Unprecedented the 2000 presidential elections is a movie all real Americans must watch. It is a sickening look at just how corrupt our nation's political parties have become. It happens in this case that the total lack of integrity falls on the republicans. Improper, almost criminal, activities of the supreme court, Katherine Harris and her entire office, Jeb Bush and his entire office, dozens of congressmen and senators, scores of aides. All of them stealing the birth right of Americans to suite their own nefarious need for power and the subjugation of the democratic process within our republic. The real question is not who was actually elected president, but whether true Americans can learn from this travesty and take back America from the hands of these two despicable, corrupt, and immoral political parties.
26 Reviews
Like Farenheight 9/11 -- but actually JOURNALISTIC
PauldeRev10 April 2005
If you are a relatively fair-minded, documentary/movie-loving individual who is a little concerned (even upset) by the current political climate of the United States or even the world at-large -- the possibility of international or domestic terrorism hits close to home for you, the consolidation of world economies under the treaties of the EU, AU, or NAFTA make you think there's a bigger and bigger gap growing every day between the rich and poor, and if you think that America (the most loved, hated, feared, and admired country in the world today) is the source for a lot of these problems -- then "Unprecedented" will almost beyond a shadow of a doubt confirm everything seedy and corrupt you thought went down in politics but could never prove.
You may not be a Republican or a Democrat, a liberal or conservative -- you may just know liars and/or murderers when you see them. You may or may not vote, and you may or may not be active on political or social issues that mean a lot to you. No matter where you stand (or don't stand) on politics, this documentary is for you. It will no doubt prove to you that the currently Republican-dominated U.S. government is a direct cause of many of America's problems domestically and internationally. I'm talking primarily about the Bush Administrations: In Florida (my home state), Texas, and in 2000 the entire United States.
This documentary, when I saw it in 2002, outraged me... And if you're paying attention, it'll outrage you, too.
You may not be a Republican or a Democrat, a liberal or conservative -- you may just know liars and/or murderers when you see them. You may or may not vote, and you may or may not be active on political or social issues that mean a lot to you. No matter where you stand (or don't stand) on politics, this documentary is for you. It will no doubt prove to you that the currently Republican-dominated U.S. government is a direct cause of many of America's problems domestically and internationally. I'm talking primarily about the Bush Administrations: In Florida (my home state), Texas, and in 2000 the entire United States.
This documentary, when I saw it in 2002, outraged me... And if you're paying attention, it'll outrage you, too.
Sure, it leans to the Left, but everything in the film is true.
mollusc13 April 2004
Starting with the illegal and unscrupulous manipulation of Florida's voter registration rolls, this film follows the legal tennis match over the U.S. 2000 Presidential election. The film is Left-biased, with a majority of the commentators and interviewees being from Florida civil rights advocacy organisations.
That said, this film should anger and upset just about everyone. If you're a see-no-evil conservative then you'll think this film is all lies and propaganda; everyone else will be outraged at what the Bush campaign got away with.
The final arguments of the film about the Supreme Court seem a little flimsy, but the majority of the material presented is sound, well-documented, clearly understandable, and can be easily researched yourself if you want to pursue the matter further.
That said, this film should anger and upset just about everyone. If you're a see-no-evil conservative then you'll think this film is all lies and propaganda; everyone else will be outraged at what the Bush campaign got away with.
The final arguments of the film about the Supreme Court seem a little flimsy, but the majority of the material presented is sound, well-documented, clearly understandable, and can be easily researched yourself if you want to pursue the matter further.
Let The Truth Be Told!
yespat22 May 2004
This film is not liberal nonsense, as one author stated. It is the truth and the republican machine does not want you to see this. Pull away the curtain and see for yourself how the GOP stole the election, in large measure, on the backs of African Americans in Florida.
This is a gripping and chilling documentary that you may have to rest after seeing, as it will scare the hell out of you. I think it should be aired on a daily basis every day up to the election--on at least one commercial channel so people will know the truth and not be blinded by the GOP machine.
This is a well done piece of film making. It is also probably the scariest thing you will ever see on film.
Seek it out, make copies and share with those you care about. It may not be long before the truth will no longer be available in this society. If you think I'm kidding, view this film and see for yourself.
This is a gripping and chilling documentary that you may have to rest after seeing, as it will scare the hell out of you. I think it should be aired on a daily basis every day up to the election--on at least one commercial channel so people will know the truth and not be blinded by the GOP machine.
This is a well done piece of film making. It is also probably the scariest thing you will ever see on film.
Seek it out, make copies and share with those you care about. It may not be long before the truth will no longer be available in this society. If you think I'm kidding, view this film and see for yourself.
A Must See
teewood15 October 2004
Although certain statements in the film can be challenged, there's more than enough here to show the electorate got hosed in the 2000 presidential election.
