American Politics Journal -- NASCAR Family Values?



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Guest Editorial:
NASCAR Family Values?
You want an idea of what Bush considers "real family entertainment?"

by Bongo Fury

Tuesday, July 4, 2000 -- The Carolinas (AmpolNS) -- A couple of days ago, this news item caught my attention:

Bush Greets NASCAR Racers, Fans
by David Royse
Associated Press Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - George W. Bush's race for the presidency made a brief pit stop in the world of car racing Saturday night, as he came here to shake hands with NASCAR fans, racing crews and drivers - people he said "work for a living."
The world of stock car racing is made up of "very good Americans," the Texas governor said. As he walked around the garage area, crews took short breaks from getting cars ready for the Pepsi 400, a night race, to greet him.
"They not only talk about family values, they live it," Bush said.
"These are the people that work for a living, he said over the din of country music as he looked around the garage area. "This is America."
After greeting fans, Bush sat in on the pre-race driver's meeting, taking a seat in the front row next to driver Dale Earnhardt.
Bush told the drivers that they were important in a country "starved for role models."

OK!!

STOP!!

Hold the phone on that story right there!!

Have any of you actually ever BEEN to a NASCAR race?? I have. Many times. Not because I am a fan, but since I currently live in the south (near Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, NC now and formerly just a short drive to Darlington Motor Speedway in Darlington, SC and Myrtle Beach Speedway). NASCAR is almost unavoidable. Hell, there's a NASCAR-sanctioned Dirt Track within earshot.

It's an "interesting" experience to say the least. For the most part, it is a near-exclusively white crowd. Redneck white, much like the GOP. The parking lots surrounding the track is a sea of Confederate Battle Flags and various driver flags, Dale "If you can't beat 'em, wreck 'em" Earnhardt fans almost always sport both. Country Music or the Southern Rock of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" blast from the speakers wired into the backs of pickup trucks. Beer and hard liquor flow like the Amazon during the rainy season. The number of beers on the premises frequently outnumber the total number of natural teeth. It's a real "Family Values" scenario.

Now we go inside the track. It is the ONLY "sporting event" I have EVER attended that permitted each and every patron to carry in their own cooler of whatever beverage they chose. You'll see on TV where fans are being stopped at the gates and their coolers are being searched. But what is actually happening is the coolers are being measured (14" maximum) to ensure that they will fit under your seat. And they are searched to ensure that you aren't bringing in any glass containers. After all, haven't we all had enough of those pesky broken beer bottle brawls?? Hard liquor in plastic containers is perfectly ok. At some events, like "The Winston" at Lowes Motor Speedway near Charlotte, free cigarettes are also handed out like Hari Krishna pamphlets in a busy airport.

So after spending from hours to literally days drinking in the parking lot to the fragrant aroma of smoldering rope, we are ready to go sit in the hot sun and drink for another 4 or 5 hours watching a bunch of white guys drive around in a circle. And regardless of what they'll tell you, EVERYONE wants to see someone crash.

Then anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 fans all get in their cars and drive home.

Real Family Entertainment.

Vote Gore.

I can't take an Inaugural Ball with Homer and Jethro headlining.