Narrated by Michael Moore
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
NARRATION
Was it all just a dream? AL GORE God bless you, Florida! Thank you. NARRATION 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 TOM BROKAW (NBC NEWS) In New York, Al Gore is our projected winner.
DAN RATHER (CBS NEWS)
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.
JUDY WOODRUFF (CNN NEWS)
CNN announces that we call Florida in the Al Gore column.
NARRATION
Then something called the FOX News Channel called the election in favor of the other guy.
BRIT HUME (FOX NEWS)
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.
NARRATION
All of a sudden, the other networks said, "Hey! If FOX said it, it must be true!"
TOM BROKAW
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
NARRATION
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
NARRATION
Bush brothers sitting on plane
Well, first, it helps if your brother is the governor of the state in question.
GEORGE W. BUSH
You know something, we are gonna win Florida. Mark my words. You can write it down.
NARRATION
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.
JAMES BAKER (FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE, BUSH LAWYER)
I think all this talk about legitimacy is way overblown.
CROWD PROTESTING FLORIDA RECOUNT
President Bush! President Bush!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader by Michael Moore Copyright © 2004 by Michael Moore. Excerpted by permission.
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