Sports Illustrated posted a story online at SI.com on Friday that presidential candidate Barack Obama may sponsor a car at a NASCAR race in August. Though the campaign ended up rejecting the offer, the initial report raised plenty of eyebrows.

Obama is known to enjoy basketball and tries to work out 45 minutes a day, wherever he is. An attempt at bowling at a stop in Altoona, Pa., demonstrated his lack of prowess at the traditional blue-collar sport.

The injuries associated with McCain's plane crash and imprisonment during the Vietnam War restrict traditional exercising; his activity during long campaign days serves to keep him healthy.

But the story wasn't about athletics anyway. It was about appealing to middle American low- to mid-income voters, showing he's a regular guy. The idea was to counter the idea that he's elitist because he graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, speaks educated English and eats greens other than head lettuce.

(SIDE NOTE: Are they kidding? A half-black, half-white man who was raised by his working mother and grandparents, part of the time in Indonesia, is elitist because he got a good education. It sounds more like code for uppity black man.)

Let's imagine the possibilities if other candidates sponsored athletes or sports teams to appear to certain sectors of voters. It's a little late now, but perhaps John McCain should have sponsored a bicycling team in the Tour de France.

Closer to home, we wonder if Republican state legislative candidate Sherrie Springer should associate herself with biker events at Hawgs 'n Hay and her opponent, Democrat and Oregon State grad Dan Thackaberry should hold an open house in a skybox at an Oregon Duck football game.

Incumbent Mayor Ken Toombs, a longtime avid youth sports fan, should get involved in the effort to build a skatepark.

Finally, Representative Peter DeFazio of Springfield should become a cheerleader for the Oregon State Beavers.