July 05, 2004
Fahrenheit 9/11 Passes the $50 Million Mark
By Byron LaMasters
F 9/11 made it past the $50 Million mark on Saturday night. It's managed to have a good weekend (the numbers for the long weekend ought to be out tomorrow) despite all of the Spiderman mania. F 9/11 has also maintained a distant, yet solid second rating all weekend.
Speaking of Fahrenheit 9/11... one of the projects I was working on this week was voter registration outside showings of the movie. We registered 30-40 voters and handed out many more voter registration cards to people outside the Dallas County Young Democrats and Dallas for Kerry.
Update: Greg finally saw the film, and as he expected, didn't like it. Most of Greg's objections to the film are understandable. I don't think that anyone will deny that the film is basically made as anti-Bush propaganda. But, I'd also argue with anyone who suggests that F 9/11 is bad for Kerry. Both Greg and Richard Cohen suggest that the movie is more likely to turn off potential swing voters than it is to get people to question their vote for George W. Bush, because the film is so overwhelmingly biased against Bush. I disagree. Most Democrats who see the movie come out of it even more motivated to help elect John Kerry. Did I buy into every charge and attack that Moore made in the film? No, of course not. But overall, it's entertaining in a way that softens the hard-hitting rants that might turn some people away. John Kerry is not mentioned once in the film. In fact, the film attacks Senate Democrats for not allowing debate on the certification of the 2000 election. It attacks Tom Dashle and Dick Gephardt (the potential Vice Presidential nominee) for their support of the war in Iraq. As long as Kerry distances himself from F 9/11, he ought to be fine. His only problem is if he embraces Michael Moore (a la Wes Clark).
Posted by Byron LaMasters at July 5, 2004 02:59 AM
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Gentlemen please carefully consider these quotes, and if this is someone you want your dollars going to...someone who compares those killing our troops to our country's Founding Fathers.
Please.
Charles D. Ganske
Byron, THANK YOU for not buying all the ranting of Michael Moore. I've said in the past and I'll say it again...misleading the public about Bush is just as bas as Bush misleading the country...a lie is a lie. Do i support Bush 100%? No way. The truth is damning enough without pulling out conspiracy theories and inuendo. Bush has racked up huge deficits, increased entitlement spending, supported protectionist tariffs, proposed a consitutional amendment that would enshrine discrimination, and has allowed mistake after mistake in the War in Iraq. Judge on the merits of his Administration, not on the innuendo of his alleged connections to the House of Saud, etc. I'm voting for Kerry, most likely...but Michael Moore's work is entertainment, not a documentary.
The unfortunate thing that's overlooked by some is that not everyone has made up their mind on voting in this election. Those of us who support Kerry may not really by moved off that by this movie, naturally ... but there are those who are still undecided, and those who go back & forth in their opinions. Its those that Cohen worries about in regards to their reactions, and it also goes beyond Moore to cover the entire "loony left."
The movie does make two very direct pitches for voting Democrat in 2004 via two portrayals and I literally cringed both times (although one person applauded at this point in the theater I was in). I'd love as many votes for my side as possible, but the thought that anyone could be swayed by Moore's conspiracy-palooza is enough to instill fear of what becomes of a party with such easily duped sorts.