The U. S. Supreme Court ended up with egg on its face for making a decision on broad principles (due process, common vote recount law), then restricting the decision to the circumstances at hand (case established no precedent). They knew the decision stunk, all in the interest of putting the Republican candidate in the White House.
And let's not even get into the blatant conflicts of interest three of the Supreme Court Justices had (Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor).
Sadly, both the Gore and Bush camps went parochial, sacrificing the truth for possible victory. The Gore camp should have insisted that votes in all counties be recounted by hand and that military votes out of compliance with the requirements of the law be dismissed. (Surely we can agree the military knows what rules are and what the consequences are of not following them or failing to document compliance.) The Bush camp, likewise, should have been insisted on a full and complete recount.
It seemed as if no one wanted to know what the voters of Florida actually voted. In the end, the people were denied the right to have their votes counted in a reasonably fair and accurate--by no means, perfect--manner. The loser won and our nation lost.
This film is well worth seeing.
The U. S. Supreme Court ended up with egg on its face for making a decision on broad principles (due process, common vote recount law), then restricting the decision to the circumstances at hand (case established no precedent). They knew the decision stunk, all in the interest of putting the Republican candidate in the White House.
And let's not even get into the blatant conflicts of interest three of the Supreme Court Justices had (Scalia, Thomas, O'Connor).
Sadly, both the Gore and Bush camps went parochial, sacrificing the truth for possible victory. The Gore camp should have insisted that votes in all counties be recounted by hand and that military votes out of compliance with the requirements of the law be dismissed. (Surely we can agree the military knows what rules are and what the consequences are of not following them or failing to document compliance.) The Bush camp, likewise, should have been insisted on a full and complete recount.
It seemed as if no one wanted to know what the voters of Florida actually voted. In the end, the people were denied the right to have their votes counted in a reasonably fair and accurate--by no means, perfect--manner. The loser won and our nation lost.
This film is well worth seeing.
This story is corroborated by investigations
gawd417 May 2004
Sure the film SEEMS biased. But this is largely due to the fact that the people behind the election fraud refused to step up to the camera in their own defense. This lack of action alone speaks volumes.
Common sense tells me that the 2000 election was clearly not what it seemed, that's for sure.
There's a lot of information on this US Government web site. Those of you getting your news from TV, radio and magazines will be surprised at what is revealed there
The United States Commission on Civil Rights seems to have investigated this matter rather thoroughly. Are there any other government agencies printing any other version of the story ?
Common sense tells me that the 2000 election was clearly not what it seemed, that's for sure.
There's a lot of information on this US Government web site. Those of you getting your news from TV, radio and magazines will be surprised at what is revealed there
The United States Commission on Civil Rights seems to have investigated this matter rather thoroughly. Are there any other government agencies printing any other version of the story ?
Take just the facts from this, and you'll still be appalled.
sjw121807 May 2004
Regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of your cynicism, regardless of your like or dislike of the Bush family--in general or in specific, regardless of all that, this DVD is still an important piece of information.
Take just the proven facts contained in this DVD, and that should be enough to make most intelligent people appalled at what happened. Case in point: there's a scene where they have news footage (news footage, not film-crew footage) showing the place where a recount was being conducted. Outside of the doors of that room were a dozen or so Republican Senate and/or Congressional staff members. These people were flown from Washington, DC, to Florida, specifically to disrupt the recount process. These were not angry Floridian voters, or Floridians at all; they were employees of Republican politicians in Washington, DC, sent to Florida for the sole purpose of disrupting the recount, and making it seem as if that were the will of the voters of Florida. Why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose a lot of them had smirks on their faces as they feigned "outrage?" And that's just *one* FACT that, to me, is appalling.
And to the dittohead who believes the racism behind the voter purge prior to the 2000 election was overblown, or a non-factor, you are sadly mistaken... Most likely, you're blinded by your personal feelings rather than opening your eyes, ears, and mind to receiving FACTS. No, I'm not a Democrat, nor am I Republican (although that's how I am enrolled). Nor could my views be defined as Liberal, or Conservative, for that matter. My views are based on my beliefs, coupled with the facts, and I abhor partisan politics. I am an informed voter, period, and I simply refuse to "drink the Kool-Aid" with the rest of you.
Take just the proven facts contained in this DVD, and that should be enough to make most intelligent people appalled at what happened. Case in point: there's a scene where they have news footage (news footage, not film-crew footage) showing the place where a recount was being conducted. Outside of the doors of that room were a dozen or so Republican Senate and/or Congressional staff members. These people were flown from Washington, DC, to Florida, specifically to disrupt the recount process. These were not angry Floridian voters, or Floridians at all; they were employees of Republican politicians in Washington, DC, sent to Florida for the sole purpose of disrupting the recount, and making it seem as if that were the will of the voters of Florida. Why do you suppose that is? Why do you suppose a lot of them had smirks on their faces as they feigned "outrage?" And that's just *one* FACT that, to me, is appalling.
