(GOP)Stuck in the Mud(Frank Luntz)

WASHINGTON POST ^ | February 25, 2007 | Frank Luntz

[dakine]

hahahaha...Two laughs in three days...

[KC_Conspirator]

My biggest problem with Luntz is that he has become a Chris Matthews sycophant since 2000. I did not know he had a bad hairpiece.

[Pukin Dog]

Aint is sad when Google is NOT your friend?

[Cedric]

You've got to learn to look past the diversionary beard and over-sized aviator glasses and note that when Frank is facing east his hair helmet is pointing north.

[srmorton]

You are exactly right!

[MNJohnnie]

How about ONE time we look at the WHOLE picture instead of merely selectively cherry picking facts to rationalize a personal position on the Immigration issue?

WHICH party leadership fought for, and brought the Enforcement 1st Legislation to the floor for a vote and which party, especially in the US Senate, did everything, including filibustering it, to kill that Legislation? That right the Democrats killed it. EVERY single Democrat Senator voted against it. EVERY one.

God forbid the Alway Angry about Everything crowd around here actually put any issue into context or actually think about the totality of the problem or discuss what is actually going on in DC.

Frankly this odd habit of the Purists, such as Luntz, of NEVER ever being able to actually find ANYTHING to attack the Democrats on EVER makes us wonder which side they REALLY are on. They seem to spend all their time doing the Democrats PR dirty work for them. Rather strange behavior from people claiming to be "Real Conservatives". Their fire is NEVER directed at anyone but their own political allies. Frankly with friends like this, who needs enemies!

It seems thier doctrine of total Dogmatic Political Purity linked to their pathetic need to constantly sniping their own political allies in the back rather then EVER attack the Democrats on ANY issue is WAY more important then actually MOVING what they claim to be their political agenda forward.

Frankly Reagan, a supremely pragmatic politician would spit on all of these dogmatic purists.

Utterly pathetic that this same collection of Dogmatic Purists constantly squeal about their "God" Reagan. The SAME Ronald Reagan who signed a REAL Illegals Amnesty. Doubled the Size of the Fed Govt in 8 years, Signed 2 Tax Hikes, Spent Record Fed Deficits, negotiated with the Mullahs of Iran, appointed a Liberal to the SC and ran away from the Muslim Terrorist threat.

Using the SAME standard applied by Lutz et al, REAGAN was "NO Conservative" and utterly failed the American people.


Basically what Lutz et al want to do is IGNORE the best sustained economic performance ever, the successful war, ignore all the Conservative Judges and the thousands of other accomplishments and instead mindlessly fixate on the 30% of their personal political agenda that did NOT make it thru the DC Legislative buzz saw on it's very 1ST time around.

Rather the Conservative Establishment would simply rather whine and bitch and cry endlessly that the world is not perfect and they did not get out of politics everything exactly the way they wanted and NOTHING that they did not want the very 1st Time it came around.

Well Guess What. People with that sort of attitude better resign themselves to dying unhappy then. NO body gets ONLY 100% of ONLY what THEY want the second they want it in politics. NOBODY.

So after about 70 years being out of power in one branch or the other the Conservatives were exactly 1 SC Justice away from FINALLY regaining control of all three branches of the US Govt and the childish wretches of the Worst Generation pissed it all away in a fit of petulant because their personal political whimsy was not being enacted as fast as they felt it should be.

Frankly the modern "Conservative" Establishment has demonstrated itself utterly too juvenile and petulant to be a Majority Party. Ronald Reagan would have NOTHING but contempt for the scum in the current Conservative Establishment who scream the loudest about being his intellectual grandchildren.

[Lancey Howard]

There wasn't anything wrong with kjo's post.

Sure, the Republican Congress - - 12 years ago! - - did what they said they would do and followed through on the Contract. But that Contract was supposed to represent more than just a game plan for the first 100 days or whatever. It was supposed to be a blueprint for a future of ongoing reform, transparency, and conservative principles.

By 2006, the GOP looked more like "the old boss" than the righteous reformers of 1994, and the electorate noticed.

[ImpBill]

"You are like most Americans."

Not sure, but I really don't think you meant that in a complimentary way.

Should that be the case nothing I can do or say will altar that opinion made without knowing squat about me or my beliefs.

But that is OK. It is a common occurrence around FR and in life in general.

However, without going into a long dissertation about me, I will simply let you know that I don't consider myself, "like most Americans".

I am curious however about what your thoughts are/were about the questions I posed? Was our involvement in Iraq as traderrob6 states, to assist in the forming of a "self sustaining Democracy"? Therefor allowing us to have a 30 - 40,000 troop level in an "oil rich" nation?

I thought the initial reasons for going to war, albeit an undeclared war, was only the first of many actions to be taken to gain ultimate victory in the War On Terror as brought to us by the fanatical religion of Islam as practiced by many around the world, most notable Arabs.

I think the "nation building" became the mission creep.

With many years of military service and training I had hoped we might employ all the Principles of Mass as taught at the Military War Colleges. But I was once again wrong!

But not only have we violated those principles once again (RVN) we are now seeing the left, once again, putting nails into our Republic's coffin, simply because "we" didn't really go to "war", and because they (the left) can, thanks to "most Americans".

