A recent facebook post from Michael Moore....did anyone else get this?

[Farmgirl1961]

Michael Moore
53 mins ·
I've been planning an "October Surprise" for the election, for all of you, and I have succeeded in keeping it a secret until now.

I've written a one-man show about this crazy Presidential race and was planning to perform it live -- and film it -- on Oct 7th in Newark, Ohio, the seat of Licking County, right in the heart of Trump Country. My producers flew there on September 15th and negotiated the rental and use of the historic Midland Theater in downtown Newark. Their staff greeted us with open arms and happily agreed to let me book my show. My team then returned to NYC and we set about preparing the shoot and putting the final touches on the production.

Well, this past week, my big plans got dealt a death blow by the Republicans of Licking County, Ohio. We got a call from the theater management telling us, "We're sorry but the community board that oversees the theater has voted to not allow Michael Moore to perform his show here. We are declining the rental." When asked why, it was explained to us that, "Michael Moore's appearance here could reflect negatively upon the Midland Theatre. He is too controversial and the risk is too great. The board is afraid that renting the theater to him
may cause the theater to lose long-standing patrons. Our board here is fairly conservative and it was felt that Mr. Moore would try to sway people's minds to vote his way."

Well, they got that right. They aren't stupid. This show, and my plan to release a video of it it nationwide so it can be seen by millions in the weeks before the election, should definitely "sway" some people into voting!So, good for them at the Midland Theatre in Licking County, Ohio, that they get the subversive intent behind this one-man show. I'll take it as a compliment.

That said, this decision left my production without a place to stage our show in the swing state of Ohio. Well, folks, I'm not leaving and going somewhere else. Sorry, Florida -- you were our second choice, and yes, we know how welcomed we'd be in your insane excuse for a state, but we're staying right here because, well, it's clear now that Ohio really, truly needs us.

And lo and behold, as I was writing this, my producer has informed me that it looks like we may have found a place about an hour or so down the road from Licking County, even deeper into southern Ohio, with even more Trump supporters. A county that has 25,000 registered voters -- and only 500 of them are Democrats! Yeah, baby! TrumpLand on steroids! But I'm told they believe in free speech. Imagine that. The show is on!

So, good people of Licking County, you can rest easy now. Or you can convince your nonprofit board (which is controlled by a bunch of local for-profit businessmen) to change their minds and let me in the door. I'll come do a second show for you. It's still a free country, right? What are you afraid of? That people with a conscience who hear some truth might begin laughing AT your candidate instead of voting for him?

The bottom line: I'm going to perform this show in Ohio. It's 2016, for crying out loud. And personally - sorry for the whining - I'm tired of all the shit I always have to go through. But that's nothing compared to what all of us and the rest of the world are going to have to endure come November 8th if things go very, very wrong.

So... onward to Ohio the first week of October! (I'll let you know the details later.) Maybe after I film my show in a town that will have me, I'll stop by Licking County anyway, pretend I'm still in America, and perform the show in the street outside that theater.

"Make Licking County Great Again!"

P.S. Btw, Licking County is known as the "basket capital" of the world. No, I'm not making a "basket of deplorables" joke. They literally are basket people here. This photo below is of the "World's Largest Basket" and it's the actual corporate headquarters in Licking County of the Longaberger Basket Company. (You can write your own caption here.)

[napi21]

1. I won'gt be able to go to Ohio. Does anyone know when his film will be available?

I LOVE Michael and thank him so much for what he's done for all of us. I sure will promote his film when I find out where to find it.

[Stonepounder]

2. Love ya Michael and would love to see your show.

Will look forward to the video.

But, please don't disparage Longaberger Baskets. The quite a good reputation and really fine baskets. And yes, their headquarters building is built to look like a giant woven-woof picnic basket, but it is all in fun. And again, they really do make really good baskets.

(I have absolutely nothing to do with Longaberger baskets, don't know anyone who works there, don't own any stock, or have any other connection with them, but living just 'a piece down the road' from Licking Co., I certainly know of them.)

[jtuck004]

3. Longaberger Company, what's left of an American Manufacturer of quality baskets.

The Longaberger Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other home and lifestyle products. It was one of the primary employers in the area near Dresden, Ohio with more than 8,200 employees and 1 billion dollars in sales. Started in Dresden, the company is now headquartered in Newark, Ohio. A family-owned and operated business, the Longaberger Company was started by Dave Longaberger in 1973, and was overtaken in 2013 by CVSL, Inc. It is currently led by John Rochon Jr, the son of the John P. Rochon, founder and chairman of JRJR Networks and Richmont Holdings. There are currently fewer than 75 full-time and part-time employees. Approximately 30 of those still make baskets. A combination of a recession and changing tastes in home decor combined to send sales, which peaked in 2000 at $1 billion, to about $100 million in 2012.[1]

-wiki

I hope the mention is good for those 75 workers, anyway.

[Greybnk48]

7. I've had one of their beautiful baskets

for at least 30 years. Super high quality and the handles are leather.

[Alameda]

9. Big basket building in Ohio to be sold

It opened in 1997 and once housed 500 employees of the company, the Columbus Dispatch reports.
Now, the company is facing hard economic times. The last employees working in the building are moving out this week.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36797849

[Mira]

4. If I can I will get on the road to be there.

I want to go and propose to and marry Michael -- had it on my mind ever since "Where to invade next".

[forest444]

5. You might almost say Licking County has become a basket case.

Here's hoping they prove me wrong, man up, and honor their previous commitment to the great Michael Moore.

And they already owe him: he put them on the map!

[ancianita]

6. I got it on FB. I hope he's got good security.

[truedelphi]

8. Oh for Pete's sake, why all the drama, Michael?

You have enough money that you could easily go to any half-way struggling town in America and friggin' buy a theater. Or two or three. Hopefully you would make the purchase of said theater(s) from a fairly progressive real estate person.

You could do your show, and then leave the theater in the hands of some struggling theater company.