And to the dittohead who believes the racism behind the voter purge prior to the 2000 election was overblown, or a non-factor, you are sadly mistaken... Most likely, you're blinded by your personal feelings rather than opening your eyes, ears, and mind to receiving FACTS. No, I'm not a Democrat, nor am I Republican (although that's how I am enrolled). Nor could my views be defined as Liberal, or Conservative, for that matter. My views are based on my beliefs, coupled with the facts, and I abhor partisan politics. I am an informed voter, period, and I simply refuse to "drink the Kool-Aid" with the rest of you.
Brilliant! Surprising new information, well documented!
LelandT31 July 2003
If you thought you knew the fact about what happened in November & December of 2000 this documentary surprises you with more hard evidence that the main stream media has refused to report. Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Florida Secretary of State Harris planned for months before the election to purge the voter rolls of legally registered Democrats. And there are signed memos to prove it. This investigative journalism is truly amazing.
A must for any democrat (with a small 'l')
K113 April 2004
Described by IndyMedia (who gave a talk at the event where I saw this) as a 'blockbuster', it summarises the many downright dodgy events in the US 2000 Election. Basing its arguments on hard facts rather than opinion (Fox News and the Daily Mail are you listening?) it illustrates the ruthlessness of the Republican disregard for democracy and state law as well as the complete lack of impartiality on the part of those running the legislature. It also shows how the Democrats damaged their campaign by going for selective recounts rather than a properly democratic complete hand recount. For anyone who dismisses it as Democrat propaganda, they should read 'democrat' - it doesn't make anyone look good. Living in a country where the principle of accuracy over speed in elections is under threat - I see this film as a warning.
essential viewing
rsaunders19 May 2003
This film should be part of the required curriculum for all high school civics and college level social science courses. It should air continuously on non-cable television. It should inspire the American people to challenge the legitimacy of the current Bush administrations (in Florida as well as in Washington).
The charges are bold. The evidence is compelling. As film making goes, it's a bit uneven. Most importantly, though, the film does not get in the way of the story it tells. And what a story it is.
The charges are bold. The evidence is compelling. As film making goes, it's a bit uneven. Most importantly, though, the film does not get in the way of the story it tells. And what a story it is.
interesting
postmanwhoalwaysringstwice21 September 2006
"Unprecedented" is an unsettling account of the 2000 Presidential Election, which should have been an alarm call to American citizens to do one of two major things: become active in moving forward voting reform, or become more apathetic about the entire voting process. It's another Robert Greenwald production, who has been well-known at putting together left leaning documentaries (on subjects such as Walmart and Rupert Murdoch) about important social and political issues. Even though this film tells the story of what put a Republican in office, and therefore does spin the information to prove without a doubt that an election was "stolen" from a Democrat, there are key societal issues that this film addresses that would hopefully affect viewers on a human level as opposed to a political level.
informative, amazing, depressing, enraging
bixote26 December 2002
That democracy in this Country could be so seemingly easily derailed was a real eye-opener. That we could be susceptible to the kinds of fraud that we have witnessed in "banana republics" around the World gives one a very sobering perspective.
Liberal nonsense
DoobieKeebler22 October 2003
Coming away from this "documentary", you "learn" that all Republicans are evil and that democrats actually aren't interested in winning presidential elections, they only want a fair voting system. To quote Kronk, "Rrrrright."
Katharine Harris, Jeb Bush, and company are portrayed in an unfairly negative light and the "filmmakers" try to Monday morning quarterback how exactly Al Gore lost the liberal-haven that is Florida. Rather than put the blame on ignorant old people who wasted their votes on Pat Buchanan, they want you to believe that steps taken to prevent felons from voting were actually designed to keep black people from voting for Gore. Uh-huh.
The more convincing point is that an overwhelming majority of felons (and suspected felons) vote democrat. "Everyone's a democrat...until they get money." Two seconds are spent on the Gore's team decision to pursue JUST a recount of the four overwhelmingly Democratic counties rather than all of the counties in the state.
Pretty odd that all the people interviewed are democrats bitching because Gore lost and all are presented as good citizens who just want a fair election...that will put a Democrat in office.
Katharine Harris, Jeb Bush, and company are portrayed in an unfairly negative light and the "filmmakers" try to Monday morning quarterback how exactly Al Gore lost the liberal-haven that is Florida. Rather than put the blame on ignorant old people who wasted their votes on Pat Buchanan, they want you to believe that steps taken to prevent felons from voting were actually designed to keep black people from voting for Gore. Uh-huh.
The more convincing point is that an overwhelming majority of felons (and suspected felons) vote democrat. "Everyone's a democrat...until they get money." Two seconds are spent on the Gore's team decision to pursue JUST a recount of the four overwhelmingly Democratic counties rather than all of the counties in the state.
Pretty odd that all the people interviewed are democrats bitching because Gore lost and all are presented as good citizens who just want a fair election...that will put a Democrat in office.
