Random Michael Moore Deceits [#17]

even the very very beginning shot of Fahrenheit 9/11 is deceitful...

Fahrenheit 9/11 begins on election night 2000. We are first shown Al Gore rocking on stage with famous musicians and a high-spirited crowd. The conspicuous sign on stage reads "Florida Victory." Moore creates the impression that Gore was celebrating his victory in Florida. Moore's voiceover claims, "And little Stevie Wonder, he seemed so happy, like a miracle had taken place." The verb tense of past perfect ("had taken") furthers the impression that the election has been completed.

Actually, the rally took place in the early hours of election day, before polls had even opened. Gore did campaign in Florida on election day, but went home to Tennessee to await the results. The "Florida Victory" sign reflected Gore’s hopes, not any actual election results. ("Gore Campaigns Into Election Day," Associated Press, Nov. 7, 2000.)

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Our claim-by-claim guide to Fahrenheit 9/11 begins with the first scene. The film opens with an attempt to suggest that Al Gore actually won the 2000 presidential election, and with Michael Moore wondering if the past four years have only been a bad dream. It opens with footage of a Gore celebration in Florida, with Ben Affleck and other pop-culture stars on stage with Gore, and a sign saying “Florida Victory.” Moore arranges things to give the impression that this is a post-election celebration of a Gore victory that was then taken away. But in fact, this footage is from before the election, not after. It was a rally on the final day of the campaign, not a post-election rally after any votes had been cast or counted. (Here’s a story recounting the rally http://www.evote.com/News/EV11072000E.html.) Moore does not directly lie, but carefully and thoroughly gives a misleading impression—even in this opening scene.

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