WHO: Mitt Romney

QUOTE: Asked by a reporter if he follows NASCAR, Romney said, "Not as closely as some of the most ardent fans. But I have some great friends that are NASCAR team owners." Romney is a self-described "car guy" whose father headed American Motors. He was visiting the Daytona 500 on Sunday, trying to put aside his patrician image and bond with blue-collar racecar fans.

WHY THIS MATTERS: The wealthy Romney, the son of a former Michigan governor, keeps demonstrating little sensitivity to rank-and-file voters who have confronted a struggling economy over the last four years. It's a problem for Romney, who co-founded the Bain Capital investment firm and is said to be worth as much as $250 million. Opponents are attacking him as elitist and out of touch, and such quotes give them fresh ammunition. Last week, he said his wife, Ann, drives "a couple of Cadillacs," and he has made other comments during the campaign that suggest he's a wealthy executive who doesn't understand the plight of the masses.

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