race
YEAHHHH
So he meeting with Dubya in this pic but back in da day he met with Ronnie
Ronnie could hang out with NASCAR reason hey dude start out as sport announcer COME ON this before Warner bros days way before
That how Ronnie got discover
15
posted on
08/04/2003 10:40:57 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
(Not everybody in it for truth, justice, and the American way=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: giznort
OH YEAH that is true back in da day Clinton did campaign he got boo LOLOL!
Rack NASCAR folks race car driver
OH GOD AS IF
16
posted on
08/04/2003 10:43:13 PM PDT
by
SevenofNine
(Not everybody in it for truth, justice, and the American way=Det Lennie Briscoe)
To: Pokey78
I know lots of NASCAR fans. None of them or liberals or democrats. None. Not one.
To: Pokey78
Great- please keep posting articles from the New York Times. If conservatives keep flocking to NYT like fleas to dung, I guess there goes any campaign to delegitimize it.
To: JennysCool
I noticed that line also - no offense to NASCAR fans, but what kind of a weird conclusion is that? Can the same be said of baseball fans? football fans? Well, maybe Jets fans. :-) WWE fans? Truth is, I am a fan of (almost) all the above, but I can't say that any area's fans have a notable tendency to being fiercly independent.
This article is a big zero - I don't figure conspiracy, I figure somewriter was way past deadline and had to hand in something, fast!
19
posted on
08/04/2003 11:37:21 PM PDT
by
HitmanLV
(I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.)
To: jagrmeister
Know thine enemy, right? (w!)
20
posted on
08/04/2003 11:50:22 PM PDT
by
SAJ
(Trust government, any government, and you're digging your own grave)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-20, 21-24 next last
Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson