Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin recently climbed behind the wheel of a Formula One race car and hit speeds of 150 miles per hour.
After a brief instruction by a professional drive, the former KGB agent turned politician took control of the Renault Formula 1 racing car and took to the track. Although at one point he spun out, he was able to regain control of the car. The test-drive was part business and part publicity stunt, as Russia recently announced an agreement to stage an F1 race at Sochi, the resort town that will will host the Winter Olympic Games in 2014.
Is this the kind of publicity stunt that would boost President Obama’s image? Back in 2004, President George W. Bush emphatically supported NASCAR, which USA Today suggests helped him appeal to blue-collar voters during his reelection. Perhaps if Obama hit the track in a NASCAR stock car, he would be able to reconnect with blue-collar Americans in battleground states ahead of the 2012 election.
Putin’s recent track time is just one of many stunts aimed at fostering a macho image. Other stunts included flying into Chechnya in a fighter jet in 2000.
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