Effects of anti-Bush propaganda debated

WASHINGTON, July 2 (UPI) -- Some experts doubt anti-Bush propaganda, such as Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" film and Bill Clinton's memoirs, will affect the U.S. presidential election.

Scholars who study public opinion said people form opinions and make judgments based on many factors and messages that are continually reinforced, so an isolated film viewing or reading a book is unlikely to make much difference, the Washington Post reported Friday.

"One event doesn't change opinions, particularly an event that comes several months in advance of an election," said Robert Lichter, president of Washington's Center for Media and Public Affairs.

Still, Moore's film promoting an unrebutted argument, the most persuasive type of speech, can make an impact, particularly because 6 million people saw it in its first six days of release.

"If millions of people came to a stadium to hear an anti-Bush speech, you'd say that was an amazing moment," said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.