# Are The Taxpayers Paying For Bush's Political Campaign Visit To The Daytona 500? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366 "2004-02-15T18:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/1 "2004-02-15T18:09:38Z")
Bush is at today’s Daytona 500. It is more about votes than any genuine interest in the race. So who is paying for this campaign stop? The taypayers or the Bush-Cheney campaign? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/2 "2004-02-15T18:15:20Z")
The way you’ve framed the question, I don’t see why you would post this here instead of GD (or even the Pit). But, frankly, anything the sitting prez does can be construed as a campaign stop. I think it’s hard to draw the line and it serves nothing but partisan interests to whine about it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/3 "2004-02-15T18:17:58Z")
If I were seeking a debate I would have placed this in the GD? ---
**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/4 "2004-02-15T18:33:27Z")
the taxpayers are paying for most of it. Presidents often if not always, combine a Presidential official visit (what ever that may be) with a campaign appearance. So the cost of transportation to, security, and so on are paid by the taxpayers. The cost of the campaign event itself is paid for the political party. This is nothing new -everyone does/did it, and it has been going on for years and years. Clinton was famous for it, if only because of the Clintonian “permanent campaign” strategy. ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/5 "2004-02-15T18:59:42Z")
So it’s simply not possible the Bush likes NASCAR races? I’m not doubting that this is one way to say to NASCAR fans “I am one of you”, but you won’t even consider the possibility that the reason he is saying “I am one of you” is because he is _one of them_? And that he may have wanted to see the race live? Not possible at all? ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/6 "2004-02-15T19:01:20Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > The way you’ve framed the question, I don’t see why you would post this here instead of GD (or even the Pit). > > But, frankly, anything the sitting prez does can be construed as a campaign stop. I think it’s hard to draw the line and it serves nothing but partisan interests to whine about it. I was wondering the same thing. I don’t see anything disputatious about the OP’s question. Now iif you want debate, take your last sentence, modify it a little, and post it in GQ. Looks like **YPOD** has already answered the question. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/7 "2004-02-15T19:04:49Z")
Thanks, **YPOD**. I posed the question because Bush visited Portland, OR, in a campaign stop in August 2003 and raised $1 million for his reelection. IIRC, the City of Portland has submitted a bill to the Bush-Cheney campaign to cover the costs of the visit borne by the taxpayers. The cost? About $1 million. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/8 "2004-02-15T19:31:55Z")
> [@leenmi](#): > > So it’s simply not possible the Bush likes NASCAR races? I’m not doubting that this is one way to say to NASCAR fans “I am one of you”, but you won’t even consider the possibility that the reason he is saying “I am one of you” is because he is _one of them_? And that he may have wanted to see the race live? Not possible at all? **manhattan** ’s gonna holler at you guys if you insist in dragging politics into GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/9 "2004-02-16T14:58:55Z")
At the risk of bringing facts into GQ, here’s a cite: > [@](#): > > The White House described Bush’s overnight trip to Florida as non-political, meaning that taxpayers – not Bush’s reelection campaign – will pick up the tab. But the election-year agenda was clear from the magnificent presidential photo shots and the red, white and blue touring bus that the Republican National Committee deployed at the track for its “Race to Victory” voter registration drive. [Gentlemen, Start Your Campaigns](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44551-2004Feb15.html) ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/10 "2004-02-16T16:00:54Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > Thanks, **YPOD**. > > I posed the question because Bush visited Portland, OR, in a campaign stop in August 2003 and raised $1 million for his reelection. IIRC, the City of Portland has submitted a bill to the Bush-Cheney campaign to cover the costs of the visit borne by the taxpayers. > > The cost? About $1 million. Along the right lines, but not quite: In 2002, the city of Portland sent a bill to the campaign of Senator Gordon Smith for security related to appearances by Bush, Cheney, and Dennis Hastert. Total: $51,346. In November 2003, a similar bill was sent to the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign for $116,575. [[Source]](http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/text/2001842839_bush24e.html) ---
**Author:** ![YPOD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e99b99/32.png) [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/11 "2004-02-16T16:37:48Z")
For the most part, the President has no choice about security and traveling with an enormous number of people. when the president is campaigning for re-election himself, an attempt is made, at least in name, to separate a presidential official duty cost from campaing costs. Since the president’s staff (any president) usually overlaps with campaign staff, it can get kind of dicey separating the two. Maybe the trip to the race was “official” in one capacity, but the argument could be made that circling the race track in Air Force One was more of a campaign gimmick. One can argue endlessly about this - for example, when Bush landed on the aircraft carrier, that could be considered official - for quite good reason. Was his visit appreciated by the sailors and marines - it sure seemed that way.It could also be considered a re-election stunt, if you accept the idea that the president is always running for reelection. There was some complaints about Bush delaying the aircraft carrier just for his landing - how much did that cost? On the other hand, people complained over such trivial things as how much it cost for the use of his flight suit - which was standard issue except for a name tag. Until someone can think of a way to really make official visits and campaigning separate, it is something we taxpayers will have to live with. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/12 "2004-02-16T18:37:46Z")
To answer the broader question, as YPOD did to some extent, the taxpayer pays for Presidential travel that is related to his official duties – which covers just about any damned thing on earth, almost. If the President is to make a trip for purely political purposes - say, fly to Texas, make a speech in support of Tom DeLay’s reelection campaign, and go straight back to Washington – that would have to be reimbursed using campaign funds (in this case, Tom DeLay would probably end up paying). As you can imagine, it is damn expensive for Tom DeLay (or whomever) to get the President out for this type of event. We could well be talking around a million dollars for this type of thing – the GAO did a cost estimate on this a while back, I’ll have to find it. This, and other, White Houses therefore add in official duties to campaign activities – Fly to Texas, make a speech on the economy, inspect a tortilla factory, then go to a rubber chicken dinner for Mr. DeLay. The taxpayers pick up the cost of AF1. However, I don’t know if the taxpayers will pay for the gas and overtime for cops to get the President from the tortilla factory to the electioneering dinner – I expect this would be campaign funds, but pretty cheap, in comparison. (On the GAO thing - the only thing I can find is an accounting of Clinton’s foriegn trips from 1997 to 2000. 27 **foreign** presidential trips cost about $250 million – compared to $27 million for 8 foreign trips by the VP during the same period. Not precisely on topic, but gives you an idea of how much more it costs to move a president around than other government officials.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/13 "2004-02-16T18:54:47Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > **manhattan** ’s gonna holler at you guys if you insist in dragging politics into GQ. I thought he got out of the mod business. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/14 "2004-02-16T19:31:11Z")
Mr. Bush did not stay for the race after his network photo op, so it’s obvious he’s not a NASCAR fan. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/15 "2004-02-17T00:23:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I thought he got out of the mod business. I guess he did. But his influence lives on; > [@](#): > > Sticky: Heh. (Politics in GQ) > manhattan [Homer] Mmmm, Quiet. Mmmm. [/homer] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-taxpayers-paying-for-bushs-political-campaign-visit-to-the-daytona-500/229366/16 "2004-02-17T02:50:51Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Mr. Bush did not stay for the race after his network photo op, so it’s obvious he’s not a NASCAR fan. I noticed this too. He couldn’t sneak off either - the airport is right next to the track and Air Force One took off in plain sight of the grandstands. OTOH, it made it easy for the plane to do a nice fly-over before the race that I’m sure made a lot of kid’s day.