They're All Around Me

Wow. I just got back from an...interesting TRF class. As you may know, this class is called "Introduction to Writing and Producing," so naturally, we started off by talking about Michael Moore.

...Wow.

Before the class even began, I could tell it was going to be fun, because the guy sitting next to me (who I worked with on the last project) was wearing a "Friends don't let friends vote Republican" shirt. After talking to him for a few minutes, I found out that he's seen "Fahrenheit 9/11" 3 times.

Mmmm. Kool-Aid.

I actually had an interesting discussion with him about how Moore is more biased than he needs to be, so I haven't lost all faith in the thinking abilities of the left, but still...that was weird.

Anyway, it seems that many people in the class went to see Moore last night, and we spent the first half-hour talking about him. However, as one might expect, we ended up covering broader political issues.

The craziness started right away. Apparently, the portly propagandist told everyone that "there will be a draft" if Bush is re-elected. You've gotta love how liberals never resort to scare tactics. I eventually countered with a very simple fact:

"The draft has been proposed, but it was proposed by Democrats, and the Bush administration is opposed to the draft. So, if you're worrying about Bush drafting you...don't."

That shut 'em all up. Heh heh. Unfortunately, the discussion kept going, and I was subjected to all of the following talking points from the professor and various members of the class:

- The election was stolen (this was from the professor).
- Kerry being for and against the war, gay marriage, No Child Left Behind, and abortion doesn't count as flip-flopping.
- Bush being against Homeland Security and the 9/11 Commission, then later accepting them, does count as flip-flopping.
- The media are not liberal, and it seems like they're afraid to question the administration (also from the professor).
- The forged National Guard documents are getting too much media attention.
- The theory that Karl Rove gave the forged documents to CBS is just as valid as other theories (again, the professor said this one).
- Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was taken too seriously by the media.
- Polls only show Bush in the lead because they survey more Republicans than Democrats.
- The electoral college is obsolete and unfair to the voters.

...I can't believe they managed to fit all this crap into 30 minutes. The worst part is that I couldn't really respond, because:

1. It's a frickin' film class, not political science.
2. I was vastly outnumbered.
3. I didn't have Google at my disposal like I do on the blog.

So, I'm sorry to say that I don't have any triumphant debate stories to share. I just kind of sat back and listened to try and detect some original thoughts.

I didn't hear any.

(On a final note, several members of the class identified themselves as "anti-Bush," but none said they were "pro-Kerry." What a shock.)