The Official Fahrenheit 9-11 Reader - Softcover

Fireworks and confetti fly through the air as a triumphant Al Gore cheers at a podium with FLORIDA VICTORY sign in background -- he is flanked by celebrities

Was it all just a dream?

God bless you, Florida! Thank you.

Did the last four years not really happen? Look, there's Ben Affleck, he's often in my dreams. And the Taxi Driver guy, he was there, too, and Little Stevie Wonder, he, he seemed so happy, like, like a miracle had taken place. Was it a dream?

Or was it real?

It was election night 2000, and everything seemed to be going as planned.

News clip montage

In New York, Al Gore is our projected winner.

The Garden State is green for Gore.

We project that Mr. Gore is the winner in Delaware. This state has voted with the winner.

Excuse me one second, I'm so sorry to interrupt you. Mike, you know I wouldn't do this if it weren't big. Florida goes for Al Gore.

CNN announces that we call Florida in the Al Gore column.

Then something called the FOX News Channel called the election in favor of the other guy.

I interrupt you, FOX News now projects George W. Bush the winner in Florida and thus it appears the winner of the presidency of the United States.

All of a sudden, the other networks said, "Hey! If FOX said it, it must be true!"

All of us at the networks made a mistake, and projected Florida in the Al Gore column. It was our mistake.

Shot of John Ellis working at phones and TV monitors on Election Night

Now, what most people don't know is that the man who was in charge of the decision desk at FOX that night, the man who called it for Bush, was none other than Bush's first cousin John Ellis. How does someone like Bush get away with something like this.

News clip of Bush cackling

Bush brothers sitting on plane

Well, first, it helps if your brother is the governor of the state in question.

You know something, we are gonna win Florida. Mark my words. You can write it down.

Shots of Katherine Harris, Database Technologies, and voters at polls

Second, make sure the chairman of your campaign is also the vote countin' woman and that her state has hired a company that's gonna knock voters off the rolls who aren't likely to vote for you. You can usually tell them by the color of their skin. Then make sure your side fights like it's life or death.

I think all this talk about legitimacy is way overblown.

President Bush! President Bush!

Copyright © 2004 by Michael Moore