NASCAR has been a conservative Republican enclave for decades. It’s not that there aren’t Democrats among the fan base, but these Democrats are conscience stricken. Their roots are deep in the Democrat Party because of union affiliation and social programs like Social Security and Medicare. At the same time, they gravitate toward Republican policies of smaller government and less regulation.

In order to capture some of the NASCAR crowd, Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, the wife of the Vice President, appeared at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, appearing as part of their charitable campaign to support military veterans and their families.

But their benign, bipartisan cause wasn’t enough to prevent public fallout from the nation’s polarized political climate as they were introduced before the crowd.

ESPN video from the event documented loud boos from some in the stands as the announcer named Obama and Biden, seconds before they delivered the “most famous words in motorsports,” telling drivers to start their engines.

The Associated Press reported that the First Lady and Dr. Biden received a standing ovation at a pre-race driver’s meeting. So which is it? It’s hard to tell. There are cheers and boos at the “start your engines” introduction.

The Obama people were smart. They put the two ladies out there with Sgt. Andrew Berry and his family, so it’s hard to tell if the cheers were for Obama and Biden or the Berrys. Here’s the video. You decide: