In the Republican hotbed of Utah, the McKay Events Center is packed for Michael Moore's "Slacker Uprising Tour."

The student government officials who booked the event were subject to threats and bribes to cancel the show by a vocal group of parents, students and alumni. There were demands to “balance” Moore with a conservative speaker, despite years of consistently conservative bookings. One parent actually filed suit to stop the event. Like many liberal activists, I foolishly assumed that there was plenty of time to get tickets. Despite the efforts of opposition groups, once the event was advertised, it sold out 8000+ seats in three days.

An anti-war rally was scheduled outside the venue prior to the show. Despite a steady rain, and lack of a ticket, I drove 25 miles to the event. Approximately 250 protesters were present, about evenly divided between Moore foes and fans. Signs ranged from “Moore is the Enemy,” and “Bush/Cheney 2004” to “End the Occupation of Iraq,” and “Michael Moore for President.” CodePink in Salt Lake City had made hats for the event, blue-brimmed painter caps with our local logo and the words “Paint it Blue!” on the crown. Surprisingly, the protesters were not separated into different camps. We mingled, and despite some obvious tension, managed to discuss opposing viewpoints about conditions in Iraq, the increasing role of religion in public policy, and the upcoming election. I politely accepted a pamphlet called “Michael Moore’s Misleads: Exposing 21 Fallacies of Fahrenheit 9/11,” and recommended in return, “The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader”. The pamphleteer was equally polite. In the final moments of the rally, a fellow activist handed me a spare ticket. I triumphantly ditched my signs and rally gear, and headed inside.

Prior to the beginning of the show, there were subtle hints of anti-Moore protesters in the bleachers. When the show was delayed by an hour, we feared that the legal action had been successful, and the show would be cancelled. When the announcer strode to the podium, the crowd roared to attention, and for the first time, the silent folded-arm protesters were obvious; perhaps 10%. When Moore started his banter, for most of us, it was like a childhood snow day, suddenly freed to laugh and frolic, blissfully oblivious to annoyed parents. I doubt that many of those present had ever seen more than a handful of liberals in a single place before. Here, we were gleefully and gloatingly outed, aware for the first time of our numbers and potential power.

I was impressed by the conservatives who attended the event, and sat silently, if sullenly during Moore’s performance. Moore is heady, no-holds-barred, action packed stuff, and while some left early, most stayed for the entire performance. There were a few heated exchanges between hecklers and fans, punctuated with cries of “Free Speech!” and “Where are your manners? Let Michael Moore speak!” Despite the tension, only four protesters were removed for security concerns.

In closing, Moore urged us to put aside our assumptions of Utah as a hopelessly red state, and to vote. He asked us to envision what it would be like to follow the election returns, incredulously watch the state of Utah turn blue, and feel the seismic effect across the country. As the crowd went wild, I pulled off my cap and waved it with giddy abandon.

So, today, I am walking on air. Mr. Moore, I tip my “Paint it Blue!” cap to you, and hope the afternoon’s experience was as much of a thrill for you as it was for thousands of Utah Liberals. Oh, I like the sound of that…

Eileen McCabe-Olsen (eileen_mccabe_olsen@yahoo.com) is a member of CodePink in Salt Lake City, Utah, specializing in their trademark, trendy, provocative headgear.

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