Even documentary filmmaker Michael Moore finds his endorsement of presidential candidate Gen. Wesley Clark a bit perplexing.
Moore asked his audience in Collis Commonground Saturday how many of them wanted to know what he was doing there. By a show of hands, the vast majority wondered why the notoriously far-left author and filmmaker had endorsed a four-star general who voted for Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.
Moore's response was simply, "Wes Clark voted for Reagan. So did most of America. We want most of America."
Pragmatism characterized Moore's message throughout his speech, as he lobbied less for Clark's campaign platform than he rallied against President Bush. The "Bowling for Columbine" director stressed throughout that Clark was the one Democratic candidate who had a strong enough appeal to Middle America to win the presidential race this November.
Moore also gleefully speculated about a possible Bush v. Clark race.
"Don't you want to see that debate, the general versus the deserter?" he asked.
Moore repeatedly implored the standing-room-only crowd that the upcoming election is "not the time to vote to feel good about yourself."
To Moore, the doomsday scenario is this: "Bush is going to get elected to his first term in office," and the ever-declining enlistment rates for the armed forces are going to push the need to reinstate the draft.
"If you're 18 to 25, that's something you need to think about," he said, citing the fact that he has received many emails and letters from soldiers stationed in Iraq who say they are concerned with the length of their stay overseas and will not re-enlist.
"My first feeling toward Clark is a personal one," Moore explained. "It's an intuition -- I trust him."
Moore became acquainted with Clark when the two appeared via satellite on CNN to speak about the war in Iraq. The appearance came two days after Moore won his Best Documentary Academy Award for "Bowling for Columbine," and one week into the war.
"When Aaron Brown asked [Clark] 'What do you think of Michael Moore?'" Moore recounted, "he said, 'I think dissent is good. Those of us who have worn the uniform, that's what we defend, the right to dissent.'"
Those were days when no one felt they had that right, Moore said.
Moore characterized the Democratic party as full of pushovers and contrasted this image with the GOP minority, whom he sees as fully committed to their cause.
"Newt Gingrich and Tom DeLay are up at 6 a.m. trying to figure out who they are going to screw today," he said. "It's time we found our spine. We're the majority of this country. Your fellow citizens are very liberal when it comes to the issues, they just don't want to vote for the liberal leaders because the liberals have been followers."
Moore predicted that this election was going to be a close one and would come down to 15 swing states.
"Who of the candidates running has the best chance to win Florida, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri, Arizona, Ohio?" he asked the crowd. "If you answer that question honestly, you know the answer is Wes Clark."
Moore also highlighted the importance of the Democratic nominee being not only a presidential candidate but also the front of the Democratic ticket. "With [Bob] Graham, [John] Edwards, [Ernest] Hollings, [John] Breaux, [Zell] Miller -- five Democratic senators from the South, all retiring," Moore said, "it won't matter to have Howard Dean in the White House and have 60 Republicans -- a filibuster-proof Senate. For me, Wes Clark is the surer road."
