It's all an act.
Michael Moore is pure marketing savvy.
He has found a perfect niche business.
He knows that the Wellstone/Dean/Nader nexus of Americans may be small, but that they are (1) well off and (2) more inclined to spend on propaganda items than the average citizen.
He has movies, he has books, he has speaking events, etc. and rakes it in from the same couple of million saps year in and year out.
He is building a franchise - right now he is the flavor of the week, but this brief vogue he's now enjoying is something he's been working toward for 20 years.
The people who buy into his show think that they are building a large, effective political movement with legs.
They're not - they're becoming a a media cult, like Rocky Horror Picture Show fans.
This guy has done more to marginalize the left in this country than anyone in decades.
Ten years ago, remember, it was the conservatives who were supposed to be the conspiracy-minded wackos living on the fringe and making ridiculous, unsubstantiated and irresponsible claims.
Moore is reversing the whole paradigm in order to beef up his investment portfolio.
The entire leftist agenda for decades used to be to pretend to be moderate for public consumption while promoting their more radical agenda whenever possible.
Moore has taken every impatient leftist who is unwilling to follow this prudent strategy and turned them into a movement which is now dictating policy to Democratic Party.
Moore is pulling the mask off and getting paid well to do it.
They better off Moore is, the worse off the left is.
Mark my words.
BUMP
No one running for national office can adopt either a far left or far right agenda. It is rare that a candidate for President ever campaigns on 'the platform' anymore.
It has always been more difficult for liberals and conservatives to get their message across by using black and white markers.
Michael Moore is the safety valve for Liberals that Pat Buchanan was for conservatives and will be thrown to the wolves the same way as soon as he isn't needed any more.
When people ask me how I can stand being a Democrat with Michael Moore running around, it gives me an opportunity to avoid responsibility for the wingnuts in the party...and we all have them.
The Democratic Party is still under the influence of the DLC and the Clinton goons. Kerry and Edwards are waaaay to the left of those opportunists and when Kerry gets walloped in November you can expect that Clinton will come roaring back and don't expect Michael Moore to get a front row seat at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Hohokus.
I think you right on target with your assessment. Thanks for pointing that out.