akemi7 0 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 I was watching some TV on WOWOW last night by Michael Moore. It was very interesting, especially about the FICUS campaign for congress. Was that really true?? I can't sure if true or not, but very interesting. Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted February 2, 2004 Share Posted February 2, 2004 That must have been pretty old unless he is redoing that campaign this time around. The last election (2000) Moore had a 'vote for the Ficus' campaign going. I like what he does. Sometimes over the top, but he always makes a point and that is his purpose. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 What on earth are you talking about?!? Link to post Share on other sites
Ms Zoidberg 0 Posted February 3, 2004 Share Posted February 3, 2004 Would YOU vote for him? (her? it?) Link to post Share on other sites
HotMagma 0 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Isaw that a while back. Hilarious. He just don't give up do he? ------ 'Ficus For Congress' Takes Root In 24 Congressional Campaigns by Laurence Arnold WASHINGTON -- A team of candidates for Congress, deeply rooted in the environment, is trying to strike a blow against incumbency. But these challengers have to overcome unique disadvantages, such as an inability to speak and a need to be watered. Mobilized by satirist Michael Moore, political skeptics have enlisted ficus plants to seek write-in votes for 24 congressional races. "I'm doing this because the American people no longer show up to vote," Moore said during a campaign appearance for the plant that is challenging Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. "The majority of people feel they have no choice." Moore is best known for his 1989 documentary "Roger & Me," a dark comedy that assailed General Motors Corp. for closing its plant in Flint, Mich. Ficus plants are being offered as candidates in 23 House races in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Wyoming. One senator, Republican Craig Thomas of Wyoming, has vegetative competition. Among the House campaigns, 21 target Republicans. Another is against Rep. Virgil Goode of Virginia, who switched his affiliation from Democrat to independent. The other is for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Thomas Bliley, R-Va. Despite the political slant, the campaign originally was designed to challenge veterans in both parties who draw little or no competition. "Voters have stopped going to the polls because today's politicians -- Republicans and Democrats -- all stand for pretty much the same things," reads the first plank in the ficus platform. "The ficus campaign has recaptured voters' imagination in a way no other candidate can, by offering a real choice: politician or potted plant." Campaign volunteers say they see the effort as a lark, but one with a message. Sarah Cook of State College, Pa., said she was "really disappointed" when she learned Republican Rep. John Peterson of Pennsylvania had no Democratic opponent. So she and her husband Sean volunteered to host a ficus campaign. "I think that people need to know that even when an incumbent is running unopposed, they do have a choice," said Cook, who works at Penn State University. Lorne Wolfe, an associate professor of biology at Georgia Southern University, is helping run the ficus campaign against Republican Rep. Jack Kingston. "As a plant biologist," he said, "I was glad to see that (Moore) chose a plant to represent an alternative for the voting public." Ficus is a genus of tropical shrub or tree with glossy, leathery leaves, often found indoors as an ornamental. Jeff Seeman, who is running the ficus campaign in Ohio against Republican Rep. Ralph Regula, said his campaign theory is simple: "Why not?" Just like human candidates, the ficus plants are making campaign stops. One in Pennsylvania traveled on a "listening tour." In Georgia, the ficus candidate attended the opening of a greenhouse. A Texas ficus candidate sports a cowboy hat. The campaign slogan of a hopeful in New Jersey is, "Because a Potted Plant Can Do No Harm." Incumbents targeted by the ficus are responding. Kingston pledged to "keep my feet firmly planted in the issues." Frelinghuysen charged that his ficus opponent is "truly green when it comes to politics." Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 How many people voted for the Ficus in the end? Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 That sounds hilarious. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 I think it was on his show TV Nation from many years ago. I think in New Jersey the Ficus plant actually won but had to give up the seat in the end for obvious reasons. Pretty funny episode. Did anyone ever see the episode where they tried to take a bunch of New York underprivledged kids to a private beach. Here is the review of the episode. Greenwich TV Nation invades the public beaches of Greenwich, Connecticut which are not all that public. The beach is restricted to Greenwich residents only. So TV Nation brings a bus load of New Yorkers to enjoy the beach. When the bus is turned away, TV Nation's bus load of New Yorkers turn to the sea...and swim to the beach. War music with a d-day style assualt of the beach. It was so funny. Good times. Good times. Link to post Share on other sites
Plucky 0 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by Toque: I think it was on his show TV Nation from many years ago. I think in New Jersey the Ficus plant actually won but had to give up the seat in the end for obvious reasons. Pretty funny episode. Did anyone ever see the episode where they tried to take a bunch of New York underprivledged kids to a private beach. Here is the review of the episode. Greenwich TV Nation invades the public beaches of Greenwich, Connecticut which are not all that public. The beach is restricted to Greenwich residents only. So TV Nation brings a bus load of New Yorkers to enjoy the beach. When the bus is turned away, TV Nation's bus load of New Yorkers turn to the sea...and swim to the beach. War music with a d-day style assualt of the beach. It was so funny. Good times. Good times. I loved that show! I was pissed they moved it to Bravo which wasn't widespread in the states at the time (Canadian channel I believe). I think it may have been a bit too out there for most American viewers at the time. That beach one was a classic, but one of my favorite episodes was when they went to an elite neighborhood (forget where) and started banging garbage cans around at 3am with garbage trucks. The whole premise was that in the poorer neighborhoods of this city, the garbage men would come by at 2 or 3am and make horrible noise, but in the more affluent areas, it wasn't until 8 or 9am. The Love Day episode was a great one too! Black cheerleaders doing cheers of love and friendship outside the gates to white supremacist compounds. Good Stuff! Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 5, 2004 Share Posted February 5, 2004 After much searching here is the episode summary. Was on the Awful Truth not Tv Nation as I had thought. 6/21/00 205 ELECT THIS POTTED PLANT We follow "The Awful Truth" candidate for House of Representatives in the State of New Jersey, a ficus tree. We go through the fundraising and stumping process with our candidate. Michael serves as campaign manager for the one candidate who will never vote for pro-life issues, never fire a gun, never take dirty money. FICUS ELECTION RESULTS An update on how our Ficus candidate fared in the congressional primaries in New Jersey. http://www.ficus2000.com/ Link doesn't work though for some reason. Just got it off of this sighthttp://www.tvmegasite.net/prime/shows/tvnation/episodeguide.shtml Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 So..they're showing this in Japan akemi7? .. Link to post Share on other sites
its-a-clock 0 Posted February 18, 2004 Share Posted February 18, 2004 I saw that episode last night, very funny. God, that man DOES NOT GIVE UP! It's really funny watching people he confront squirm Link to post Share on other sites
excuse me 0 Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 Michael Moore is really excellent, love those programs. I'm not sure I'd like him as a friend, but for entertainment value and making people squirm (good word its-a-clock), he's superb. What are the books like? Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Quote: Originally posted by its-a-clock: that man DOES NOT GIVE UP! It's really funny watching people he confront squirm I don't understand. Are you saying he should give up. Or should he keep persisting. Are the shows on normal TV or do we need to get cable. Link to post Share on other sites
SKI 15 Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 They showed about 5 of the episodes on Wowow a few weeks back as a Michael Moore special - they showed Bowling and 2 other of his movies as well. Nothing since, I think it was just a one off. Link to post Share on other sites
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