Obama, NASCAR Sponsor?

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this one. Via Sports Illustrated:

SI.com has learned that for the first time in history, a major presidential candidate may sponsor a race car in NASCAR's premiere series. According to sources, Barack Obama's campaign is in talks to become the primary sponsor of BAM Racing's No. 49 Spring Cup car for the Pocono race on August 3. Details of the agreement are expected to be worked out over the coming days.

I learned of this story today while visiting an old friend, Erik Rydholm, whose company now the produces ESPN's show "Pardon the Interruption." During the taping of the show, which I was fortunate to watch in the DC control room, host Michael Wilbon was asked if he had any problem with the Obama/NASCAR union.
Wilbon didn't, noting that Obama is a big time sports fan.

Obama is also an incredibly smart politician. More on the deal from SI:

A BAM spokesperson has revealed the team will hold a press conference July 23 in Miami to reveal the partnership, currently a proposed one-race deal with an option to continue. Obama will be at the briefing, which will be tied to the "Get Out The Vote" campaign message he spread throughout the 2008 primary season.

Racing sources claim one of the options being considered would allow individual campaign donors to get their name on the race car for as little as $100.

Shrewd. What I like is that, as with evangelicals, Obama is not content to cede the playing filed to the Republican nominee. John Kerry was pretty hopeless on that score back in '04. The potential downside of such a maneauver? The charge of callous vote mongering. Still, it's a preemptive strike. We can only wait for McCain to announce his sponsorship of a wind-surfing team in retaliation.