I think "most Americans" never had a clue on what we were/are facing and what it will ultimately take for us to have a "real" victory in this struggle.

And yes some of the culpability for this situation lies directly at the feet of our President, but of course the lion's share of the culpability and ultimate responsibility lays at the feet of "most Americans" who in their fat and lazy, unwilling to take responsibilities at all, let alone seriously, ways will ultimately be the cause of the downfall of this once great Republic. Somewhere down the line "leaders" must "lead" and going to war with folks that practice "the religion of peace" sends mixed signals at best. President Bush, like all men, made mistakes. We allowed the left and the media (same in my book) redefine the mission as "Iraq". And to be honest I saw it coming from the beginning. It was inevitable in once again deploying the military to fight an undeclared war with undeclared goals. But the politicians, all, enjoy the ease of doing that for then they can keep redefining the definition and point of victory. Which will of itself lead us to yet another ignoble defeat (RVN).

And "most Americans" are happy to let them, do just that. When will we learn? We will we learn? Will there be enough time to learn and act? What will it take? Why didn't the deaths of over 3000 innocent men, women, and children, brought about by Arab extremists keep our attention? What is it about "most Americans" that will allow them to paint their own bulls-eyes on their own backs?

So I asked traderrob6 exactly what he thought the "mission" was and/or is. And thanks for stepping into the discussion, even if you didn't/don't know enough about me and my beliefs to classify me as one of "most Americans".

God Bless,

Greg Adams
Brownsville, TX (On the other Front Line)

P.S. To kellynla, I apologize for in a way hijacking the thread and what Luntz was talking about.

[KC_Conspirator]

I was not besmirching you. My point is that the White House has a lousy public relations effort and does an absolute horrendous job of reminding Americans of why we are in Iraq. The reason might be self evident to most people here on FR, however most of America hears the left, day afer day, week after week, telling us how bad everything is there. All the while nary a word of rebuttal can be heard out of the White House.

[leadpenny]

It's a good thing no one has ever accused you of being hyperbolic. Your calm, rational, well-reasoned style is a comfort to all, I'm sure.

Oh, and just because you're paranoid is no reason to believe someone is following you.

[Dave S]

Nothing they did was {or ever could be} good enough for you and your ilk.

I voted for them despite the fact that they did squat for anyone but themselves for two years. All they did was posture and kiss the butt of the evangelicals. I knew we had lost the election when Frist and company went ga-ga over the vegetable Schiavo. Name me five things if you can that the congress did in the past two years that arent already scheduled to die or that will never be funded? I will even give you the Medicare Drug Program but then many of you complain about that as being socialized medicine.

[Dave S]

Here is a clue for the Always Whining

Ever look in the mirror hypocrit?

[Dave S]

Basically what Lutz et al want to do is IGNORE the best sustained economic performance ever, the successful war, ignore all the Conservative Judges and the thousands of other accomplishments and instead mindlessly fixate on the 30% of their personal political agenda that did NOT make it thru the DC Legislative buzz saw on it's very 1ST time around.

Sure you arent talking about the 90's for the best sustained ecomonic performance? What is this successful war you are talking about, Afghanistan? What are these thousands of other accomplishments? They are so hard to remember or is your idea of an accomplishment that Bush spoke for months on end about SOcial Security reform when it wasnt going to happen and the war was going down the tubes? Are you the PR man for the Republican party or have you just deluded yourself with every piece of propaganda served up in place of substance?

[ImpBill]

Well put and sorry I thought you were being sarcastic. My bad.

For some reason around here, current company excluded, it has become almost a mortal sin to criticize the current administration. Even if one voted for and contributed money to both campaigns.

So I try and tread lightly. /;-)

[TSchmereL]

good point.

[Frank Luntz]

This is Frank Luntz. A couple of points:

1) I did NOT support John McCain in 2000. I didn't back any of the GOP candidates that year.

2) I am NOT advocating a more liberal GOP. Quite the opposite. I am quite surprised at the interpretation that ending earmarks and balancing the budget without tax increases is "liberal." Hardly.

3) I am advocating a greater focus on "reform" and less overt political and ideological language. The best way to promote your principles is not to hit people over the head with them.

4) I am a communications advisor, not a policy wonk. If you want more of an agenda, you'll get it from Newt Gingrich. But a re-focus on the policy agenda from 1994 would be a great start.

This is the Washington Post Blog. I think you have a greater responsibility to engage in a more appropriate and a more accurate exchange.

[Retired COB]

Made in the USA: Spoiled brats

The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I starting thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?''

Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at anytime and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all involved. Whether you are rich or poor they treat your wounds and even, if necessary, send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cellphones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

[jpsb]

"The Republican party of 94 completely delivered on 9 of the 10 items contained in the Contract with America."

Exactly correct, all that was promised was a vote on the floor that all could see. And the 94 GOP delivered and 9 out of 10 passed. Bring back the 94 GOP!

[jpsb]

Good article enjoyed it, what we voters (D's and R's) are unhappy (mad as hell) about is that it strongly appears to us that our "ruling class" has become an entrenched arrogant corrupt oligarchy that cares nothing about the nation or it's citizens. The oligarchy cares only about "family" business and the country be damned.

[PDR]

why is ANYONE listening to Frankie the Flak....???