Underground Review of this Film
TSHunter21 October 2004
I just want to say a couple of things and then I will shut up. Watching this film convinced me specifically of only a few things. And one of those things is that the Political Institutions of the Republican and Democratic Parties are totally corrupt and insane. Furthermore, it is my belief, especially after watching this film, you would have to literally be crazy to vote either Democratic or Republican, because this film made it clear that either party was only concerned about doing what they needed to win the 2000 election, or any election for that matter--NOT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OR THE COUNTRY. I could go into detail about this, but feel it would be beating a dead horse. This is why I feel all Americans should always vote for 3rd parties and go out of their way NOT to vote Democrat OR Republican. Finally, I have been convinced that Democrats or Republicans have no business counting any votes because it is a conflict of interest on both sides for any election. Members of 3rd parties should be the only ones running election boards, & etc. because it has become obvious they are the only ones that could be trusted to be impartial if anyone at all. Lastly, completely automated (computer) voting machines are not to be trusted, as they come down to the persons who program and/or work on them. As someone who is highly knowledgeable of computers and their flaws, I have to tell you that there is no computer that cannot be hacked, no network that cannot be compromised. If you think that there is any chance an election can be fixed, computer voting centers should scare the pants off you, and automated (computer) voting should be visciously avoided and voted against by everyone who values the value of their vote. RATING: 8/10. By the way, I think having Danny Glover at the bookends of this film discredits it for anyone who has followed his political activism/extremism. I think that people on both sides of the fence, and those sitting on it, should watch films like these and Danny Glover alienates many potential watchers of this film. That's all from me for now.
Highly recommended for all citizens
intnsred20 October 2004
This flick will educate you on the inevitable outcry following the 2004
election (no matter who wins).
This film examines the botched 2000 elections in as an objective manner
that I've seen, doing so in a non-ranting, tell-me-the-facts manner.
It clearly documents that the election was not over "hanging chads" and
delves into its seemier aspects. It cites Jeb Bush and Katherine
Harris for their various acts of malfeasance, knocks Gore for things
like only seeking recounts in 4 democratic-leaning counties, and even
points out the blatant conflicts of interest of Supreme Court justices
with interviews with the individuals in question. Greg Palast of the
BBC explains his investigative reports (something very few Americans
are aware of) very well. While the film is from 2002, it is not dated
and it also includes a bit on potential problems of electronic voting.
As a former high school civics teacher the 2000 election particularly
disgusted me, not only because of the inevitable warping process that
the undemocratic electoral college inflicts on our presidential
elections, but because I saw it as a clear indication that the concept
of "fair play" had gone out the window. This film makes that crystal
clear, citing the facts to back up that opinion. It will be an
education for most any citizen.
election (no matter who wins).
This film examines the botched 2000 elections in as an objective manner
that I've seen, doing so in a non-ranting, tell-me-the-facts manner.
It clearly documents that the election was not over "hanging chads" and
delves into its seemier aspects. It cites Jeb Bush and Katherine
Harris for their various acts of malfeasance, knocks Gore for things
like only seeking recounts in 4 democratic-leaning counties, and even
points out the blatant conflicts of interest of Supreme Court justices
with interviews with the individuals in question. Greg Palast of the
BBC explains his investigative reports (something very few Americans
are aware of) very well. While the film is from 2002, it is not dated
and it also includes a bit on potential problems of electronic voting.
As a former high school civics teacher the 2000 election particularly
disgusted me, not only because of the inevitable warping process that
the undemocratic electoral college inflicts on our presidential
elections, but because I saw it as a clear indication that the concept
of "fair play" had gone out the window. This film makes that crystal
clear, citing the facts to back up that opinion. It will be an
education for most any citizen.
Civics and Wisdom
one13195 August 2006
To keep the U.S. a democracy, with fair elections, you must see this and show it to friends. It's rather shocking to see how easy it is for people in power to upstage the public's right to elect their leaders. Unprecedented details the events of the 2000 election from beginning to end. It puts the events in perspective so that you will see all of what actually occurred; all the "out of public view" maneuvering that did not get covered by the press. I was shocked and saddened to see what has become of our voting system, and the ability of a very few, carefully-placed, powerful actors to control and even change election outcomes. Film also highlights the difficulties in having Presidential Campaign Managers be the County Registrar of Voters. The film becomes an adult civics lesson, important to everyone who cares about democracy.
Intriguing and well-researched documentary
heaton-46 August 2004
It's easy for conservatives to dismiss Unprecedented as liberal propaganda because the truth is much uglier. This film impressively documents a plan enacted by the Bush campaign with help from Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris to steal the election and ensure a victory in Florida. It does not make bold and ridiculous statements, but instead goes through each aspect of the story and makes its point convincingly. In retrospect, this case is even stronger given what's happened in the past four years. The filmmakers do an excellent job in presenting the facts without distorting the truth. Especially interesting are the comments about Gore's mistakes, which were also designed to generate specific results. If his campaign had seen the big picture, this country might be in a much different place this year.
