‘Fahrenheit’ meeting puts more heat on president

Lynn Doan

Tuesday, June 29, 2004 | 9:25 a.m.

Residents who crammed into seven rooms at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to hear film director Michael Moore talk about his controversial movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" Monday night came to one conclusion: President Bush needs to go.

More than 200 Las Vegas residents, twice the number expected by organizers of the state chapter of MoveOn, registered to attend what they call a "town hall meeting," a nationwide teleconference with Moore. MoveOn is a liberal campaign group originally organized to spread an online petition to "Censure President Clinton and Move Onto Pressing Issues Facing the Nation."

Moore, who briefly answered questions about his movie and the upcoming presidential election, said he was amazed at the influence "Fahrenheit 9/11" has had on undecided voters.

"I think anybody who was on the fence fell off the fence after seeing this movie," said Moore, who said that even some "hard-core Republicans" were switching sides after watching the movie.

Moore also said presidential candidate John Kerry would "never do what Bush did" to the American people.

"(Kerry) is a person of integrity and believes in peace," he said.

But Kristin Perrah-Lewis, 34, had already made up her mind about Bush before watching the movie. She came Monday because her husband had lost his job as assistant manager of a toy store and is now earning $6.25 an hour as a convenience store clerk to support their four children.

"We've watched what has been happening these last four years, with Bush talking about how jobs have been created," said Perrah-Lewis, who stays home to care for their two toddlers. "But obviously these jobs he is creating are the lower-paying jobs."

Her 11-year-old daughter, Gabrielle Lewis, was aware of Bush's effect on the economy from a different perspective.

"I've been wanting to go to this private school because it's such a great school with an excellent education, but I can't afford it," said Lewis, who said she and her 15-year-old sister read books at their local public schools that are older than she is.

"Bush talks about how no child is left behind. Uh, hello," she said, waving a hand above her head.

Though 55-year-old Dave Ripsher has had the luck of maintaining his job as a freelance software engineer, he said Bush needs to go so that troops can return from Iraq.

"I think we're realizing that these are all issues that affect all of us," said Ripsher, who is also a MoveOn volunteer. "I think (Fahrenheit 9/11) has shown the younger people all we have to fight against."

Roberto Pacheco, 15, said the movie, which brought him to tears, prompted him to attend the meeting.

Pacheco said he has never been politically active, but now he would like to help more Americans become aware by becoming a MoveOn volunteer and participating in voter registration campaigns.

"This is about the people controlling our country, and the American public are so apathetic," he said.

Moore encouraged volunteers like Pacheco to push voter registration because "one vote does count."

Saying that votes don't count," Moore said, "is music to the ears of those in power."

Like Pacheco, Danny Fittro, 33, watched Moore's documentary and drove an hour from Pahrump to see what he could do to help boot Bush out of office. Fittro said he waited for 30 minutes outside the UNLV building before coordinators were able to find enough space for him in one of the rooms.

"I knew that I wanted to do something to help, but coming here and seeing all of these people that are thinking the same way that I am, is really amazing," he said.