Is He a Good Driver? 

Radio Blogger rants about NASCAR drivers and their support of certain presidential candidates:

On the good side, a whole bunch of really good people, including former Cup champion, NASCAR legend and Fox Sports broadcaster Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, Geoffrey Bodine, Brendan Gaughan, Jeff Green, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Joe Nemechek, Kyle Petty, Ken Schrader, Brian Vickers, and Rusty Wallace.
...
Nine of the ten top drivers in the chase to the championship this season have come out and endorsed the President. Nine out of ten.

He goes on to list the 9 drivers who support Bush. Ok... whatever. Voting for Bush because a NASCAR driver said so is just as bad as voting for Kerry because Madonna told you to. He's a freekin car driver for God's sake. He could be the best driver in the world for all I care, but does that mean that he has any more special insight into who should be President? But wait, there's more:

Who's missing from the list, you ask? Why am I stalling? Because my guy...actually, the more I think, fume, obsess and stew over this, I think this is now my ex-guy...Jeff Gordon is the only top name in the sport who hasn't endorsed Bush. I'm outraged.

Outraged enough to distance myself from support of him. Outraged enough to hope he wrecks next week to take him out of the running for the championship. Now I should insert here to all non-NASCAR people that wanting someone to wreck means to finish poorly, not get killed. Outraged enough to start looking at other drivers to support.

Does the fact that he hasn't come out an actively supported Bush make him suddenly a bad driver? Does it make him suddenly a bad person? Look, if he made stump speeches for Kerry in the winner's circle instead of thanking his sponsors, than maybe, maybe I would say ok. Hell, Dave Matthews is one of the headliners for the Vote for Change tour... but I haven't thrown out any of his CD's. I'm wouldn't go to one of those concerts, but I still love the music. And I'm still gonna watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer despite Joss Whedon's foray's into politics.

Two of my best friends in the world are pretty solid Kerry supporters. We talk now and then about it, never really moving either of our positions. They're still my best friends. Those particular beliefs don't change what made them my best friends. Let's get some perspective people.