Robert Greenwald’s upcoming documentary
The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress about Representative Delay’s questionable fundraising policies is now being used as a fundraiser tool by Delay himself. Weeks ago
The New York Times reported on the film and on how a
“host of liberal organizations in Texas and nationwide, including People for the American Way, Democracy for America and the Pacifica radio station in Houston, are expected to sponsor the film's release.”
In response, Mr. Delay issued a fund-raising email – with every link going to a donation form – that quotes the New York Times article:
A documentary…is being put to use by Mr. DeLay's political opponents in an attempt to unseat him…distributed this spring by the Hollywood producer and liberal provocateur Robert Greenwald.”
Delay pleads “Much like Michael Moore’s
Fahrenheit 9-11, this movie is a blatant attempt to influence the outcome of an election. The director himself said, “It was important to get this out as soon as possible…given the elections this November.” So Delay – on the very day that his former aide Tony Rudy pleads guilty for conspiring with Abramoff – gets the word out that he needs money to fight filmmakers like Greenwald. To hear more, see Greenwald on the
The Colbert Report.
# posted by Peter Bowen @ 3/31/2006 07:00:00 PM
Comments (3)
I think these types of documentaries do have a tendency to backfire. The thing is, I doubt many people are ambivalent about Tom DeLay (personally, I think he’s one of the most reprehensible people in the House). Maybe I’m wrong, but I think people in that district have already made up their mind as to how they’ll vote. I don’t think a partisan film is going to change anyone’s mind. This is one reason why I found “Control Room” to be far more enlightening than “Fahrenheit 9/11.” As another example, I saw “Why we Fight” a few weeks ago, and although I agree with the politics of the film, I’m pretty sure everyone in the theater also already agreed with the politics. That doesn’t mean these films aren’t valuable and shouldn’t be made; I’m just not sure they can actually change the outcome of an election.
One thing I find amusing about this scenario is that someone like Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly will rail on this as another example of “Liberal Hollywood” trying to force its values on America. Those are two guys who have a forum on national television and national radio every day of the week to make their values heard, yet they’re upset with filmmakers who make a film that has an exponentially smaller potential audience. And the audience it does have has to seek out the film and pay ten dollars to see it in a theater or four dollars to rent the DVD. So although I agree that there is a potential for films like this to backfire, I think the people who complain about these films being made should either make their own films or stop whining.
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posted by Josh Boelter @ 4/03/2006 11:01 AM
Hmm, I guess I was wrong. I thought people like Greenwald were wasting their time and that Tom DeLay would be in that seat forever. Shows what I know. Whatever Tom's up to, I'm sure it's nefarious. For one, now that he doesn't have to spend his campaign coffers on a campaign, he can spend that money on his legal defense.
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posted by Josh Boelter @ 4/05/2006 12:35 PM
How would you rate the future for student going into school now to become directors, editors and screenplay writers? There are many going into the field but I wonder what the industry can support.
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posted by Film Directing Schools @ 8/17/2006 2:10 AM
