Michael Moore's subtle October Surprise

meganmonkey

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Wed Oct-27-04 09:29 PM
Original message

Michael Moore's subtle October Surprise

I just finished watching Farenheit 9/11 (again), and I realize that Michael Moore has done an amazing thing.
He is a GENIUS. If anything could reach people who were hesitantly voting for Bush*, or were 'undecided', this is it. This is the only way to reach the people who have sipped the Kool-Aid but didn't drink the whole cup.

I live in a small town (pop 1,000) in Michigan. It is Republican-heavy, as one would expect, although there are a surprising number of K/E signs around.The B/C signs are bigger and more plentiful, and the vibe is definitely not liberal-friendly (e.g. we are battling our neighborhood association to keep up our K/E sign in our yard).
I went to our local video store to rent a movie for tonight. I usually get them through Netflix, I seldom go to the store. Generally not a good selection.
I was surprised to see an F/911 poster in the window, advertising the free rental. I figured I'd grab it along with my other flick since it was free and all... I went up to the counter and while the clerk was ringing me up, I asked her if people were taking them up on the free F9/11 rental. She didn't seem real happy about it, but said "Yeah, a _lot_ of people". And it hit me...

This movie got a lot of press. And lots of people saw it in the theater, including many who don't agree with its implications. But there are a lot of people out there who never saw it, maybe because it wasn't showing in their area (like here), or because they won't spend their money to support this liberal stuff, or who just didn't care enough. And these same people may not choose to pay to rent it, because some other blockbuster just came out.
But IT'S FREE! So why not pick it up? It's happening here in my itty bitty town! Thousands of people, maybe with military backgrounds, or with really strong church ties, or for whom everyone in the family has always been republican, are noticing signs like these in their small town video store. And they're picking up a copy because, shit, IT'S FREE.
Maybe they weren't really planning on voting, or maybe they were planning on voting for Bush* because their dad/husband/mom/uncle/boss said to. But maybe this movie BLEW THEIR MINDS! Maybe, the WEEKEND BEFORE THE ELECTION, they are coming across this FREE rental, they can save 3 bucks, why not!? They have that one co-worker who thought it was awesome, why not see what kind of bullshit is in it?
So they see the movie, and they realize it's not bullshit. They see the soldiers who tell it like it is, that there is no point to being in Iraq. They see the ties between the administration and the oil companies and the Saudis. They see how secretive our government is. They see Lila Lipscomb, who reminds them of their neighbor or their teacher or their mother, and they can imagine what her grief is like. They see what it's like for an Iraqi family when the troops barge in while they're sleeping.
Maybe, just maybe, they decide to go to the polls on Tuesday and VOTE BUSH OUT OF OFFICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is better then any mainstream media Swiftboat shit, better than a 30-second ad in a swing state, better than any of the obvious bullshit camapign-game-playing mass media un-shocking crap on the headlines or in the speeches. This is reaching the ultimate audience, the audience that makes a battleground state what it is. This is so subtle that NO ONE WILL EVEN REALIZE IT'S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(This is a ridiculous rant, I know, but believing this theory gives me more hope for Tuesday and I need it!)

KERRY IN A LANDSLIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!