Why does Republican pollster Frank Luntz analize the Democratic debates?

[NNN0LHI]

Does that seem odd to anyone else? Isn't MSNBC owned by General Electric? Whats going on here? Wouldn't a Democratic pollster be better suited for this job? Aren't there any Democratic pollsters out there? Why don't the Democratic candidates who appear on Hardball ask Chris (Tweety) Matthews these questions when they are on his show? Why would a Democrat believe anything this guy says? Who knows the answers to these questions?

Don

http://www.mediawhoresonline.com/luntz2.htm

Frank Luntz, GOP Pollster Boy

Had I been a political junkie before this last election cycle, I surely would have had a "heads up" to the political leanings of popular pollster, Frank Luntz. Despite his boyish looks, he's been around forever! Well, at least since 1994, but we'll get to that later.

Like most average Americans, my introduction to Mr. Luntz came from his post debate focus groups featured on MSNBC's Decision 2000. Brian Williams introduced him simply as a "political pollster," as Luntz led gatherings of "undecided voters," in a series of focus groups. Many of us watching from home, wondered aloud just how "undecided" these voters really were, but did anyone suspect that Luntz, the moderator, might have his own political agenda?

Let's examine the discourse between Luntz and Brian Williams after the second Presidential debate on October 11, 2000:

WILLIAMS: A group of uncommitted voters has been with us all evening long under the good auspices of Frank Luntz, political pollster, who joins us now from Cincinnati, city in the crucial battleground state of Ohio. Frank?

LUNTZ: Brian, this is now the third time that we've gathered these undecided voters but there's something that thisnight featured that we never saw before. We do have a clear winner. And you can all demonstrate by a show of your hands: How many of you believe that George Bush exceeded your expectations for what you expected this evening? Please raise your hands. Brian, that's almost everybody.

Did you notice that Frank made a statement about a winner and then asked a completely different question regarding expectations? The AAPOR (American Association for Public Opinion) did and they issued a press release on October 16, 2000 titled:

more

[arewethereyet]

1. who better ?

no vested interest. a libertarian would be better but the opposition is OK.

[NNN0LHI]

2. No vested interest you say. You are joking...I hope? n/t

[arewethereyet]

4. he has no use for any of them he has no specific bias

while a dem would have a specific bias.

of course any of them SHOULD be able to put this sort of thing aside and look at it objectively but you know that this just wouldn't happen.

perhaps 'vested interest' was the wrong term but the concept is sound

[NNN0LHI]

5. Are you suggesting that he would not want the weakest Democratic ...

...candidate appear to win a debate so it would make it easier for the Chimp to beat the Dems next year? Come on now. You trying to tell me that a Republican pollster does not know who would match up worse against the current crackhead in chief? Who do you think you are talking to here? Some kid or something? Get away from me.

Don

[bryant69]

9. Well, not all republicans are evil

If he is a totally dishonest bastard, than, yeah, he'd probably do as you suggest, but if he is an honest guy than he'll do a decent job of it. At any rate, do you have any evidence of dishonesty, other than the fact that he's a Republican/Conservative?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NNN0LHI]

11. Read post #6 and tell me how honest he is, Here is a sample of his work

>>> He has provided advice to numerous Republican organizations and elected officials on how to smear their opponents effectively.<<<

[Tatiana]

14. He orchestrated that whole "Daschle Democrat" BS!

He's the one who gave the Repubs the talking point of calling Dems "obstructionist!" Did you see how many times Orrin Hatch, Sen. Grassley, Sen. Graham called Democrats obstructionist for not confirming Bush's right-wing judicial nominees?

That's all brought to you by Frank Luntz.

I guess he's MSNBC's own example of "Fair and Balanced." He reports, we believe his lies.

[FredScuttle]

22. don't forget...

his grimy little sausage fingers were all over the California recall...he wrote freakin' talking points for the GOP swine that toppled Gray Davis

[11 Bravo]

18. How much more evidence do you need?

n/t

[arewethereyet]

12. do you really think his opinion of debate winners and losers matters ?

His writtings have about zero effect on who the ultimate winner will be. Has he come out making Kucinich, Braun or Sharpton seem invincible ? No. (Hey, nothing personal to supporters of these folks but I don't see it happening for them.)

On the whole, of the debates I've seen and the musings of his that I came across pertaining to them I tend to see him being rather fair, far more fair than other bits I see. ITs useless to look on this board for that kind of info, noone is impartial and its lead pipe obvious.

If you want to take the tack that he wants to aid the republican cause then its even more important that he present an objective view so that the right can best assess who might be able to improve their positions based on the debates. For example, if Dean were to really shine, the right needs to know it. It is part of the puzzle of predicting what will happen and the ability to do that is the Holy Grail of political movers and shakers.

So, no, I really don't think he's being anything other than even handed.

[Chants]

27. Believe it or not...

There are hundreds of thousands of democrats and republicans out there who desire the strongest opponent to win the other party's presidential nomination. To these people it's the issues, not the label attached to them, that is important.

[NNN0LHI]

28. Sorry. But I don't believe that load of crap n/t

[Chants]

29. I think you're projecting (n/t)

[Tatiana]

6. HUH?

Frank is a REPUBLICAN pollster!

<snip>

One tangible indicator of the national cabal’s direct involvement in the recall is the involvement of Frank Luntz. Who is Frank Luntz? Frank Luntz is well known as being a committed right wing ideologue. He was the architect of the successful Republican strategy for capturing control of both houses of Congress in the 1994 elections. He subsequently worked as Newt Gingrich’s principle advisor and strategist for devising and implementing Gingrich’s “Contract With America.”

