Michael Moore misedited "Now Watch this Drive"

[gulliver]

(I thought I would bring this up again, because I think it is a serious blunder by Moore.)

Moore only shows the last sentence of what Bush said. Then he shows Bush hitting the golf drive. Unfortunately, unless you are one of the few people who remember the context of this execrable Bush performance, you probably won't get how bad it really was.

Bush was making his comment on August 4, 2002 (edited from "2001," thanks to Melinda) immediately after a suicide bombing in Israel in which 9 people died and 50 were wounded. Moore should have made the audience deeply aware of this fact. Then, what now looks like a guy giving a perfunctory sound bite and getting back to his vacation would sound more like this:

(9 people were murdered today in Israel and 50 were wounded)... "I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers... Now watch this drive."

As it is now in Fahrenheit 9/11, only people who already think Bush is an a**hole will see Moore's point. The others will think that Moore is criticizing Bush for golfing and not taking his job seriously. What Bush didn't take seriously was actually a major tragedy.

[molly]

1. But-but-but - he is a compassionate conservative

and he follows Jeezus.

[mzmolly]

2. Actually I though he made the comment after 911, which made it seem

even worse?

None the less it's insensitive, arrogant, callous and unpresidential to say the least.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Moore theoretically could have shown more of lots of things, but

Moore theoretically could have shown more of lots of things, but he wanted to make a fast-paced movie.

[gulliver]

4. True, I'm hoping the extra information is in the DVD. n/t

[kayell]

9. I doubt there is room even on a DVD for all *s outrages, but I hope Moore

includes as many as will fit.

[Spinzonner]

5. Frankly, I cant conceive of any 'context' that would

mitigate the thoughtlessness made apparent by how perfunctorily he switched from a serious and tragic subject to the self-indulgent triviality of his own amusement.

[gulliver]

10. I can conceive of it.

I've talked to people who are happy to apologize for Bush based on the footage as shown. It's maddening that people don't see it the way you and I do, but they don't. Moore probably assumed that what he had was enough because Moore gets it without the extra context too. Other people don't. Especially, for example, Republicans and golfers.

[Cha]

6. I hadn't heard the original clip and I could see

that bush was talking about terrorists in his stupid fashion and then getting down to business with his drive.

I think Moore did fine on this one.

[Melinda]

7. I call Bullshit - Bush* spat that out well after 911

I remember seeing it on CNN when he pulled his "faux pas", and we had a long thread on DU about it. Care to provide your source?

[gulliver]

11. Link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43789-2002Aug4?language=printer

[Melinda]

13. Like I said - well after 911 - look at the date again.

And from the article:

"His business out of the way, Bush barely paused for breath before saying, "Thank you. Now watch this drive."
"

[gulliver]

14. Whoops. You're right!

Correcting in the main post with thanks.

... Which makes it even worse...

Thanks, again!

[Kokonoe]

8. He said it, everything in the movie is true.

The media does stuff like that all day on TV. He was just showing what happened.

[Hoping4Change]

12. Let's see if repukes point out this omission. nt

[Beaverhausen]

15. But I remember seeing it on the news when he did it.

it was in the lead up to the war. It was around the time he said "I'm the one who decides when we go to war, when we go after terrorists, nukular nukular blah blah blah." It was in the lead up to the IWR vote.

I don't remember it being after a suicide bombing.

but your mileage may vary.

edited cuz I kan't speel

[gulliver]

16. The suicide bombing happened only four hours earlier.

Just over four hours before, as Bush slept at his parents' seaside retreat, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a bus in Israel, killing nine passengers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43789-2002Aug4?language=printer

[Beaverhausen]

17. Ok well then I sit corrected.