Biased but contains a lot of crucial info
JurijFedorov29 June 2022
A 50 min doc explaining the extremely complicated issue of the Florida vote recount in 2000. What not to like? Usually you need twice as much time to give the viewer this much information. It's an info dump made for viewers who otherwise wouldn't watch technical documentaries. A way to share into about the "unfair" Bush win over Gore to the masses.
Largely it focuses on how Bush's team used fishy tactics. Like being supported by Republican leaders in Florida, being supported by his brother, Jeb Bush, who was the governor of Florida. It's a ton of fishy devious tactics abusing the political system. Gore initially declared Bush president then retracted this statement to get a recount. He only demanded a recount in a few full on Democratic counties and they started the complicated recount. The issue was not counted ballots as the machines didn't work properly. Hence a hand recount anywhere would lead to more legal votes. A recount in a Democratic county would lead to more Democratic votes and a win for Gore. Initially the Supreme Court in Florida allowed it. Then the US Supreme Court said it wasn't allowed. Gore made a huge mistake. He only forced a few counties to recount their votes, clearly an unfair ask and a way to get extra votes for yourself while not getting any Republican counties to find extra votes. And the Supreme Court shut it down. What would happen if he had asked for a full recount? I'm not sure, but most states have automatic recounts if the vote is close so doing a full hand recount surely would have been approved. It's more likely than not that Bush would still have won. So maybe Gore did the only thing that gave himself a chance. But it was clearly irregular and there was no way Republicans in a Supreme Court would agree to it. Democrats of course did. Florida had Democrat governors which means their Supreme Court had Democrats supporting Gore. The doc doesn't mention this, but it overall just looks past more of the Democrat stuff to focus on Bush's tactics.
The doc is lots of fun. It's a lot of trickery. The wonderful movie Recount (2008) presents the story in a way less biased way. But I also get why the doc makers decided to mainly attack Bush and Republicans. They won so at the end their slimy tactics are the ones that counted the most. If Gore had won Republicans would have been the ones making the docs about it with their own slants and biases showing. The doc for example has Jake Tapper front a center being asked about everything. He's one of the biggest CNN anchors today in 2022 and clearly not neutral. Neither are many of the law professors they interview. They all take jabs at Republicans and Bush. Later Bush showed that the mistrust was warranted as he started 2 giant wars in the Middle East. One of which recently turned into a giant embarrassing loss for USA and the other still has not stabilized Iraq in any way. Plus it cost the American taxpayer trillions of dollars. So one has to wonder how Gore would have done? Gore was not ideal either as he was Clinton's vice president and Clinton ended his presidency on a sour note even basically selling pardons to his rich criminal friends on his last days in office. Which made Gore look corrupt too. Other presidents did badly too. But at least Obama and Trump didn't start any big wars. So that's why the 2000 recount will always be a giant point of discussion. It elected Bush who made 2 giant mistakes and many smaller ones. It also made Democrats question the legitimacy of elections up until Trump defeated Hillary. From then on left-wing media has stopped talking about fraud in elections while Republicans and centrists now mention it regularly. But these groups only control a very small part of the media landscape so the debate is way smaller now. You can still find old NYT articles complaining about ballot miscounts. Which is funny as they wouldn't dream of writing this today as it's a Republican talking point and much of social media has clamped down on voter fraud accusations after Republicans picked up the topic so it's not as easy to write about anymore. Which just makes this 2002 doc extra curious and relevant today. It shows us that the party that lost the election or popular vote will often be the party to complain about voter fraud. It's not a one-sided issue. And at some point a big-shot Democrat will lose again and mass media will yet again start writing about election fraud and refer to the 2000 election.
Largely it focuses on how Bush's team used fishy tactics. Like being supported by Republican leaders in Florida, being supported by his brother, Jeb Bush, who was the governor of Florida. It's a ton of fishy devious tactics abusing the political system. Gore initially declared Bush president then retracted this statement to get a recount. He only demanded a recount in a few full on Democratic counties and they started the complicated recount. The issue was not counted ballots as the machines didn't work properly. Hence a hand recount anywhere would lead to more legal votes. A recount in a Democratic county would lead to more Democratic votes and a win for Gore. Initially the Supreme Court in Florida allowed it. Then the US Supreme Court said it wasn't allowed. Gore made a huge mistake. He only forced a few counties to recount their votes, clearly an unfair ask and a way to get extra votes for yourself while not getting any Republican counties to find extra votes. And the Supreme Court shut it down. What would happen if he had asked for a full recount? I'm not sure, but most states have automatic recounts if the vote is close so doing a full hand recount surely would have been approved. It's more likely than not that Bush would still have won. So maybe Gore did the only thing that gave himself a chance. But it was clearly irregular and there was no way Republicans in a Supreme Court would agree to it. Democrats of course did. Florida had Democrat governors which means their Supreme Court had Democrats supporting Gore. The doc doesn't mention this, but it overall just looks past more of the Democrat stuff to focus on Bush's tactics.
