President Obama talks...NASCAR

It's great when our U.S. presidents make themselves available to the media, all media. But, really, does a president need to be questioned by an ESPN reporter about NASCAR?

Wednesday afternoon President Obama appeared live on the ESPN2 show "NASCAR Now." The show originated from the White House because three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was being honored for, well, being a NASCAR champion, on the South Lawn of the White House.

"NASCAR Now" host Nicole Manske and talented analyst Brad Daugherty grilled our president about who might win the Sprint Cup championship this year and what he thought about Johnson. We were rewarded with a penetrating answer to that question that included the quote: "He looks like a pretty young guy." Johnson will be 34 next month so he's not technically that young in the sport. But our president doesn't really need to know the ages of race car drivers, though his researchers might have prepped him.

But if our president is going to allow two reporters to ask seven consecutive questions (the followup question(s) is a luxury any White House reporter would love to have and almost never gets) about something and appear on our largest all-sports cable network live during a working day, one would have hoped said president would have maybe had first-hand experience with said sport.

Here is the last probing question the "NASCAR Now" panel asked:

"When are we going to get you to a race?"

The answer:

"I would love to do it. I was supposed to do it during the campaign but we just ended up having to travel too much and we weren't able to devote the amount of time that I wanted to. Hopefully sometime during my presidency I'm going to get out there."

So that seems to mean President Obama hasn't been to a NASCAR race? Ever? If only there could have been one more followup question. Would it have been mean to ask, "So, Mr. President, you'll go to a NASCAR race when you think you might need some votes?" OK, maybe a little mean.

-- Diane Pucin

Photo: President Barack Obama and 2008 Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson at the White House today. Photo credit: Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press.

Comments

[John Daly]

Diane,

Each season the NASCAR guys visit the White House, not unlike the Super Bowl or NCAA Basketball champs. It just so happens that NASCAR has a daily news show on ESPN2 called "NASCAR Now."

The President did the normal short speech and pictures with NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson but then took a couple of minutes to appear on the ESPN2 show.

Two good reasons for President Obama taking a moment to talk NASCAR were contained in his comments that you chose to omit. Ultimately, NASCAR is about selling American made cars and is a uniquely American brand of sports.

While he may not be a day-to-day fan, taking time to acknowledge the link between the American auto industry and NASCAR while confirming his support for both was simply the right thing to do.

Thank you for letting me submit this comment.

[spark240]

Why isn't Jimmie Johnson wearing a flag pin on his lapel?

[Chris]

With the exception of Toyota.....

[Ken Durham]

While I respect your right to express your opinion in what I admit is your column I submit the same question you put to the president about his choice of getting involved with Nascar.
It's great when our U.S. reporters express their opinions on a subject they know nothing about but, really, does a columnist need to report on an event they know nothing about?
With that being said why would you comment on the president’s choice in supporting the number one spectator sport in the United States of America?
Thanks for the opportunity to post a comment,
Ken

[tomjones]

Diane, what's up with the tone of this whole post? It's way too negative for such a superficial report.

Seems like you have a chip on your shoulder. Why might that be?

[Terry]

He could have made some mention about Nascar's Drive to Diversity program, or The Victory Junction, for starters. Even though he might only show up for voters, you would think he would have people who could inform him a little bit.

[Bridget]

I think the president was just as confused as I am as to why ESPN, a sports netowork, is interviewing him about ... NASCAR.

[Karen McClenney]

I fell in love with NASCAR one year before D. E. Sr. passed away. What captured my interest was the fact that this huge organization allowed a minister to pray and allowed him to say 'in the name of Jesus we pray'. Baby, I was hooked!!!
I am a woman of color, in my fifties.
Now, if my President wants to go see a race, please let him!! Even if he could just give those four famous words in racing!
We could use a lil' mo' color. If that's not a good enough reason, the ratings people, the ratings!!!

[Brian]

To get votes? Obama knows NASCAR is a conservative white male sport. If he showed up the fans would probably think the government just took over the sport (which is losing fans rapidly).

[Dirk]

This is a rare instance of the so-called liberal media actually being elitist. I live in the Northeast and care nothing for NASCAR, but apparently a great deal of Americans are passionate about it. Really, what's the harm?

[DanOregon]

The President is the President of the all the United States, and all of the people. Not just the people who voted for them or who supported him. I appreciate that about President Obama. Apparently there wasn't a single person from NASCAR who donated to his campaign.
I'd like to think the President came away with a better appreciation for NASCAR and vice versa. He really ought to check out the Bristol race.
He deserves credit for hosting the biggest NASCAR event ever at The White House, which as he's said before, is everybody's house.

[rob]

I seem to remember Obama talking about how the sport began. Hmm Obama, I think that it started from out running THE FEDS!!!!

Obama needs to stop his campaign and stop making people want to kill each other at town hall meetings...

Even worse, ESPN eats this crap up day and night...

Excellent post Diane!

[Richard]

You're right -- it is a little mean. Why?

[Kauri oliveira]

Sports have come a long way in the business world, profability,however importance of such elitist sport falls short of a demanding attention apresident has,and to use his time for promotion is ridiculous and unfair to the pressing issues at hand. You do not need to be a Von brown to see that.

[Brian McCarthy]

Great answer John! Even though I am a strong Republican you had the right answer here.

[CR747]

BOY, THIS IS SCARRY. WONDER IF HE EVEN KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE. HE HAS NO BUSINESS TALKING NASCAR. BEFORE YOU KNOW IT , IT WILL BE GOVERNMENT CONTROLED.

[Jeff Adams]

Maybe he should pay some attention to the economy, the deficit HE has furthered, and health care costs he is proposing to INCREASE through gvt intervention. How about helping people instead of the auto and banking industry?

[Geosota]

I am no NASCAR fan - to me it's the American cricket - but I am tuned in enough to know that the president has a problem with this crowd. He comes from a background which considers NASCAR fans as dumb and marginal while they are actually neither. His edict that GM & Chrysler discontinue their NASCAR programs made relatively little MSM noise, but it did arouse considerable negative sentiment in the fan-base, which is large. How many participants at the vociferous August town-halls were NASCAR fans? Judging by the beer-guts in the videos, I would guess quite a few. Does the president have a problem with these voters? Most definitely.

[Boiney]

What a bunch of crap. Nobama is trying to go after the NASCAR group and then can't answer the questions, idiot.
This reminds of the answers he can't come with for the Health Care Reform....just ridiculous