Don't assume all NASCAR equates to Republican

Appearing to be a man of fairness, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France invited both presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama, to experience a NASCAR race this season.

Republican McCain showed up at New Hampshire while his wife, Cindy, also appeared at Pocono.

But the Democrats and Obama were no shows. A story surfaced in July that Obama's campaign agreed to sponsor a Sprint Cup car, BAM's No. 49, but for reasons unknown the arrangement was canceled. They chose to send their message of change through other channels.

Was it because the engine in the car was made by Toyota, or was it because the chosen driver has donated to Republican campaigns including President George W. Bush's in 2004? Maybe he just wasn't ready to "trade paint" with McCain.

Your guess is as good as mine here, but I'm going to presume that Obama's brain trust chose to end associations with NASCAR, because the sport shares the same stereotypes as Republicans.

If that's the case, shame on Obama's campaign. Apparently their think tank is running low.

If you do your homework about NASCAR's fan base, you know that it's a diverse and loyal group of people coming from all walks of life and economic backgrounds.

Certainly the roots are southern and the sport was built by the hands of working-class men known for putting God and country first, but that doesn't mean the sport hasn't evolved and it doesn't mean that only registered, straight-ticket voting Republicans are welcome.

"I hope it's not," said Jeff Burton, Sprint Cup driver and unofficial spokesman for the sport. "I would like to think that we make our decisions based on what's best for us as individuals and what's best for the country and that could change from being a Democrat to a Republican ever so often. Certainly this has been a heavily conservative garage for a long time, but I would by no means say it's unpopular if you were not a conservative, if you were a Democrat. I hope that's the case ... I don't think it's unpopular to be a Democrat."

In the 2004 presidential election, both Democratic candidate Al Gore and President Bush were very interested in NASCAR as the group "NASCAR dads" was discovered and quickly coveted. This election may be more focused on hockey moms, due in part to Sarah Palin's (McCain's vice presidential running mate) quip, but NASCAR is still an influential group of people that should be considered.

The sport -- and the Republican Party for those concerned -- should not be held to perpetuated stereotypes.

Busting those stereotypes and breaking down the myths to inform the voting public is author S.E. Cupp in her recent book, Why You're Wrong About the Right with Brett Joshpe. The young professional living in Manhattan spent three years writing a book proving 20 different Republican stereotypes wrong. In Chapter 5, one of the myths states: Republicans are NASCAR Loving Rednecks: The Myth of the Conservative Hick.

From S.E. Cupp

"Maybe it's not that NASCAR dads should be renamed, but that the description of them should be expanded to more accurately represent the sport's wild and wide popularity, which isn't limited to a certain economic, social or geographic group."

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The book defends against this stereotype and debunks short-sighted opinions about the fan base. Cupp diligently collected research and spent time with Tony Stewart in 2005, while the driver celebrated his second championship in New York. She also attended a handful of races and compiled demographic information.

"The voting tendencies of NASCAR fans are very close, they vote 35 percent Republican and 28 percent Democratic," Cupp said. "My point is that we should redefine the voting segment of the [NASCAR] population. It's not just men and not just dads, and not all working middle class. NASCAR is far too diverse to characterize in any kind of summary terms."

More or less, the NASCAR garage and its fans can be likened to Virginia, a new swing state this year in part because of a population boom in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, where moderate urban voters are moving in large numbers. Virginia hasn't gone for a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964.

So what does this mean? It means Obama better make a stop at Martinsville Speedway in October and take France up on his offer.

"Reaching out to the NASCAR fan is prudent," Cupp said. "But they can't be summed up in easy sound bites and voting demographics."

The so-called NASCAR dads deserve another look. Collectively, they are affluent women, intellectual corporate types managing Fortune 500 companies, and red-carpet celebrities. They are a group not to be defined by stereotypes, and like a swing state, can help put you in the White House.

"The whole NASCAR dads mania is certainly flattering and a complement to our sport. It acknowledges a national fan base that's a large and growing segment of the electorate, an electorate politicians want to woo. It is sometimes disappointing when some people stereotype NASCAR fans," said Andrew Giangola, director of business communications for NASCAR.

"The point is our fan base is much closer to a cross section of the whole electorate than to any narrow block. They represent all points of the income, race and political spectrum. There are a lot of NASCAR moms out there, too."

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.

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