The doc is lots of fun. It's a lot of trickery. The wonderful movie Recount (2008) presents the story in a way less biased way. But I also get why the doc makers decided to mainly attack Bush and Republicans. They won so at the end their slimy tactics are the ones that counted the most. If Gore had won Republicans would have been the ones making the docs about it with their own slants and biases showing. The doc for example has Jake Tapper front a center being asked about everything. He's one of the biggest CNN anchors today in 2022 and clearly not neutral. Neither are many of the law professors they interview. They all take jabs at Republicans and Bush. Later Bush showed that the mistrust was warranted as he started 2 giant wars in the Middle East. One of which recently turned into a giant embarrassing loss for USA and the other still has not stabilized Iraq in any way. Plus it cost the American taxpayer trillions of dollars. So one has to wonder how Gore would have done? Gore was not ideal either as he was Clinton's vice president and Clinton ended his presidency on a sour note even basically selling pardons to his rich criminal friends on his last days in office. Which made Gore look corrupt too. Other presidents did badly too. But at least Obama and Trump didn't start any big wars. So that's why the 2000 recount will always be a giant point of discussion. It elected Bush who made 2 giant mistakes and many smaller ones. It also made Democrats question the legitimacy of elections up until Trump defeated Hillary. From then on left-wing media has stopped talking about fraud in elections while Republicans and centrists now mention it regularly. But these groups only control a very small part of the media landscape so the debate is way smaller now. You can still find old NYT articles complaining about ballot miscounts. Which is funny as they wouldn't dream of writing this today as it's a Republican talking point and much of social media has clamped down on voter fraud accusations after Republicans picked up the topic so it's not as easy to write about anymore. Which just makes this 2002 doc extra curious and relevant today. It shows us that the party that lost the election or popular vote will often be the party to complain about voter fraud. It's not a one-sided issue. And at some point a big-shot Democrat will lose again and mass media will yet again start writing about election fraud and refer to the 2000 election.
An important film illustrating the absence of true democracy in the United States
tomq5p20 October 2005
Americans (and everyone else for that matter) need to see this film in order to understand how the American "democracy" has been undermined by highly sophisticated criminals. The 2000 election was stolen outright, but this alarming fact slipped under the noses of millions of Americans who aren't aware of how George W. Bush came to be president in 2000. It is very probable that something similar happened in the 2004 election. It is time for people to become aware of the threats to democracy that exist and ensure that they do not persist, for if they do they will utterly destroy the American democracy. This is another very thought-provoking film from Robert Greenwald, who has another movie slated for November release: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.
Typical liberal propaganda
dave-wade6 July 2004
Yes, the voting process in this country is screwed up and, yes, this movie correctly identifies some of the problems. However, where it goes wrong is in blaming the problem on the Republicans... and this is 90% of the content of this 'documentary'.
Election reform, and more specifically, reform of the voting process, is a non-partisan issue which both sides bring up when *they* lose an election. The problem never gets fixed because the 'winner' has the power (and our government only contains the 'winners', remember).
The wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes on in this film makes me want to puke. Reminds me of 'Casablanca'... "I'm shocked, SHOCKED to find that gambling is going on in here!," says Captain Renault, as he pockets his winnings.
Election reform, and more specifically, reform of the voting process, is a non-partisan issue which both sides bring up when *they* lose an election. The problem never gets fixed because the 'winner' has the power (and our government only contains the 'winners', remember).
The wailing and gnashing of teeth that goes on in this film makes me want to puke. Reminds me of 'Casablanca'... "I'm shocked, SHOCKED to find that gambling is going on in here!," says Captain Renault, as he pockets his winnings.
An important story told.
msxnikki14 April 2004
The gory details of the 2000 election results frenzy are portrayed in this documentary, giving the viewer more details that have been divulged since. The story has shamefully been forgotten since 2000, prehaps because of subsequent events, but should be brought to the forefront as we near election time once again.
I saw this documentary in a movie theatre and hope that it will make its way to television at some point (which I believe it may have made it to the Sundance Channel). It is an important story to tell, and it is almost lost in the overwhelming amount of news since the election. An important and insightful side to this movie would be Greg Palast's (who is featured in the film) book "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy", which has a section on the events described in the film.
I saw this documentary in a movie theatre and hope that it will make its way to television at some point (which I believe it may have made it to the Sundance Channel). It is an important story to tell, and it is almost lost in the overwhelming amount of news since the election. An important and insightful side to this movie would be Greg Palast's (who is featured in the film) book "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy", which has a section on the events described in the film.
