Moore and Dean Tear the House Down (Unofficially)

Moore and Dean Tear the House Down (Unofficially)

Last Monday evening at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, MA at the Fleet Center, Democratic Party members distributed signs and then encouraged delegates to cheer and hold up the placards at strategic moments. This organized signage effort is an attempt by DNC folks to show the TV crews that Democrats really are excited about Democratic policies and John Kerry as a candidate. Ironically there are some delegates of the Democratic Party that are extremely excited about particular Democrats and the policies they espouse, but those candidates are not presently on any ballot. These few candidates seem to generate more passion and excitement than the current ticket. Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore of Fahrenheit 9/11 fame and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean spoke to about 350 persons in a filled-to-capacity room at a hotel in Cambridge Tuesday afternoon, directly across the Charles River from the Fleet Center. The two made the crowd roar, no coaching by nervous handlers necessary. The address was sponsored by a group called Campaign For America's Future, a niche of possibly more-liberal Democrats.

• Sep 19, 2006 -- Ohio Senate, DeWine vs. Brown • Sep 19, 2006 -- Rhode Island Senate, Chafee vs. Whitehouse • Sep 18, 2006 -- Montana Senate, Burns vs. Tester • Sep 18, 2006 -- Generic Ballot from Zogby: GOP Narrowing Gap • Sep 16, 2006 -- Virginia Senate: Allen vs. Webb
• activists • democrats • house • scandal • senate
• Bush, George W. • Dean, Howard • Kerry, John • Moore, Michael
Email this Article to a Friend

Woodstock in Boston
Although there was no music or open drug use, the event was an intense rock-and-roll show. In an appearance recently at the Fleet Center, Paul McCartney of the Beatles did not generate nearly the level of excitement-clapping, yelling, screams of support-as Moore and Dean did for the determined Democrats present. Some in the audience displayed true love for these men, without any encouragement to do so. It was spontaneous and wild. It brings into question whether Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is really the one who should have won the Democratic nomination process, as clearly Kerry does not generate this kind of excitement, and never has. Dean fired up the crowd immediately, announcing that President George Bush has a "national security policy that makes us less safe since Saddam Hussein was captured." The fans went ballistic. They jumped to their feet when Dean shouted: "We can take the country back, and you can be a part of that." Dean also gave Kerry's wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, a solid endorsement after she told a reporter to "shove it" after he asked her a question about something she denied saying even though she was filmed saying it. "Isn't Teresa great," said Dean. "How many of you would like to tell a reporter to shove it."

 

Energy Given Back
Much of Dean's address focused on energizing the crowd to get more involved in politics. "It is not enough to just vote," said Dean, "you must participate. If you want democracy to work, you must get out there and do it." He went on to encourage people to run for office. And due to the applause, the hotel came close to being torn apart when Dean finished his speech. Seeing the way the crowd gave their party messiah back the energy he put out, it makes the "I have a scream" speech all the more understandable. Even the most reserved and reticent candidate -- subjected to such overwhelming crowd response -- would get excited. And the number of politicians who generate the love that Dean does is small. Others are probably envious.

 

Political Star Michael Moore
But when Dean left, the love fest continued with Moore, despite him arriving late. It started upon him entering, dressed more casually than most in attendance. Standing. Clapping. Yelling. When he talked about how Americans are forced to qualify any anti-war statements with the words, "but I support the troops," cannons were fired from the crowd. They wanted someone to tell them that even if they are opposed to the war, they still care for the American guys fighting it. "The way you don't support the troops is to send them in harm's way," said Moore. Politicians might do well to repeat these same words. Another strong reaction was elicited when Moore said America "is not a 50-50 country." That only those who vote make the elections 50-50, but if one includes all Americans, including those who never go near a polling booth, the United States is no longer 50-50 because those who do not vote are mostly poor, uneducated and black, Moore said. "The majority of Americans are liberal or progressive," the outspoken filmmaker went on to claim. Although Moore spoke repeatedly about the need to help blacks, to good reaction from the audience, few minorities came to see the speech. It was a sea of white.

Moore vs. The Media
A significant portion of Moore's speech criticized the media for not asking and reporting enough hard questions about the war in Iraq. That the media simply reported the Bush-Iraq version without analyzing it, Moore lamented. "Our national media is the unstated villain" in the film, Fahrenheit 9/11, said Moore. "The film outs them. It outs them for cheerleading this war, journalists who fell asleep on the job... The press is in bed with the wrong people." He said that General Electric, the company that owns NBC News, owns $6 million in contracts in Iraq. He also said that Saudis own 17 percent of Euro Disney and the Carlyle Group is involved, which may explain why the company refused to distribute his film. "We need the press to ask questions," said Moore. "To build the evidence. You do us no favors (the press) by" joining a "bandwagon. You are otherwise accused of being un-American. That's pro-American. That's patriotic," he said to huge applause. "It is not easy to say we were led into war for fictitious reasons," he said.

Not So Fast...
Moore specifically complained about the media not reporting on Bush's financial ties to the Saudi Arabian monarchy, with its connections to George Bush number one's Carlyle Group. And that is correct. Moore is right on here. But we at EVOTE.COM and this reporter last fall did report extensively on just that. We wrote about Saudi funds going to Bush family members and we at EVOTE.COM feel damn good about it. We're patriotic.



[John Pike is a veteran journalist based in Boston. He has been a guest commentator on many radio stations and his articles have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and web sites, including the Boston Globe, Reason Magazine, Insight Magazine, Access Magazine and the Associated Press. His perception of the democratic process has been enlightened. He can be reached at pike@EVOTE.COM.]