From Crooks & Liars: NASCAR as Seen from the Left

[SeattleGirl]

What is it about NASCAR that divides the left and the right possibly more bitterly than universal health care, Blackwater, or Fox News?

Last month, a Democratic staffer with the House Committee on Homeland Security who works for committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss), sent out an email to colleagues regarding an ‘unusual need for whomever attending to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B,’ as well as ‘the more normal things — tetanus, diphtheria, and of course, seasonal influenza,’ – more than is necessary to visit Haiti – advising them to be thoroughly immunized before heading south from Washington and into the Red State wilderness of NASCAR country to conduct research at Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway and North Carolina's Lowe's Motor Speedway, where the Bank of America 500 was run Saturday.

This sparked a clash that has again highlighted the woeful ignorance of far too many on the left of just who it is they’re maligning, while feeding ammunition to the GOP keen to score points against their Democratic rivals. Representative Robin Hayes (R-Ala) retorted, ‘I have never heard of immunizations for domestic travel, and ... I feel compelled to ask why the heck the committee feels that immunizations are needed to travel to my hometown.’ Dr. David Weber, a professor of medicine and public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (political affiliation unknown) asked, ‘What do they know about NASCAR that we don't?’

Once again, the erroneous stereotype of NASCAR fans is being perpetuated as a rowdy mob of unwashed, unshaven, uncouth, uneducated, inbred, toothless, drunken, shirtless, Confederate flag tattooed, Chevy pickup drivin’, gun-totin’, tabakky-spittin’, beer-belly scratchin’ redneck hillbillies all yelling ‘show us yer tits’ at every woman who walks through the stands. Oh, and they all vote Republican, of course.

Full post here: http://nthemouse.blogspot.com/2007/10/nascar-seen-from-left.html

[Justitia]

1. .

http://www.wickedsunshine.com/WagePeace/Election2004/Images/AwJeez,NotThisShitAgain!.jpg

[NYVet]

2. Exactly...

Other than as political hay for the Republicans, is there a meaning for this article?

[SeattleGirl]

3. Perhaps if you read it.....

[DaveJ]

4. I went to one of those races once

Someone gave us tickets. Fifty dollars apiece seems expensive to me, so I wouldn't spend that money myself, but I got a very American feeling at the event and not a Right wing feeling.

It seemed to me like a carnival, and on the way out we were approached by some traveling follower and his dad who said they did not even have money to eat. I dunno, that's what I thought of when I saw the statement about getting shots. I can sort of understand it.

[superkia]

8. I have been to plenty and never seen anything wrong with them.

I can tell you that I have not only watched the races but stayed the weekend in campgrounds partying with people that couldn't have been nicer, slept in the parking lot of one in a tent (parking lot gridlock, gave up) and never have I witnessed the poor man family thing? I haven't been in a few years but I know allot of people from the corporate office of our company that now enjoy them and are also a small sponsor and these are the people that would definitely not be there if it were so bad or dirty, Im talking suit and tie, Im better than you people with their Mercedes Benz sport utilities. I would love to know why these precautions were offered, in the many races I have been to I haven't seen any reason to feel that way.

[SeattleGirl]

9. I've been to three races, all in Vegas.

It was a blast, especially the last two times when we sat in the 3rd row. Except at one of them, my favorite driver, Kasey Kahne, crashed into the wall right in front of us. x(

[BeFree]

5. NASCAR

I'm really gonna miss NASCAR races. There is something about the wrecks that draw my attention and interest. Of course since I hardly drive any more and am not subjected to nearly as many crashes in my life, that may be why. I dunno. It can be quite thrilling driving the interstate, eh?

But when the SHTFan, Nascar will be one of the first to go.

[TalkingDog]

6. I find it amusing because:

I'm a born and bred Red Dirt Love Goddess. My mother used to hang around with the Jr. Johnson crowd back when they were running moonshine.

When I was 3 or 4 we got stopped on the drive from Booneville (near Winston-Salem) to Statesville to visit grandma because the Highway Patrol had noticed my mother's souped-up car (she was a gear-head) and figured she was running shine. They literally told her they had been noticing her for a few weeks driving back and forth and figured the kids (my sister and me) were just the cover story.

Then Jr. and Co. got all respectable and started going around in circles for a living.

We are New Deal Democrats. Although my granddad, the sharecropper, did actually vote for Ike that once.

The Spousal Unit is from Pittsburgh. Mixed marriage, Dad: from management, Mom: from union supporters.

The Spousal Unit rejected both the Catholic Church and the Union Busting, but since he was a wee pup has been fascinated with NASCAR. Me, I could literally care less.

On the plus side, it did give him something to talk to his Mother-in-Law about as she was a huge fan too.

I know fellows with necks so red they could piss off a bull. They think NASCAR is for "Jeff Gordon queers" and good ol' boy wanna-be's. I also know many banker types who think NASCAR is the best thing since sliced bread.

If anything screws us in this election it will be Beltway thinking. As FSF said: "The Rich are different from you and me." They seem to have trouble comprehending the basic humanity of the people they "represent" and whose money pays their meager salaries.


My Favorite Master Artist: Karen Parker GhostWoman Studios

[SeattleGirl]

10. My mom (and dad) were drivers on the local stock car circuit

near Eugene. My mom actually won more races than my dad.

As to the Beltway, I wish they would take their heads outta their asses and actually REPRESENT the people who elected them (and even those who didn't).

[Maq]

7. this pic sums it up

[SeattleGirl]

11. Pfffftttt!

Jenna's too drunk to drive.

[Larkspur]

12. My favorite NASCAR driver is Jeff Gordon

and he was born in California and raised in Indiana.

I'm not an avid fan of NASCAR but do watch it because my girlfriend is an avid NASCAR driver. I do like the information about how cars work that is done during the races.

[depakid]

13. "vaccinated against hepatitis A"

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/a/vax/index.htm

Oddly enough, hepatitis A rates are much higher in the West- and pretty damn low in Nascar country.

Not sure why that is- could be it's the moonshine.

:hide:

[tom_paine]

14. Joe Bageant writes about this sort of with unique insight

www.joebageant.com