The Passion of Michael Moore

EDITOR’S NOTE-NATIONAL REVIEW White House correspondent Byron York’s new book, The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy, details how MoveOn.org, George Soros, Michael Moore, 527 groups, Al Franken, and other Democratic activists built a powerful new network to attack President Bush and his initiatives. One of the key strategies of those activists in 2004 was the effort to create an impression in the public mind that there was a wave of anti-Bush anger sweeping the country, which would lead to the president’s defeat in the November election. The following excerpt shows how Michael Moore-the radical filmmaker-tried to make that happen.

IN early August 2004, Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political adviser, was having lunch with a small group of journalists at the Oval Room, a restaurant on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. The talk-off the record, unless Rove agreed to be quoted-was about strategy in the presidential race. Was Kerry’s emphasis on his Vietnam record a mistake? Was Bush going to offer a full-scale defense of the war in Iraq? Would he push issues like Social Security reform? After the discussion touched on a number of heavy topics, I asked Rove what he thought of Michael Moore’s blastingly anti-Bush movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. Had it had an effect on the presidential race?

About the Author

Byron York

Byron York is a former White House correspondent for National Review.

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EDITOR’S NOTE-NATIONAL REVIEW White House correspondent Byron York’s new book, The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy, details how MoveOn.org, George Soros, Michael Moore, 527 groups, Al Franken, and other Democratic activists built a powerful new network to attack President Bush and his initiatives. One of the key strategies of those activists in 2004 was the effort to create an impression in the public mind that there was a wave of anti-Bush anger sweeping the country, which would lead to the president’s defeat in the November election. The following excerpt shows how Michael Moore-the radical filmmaker-tried to make that happen.

IN early August 2004, Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political adviser, was having lunch with a small group of journalists at the Oval Room, a restaurant on Lafayette Square, across from the White House. The talk-off the record, unless Rove agreed to be quoted-was about strategy in the presidential race. Was Kerry’s emphasis on his Vietnam record a mistake? Was Bush going to offer a full-scale defense of the war in Iraq? Would he push issues like Social Security reform? After the discussion touched on a number of heavy topics, I asked Rove what he thought of Michael Moore’s blastingly anti-Bush movie, Fahrenheit 9/11. Had it had an effect on the presidential race?