The Pollster in Exile - Frank Luntz Runs Into a Wall of GOP Denial

The Washington Post ^ | February 1, 2007 | Robert D. Novak

[neverdem]

Pollster Frank Luntz for the past decade has issued warnings to his fellow Republicans that they did not want to hear, but never has he been so out of touch with them as he is today. "The Republican message machine is a skeleton of its former self," Luntz told me. "These people have no idea how the American people react to them."

Luntz sees a disconnect between Republicans and voters that projects a grim future for the party. That contradicts what House and Senate Republicans are saying to each other in closed party conferences. While Luntz views 2006 election defeats as ominous portents, the party's congressional leaders see only transitory setbacks and now dwell on bashing Democrats.

Like those of Cassandra of ancient Troy, Luntz's prophecies of impending disaster have been both accurate and disregarded. Republicans have never been very comfortable hearing critics in closed conferences. He is not invited to such meetings today. "They do not want to hear the truth," Luntz told me. While truth-telling is celebrated by Republican reformers such as presidential front-runner John McCain, it is a decidedly minority view in the GOP.

Luntz's truth is summarized in a 10-page "addendum," inspired by the 2006 election fiasco, to his new book, "Words That Work" (about the political use of language). He delayed publication and lost Christmas sales in order to deliver a wakeup call to his party.

"The Republican Party that lost those historic elections was a tired, cranky shell of the articulate, reformist, forward-thinking movement that was swept into office in 1994 on a wave of positive change," Luntz wrote. He went on to say that the Republicans of 2006 "were an ethical morass, more interested in protecting their jobs than protecting the people they served. The 1994 Republicans came to 'revolutionize' Washington. Washington won."

[neverdem]

How did Mike Pence lose, his immigration bill and denying it was de facto amnesty? IMHO, Boehner is bad news.

[dfwgator]

The GOP is a rudderless ship today.

[jveritas]

Luntz works for MSNBC if he was not very bad for the GOP MSNBC would not have hired him.

[txrangerette]

Frank Luntz...the Dick Morris of the Republicans as Morris was himself to the Clintons. Focus group it, poll it, pick the exact words that work, otherwise, shut up.

Now that's real leadership, boys. /sarcasm

I'm not saying the congressional Repubs aren't disconnected. They are, from the little people who put them there. But I don't mind a whit if they're disconnected from the likes of Luntz.

[NeoCaveman]

It had nothing to do with immigration.

It had to do with pork. Pork and denial.

[Always Right]

How did Mike Pence lose, his immigration bill and denying it was de facto amnesty?

In hindsight, Mike Pence's plan will look great once the Democrats write and pass their immigration plan and Bush willingly signs it.

[NeoCaveman]

GOP: We need to earmark to keep your seats
Pollster: If you don't do ethics reform and drop the earmarks you'll lose control.
GOP: We need to earmark to keep your seats
Pollster: look at the numbers
GOP: We need to earmark to keep your seats
GOP: We need to earmark to keep your seats
GOP: We need to earmark to keep your seats
Pollster: Forget it, I give up.

[Always Right]

Luntz works for MSNBC if he was not very bad for the GOP MSNBC would not have hired him.

But Luntz is correct in his criticism. Corruption and free spending were major reasons the GOP lost.

[jrooney]

Any article writen by Novak is only good for lighting a fire. Novak is an anchor that drags amd rarely helps. His time of being benficial is long gone and he will be our next Helen Thomsa in just a few short years. Anyone CNN would keep on the air for a very long time speaks volumes of the person. Calling Novak a joke would be too kind.

[gcruse]

Shoot that messenger.

[sgtbono2002]

Corruption and free spending were only a part of it. Cowardice was a larger part.

We elected Reopublicans to act like a majority not to give up Chairs to Democrats and take their crap.

[sick1]

Denigrating Luntz or Morris because of the job that they do is like being down on buzzards or carp for the part they play. Sure it's ugly but it's a required function. I think Luntz is very smart for that group in using the right words in arguments to help you deliver an agenda that fits your principles. Morris was never the problem, his boss was the problem when used poles as a substitution for leadership vs. as a tool for leadership. Informing leaders of how to bring public opinion in line with your core principles is a fine service.

[org.whodat]

In hindsight, Mike Pence's plan will look great once the Democrats write and pass their immigration plan and Bush willingly signs it.

With your problem solving abilities and froward thinking the pubs have no place to go but down.

The last I heard it took sixty votes to get a bill through senate.

[GulfBreeze]

Now that is simple and to the point... Luntz is pretty freaking smart. Boehner is an idiot...

[Desperately Seeking Freedom]

You got that right. Sadly, today's Republicans have become the party of biggest government. Under GWB's watch, and with a Republican Congress, real spending on entitlements has gone up over 30%. Makes a guy wonder why the Dem's hate the GOP so much.

[Always Right]

The last I heard it took sixty votes to get a bill through senate.

Between the Dems and the Rinos and the spineless GOP leadership, you really believe that. The GOP will not filibuster and there will be plenty of Rino support for whatever the Dems want to do.

[MNJohnnie]

Gee How many times the Always Whining going to post this SAME story?

What happened is people like Novak and the Clowns at NRO and the 2nd rate Talk Radio hosts spend ALL their time attacking Republicans. They NEVER ever find the guts to either defend Conservatives or attack the Left on anything.

As long as the "Conservative" Media is so PR stupid as to spend all their shooting their own in the back 100% of the time, Conservatives will never win anything ever again.

Reagan kept the focus relentlessly on the Left. Too bad those who scream loudest about being Reagan's Heirs totally lack the guts to do the same thing.

[jveritas]

He may or may not, but the GOP should not trust him to be in their inner circles.

[MNJohnnie]

Gee maybe instead of squealing the same nonsense over and over and over the Always Whining might actually bother to pay attention to what is going on in DC.

US Senate has a new Republican Senate Leader. Mitch McConnell. Maybe instead of mindlessly screaming the same slogans the Perpetually Pissed MIGHT one time actually pay attention to what he does here.

But that right, IT not about reality, it about the Democrat Activists pretending to be "Betrayed Conservatives" finding the next thing to squeal like stuck pigs about.

Funny how the LOUDEST screamers around here NEVER ever have the guts to attack the Democrats on anything! Why is that?

[LiveFree99]

Any article writen by Novak is only good for lighting a fire.

Gee, I can think of one or two other uses for it :).