The GOP should watch out for Michael Moore's impact on the electorate...
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Whatever the facts, Moore's '9/11' should worry GOP
BY CHRIS CHRISTOFF
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST
July 6, 2004
freep.com
I read all about "Fahrenheit 9/11," of how director Michael Moore smears President George W. Bush with a cinematic pile of half-truths, innuendo and cheap shots.
Then I saw the movie.
I think Republicans have something to worry about.
Only the most faithful Bush supporter could leave the theater feeling anything but unsettled about the administration.
If 10 million people see the documentary -- about half the number who listen to Rush Limbaugh on radio -- and a fraction are swayed in key states, who knows how it could affect a close election?
It's one flick that doesn't need repeated viewings to leave an impression.
This assessment has nothing to do with the veracity of "Fahrenheit 9/11," which at times resembles a campaign attack ad that portrays Bush as an idiot son of privilege. Moore disguises his leftist, conspiratorial views in what seem to be logical conclusions from assembled facts.
If the Bush family has close business ties with the Saudi royal family, and many of the Sept. 11 hijackers were Saudis, Bush and the royal family are complicit in the terrorist attacks, aren't they?
"Moore knows that unlike the shallow stars who worship him in Hollywood and France, we only concern ourselves with the facts here," writes conservative commentator Joe Scarborough. "And it's well documented that the facts are not on Michael Moore's side."
What is on Moore's side is the jackhammer imagery of "Fahrenheit 9/11" that has a ring of truth that could override logical rebuttals. That's what should concern Scarborough and others.
It's not just entertainment with an attitude. It's a recruitment device for Moore's stated goal of ousting Bush from office. Last week, Moore spoke to thousands of his supporters about his movie in a nationwide webcast. He urged them each to get five people to vote for Democratic Sen. John Kerry for president.
The event was organized by MoveOn.org, the anti-Bush online campaign.
If "Fahrenheit 9/11" does affect the election, it wouldn't be the first time a media phenomenon did so. In 1994, radio superstar Limbaugh's persistent bashing of Democrats was credited with stirring a conservative wave that gave Republicans control of Congress.
(Shock jock Howard Stern is also urging his listeners to vote against Bush, but face it, that's not what they tune in to hear.)
When it comes to misrepresentation, Moore is a piker compared with Limbaugh, whose trail of half-baked facts and snide innuendo is long and well-documented.
Among Limbaugh's false assertions are that nicotine is not addictive, volcanoes deplete the ozone layer far more than man-made chemicals and the Old Testament advocates lowering taxes.
Still, Moore gives his critics plenty of ammunition. He said after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that there is no terrorist threat to the United States, yet his movie lambastes Bush for not doing enough to prevent terrorist attacks.
He makes dubious claims: "Fahrenheit 9/11" was the top grossing movie during its opening weekend in every "red" state -- states Bush carried in the 2000 election. The inference is that the movie is turning Republicans against Bush, a nonsensical conclusion.
The number of moviegoers doesn't reflect a political movement. For all we know, many more Republicans chose to see "White Chicks" and "DodgeBall" that weekend.
But to focus on inconsistencies and exaggerations misses the point.
Limbaugh's daily message is larger than specific facts: Voracious government is hapless and a drain on private enterprise, except for the lethal efficiency of the military. And liberals can't keep their hands off things that are better left untouched.
Moore's message in "Fahrenheit 9/11" is bigger than the sum of its parts: There are haves, there are a lot more have-nots, and the haves will do anything in their power to keep what they have.
Like Limbaugh, Moore is a self-appointed captain in the war of ideology, and both will rally their troops with whatever it takes.
They know that a battle cry isn't burdened by the need for accuracy.
Contact CHRIS CHRISTOFF at 517-372-8660 or christoff@freepress.com. |
