Fahrenheit 9/11 - Conservatives, have you seen it?

[Mackey Mouse]

I have not seen it yet and although politically I do not agree with Michael Moore, I feel I should see it so that I can discuss it with my liberal friends and one of my liberal daughters. How else can I if I do not see it.

I wanted to share a story here......Recently I was stopped by the DNC asking me to help them defeat George Bush... My remark was "not me" and I continued to walk away as the woman that asked me continued to berate me as I walked down the street. I was with one of my daughters who politically is opposite her parents in this election. We had a discussion about it and I told her if she felt so strongly, when I said no, she should have stepped up to the plate to see what the DNC needed in the way of help..

So, this past week, in Boston, it happened to her and she was alone. They asked her to help them defeat George Bush. She said she would do whatever she could.....volunteer her time, etc. Well, they did not want her time or her expertise, they only wanted a donation. She told them she had no money to donate, but would be willing to donate her time. The person soliciting her asked her if she had a credit card, seems she could donate with that. A reality check for her, she said.. wait a minute, I told you I did not have the money to donate, and you want me to pull out a credit card. She asked then if John Kerry wanted her to go into debt to support him? With that the solicitor backed down and told her she could go to the website and donate there with her credit card. I felt bad about this as I know she truly believes that he is the right choice for the job and this was not what she wanted to hear.

 

[grinningghost]

OK, I'll go on record as the stupid conservative who thinks I actually "got" the nuances, and the film in general.

One thing that must be admitted, but conservatives and liberals alike, is ALOT (most) of this movie takes things out of context. Short soundbites that can be misconstrued without hearing the audio in it's entirety. BUT, that's not a problem with me. This is a movie, designed to be entertaining, and doing things that way, it IS entertaining.

I'm sure if someone wanted to, they could go and get video of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tom Daschle, Howard Stern and heck, even Michael Moore, getting his hair and makeup done before appearing on camera. So I found nothing about that to be offensive. It was silly, and I think that was the intention.

As far as GWB on the golf course, why not? That's the best he could come up with. If a staunch conservative filmmaker wanted to do a documentary that pointed out Bill Clinton's "extracurricular activities" you know they would KILL for footage of that. But alas, there probably isn't any.

Bottom line - I did learn some things from the movie. Whether or not I agree with Michael Moore's interpretation of those things doesn't matter. Fact is, I can now discuss this movie with a liberal and feel justified in doing so.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by Mackey Mouse
I have not seen it yet and although politically I do not agree with Michael Moore, I feel I should see it so that I can discuss it with my liberal friends and one of my liberal daughters. How else can I if I do not see it.

I wanted to share a story here......Recently I was stopped by the DNC asking me to help them defeat George Bush... My remark was "not me" and I continued to walk away as the woman that asked me continued to berate me as I walked down the street. I was with one of my daughters who politically is opposite her parents in this election. We had a discussion about it and I told her if she felt so strongly, when I said no, she should have stepped up to the plate to see what the DNC needed in the way of help..

So, this past week, in Boston, it happened to her and she was alone. They asked her to help them defeat George Bush. She said she would do whatever she could.....volunteer her time, etc. Well, they did not want her time or her expertise, they only wanted a donation. She told them she had no money to donate, but would be willing to donate her time. The person soliciting her asked her if she had a credit card, seems she could donate with that. A reality check for her, she said.. wait a minute, I told you I did not have the money to donate, and you want me to pull out a credit card. She asked then if John Kerry wanted her to go into debt to support him? With that the solicitor backed down and told her she could go to the website and donate there with her credit card. I felt bad about this as I know she truly believes that he is the right choice for the job and this was not what she wanted to hear.

An interesting thing about your encounter with DNC solicitor.

They said (you're words) that they wanted help to defeat GWB.

Shouldn't they say that they wanted help to get Kerry elected?

Is that same thing? Might be but the approach isn't.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by grinningghost
This is a movie, designed to be entertaining, and doing things that way, it IS entertaining.

Really?

I thought it was meant to "enlighten".

 

[shortbun]

Originally posted by inaminute
Then, perhaps, you'd like to clarify this statement:



I read it the same way AFR did--that conservatives wouldn't get it even if the saw the film. Unlike liberals who will immediately understand the nuances. Since liberals will "get it" quickly, that must mean that conservatives are less able to understand--
i.e. "stupid."



Your story certainly doesn't make your friend sound very bright. You make her sound...well...kind of...stupid. You seem to find it funny that she didn't interpret the movie in the same way liberals would--which, of course is the correct and only way to interpret it.



{Sigh}Let me explain for you: You implied it. AFR was interpreting YOUR statement the same way I did. She didn't call anyone stupid.

My friend is really smart-if I didn't think so, I would not have cited
her education. Just because you and AFR "interpret" my statements in the same way doesn't mean you are right about
what I think. It simply means you guys think the same way.
I don't think conservatives are stupid. I explained that I felt
the difference in the understanding was emotional interpretation,
just like you interpreted my statements about why I thought
conservatives didn't need to flock to this film. It is the rare
conservative that will see this film for what is was meant to be as MM considered his audience to be liberal on the whole and he
was preaching to the choir. There WAS some humor and entertainment factor for everyone but most conservatives watching would be so mad, they'd miss it. That's ok and it's
NOT stupid. What would be stupid would be me coming back
again to say I had not called you stupid when you are sure I
did. I may already be stupid for explaining it this last time, kinda
like hitting ones head against a rock. Bye!

 

[grinningghost]

Originally posted by Elwood Blues
Really?

I thought it was meant to "enlighten".

And it did enlighten as well as entertain. That's why it was a good movie and was well received. It enlightened in an entertaining way.

 

[Elwood Blues]

Originally posted by shortbun
It is the rare conservative that will see this film for what is was meant to be as MM considered his audience to be liberal on the whole and he was preaching to the choir.

The first part is a load of horse poopy. As a conservative, I "get" whatever message MM is trying to say (not this movie specifically, but MM in general) and I don't need to see this movie to "get" what MM is saying. His mantra is the same as always and quite well known.

And the second part couldn't be any truer.

 

[grinningghost]

Do any of you think that Michael Moore expected conservatives to see this movie? If he was preaching to the choir then his message to liberals is just being reinforced.

If he expected conservatives to see it, then he was probably hoping to recruit a few new sheep to his flock.

Don't know which it was, but the movie certainly has people talking.

And I should add that at the end of the movie, alot of people were praising it loudly. I suspect I was one of the only (if not the only) conservative thinker in the theater. I did a nice job of blending in.

 

[Funkyzeit mit Bruno]

I support the war on terror wholeheartedly and I fully support Bush as president. I wouldn't pay to see Fahrenheit 9/11, so I downloaded it. It is a joke. There is NOT ONE serious charge levelled at Bush that is backed up with evidence. The movie is extremely manipulative. I can't believe so many people are so gullible. The only thing I learned from the movie is never to borrow Paul Wolfowitz's comb.