Mr. Luntz wrote an influential memo in 1998 to Congressional Republicans advising them on how to speak out against then President Clinton during the Starr investigations. In doing this he was counseling the Republican Congressional leadership on how to “sell” the need to impeach Clinton to a skeptical public.

In early 2002 Luntz orchestrated another smear campaign this time against then Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Luntz coined the phrase “Daschle Democrat” and gave it its negative connotation. Then he advised Congressional Republicans to always use the word “obstructionist in the same sentence as “Daschle Democrat”. He has provided advice to numerous Republican organizations and elected officials on how to smear their opponents effectively.

http://www.byronforcongress.org/pages/Anti-Cabal.htm

This is from a CNN Transcript of Capital Gang:

Capital Gang
Republican Strategist Frank Luntz Discusses Elian Gonzalez and Campaign 2000
Aired January 15, 2000 - 7:00 p.m. ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Washington, THE CAPITAL GANG.

AL HUNT, "WALL STREET JOURNAL": Welcome to CAPITAL GANG.

I'm Al Hunt, with Kate O'Beirne and, in Des Moines, Robert Novak and Mark Shields.

Our guest is Republican pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz.

Frank, thanks for coming in.

FRANK LUNTZ, REPUBLICAN POLLSTER: Thanks for having me.

HUNT: It's good to have you.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0001/15/cg.00.html

Frank Luntz is one of the most honored political and communication professionals in America today. Time magazine named him one of "50 of America's most promising leaders aged 40 and under," USA Today labeled him one of the nine most influential minds in the GOP, Newsweek called him one of the three primary "engineers" of the 1994 Republican landslide, The New York Times wrote that "his well-chosen words helped turn an election," and he is the "hottest pollster" according to the Boston Globe.

<snip>

Dr. Luntz, famous among campaign pros for his research on language and politics, is one of the most innovative marketers of political ideas. He has served as an adviser to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and numerous candidates in this country and abroad.

He was one of the strategic architects of the Republican landslide in 1994 that gave Republicans control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years and made Newt Gingrich speaker. Dr. Luntz had a key role in creating Gingrich's Contract with America.

http://premierespeakers.com/1682/index.cfm

[bearfartinthewoods]

26. i hadn't thought of it that way....welcome to DU

[rumguy]

3. no vested interest?

he's working for the repukes...he still does work for them.

nice liberal media bias huh?

[Eric J in MN]

7. Chris Matthews used to have on 2 pollsters, one

Chris Matthews used to have on 2 pollsters, one a Democrat, the other Republican Frank Luntz.

Now Matthews just has on Luntz without a Democrat.

Fox News is number one in the ratings, so MSNBC is trying to be Fox Lite.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

10. That just about sums it up.

[AmericanDem]

8. He's a repuke and MSNBC lets him wear that dead rat on his head

:hurts:

[Tatiana]

13. To answer your question Don...

They allow Frank on to analyze Dems, in my opinion, because they are executing a strategy to demoralize Democrats and the Democratic party. Think back to those "undecided voters" panels he paraded on Hardball almost every night. The message:

Undecided voters have decided to vote for Bush. Al Gore is a liar. Democrats, stay home.

It's a conditioning, it's a brainwashing, and MSNBC, owned by GE, one of the biggest defense contractors in this nation (and one of the largest beneficiaries of defense budget pork), have a vested interest in keeping Bush in office.

[NNN0LHI]

16. That is what I thought too Tatiana

Why would anyone with an IQ higher than a freeper believe a word this scum sucker says. That is what amazes the hell out of me.

Don

[Tatiana]

17. It's not WHAT he says, so much as the WAY HE SAYS IT.

He plays the role of the intellectual. He "acts" like a Democrat: analytical, scholarly, seemingly factual.

That's how they perpetuated the myth that Luntz was "non-partisan" when he first arrived at MSNBC. It took Mediawhores to expose Luntz's true colors.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. Luntz is swine!!!! He's there to assault the Democratic Party!

:puke: MSGOP

[kentuck]

19. For a little more insight into Mr Luntz.....

Go to this website:

http://www.luntzspeak.com/

[Touchdown]

20. He doesn't wash his hair, so he has more time.

There's 40+ years of grease in that mop. With all the time he saved, he of course could devote time to undermine the competition.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Luntz is a scary dude......

I wrote a letter to Sorenson asking to take Luntz fucking pig face off of my TV!

[fairfaxvadem]

23. I was wondering the same thing...

after the Dem debate the other night I couldn't believe they had that GOP shill doing this stuff AGAIN. The thing is, the average viewer probably doesn't know he is a Shill, or even worse, doesn't care. But it's bad.

And speaking of bad, that hair of his is just awful...GOPers always have bad hair. Why is that?

[NNN0LHI]

24. Kick for the holiday shift. Happy Thanksgiving to all n/t

[dusty64]

25. I heard they gave him

his own show in which to spew his rightwing b.s.. Wonder what hack they will hire to replace buchanan and press?

[blm]

30. It's Luntz's job to get dean the nomination. Haven't you been watching?

Luntz first started pushing Lieberman early on. After Dean came out attacking the other Democrats, Luntz jumped on his bandwagon. According to Luntz, Dean has won every debate.

Luntz always dumps heavily on Kerry, even after Kerry was the obvious winner of some of the debates. He always takes shots at Edwards, too, and now Clark.