Despite Florida’s geography slanting to the left, the state itself has always leaned just a bit to the right. That’s especially true in the Miami area, where the region’s influential Cuban population typically gives Republican candidates a boost over their Democratic rivals.

Hold the season-ending NASCAR race there, fill the stands with conservative stock car racing fans, and it isn’t surprising that Michelle Obama, the First Lady of the United States, gets a less-than-warm reception.

As USA Today points out, you can hear nearly as many cheers as boos when Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of the vice-president, are announced, but the message seems pretty clear. Stock cars fans aren’t big supporters of the current administration, since many families are worse off today than they were four years ago.

NASCAR is worse off, too, with attendance down at most races and visitors to destinations like the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC nowhere near anticipated levels. The Daytona Experience, a second shrine to stock car racing in Daytona Beach, FL, closed to the public in November of 2010.

Earlier this year, several NASCAR drivers begged off an invitation to the White House, citing schedule conflicts. These may have been legitimate, since driver’s schedules are often booked months in advance, but it speaks volumes about how insignificant a White House invitation has become. In racing, sponsors take priority over everything else.

Watch the video below and decide for yourself. Is this a sign that political change is in the air, or is it simply much ado about nothing?

