By now, a certain amount of meme-driven absurdity is an expected feature of national politics. But one last-minute 2021 development tested even the savviest (or most resigned) observer: The launch of “Let’s Go Brandon Coin,” a meme coin for cryptocurrency enthusiasts who happen to have an affinity for the anti-Biden catchphrase (as well as “patriotism and love for Flag of United States,” according to its garbled Twitter bio).
For those not up to speed with either right-wing slang or the frequently-incomprehensible world of digital “stonks,” it was easy — let’s be honest, desirable — to roll one’s eyes and keep scrolling. But for one subset of American culture, that wasn’t an option: fans of NASCAR, which finds itself embroiled in an unlikely controversy over the joke currency. The sport most strongly associated with (and beloved by) Red America has barred a planned sponsorship deal between one of its drivers and the coin, and NASCAR now finds itself unexpectedly at odds with one of its up-and-coming stars, a large segment of its own fans and the right-wing media ecosystem itself.
The controversial catchphrase in question, a bowdlerization of “Fuck Joe Biden,” has burned itself indelibly into that ecosystem, inspiring rallies, demonstrations on the House floor, and even a potshot at the “Brandon administration” from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Over the last few months of 2021, “Let’s Go Brandon” was inescapable — not least for Brandon Brown, the actual 28-year-old racecar driver the phrase somewhat meaninglessly references. He wrote an op-ed in Newsweek attempting to come to terms with the controversy, avoiding a partisan stance while expressing sympathy for those angry with the Biden administration and suggesting a sunnier, almost touchingly earnest substitute catchphrase: “Let’s Go America.” More importantly, he admitted to the New York Times’ Ben Smith that the experience had hurt his ability to attract sponsors,…
