Michael Moore: a clanging cymbal and a resounding gong
I am sure you are not surprised that I will not be going to see it. It is not about politics for me, oddly enough, it is about journalism. In my past life, I was a journalist and journalists have standards, even if �it�s just an op-ed piece,� you should still be dealing in facts and not conjecture. �Opinion-editorial� does not mean fiction and it does require (if it is any good) balance and solution to the problem or injustice presented in its prose.
People who hate George W. Bush, his administration, and what he stands for will go to this movie. They will give somewhere between six and nine dollars to see a movie that validates their opinions and gives them new reasons to hate the President. They will style themselves as liberal when they are merely leftists cloaking their hate in the moral dignity of liberalism.
People who support the President, his administration, and what he stands for will not be going to see this movie. Some of these people will sit at home and read Ann Coulter�s latest or watch Bill O�Reilly on television instead without realizing the irony. Some of these people really are the compassionate conservatives who support what the President has been doing, in part or whole, because they share his value system and vision for our republic and world.
The problem with films like Moore�s in particular and American political discourse in general is the misperceptions of other people. The people who hold the political view contrary to yours have an American Dream that is equal to yours in its intent and focus. Both conservative and liberal political movements are about the business of making our republic and world a better place, it is the same in every country.
You may disagree with what those with the opposition view believe and promote but once you start looking at what they propose from it�s motivational base you realize that everyone has the same goal just a different route they want to use to get there. People with a common goal can work together in the interest of our republic and world.
Portraying your opposition as ruthless lunatics who cavort with the very powers that seek to destroy the republic, and with it everything it stands for, is not constructive. Films like Moore�s harm us more than they could help us, especially considering their lack of factual underpinning or a suggested change in policy.
I am not submitting the Bush Administration�s application for sainthood to the Holy See nor demonizing Democratic National Committee. However, when we support these ideas what we are doing in this: when you call a politician a moron, lunatic, or fascist you are also calling their supporters morons, lunatics and fascists. When you are bombarding people with this rhetoric of distortion your victims are less likely to consider your point of view and you end up being viewed as they type of extremist you purport to abhor.
Bush and Kerry are not divisive � the bomb throwers with misguided actions are. Kerry has not said much that has alienated me as mush as the clambering voices of leftist commentators have. I am sure that people who do not support Bush, if they let go of the hate for a moment, and analyzed the situation would realize that right wing commentators are what alienated them and not the motives behind the President�s actions.
In the end, the media, money, or independents will not win this election. This election will be won by voter turn out in the states with the most electoral votes.
Silly films like Michael Moore�s, books, and radio programs from O�Reilly and Al Franken, and speeches from Al Gore and Rush Limbaugh will stir up people who were not going to change their vote anyway. The campaign with the better organization to get the vote out will win. The beauty of Moore�s film is that, in the end, his lies and poor journalism are just background noise.
My solution to this problem? We need to look to the motive and intent of opposition. Once we do that we realize that we are all starting from the same place, headed for the same destination - we are just taking different routes.
