The Iraqi Candidate :: Iraq Politics Political Essays

The Iraqi Candidate "To prefer evil to good is not in human nature; and when a man is compelled to choose one of two evils, no one will choose the greater when he may have the less." ~ Socrates It's the day of the 2004 presidential election. People swarm into public school gymnasiums, fill the voting booths, and escape a while later into the crisp autumn air. The trees have turned and the streets are covered in reddish-brown debris and yet, America is tense today. Today, the day when many people find out whether all of their efforts have been in vain. Today is the day when the future of America is decided. Today is not just any day; it has the power to change Tomorrow. With so much riding on the 2004 election it is not surprising to find that presidential campaigns have gone to a whole new level. People are using media that has never been used before to express their opinions about the election. The Michael Moore movie Fahrenheit 9/11 about the September 11th attack and the war that followed was a big step in using popular media to present political issues. That film was intended to swing votes away from President Bush by examining closely many of the mistakes he made during his presidency. Fahrenheit 9/11 is the first example of a movie trying to have a direct impact on an election. It is a documentary which was made to articulate Michael Moore's feelings on certain political issues for the general public. Because it is an independent film it is not so surprising that it is also biased. Unfortunately political propaganda has invaded mainstream movies as well, where people are not prepared for it and the messages are more subtle and difficult to discern. I was shocked and appalled to see a mainstream movie filled with political messages where there didn't need to be any. After watching the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate the only question that I am left with is whether the movie was meant to reflect the way Americans feel about terrorism or instill in us a fear of terrorism which would cause the election results to lean favorably towards George W.