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Why I'm Not Now and Have Never Been the Democrats' "Rush Limbaugh"
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Stephen Chernin / Getty Images
The Republican machine kept attacking me but the American public sided with me—not Rush Limbaugh.
I have watched with mild amusement this week the self-immolation of the Republican Party as it bows before the altar of Rush Limbaugh, begging for mercy, pleading for forgiveness, breathlessly seeking guidance and wisdom from The Oracle.
President Obama and the Democratic Party have wasted no time in pointing out to the American people this marriage from hell, tying Rush like a rock around the collective Republican neck and hoping for its quick descent to the netherworld of irrelevance.
But some commentators (Richard Wolffe of Newsweek, Chuck Todd of NBC News, etc.) have likened this to "what Republicans tried to do to the Democrats with Michael Moore." Perhaps. But there is one central difference: What I have believed in, and what I have stood for in these past eight years—an end to the war, establishing universal health care, closing Guantánamo and banning torture, making the rich pay more tax and aggressively going after the corporate chiefs on Wall Street—these are all things which the MAJORITY of Americans believe in, too. That's why in November the majority voted for the guy I voted for. The majority of Americans rejected the ideology of Rush and embraced the same issues I have raised consistently in my movies and books.
What made the Republicans so sure that Americans would recoil upon the mere mention of my name, or by simply showing a photo of my face?
How did this happen? Considering how, for the past eight years, the Republican machine thought they could somehow smear and damage the Democrats if they said it was "the party of Michael Moore," it appears that the American public heard them loud and clear and decided that, 'hey, if you say Michael Moore is connected to the Democrats, then the Democrats must be OK!'
During this past election, a Democrat in Michigan, Mark Schauer, was running against the incumbent Republican congressman, Rep. Tim Walberg. Schauer asked me to endorse him and campaign for him, and I did. The Republicans were thrilled. They acted like they had been handed manna from heaven. They filled the airwaves with attack ads showing pictures of me and asking voters, 'is this the guy you want influencing your congressman?' The voters of western Michigan said "YES!" and threw the Republican out of office. The newly elected congressman told me his poll numbers had gone up once the Republicans started running ads likening him to me.
There have been over a half-dozen attack documentaries on me ("Michael Moore Hates America," "Fahrenhype 9/11," etc.), plus a feature film starring Kelsey Grammer and James Woods that had me being slapped silly for 83 minutes. Several books have been written by the Right in a concerted attempt to denounce me. One book, "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America," had me listed at #1. The author was so sure people would know why, he didn't even bother to write a chapter on me like he did for the other 99. You just get to the end of the book and all it says is "#1" with nothing but a big picture of me that takes up a full page.
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TheWiseBard
As a strong supporter of Democratic victories in 2006 and 2008, I'm not sure my (or others') feelings about Michael Moore were uppermost in my mind as I entered the voting booth (or wrote checks to campaigns, or worked for candidates). Thus, this piece is a tad narcissistic and celebrity-driven for my tastes.
For the record, I have watched and mostly enjoyed most of Michael's films. Much like editorial cartoons in decades past, they are entertaining and fairly effective in getting people talking about important issues--although I do not look to them for nuance or rigorous analysis (or, perhaps needless to say, for inviting thoughtful competing perspectives).
--The Wise Bard
xbainx
I have always been a fan of Moore. It's time we started standing up for each other in this country and stop letting Republicans tell us we are poor because we want to be. Moores is not a villain to say that all people in the world's richest nation should receive free health care. It's the Republicans telling you being healthy is a privilege, not a right. May the Republicans never recover.
galeso
Limbaugh = Moore. The Nazis coined a word for what they do, propaganda.
The propagandist tries to stimulate others to accept without challenge his own assertions, or to act as he wants them to do. The idea of using suggestion or stimulation as a propaganda device is that it will lead a public to accept a proposition even though there are not logical grounds for accepting it. The propagandist usually tries to side-step critical reactions from his audience, and therefore suggestion is one of his most important tools.
How does the propagandist use this tool? By making broad and positive statements. By presenting his statements in simple and familiar language. By refusing to admit, or even suggest, that there is another side to the question.
felixsama
Propaganda: from new Latin, congregatio de propaganda.
The Nazis did use it well (sic-k) and even G.W. admitted it was one of the things he did (such a moron, yes he did say it).
Moore is, rather, a journalist and inspiration to the apathetic and demoralized public (thanks to so much propaganda they're scared of everything).
Thanks Mike!
Rdschenkel
Michael Moore is a great film maker.
The above line actually said something more negative, but it was edited in sound Completely Different.
Rdschenkel
Michael Moore is a great film maker.
The above line actually said something more negative, but it was edited to sound Completely Different.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
Rdschenkel
Why are the comments only visable when you make one?
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This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
genoftheheart
Oh my goodness, Mr. Republican! You're completely validating what Moore says about Limbaugh and the Republicans. Please cease and desist from sullying GOP dignity in order for the two-party system to have a chance for redemption.
estcruzer
Why do you refer to the author as Mr. Republican? He may claim to be, like Rush would claim to be Republican but I really don't think that either of them are representative of most Republicans, nor are thy representative of what the Republican party was and should be. Calling them Republicans just, as you say, sullys the name.
It's time to distinguish between the mouthpieces, the leaders and the members of the Republican Party and the mouthpieces, leaders and followers of the Anti-American Trash that has been calling themselves Republicans to the detriment of the party. I'm not Republican, never have been, during my life in this country they have as a party done very little to advance the plight of Americans. But I can't imagine an America without a strong, intelligent, opposition to point out the weakpoints in my own Democratic party. We absolutely need that counterpoint to be democratic and enlightened in our choices.
It's unfortunate that the Republican name has been coopted by a bunch of greedy, essentially Anti-Americans CSs. But we who discuss this rationally really need to distinguish between those folks and the majority of Republicans who want this nation and it's people to be great. They aren't the same, regardless of what Rush says.
LightenUpFrancis
Actually, this column shows why Mr. Moore IS, in fact, the Limbaugh of the Left. It is every bit as self-aggrandizing and mind-numbingly egotistical as anything Limbaugh has ever said. Which is why Moore is every bit as unworthy of serious treatment as Limbaugh. Each side has a bloviating fringe. It doesn't mean we have to listen to them.
estcruzer
Yes, egotistical, self aggrandizing - but TRUE
estcruzer
Yes, egotistical, self aggrandizing - but TRUE
gustav56
Why can't right-wingers spell, use contractions and punctuation correctly, capitalize letters the right way or follow rules of syntax?
EdinNJ
MrRepublican is the perfect example of why Republicans are a minority, regional party today.
And Michael Moore is the perfect example why Republicans continue to lose elections. Everything with them is about demonizing those who disagree with them. But as Moore succinctly states, about 70% of the country agrees with everything he stands for. Unlike most Republicans, and yes, many Democrats, he's been consistent in his beliefs, all of which have been borne out. Perhaps he's a bit self-aggrandizing, but he has more integrity than almost anyone in Washington for fighting for what he believed in, despite the personal attacks, at a time when those beliefs were not popular.
TrishP
My dislike of Michael Moore has nothing to do with the Republicans, he did it all himself. The best laugh from Sicko was the praise he had the Canadian health system, I live here and it is no picnic. Must say he does have a creative way to edit his so called documentaries though...LOL!
splinter
I had no idea you made documentaries... I am aware of a few deeply biased films made by you, but documentaries - LOL.
Thank you.
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