MoveOn.org Invites Supporters To "Help Win This Thing"
By Jeremy Reynalds (10/15/04)
With a crucial election just days away, Moveon.org, the controversial political action committee heavily funded by billionaire George Soros, is urging sympathizers to "gear up to take our country back on November 2."
This weekend, group members in battleground states are being invited to watch the movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" and talk with its director Michael Moore in an online conference call.
Dubbed by Moveon.org as a " persuasive and powerful film" an e-mail from the group read, "research shows that the film strongly moves swing voters into Kerry's column. And for folks who are already there, it's a great motivator to get more deeply involved. Plus, since watching a movie is fun, hosting a watch party is a great way to get your friends and family involved at a critical moment in our campaign."
The same e-mail says that those willing to rent the movie and host a watch party will. Get a special guest from Moveon.org. "We'll send one of our field organizers to explain how you and your guests can help win this thing on November 2".
According to the same e-mail, people signing up to host a party will "make a crucial contribution to our field program's success ... These parties will help us recruit the volunteers we still need for our ‘Leave No Voter Behind' field program, which harnesses the power of neighbors talking to neighbors to get people to the polls."
The e-mail writer touts the home video release of the controversial movie and says it is worth seeing twice. "Even if you've seen ‘Fahrenheit 9/11 ... the movie merits seeing again, of course, and the DVD also includes new material on homeland security in Florida, Abu Ghraib prison, and an extended interview with the Marine who joined Michael Moore in asking Congressmen to enlist their children."
According to Moveon.org, "‘Fahrenheit 9/11' changed our country when it was released. By hosting a house party on Sunday, you can use its home video release to change our country's leadership, by attracting new volunteers to the ‘Leave No Voter Behind' team."
However, despite its box office success a number of critics have charged that Moore engaged in blatant manipulation for the making of the film and that the result should be classified as propaganda.
Propaganda has been defined as (www.worldhistory.com/wiki/p/propaganda.htm) "a specific type of message presentation, aimed at serving an agenda. Even if the message conveys true information, it may be partisan and fail to paint a complete and balanced picture. The primary use of the term is in political contexts and generally refers to efforts sponsored by governments and political parties. A similar manipulation of information is well known, e.g., in advertising, but normally it is not called propaganda in the latter context. The word propaganda carries a strong negative connotation that advertising does not."
According to his on-line biography, Moore was born in Flint, Michigan, "and attended Catholic schools, including a year in the seminary, which he says accounts for his healthy respect for the fires of hell which seem to be located somewhere just outside Crawford, Texas ... Moore currently spends his time reading, gardening, and removing George W. Bush from the White House."
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