Michael Moore and Politics: Is He Relevant?

Michael Moore is stirring up controversy again. Moore remarked on Friday that the timing of Hurricane Gustav's landfall on the Gulf Coast to coincide with the first day of the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis is "proof that there is a God in heaven". This quote is one of a long line of statements and films by Michael Moore that show he is no friend to the Republican Party.

There is absolutely no doubt that Michael Moore has the right to hold the opinions that he holds and has the right to express them. In my opinion, the issue with Michael Moore is that he takes his preconceived notions into his films and tries to pass them off as documentaries, which are typically considered objective and factual. According to Wikipedia, a documentary is "a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to 'document' reality". The process used to "document reality" is best when it is objective and when you haven't decided on a pre-determined outcome, which Michael Moore often has.

Michael Moore has a long (and profitable) history of anti-Republican statements and films. Moore has made several films masquerading as documentaries. Among his most popular films are the following:

Roger & Me - This film that launched Michael Moore's career in 1989 follows Moore's attempts to secure an interview with GM Chief Executive Officer Roger Smith to discuss GM's closure of a Flint, Michigan plant that resulted in 30,000 lost jobs.

Bowling for Columbine - An anti-firearm "documentary" from 2002 in the wake of the Columbine tragedy.

Fahrenheit 911 - A 2004 Michael Moore film that investigated the Administration's reaction to 9/11 and the subsequent War on Terror.

Sicko - Michael Moore's 2007 film that attacked the North American healthcare system.