Fahrenheit 9/11:Film Offers limited view

Newsday ^ | June 27 | Frank Thomas

[johnnyjumpstart]

WASHINGTON - At the start of "Fahrenheit 9/11," filmmaker Michael Moore shows a clip of CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin saying that if ballots had been recounted in Florida after the 2000 presidential vote, "under every scenario Gore won the election."

What Moore doesn't show is that a six-month study in 2001 by news organizations including The New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN found just the opposite. Even if the Supreme Court had not stopped a statewide recount, or if a more limited recount of four heavily Democratic counties had taken place, Bush still would have won Florida and the election.

The inclusion of Toobin's minority view and exclusion of mainstream documentation typifies the shaky case Moore builds against President George W. Bush in his two-hour film.

The movie unearths nothing new. It is a cinematic lawsuit, not a verdict, that skews and omits events for its central charge: that Bush was soft on terrorism because his family is financially tied to wealthy Saudis, including relatives of Osama bin Laden.

[libertylover]

Don't forget, the first Dimocrat request was to transfer Buchannan votes to Gore because the ballot was "confusing" (to the easily confused).

In the final count, the Dims counted many dimpled ballots for Gore, and he still lost.

The Florida Supreme Court made up a new deadline that had been set by the Florida Legislation.

And of course the news Dims called the election for Gore prematurely and so many voters in the Florida panhandle, a Bush stronghold, just went home instead of voting.

[Caipirabob]

Every time I read a thread about the Florida vote and how we barely survived and nearly had "Psycho Al" for President, I am compelled to visit a prayer thread next...

[kellynla]

I am compelled to visit a prayer thread next...
As well we all should. :-]
And the clown couldn't even carry his own state of Tennessee!
I'll let someone else post all the inaccuracies in Michelle Moron's propaganda flick...trying to get caught up on the Sunday am news.

[LizJ]

Moore finds much stronger footing when he focuses on Bush's presidency. He accurately quotes a front-page Washington Post story from August 2001 noting that Bush had spent 42 percent of his presidency on vacation.

Does anyone know where the W. Post came up with the 42% number? It seems impossible to me, unless they counted weekends. I tried to search, but the only article I found I couldn't retrieve. I am curious, and mostly just sick of hearing this number.

[lepton]

bookmark bump

[dfwgator]

Fahrenheit 9/11:Film Offers limited view

Gee, ya think?

[KevinDavis]

Moore finds much stronger footing when he focuses on Bush's presidency. He accurately quotes a front-page Washington Post story from August 2001 noting that Bush had spent 42 percent of his presidency on vacation.

So let me guess this straight? Bush is not allowed to go on vacations???

[tbpiper]

Michael Moore shows a clip of CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin saying that if ballots had been recounted in Florida after the 2000 presidential vote, "under every scenario Gore won the election." What Moore doesn't show is that a six-month study in 2001 by news organizations including The New York Times, the Washington Post and CNN found just the opposite.

EUREKA!! I'VE FIGGURED IT OUT!!

Michael Moore is the love child of Helen Thomas and Erich von Däniken!

In ‘Chariots of the God’, von Däniken would show some South American artifact, like the construction of Machu Picchu and authoritatively announce ‘Obviously it had to be ancient astronauts who did this’ and then charge off to another site before anyone had time to ‘yeah, but’ his outrageous theory.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

What is also never mentioned in the Bush vacation stories is that on many, world leaders stay at the Crawford ranch, a sign of respect that Clinton never could offer. This was because the Slickster always lived in taxpayer accommodations. The ones he could offer to world leaders became a joke, notably the Lincoln bedroom for sale to the highest bidder, and Camp David which the Clintons treated like a dump. The other leaders heard about this so they knew the Slickster was offering them nothing special.

[Skip Ripley]

Vacation? The President is never really on vacation. It's a 24/7/365 kind of job.

[ez]

Does anyone know where the W. Post came up with the 42% number? It seems impossible to me, unless they counted weekends.

Actually, a 42% vacation rate corresponds to a 4 day work week, if one counts Sat, Sun, and one other day as "vacation days."

[kellynla]

Everyone knows that the POUS is NEVER on vacation!

It's a 24/7 job and anyone who claims different is just being stupid!

[NYCVirago]

Moore finds much stronger footing when he focuses on Bush's presidency. He accurately quotes a front-page Washington Post story from August 2001 noting that Bush had spent 42 percent of his presidency on vacation.

He's not on any stronger footing here. He omitted the Washington Post's own disclaimer that the 42% vacation time included weekends and working vacations at Camp David!

[LizJ]

I agree 100% that it is a full time job. I am just wondering where this number comes from. My very loose math:

He was in office almost 8 months, so approximately 240 days. If you counted 30 days of August (a joke, I know) plus all weekend (maybe 70 days) you get 100/240 = 42%.

I am just wondering if that is how they came up with this number, since Moore is using it. I think the number is ridiculous, and I know his entire movie is a joke, but I am just wanting to know where the number came from. Some of what he is saying is becoming "common knowledge" among the general public, not just the fringe, and I find it very disturbing.

[LizJ]

Thanks, you just answered my question!

[NYCVirago]

Does anyone know where the W. Post came up with the 42% number? It seems impossible to me, unless they counted weekends. I tried to search, but the only article I found I couldn't retrieve. I am curious, and mostly just sick of hearing this number.

Yes, it did include weekends. Pretty intellectually dishonest, considering that weekends comprise 28.5% of the week! The thing that gets me about this figure is that it's obviously a lie, yet the media unquestioningly parrots it because it's from the Washington Post. Nobody seems to want to look at the original source, and see that Moore intentionally left out the weekends information, and also the fact that much of the actual vacation time was working vacations.

[baseballmom]

It's a 24/7 job and anyone who claims different is just being stupid!

Exactly !

[NYCVirago]

Here is a link to a blog pointing to the Washington Post story, with pictures of Bush during these "vacations":

http://lawroark.blog-city.com/read/663671.htm