In any other year, the movies “The Day after Tomorrow” and “Farenheit 9/11” might not cause so much controversy. However, this is an election year.

It seems that political messages are coming out of Hollywood through some films, notably two.

“The Day After Tomorrow” deals with the issue of global warming. In the movie, much of the northern United States is devastated by an ice-age disaster.

“Farenheit 9/11,” directed by Michael Moore, is about President Bush’s alleged attempt to steal the 2000 election. It also deals with the Bush family’s former ties with the Bin Laden family.

Thus, the question is raised — is the big screen the appropriate forum for politics?

Often times people spend good money to escape reality for 90 minutes or so. They don’t always want to watch a movie with social commentaries, as this gives the audience more issues about which they can worry.

Granted, people know going in that “Farenheit 9/11” is a political movie. However, the messages in “The Day After Tomorrow” are more subtle.

The San Francisco Chronicle points out that the storm in “The Day After Tomorrow” occurs in most of the northern states, “thus guaranteeing the GOP an electoral lock after the next census.”

The Chronicle also noted something for the liberals appears in the film. When the president in the movie is faced with the disaster, he turns to his vice-president and asks, “What should we do?”

Film critics and political activists may pick up on such underlying messages, but we doubt the average audience member would be crying “foul” over these parts, let alone notice them.

While we feel “The Day After Tomorrow” is less of a political movie and more of a regular summer blockbuster, “Farenheit 9/11” is an obvious attempt to stir political thought.

FOX News reports that Michael Moore admitted that getting his movie out before the election was a priority. However, the Center for Media and Public Affairs has expressed their opinion that these movies won’t have much of an affect on the “swing” voters in the upcoming election.

“Those swing voters will be hit by so many messages. The number of them who go to a Michael Moore movie in Ohio is going to be small,” the CMPA said.

There is a place in entertainment for politics, because we are free to see any movie we desire.

However, since it is entertainment, we believe the messages will not have a major impact on the upcoming election.