Michael Moore's controversial film Fahrenheit 9/11 hits Americantheatres June 25, much to the chagrin of Republicans everywhere.The Bush Administration spin machine will be at full roar over thenext few weeks. So, allow me to set off the rhetoric alarm a fewdays early.
9/11 will surely be a hit, although Memphians will likely haveto trudge to Studio on the Square, where independent films aregiven a wide berth, to view it. Don't look for it on the largermultiplexes, lest the Memphis Malco theatre monopoly risk upsettingthe soccer moms.
At the Cannes Film Festival, 9/11 earned a record 20-minutestanding ovation. Think that's no big deal? At two claps per secondthat's 2,400 claps of the hands. Try to clap 2,400 times and seehow long it takes you to feel ridiculous.
Flash forward to June 26.
Fahrenheit 9/11 is blazing through the box office, and peopleare talking, angry and craving accountability. Those of yousickened by Bowling for Columbine, will have that feeling doubled.As many non-fiction authors have described since that fateful day,some mighty strange things led up to and immediately followed themost horrible attack on U.S. soil.
Dust off the Republican defenses. First up -- characterassassination. Moore is out to get George W. Bush and will stop atnothing, including propaganda (there's that word) to get the jobdone. Rush Limbaugh gets a late-night call from White Houseoperatives begging for three hours of Monday morning spin.
Tune in June 28 and listen for the collective sigh as theRepublican faithful are talked down from the ledge. Limbaughconsoles an audience of millions and SUVs idle in traffic andcorporate offices grow silent as The Great One puts it all intoperspective. After all, Moore is the guy who went after CharletonHeston in Bowling. After all, it's guys like Moore, along withMolly Ivins and Al Franken, who form the core of the liberalcabal.
And when the character assassination is complete, the eternaldissecting can begin. It's days later, and the Republican minionshave been working hard behind the scenes, dissecting everythingMoore has ever said. We need contradictions, people -- the samekind that painted John Kerry a flip-flopper. Get all the heavies onthe phone.
George Will leaps out of bed to answer the red phone on hisnight stand. It's Brit Hume. The orders are clear. Discredit Mooreat all cost. And if you can't discredit, discount. And when you canno longer discount, misrepresent. This is serious, folks. Thehealth of the American economy is at risk. Heck, life as we know ithangs in the balance. There can be no America with John Kerry inthe Oval Office. This bearded interloper must be stopped.
No time for lightweight weapons like Matt Drudge. Wake upWilliam F. Buckley Jr. Cue the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed page. Pouran extra pot of coffee at the National Review. This is no Floridaballot challenge. There are no hanging chads, no Supreme Courtdecisions.
Who do we know over at Miramax? Unplug the transmitter over atAir America Radio. We demand equal time.
It's gonna be a long night and a tough fight.
