Michael Moore on Countdown: 'I Think What's Bothering Them' Left Has Been Correct 'From Beginning'

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Run time: 10:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZl-HjQsgjU   Posted on YouTube: August 11, 2010 By YouTube Member: FixedNewsChannel Views on YouTube: 15   Posted on DU: August 11, 2010 By DU Member: Hissyspit Views on DU: 4472

 
MSNBC Countdown w/ KEITH OLBERMANN - 10 Aug. 2010: Keith Olbermann interviews Michael Moore concerning Press Secretary Robert Gibbs comments today about criticism of the Obama administration from the Left.


OLBERMANN: "... Or as the President himself put it addressing the progressive Netroots Nation convention two weeks ago:"

OBAMA (VIDEO): "What I'm asking you is to keep making your voices heard, to keep holding me accountable, to keep up the fight. Change is hard, but if we've learned anything these past 18 months, it's that change is possible. It's possible when folks like you remember that fundamental truth of our democracy, that change doesn't come from the top down, it comes from the bottom up. It comes from the net roots, the grass roots, from every American who loves their country and believes they can make a difference."

OLBERMANN: "Mr. Obama's problem with his base, however, may have more to do with the contrast between Mr. Gibb's call for a reality check and candidate Obama's rejection of exactly that."

OBAMA (VIDEO): "No matter what obstacles stand in our way. Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope..."

OLBERMANN: "First, joining us now, live from the Lincoln Center premiere of the new documentary 'The Tillman Story' about the friendly-fire victim Pat Tillman, is the filmmaker behind other documentary work such as 'SiCKO,' and 'Capitalism: A Love Story,' Michael Moore...

- snip -

OLBERMANN: "Let me ask you it this way, I don't know if I'm 'professional left' here, but I'm sure as hell sure that you are; your response to the interview Mr. Gibbs did and the statement he has released today."

MOORE: "Well, I've never heard the Left referred to with the word 'professional' attached. I don't know if I should take offense at that - first of all, it implies we're organized.

When Mr. Gibbs is worried about what people on the Left are smoking, from my experience, the person in the room who is most paranoid about who's smoking what is usually the person smoking the really heavy stuff. It was really just an odd, odd lashing out. I don't know, it's hot in Washington, I heard that excuse...

I think that's what's bothering them is that liberals and the left have been right from the beginning. From the beginning of this administraton, what did people on our side of the fence say? You should take over these banks temporarily and fire all the thieves who stole our money, but instead what did they do? They enabled them. They called for more offshore oil drilling. They expanded the war in Afghanistan. The stimulus package, they caved into the Republicans... Everything that we've been trying to push them to do has now come back to bite them in a profound way, to the point to where they're very frightened, as they should be, about the election in a couple of months. And, frankly, we're frightened about it, too, because the last thing any of us want to have happen is for the Republicans to come back in any form of power in Congress, or wherever.

To go after your core base, the people that are really... the ones who go out there and carry the water for you, to do the hard work... It's like, I mean, this is the guy, , you don't want him drafting the fundraising letter for the next election cycle. It will begin something like: 'Dear Biggest Obama Supporters - You suck. Now send us money, please.'

- snip -

OLBERMANN: "... But when the two of them claim that the 'professional left,' again, to use their term, does no't represent voters on the left, A) Is that true? and B) If they don't represent anybody, why does it matter what they have to say?"

MOORE: "Well, of course, it's true that, I mean, the people, the Left, the liberal majority elected Barack Obama. I mean, the majority of Americans didn't want the other way. In fact, they didn't want it in such a large way, they not only elected him by millions of votes over John McCain, they wanted a solid majority in both the House and the Senate, a huge majority. That's what Americans said they wanted, because they wanted real change.

And, instead, what they've gotten is a sort of, you know, backing away every time that it comes to a fight with the people who've put us in this horrible situation to begin with.

And it's just so odd that the first thing that was off the top of his head was 'yeah, you know these people want Canadian health care.'

Well, YEAH.

Because what's Canadian health care except everyone is covered, which they won't be still. And it's gonna cost a third to half less, which is what it costs in Canada, which is what we pay.

Oh, and, by the way, people live almost three years longer than we do in Canada.

So, what, I just didn't understand why that was the first thing out of his mouth was the Canadian health care was the big thing they were worried about."

OLBERMANN: "Do you think the White House is missing one thing here, that voters can be both dissatisfied, but also still generally supportive of an administration, especially, as you pointed out earlier, considering the alternative?"

MOORE: "Yes. Yes, the hardcore base is going to show up and vote in November and vote for the Democrats, regardlessof all this hoo-hah that's going on. The problem, and they know this from their own polling, is that next large group of people that go to the soft middle, that voted for Obama, but are no longer enthused and excited, they know that the vote for Democratic politicians has been depressed now. And those people aren't going to vote for Republicans either. They're just going to stay home. And that's the biggest fear...

And it's a legitimate fear on their part, but to go after their base. I heard David Frum say something a few days ago - he said he's always had this theory that 'Republican politicians fear their base, but Democratic politicians hate their base.' That kind of hate ain't gonna get them elected again."

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