[IP] 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Making GOP Nervous
http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/072304Z.shtml
'Fahrenheit 9/11' Making GOP Nervous
By Mike Glover
The Associated Press
Thursday 22 July 2004
Des Moines, Iowa - Republicans initially dismissed "Fahrenheit 9/11" as a
cinematic screed that would play mostly to inveterate Bush bashers. Four weeks
and $94 million later, the film is still pulling in moviegoers at 2,000
theaters around the country, making Republicans nervous as it settles into the
American mainstream.
"I'm not sure if it moves voters," GOP consultant Scott Reed said, "but if
it moves 3 or 4 percent it's been a success."
Two senior Republicans closely tied to the White House said the movie from
director Michael Moore is seen as a political headache because it has reached
beyond the Democratic base. Independents and GOP-leaning voters are likely to
be found sitting beside those set to revel in its depiction of a clueless
president with questionable ties to the oil industry.
"If you are a naive, uncommitted voter and wander into a theater, you
aren't going to come away with a good impression of the president," Republican
operative Joe Gaylord said. "It's a problem only if a lot of people see it."
Based on a record-breaking gross of $94 million through last weekend,
theaters already have sold an estimated 12 million tickets to "Fahrenheit
9/11." A Gallup survey conducted July 8-11 said 8 percent of American adults
had seen the film at that time, but that 18 percent still planned to see it at
a theater and another 30 percent plan to see it on video.
More than a third of Republicans and nearly two-thirds of independents told
Gallup they had seen or expected to see the film at theaters or on video.
"Fahrenheit 9/11" opened in June mainly in locally owned arts theaters that
specialize in obscure films and tiny audiences. Drawn in part by the buzz
surrounding the film, people packed the theaters and formed long lines for
tickets. Within a week, it was appearing in chain-owned theaters along with
"Spider-Man 2," "The Notebook" and other big summer attractions.
When he sat down to watch the film at the Varsity Theater in Des Moines
last weekend, Rob Sheesley didn't harbor anti-Bush feelings. Two hours later,
he left with conflicted emotions.
"You want to respect the president," Sheesley said. "It raised a lot of
questions."
Bush's leadership in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had
impressed retired teacher Lavone Mann, another Des Moines moviegoer. After
watching the film, Mann wanted to know more about its claims.
"I guess that I think it makes me want to pursue how much of it is accurate
and not just get carried away with one film," she said. "I don't hear Bush and
(Vice President Dick) Cheney saying that this is incorrect."
Retired college professor Dennis O'Brien, a Bush voter in 2000 and a movie
buff who has seen other Moore films, said "Fahrenheit 9/11" hasn't changed his
view of Bush but may well serve a larger purpose by sparking debate.
"Moore forces you to think about the role of oil in the politics of
American life," O'Brien said. "This goes back a long way."
In GOP-strong Columbia, S.C., watching the movie last week at the
Columbiana Grande tipped 26-year-old David Wood's support more to the left.
"I don't consider myself a Republican or a Democrat. I just vote for
whoever is right for the job," the University of South Carolina student said.
"I think most people don't bother to really research, and all they need is
something popular to sway them."
Others at the screening in Columbia were put off by what they saw as the
film's biased approach to examining Bush and the reasons he took the country to
war. For Scott Campbell, 19, the movie reinforced his apathy toward politics.
"We didn't even stay to see the whole thing," Campbell said. "It was
one-sided."
Former Iowa Republican Chairman Michael Mahaffey said the movie's impact
could be dulled over time. "It's July," he said. "Conventional wisdom will
change completely every four or five weeks."
Still, "Fahrenheit 9/11" is likely to gain an even wider audience when it's
released on home video in the weeks before Election Day. The Gallup survey
found that nearly half of the Republicans and independents who expect to see
the film said they were likely to view it on video.
"In all honesty, in a very close election, who knows what will sway the
public?" Mahaffey said.
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