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BOSTON—He holds no elected office. He is not a party official nor is he even a delegate, but filmmaker Michael Moore is as hot here in Boston as only an east coast searing summer day can be. How hot? In the first two days of this convention he arguably competes with traditional Democratic all-stars Bill and Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senate candidate and rising Democratic star, Barak Obama, for most attention garnered by a single individual at this 2004 Democratic National Convention. 

Everywhere Moore goes huge crowds form to catch a glimpse of the larger-than-life director of Farenheit 9/11. Topping the $50 million mark in ticket sales recently, this film will easily eclipse every other documentary film that has come before it.  

On Monday, Moore appeared at the Congressional Black Caucus meeting, speaking for about 10 minutes to an overflow crowd of delegates and the press. Many delegates with tickets were left in the hallway, unable to get even a glimpse of their new Democratic hero. Later that same day, Moore attended a memorial service for those lost in the Iraq war. War veterans and their families were waiting for him at a park in this city’s North End. Dozens of press people followed Moore. He quickly became the event, though he did his best to focus the press on the plight of the parents, family members, and veterans who were present, not his movie. 

Tuesday, Moore appeared in the convention center’s Fox television booth to spar with Bill O’Reilly of the “O’Reilly Factor.” Again, Moore’s presence drew a crowd. That same night he made an appearance on the convention floor and was immediately mobbed by star-struck delegates. In fact, security people, under direction from the Department of Homeland Security, had to demand that Moore leave the hall as he was creating a “fire hazard,” since the aisles had to remain open, they said. 

The Boston Globe reported on Wednesday that Moore would leave Boston before John Kerry’s acceptance speech on Thursday. Convention organizers perhaps breathed a sigh of relief on reading that news.ª