If I were speaking to a group of undecided voters from the Republican side, I would categorically address Moore's talking points and ask the voters if Moore's "shock jock" style is really what they want.

That would be intellectually dishonest though - unless they were under the mistaken belief that Moore was the Democrat's candidate then his views and techniques are as relevent as a leftwinger attacking Ann Coulter's arguments in an attempt to discredit Bush. It's petty and, at least in my eyes, highly unethical. If asked about them then sure you should address it, but really it's more important to critique what Bush and Kerry think (if of course these beliefs are ever actually released).

That would be intellectually dishonest though

It would be intellectually dishonest, in a sense, yes...but please don't tell me intellectual dishonesty doesn't infect Australia's policies.

The issue at hand is, these are serious allegations against Bush -- allegations that, if they were all true, would easily add up to treason, which is significant in the US as it is the only crime that, if convicted, carries an automatic death penalty. The thing is, these allegations appear to be largely fabrications and exaggerations, and they have been crafted with the express purpose of landing a democrat in the White House. Ann Coulter, while right wing, has not been released in theaters nationwide, nor has her information been disseminated in the Bush camp to the degree that Moore's has been spread through the Kerry camp. Unfortunately, this promises to be a rather nasty election from all sides.

Yes I admit the same thing happens in Australia, and we have the same kind of disinformation campaigns as Moore and others create, but I think it's important to seperate the "nastier" elements in politics from the people who, for the moment at least, are on the same side. If we don't think it's important enough to be fairhanded then we deserve people like Moore.

The thing is, these allegations appear to be largely fabrications and exaggerations, and they have been crafted with the express purpose of landing a democrat in the White House.

I have finally seen the film and Moore certainly makes quite a few accusations. I thought that much of the evidence is behind these accusations was circumstantial and some of the conclusions drawn were reaching. But what has made me think that there maybe some truth behind them is that, instead of answering the allegations and producing facts refuting them, the right has almost completely attacked the person making them (i.e. Moore.) When I see that sort of reaction makes me think that they do have something to hide.

Thats because more never accuses anything. He just throws things out there to imply everything. Heres this point, this point and this point. then lets the viewer make the connection. Even though each of those points are either taken out of context, different periods in time, or outright theoretical conjecture.

Thats because more never accuses anything. He just throws things out there to imply everything.

I don't know, there was a couple of pretty straight forward questions during the first half of the film:

Why were the Saudis, including Osama Bin Ladens brother who was in the US to meet with the Carlyle Group (that employes George Bush's father as well as other heavy hitters of the Republican party) the only people allowed to fly planes within the US on Sept 13 2001?
And why were the Saudis, who even at that time had been identified as behind most anti-US terrorism up to that time, allowed to leave the country at the time of the greatest act of terrorism against the US?

Just a couple of the direct questions posed by the film that, to my knowledge have never been answered...sounds fishy to me.

The difference though is that Ann Coulter is not nearly as well known as Moore, and Coulter is not embraced by mainstream Republicans the way Moore is embraced by Democrats.

Madine? Ann Coulter is pretty well known in the mainstream media. The National Review fired her for her ultra conservative views which garnered her a lot of press, her books were best sellers, and Bill Maher makes her a regular guest on his HBO show. She is also a guest commentator on both MSNBC and Fox news.

I am a mainstream Dem and i like Moore's movies, but i also take him with a grain of salt at the same time. He does not represent the beliefs of the Mainstream dems, never has, and never will

At best hes a "docudrama" director. Just my opinion though.

Gerry, your problem is that you just keep your hands in front of your eyes.  People like me have answered these questions over and over and over..

And because you apparently choose not to look around, you don't see the answers.  There's websites such as Moorewatch.com that disect the film line by line.

For instance, NOBODY left the country by air before the airspace opened. Moore lied.  The bin laden family chartered an airplane and left when the airspace was opened just like everyone else.  This has been widely reported in countless places.  I can't believe you would claim that the right hasn't "answered" these.

Similarly, the FBI did interview those Saudi's prior to leaving.   The one who made the final decision to let them leave was Moore's buddy, Richard Clarke.

The whole film is propaganda designed for the weak minded.

"As he presents himself as America's savior" Is this a quote from him? If so I would like to know from where. I don't see him saying this and seems like this is how you have chosen to views his actions/self-representation.

"Michael Moore is so closely tied with the left (and by extension, Kerry), his side is equally appalling." Is Bush as equally appaling as Ann Coulter? That women is something else. I've never read someones writting so obviously misguided and venomous. If your relation of Moore to Kerry is true, isn't it the same for Coulter?

"I don't think this move generated enough ticket sales to say that it fairly influenced more than a fringe minority" I didn't see the movie until a week ago. I was extremely surprised to see that it was still playing in a large screen at the playhouse and all but a handful of seats were filled. Moore wanted the movie to come out on DVD before elections but he is fighting an uphill battle. The reason? It's still making so much money in the theater that the producers refuse to release it.

"I am sure the video release will be timed so that college profs can get this nice bit of propaganda to their students in time for the November election." Is there no such thing as a conservative college Professor? Are you suggesting that people involved in education at the highest levels are either A) part of some organization a la the teamsters that demand they vote Democrat or they get ousted? Those involved in higher education tend to sway democrat based on their personal experiences and views derived from watching world affairs closely? C) some other theory?

" the way it is presented, it leaves people wanting to ask more questions to get to the truth" That is exactly what Moore intended to make happen. He may have his opinion, but he is doing a great job if it makes you want to go ask more questions. Unfortunately, human nature is to ask questions and then single out the evidence which backs your preconcieved conclusion, ignoring that which you find that contradicts it. This isn't a slam on anyone, its just a fact. It's something you find out when you learn to be a teacher of anything (I learned in teaching people to fly helicopters). You get a first hand chance to watch people categorically chase only options that present what they believed in the first place. Then when they exhaust that option and can't "prove" it, they tend to feel as though they have exhausted every option and are unable to see options that are opposed to what they first believed. Interesting part of human nature. We all do it.

It's not in the theaters because Ann Coulter is EXTREMELY negative. Her comments suggesting the Democrats are really "The French Party", comments that plainly state she believes you can divide party lines by the type of car people drive or the type of food they eat (I'm not kidding, go back and read her stuff online!) is why you will never see a movie by her.

The Saudi's did not fly into or out of the United States on Sept. 13th. Any statement that contradicts this fact is a bold-faced lie.

Are you suggesting that [...] Those involved in higher education tend to sway democrat

A recent study (referenced here ) indicates that in the professorial population, democrats outnumber republicans by about 10 to 1.

I agree with that. Exit polls show this too.

To answer your question,Yes I believe his strident mewling will aggravate enough undecided voters to "stay the course" as it were. I cannot speak of politics to one of my sisters because of her blind acceptance of that type of liberal screed. As for Anne Coulter, what can I say but that her book Treason was a poorly written screeching that was like nails on a chalkboard to me. I think her lack of "fame" is better for the Republican party than if she were famous like mm.