At CMU, Michael Moore urges “slackers” to vote

Exactly one week before Election Day, author and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore… Exactly one week before Election Day, author and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore told a crowd of 1,500 at Carnegie Mellon University that it would take “hard work” to undermine the President’s re-election efforts.

“America is no longer a country that subscribes to [Republican] beliefs,” Moore said, arguing that the majority of Americans are not represented by the Republicans that presently control the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and a majority of state governorships.

“When President Kerry is inaugurated in January, you Republicans shouldn’t worry,” Moore added. “Even though most in this room consider being a Republican and being conservative as being deviant, don’t worry, we will still allow you to get married.”

The heavy-set, baseball-capped pundit brought along video clips, props and special guests to entertain the crowd. He played half a dozen satirical television ads he said he would offer the Bush/Cheney campaign. One ended with the line, “Vote Bush, he’s already on his way to the next 1,000 body bags.”

To much laughter, Moore also read sex advice and tips from Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly’s newly released book, intended for teenagers, entitled “The Factor, for Kids.”

Moore’s appearance featured a performance by local punk-rock band Anti-Flag, who performed an acoustic version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”

In his self-titled “Slacker Uprising Tour” of college campuses across the country, Moore is stopping in 60 cities through 20 battleground states up to Election Day.

He told Tuesday’s crowd that 18- to 29-year-olds — the “slackers” — make up 40 million citizens, one of the country’s biggest voting blocs, which has been relatively low turnout in past elections. Moore said that this bloc, if motivated, could sway the election to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Moore said that his newest film project addresses the health care industry and pharmaceutical companies. He said he had heard one company had issued “training manuals” concerning how to deal with the filmmaker, and even provided a hotline for employees who catch sight of him.

Moore gave the audience the hotline number and encouraged them to call. When one audience member called the number and got through to a voicemail, he rallied the crowd to shout “He’s here!”

Anderson Davies, a junior acting major at CMU, said it was nice to hear a political voice that connects with younger minds.

“[It is disappointing] when politicians can appear detached, but [Moore] is in the business of entertaining people,” he said.

Moore spoke about the presidential debates and said that “Bush asks everyone else for a solution for the Iraq issue. It’s like me coming to your dorm room after this lecture, messing it all up, and turning to you and asking ‘So, what’s your solution?'”

When Moore invited discourse with Bush supporters in the audience, he was asked what his solution to the present situation would be.

“If we stay, more Americans will die, and more Iraqis will die,” Moore said. “If we leave, more Iraqis will die. Maybe we’re just screwed, and maybe the Iraqis are just screwed even worse. Maybe we have to get on our knees and beg for forgiveness.”

Moore said President Bush is telling “one absolute lie” in his campaign: that there will not be a military draft if he gets re-elected.

“This is Carnegie Mellon,” he said. “Do the math. The army is so stretched with reserves and national guard at the moment, if Bush continues the war, where is he going to find the troops?”

Matt Angle, a freshman biology student at CMU, argued with Moore about whether those serving the US army in Iraq were volunteers, and whether those who supported the war should be the first to go fight in Iraq.

“He assumes people were forced to fight,” Angle said after the event. “They volunteered. There are enough volunteers, so we wouldn’t need a draft.”

He doesn’t take a stance,” Angle added, referring to Moore. “He only denigrates the stances taken by others, and he just says he doesn’t like Bush, without suggesting a better plan. It’s not good enough.”

Moore read excerpts from his new book, “Will They Ever Trust Us Again?: Letters from the War Zone,” which features some of the 3,000 letters soldiers in Iraq have sent Moore in support of his work.

In closing his hour-long remarks, Moore told the audience “the hard work will not end” after Kerry is elected.

“We are going to make sure he does the job we elected him to do,” he added, to applause.

After Moore left the stage, Ramen noodles and packs of underwear were handed out to remaining audience members. In previous rallies, Moore has said such supplies “provides the sustenance and provisions every slacker needs.”

Handing out such gifts got Moore into trouble earlier this month, when the Michigan Republican Party filed a criminal complaint against him for “illegal attempts to influence the election in Michigan,” according to a letter from Greg McNeilly, executive director of the state’s Republican Party.

“We want everyone to participate in this year’s election, but not because they were bribed or coerced by the likes of Michael Moore,” McNeilly said.