Revisionist history.
contekevin7 May 2004
COUNT EVERY VOTE!!!!! COUNT EVERY VOTE!!!! Wellll..... uh.... wait a minute.... no.... just count THESE four counties in Florida that are considered favorable Democratic regions. Forget those absentee ballots over there. They were late, yeah that's it. Late. What? I know that absentee ballots tend to lean towards the Republicans side but come on now. These soldiers out in the middle of nowhere could have overnighted these ballots to get them in on time. Surely there was a Fed Ex box or something out in the middle of that mine field over there in Kosovo, wasn't there??? So let's just put those aside. We won't be needing those.
And also, let's not worry about the rest of the state. Their votes have already been counted and believe me, the last thing we need is to take a chance and lose any votes at all in that recount. And whatever you do, don't go trying to recount any votes in any of the other states that were close but Gore happened to have won. Those votes have been counted. We can't just counting and recounting votes all year now can we???
In case you folks haven't figured it out already, I'm being sarcastic here. This movie was just pure unadulterated liberal propaganda and oh what a coincidence too. I just happened to stumble on to this piece of crap flick on the Sundance Channel in an election year. Don't waste your time with this nonsense, you'll only get a splitting headache listening to those morons try to explain why that small segment of Florida's votes should be counted and recounted again and again until Gore finally got the results that he wanted.
Just do some research here if you want the truth. The truth is, when an unbiased, objective source was able to count the votes, Bush won. When the Democrats were doing the counting, Gore "won". Go figure.
And also, let's not worry about the rest of the state. Their votes have already been counted and believe me, the last thing we need is to take a chance and lose any votes at all in that recount. And whatever you do, don't go trying to recount any votes in any of the other states that were close but Gore happened to have won. Those votes have been counted. We can't just counting and recounting votes all year now can we???
In case you folks haven't figured it out already, I'm being sarcastic here. This movie was just pure unadulterated liberal propaganda and oh what a coincidence too. I just happened to stumble on to this piece of crap flick on the Sundance Channel in an election year. Don't waste your time with this nonsense, you'll only get a splitting headache listening to those morons try to explain why that small segment of Florida's votes should be counted and recounted again and again until Gore finally got the results that he wanted.
Just do some research here if you want the truth. The truth is, when an unbiased, objective source was able to count the votes, Bush won. When the Democrats were doing the counting, Gore "won". Go figure.
Perhaps a bit too biased, but it asks the right questions with startling answers
scucullu21 November 2003
To simply dismiss this documentary as liberal nonsense is ridiculous. As the documentary points out there are a number of outstanding issues which need to be addressed and simply haven't been. For example, the fact that Katherine Harris, as Secretary of State took part in certifying vote counts, denying the extension of the certification date, etc. is astounding. The clear conflicts of interest (since she played a role in Bush's election campaign) were simply ignored.
Additionally, there are a number of possible civil rights violations (with respect to an individual's right to vote) that might have occurred, but which have not been investigated (such as incorrectly labeling a incredibly large number of votes as felons and thus precluding their ability to vote).
But the documentary doesn't provide a complete picture as it doesn't really represent the "republican" perspective.
Additionally, there are a number of possible civil rights violations (with respect to an individual's right to vote) that might have occurred, but which have not been investigated (such as incorrectly labeling a incredibly large number of votes as felons and thus precluding their ability to vote).
But the documentary doesn't provide a complete picture as it doesn't really represent the "republican" perspective.
Naderite Propaganda
Villemar1 February 2007
While this film brings to light a lot of things that America citizens had not been previously aware of, what kills it for me is the Naderite impression given that both sides were equally culpable in this farce of an election.
Specifically the Republican myth that "Gore cherry-picked only the counties where he thought he could get more votes," which is sadly propagated in this film. This gets on my nerves, but sadly it has stood as conventional wisdom, still parroted today from those who should know better, including the makers of this film.
Why did the Gore campaign pick Volusia, Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach Counties for hand recounts so soon after the election? Easy - those (with the exception of Broward) were the counties with the highest reports of irregularities right from the get go. Volusia had some crazy computer malfunction that caused the vote totals to swing wildly election night. Palm Beach County had the whole butterfly ballot thing. And Dade County had a very high number of early reports of irregularities.
In hindsight the only thing I would have done differently if I was in the Gore Campaign would be to have swapped Broward County with Duval County, Duval County being the fourth highest county with early irregularity reports.
It isn't clear if Gore himself even made the decision to make the early hand recount request to the four counties. In the excellent book "Too Close To Call" by Jeffrey Toobin, it is shown that Warren Christopher and a couple others from the Gore campaign were the ones who make the quick decision to request hand recounts from those four counties. The Gore campaign was put on the spot. Florida law states that hand recounts must be individually requested from each county. It is understandable that those in the Gore campaign were uncomfortable with individually asking 64 separate counties for hand recounts, especially since the requests have to come within 24 hours after the election.
