Frank Luntz on Debate
"Good Morning America" 7:30am
Interview
TOPIC: Undecided voters, Focus Groups, Debates
TRANSCRIPT: FRANK LUNTZ: Well I'll tell you something behind the scenes, with the debate half over,
were leaning overwhelmingly to John McCain, but because of the healthcare issue, the abortion issue and how strong Obama closed, Barack Obama won our 23 people and even moved 4 people to go from undecided to support him. John McCain didn't pick up any support last night.
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LUNTZ: What's interesting about undecided voters is they're not idealogical, and they're not partisan and so they tend to follow the mood of the campaign. And so when John McCain said, looked at Barack Obama directly and said "Stop referring to me as the previous president," the voters said "Absolutely, that's a legitimate thing to say."
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LUNTZ: They believe that the associations, Barack Obama's associations, the people he talks to- it's a legitimate issue, but even more important to the American people- what's gonna happen to taxes, what's gonna happen to the economy, to my job, the public is saying "I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm nervous, tell me what you're gonna do- not for the economy- what you're gonna do for me."
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DIANE SAWYER: Who won the round on education?
LUNTZ: By a very small margin, Barack Obama. It's interesting, Obama talks like a Governor and John McCain talks like a Senator. McCain talks more in terms of policy, Barack Obama talks more in terms of people, and that gives Obama the age.
SAWYER: And what about Roe Vs. Wade...
LUNTZ: Actually Obama did well on that, because of Barack Obama's eloquence, in fact that's the only time we've ever tested, where Republicans and Democrats have agreed with a presidential candidate on abortion- both sides. The way that Obama projected it, he actually attempted and, in our group, succeeded in finding a middle ground when it comes to abortion.
LABEL: FL JM ABC 10-16-08 7.30 (LAD#16) ZZ