After the media and the GOP stared to project the "Gore cherry-picked those four counties" meme, Gore said fine, let's do a hand recount of every vote in every county. The Bush campaign said no and that was the end of that.
So in the end, after researching the subject thoroughly, I have concluded that the Gore campaign only made two tactical errors: 1) They should have substituted Broward County with Duval County.
2) They should have been been as adamant about counting overvotes as they were about counting undervotes (overvotes being those votes where people both wrote in a candidate's name and marked a vote on the ballot - which is clearly a no-brainer when it comes to voter intent as Florida law states).
That's all I can find - hardly an egregious crime or something that would make Gore as culpable as Bush. I do believe history will bear the truth of this out, but sadly this documentary still holds this fatal flaw in the interest of appearing fair and balanced.
Specifically the Republican myth that "Gore cherry-picked only the counties where he thought he could get more votes," which is sadly propagated in this film. This gets on my nerves, but sadly it has stood as conventional wisdom, still parroted today from those who should know better, including the makers of this film.
Why did the Gore campaign pick Volusia, Broward, Dade, and Palm Beach Counties for hand recounts so soon after the election? Easy - those (with the exception of Broward) were the counties with the highest reports of irregularities right from the get go. Volusia had some crazy computer malfunction that caused the vote totals to swing wildly election night. Palm Beach County had the whole butterfly ballot thing. And Dade County had a very high number of early reports of irregularities.
In hindsight the only thing I would have done differently if I was in the Gore Campaign would be to have swapped Broward County with Duval County, Duval County being the fourth highest county with early irregularity reports.
It isn't clear if Gore himself even made the decision to make the early hand recount request to the four counties. In the excellent book "Too Close To Call" by Jeffrey Toobin, it is shown that Warren Christopher and a couple others from the Gore campaign were the ones who make the quick decision to request hand recounts from those four counties. The Gore campaign was put on the spot. Florida law states that hand recounts must be individually requested from each county. It is understandable that those in the Gore campaign were uncomfortable with individually asking 64 separate counties for hand recounts, especially since the requests have to come within 24 hours after the election.
After the media and the GOP stared to project the "Gore cherry-picked those four counties" meme, Gore said fine, let's do a hand recount of every vote in every county. The Bush campaign said no and that was the end of that.
So in the end, after researching the subject thoroughly, I have concluded that the Gore campaign only made two tactical errors: 1) They should have substituted Broward County with Duval County.
2) They should have been been as adamant about counting overvotes as they were about counting undervotes (overvotes being those votes where people both wrote in a candidate's name and marked a vote on the ballot - which is clearly a no-brainer when it comes to voter intent as Florida law states).
That's all I can find - hardly an egregious crime or something that would make Gore as culpable as Bush. I do believe history will bear the truth of this out, but sadly this documentary still holds this fatal flaw in the interest of appearing fair and balanced.
No attempt was made to be fair
jimadamgolfer8 September 2004
Of course, Al Gore got hosed in Florida. Absolutely more voters intended to vote for Al Gore than George Bush. But Al Gore had a lot a voters too challenged to get it right and after the votes were counted and recounted he came up a tad short.
I went into this movie hoping to learn something I already didn't know. No such luck. It was obvious the movie was slanted or bias to omit facts that favored George Bush.
For example, all of the counties with the problems were Democratic controlled counties and they ran the voting process. They were responsible.
For example, the absent overseas votes, the movie only mentioned the late post marked votes, but the much larger problem were the thousands of envelopes with no post mark. Why should these Bush favored votes all be thrown out because the Armed Forces does a sloppy job of post marking.
For example, the Florida Supreme court was rewriting election laws to aid Al Gore. The law sets a specific deadline date in compliance with the electoral college deadlines and to avoid the chaos that ensured. For example, the new services joined together to count every votes and they reported that George Bush won more votes, but the movie flipped that conclusion to suit their liberal agenda.
They may fool impressionable minds, but by disregarding both sides of the story, this documentary is false. All they had to do is try to be more fair and balanced, because Al Gore did get hosed.
I went into this movie hoping to learn something I already didn't know. No such luck. It was obvious the movie was slanted or bias to omit facts that favored George Bush.
For example, all of the counties with the problems were Democratic controlled counties and they ran the voting process. They were responsible.
For example, the absent overseas votes, the movie only mentioned the late post marked votes, but the much larger problem were the thousands of envelopes with no post mark. Why should these Bush favored votes all be thrown out because the Armed Forces does a sloppy job of post marking.
For example, the Florida Supreme court was rewriting election laws to aid Al Gore. The law sets a specific deadline date in compliance with the electoral college deadlines and to avoid the chaos that ensured. For example, the new services joined together to count every votes and they reported that George Bush won more votes, but the movie flipped that conclusion to suit their liberal agenda.
They may fool impressionable minds, but by disregarding both sides of the story, this documentary is false. All they had to do is try to be more fair and balanced, because Al Gore did get hosed.
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