Are Luntz's focus groups stacked for Romney?

Blogs for Fred Thompson ^ | January 7, 2008 | FredFaninKansas

[MitchellC]

I post this question not as sour grapes but just as an observation. It seems like every time I watch one of these debates and FoxNews has one of its focus groups, the room goes from all undecided to almost ALL Romney. And something about it doesn't pass the smell test.

The reason is because the voters go from apparently undecided to making very strong statements in favor of Romney. And that's not to say Romney hasn't done well in these formats, but if you look at neutral observers on the net, the results are much more balanced. It also doesn't stand to reason that a room of supposedly undecided voters would be making such strong statements, particularly statements that seem to go right in line with Romney's campaign themes -- business experience, leadership, etc. They rarely talk about flip flops or anything like that, and are almost always critical of the other people.

Also, I have read that those interested in signing up for Luntz's focus groups do so online at his website. Given Romney's on the ground organization in both Iowa and New Hampshire, it would make sense he would have some of his supporters signing up for Luntz's focus groups, pretending to be undecided.

A case in point, someone on Fred08.com pointed out a guy who was at both tonight's focus group and one four months ago -- apparently undecided:
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Comment by Christopher Fischahs (248)
2008-01-07 01:28:18
http://roobaroo.net/Images/Fox_Focus_Group.jpg

Just one of many examples of people making re-appearences in Frank’s ‘undecided voter’ focus groups. The fact of the matter is that to get in these groups you sign up through his website. Most real undecided voters would never be paying any attention to something like that. The fact is people sign up for these groups already backing a candidate, mostly hoping to influence the debate.

I’m not saying everybody there was corrupted or dishonest, but some of them must have been. I doubt it was coordinated or anything, and I agree that Romney came out on top tonight, but the focus group is bs.
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Finally, some of their anti-Fred answers seemed WAY too canned. "He needs to wake up". "He's an actor". Things like this. Remember the guy from Iowa who said "he looks tired" who was ALSO pro-Romney?

Maybe I'm just too pro-Fred but I think that Romney is stacking the focus groups.

[MitchellC]

From Luntz's website:

"To participate in a FOX NEWS Focus Group, CLICK HERE."

Gosh, no campaign with a track record for sleaze would take advantage of that, would they?

[petitfour]

It sounds so much like the Clinton machine.

[SAJ]

Well, on the evidence, they're certainly stacked for Luntz' convenience.

I don't mean to be dim here, but how does one arrive at the conclusion that these 'faux-cus' groups are necessarily stacked in favour of Mr. Romney? Not saying they are, not saying they're not.

Merely saying that I do not see this particular bias in these 'faux-cus' groups.

Let me just note that I couldn't stand watching more than about 5 minutes of them; it's entirely possible that such bias was evinced while I was off in the kitchen making a mufulatta.

[MitchellC]

Ping.

[OKIEDOC]

As I have told other, please let Fox know of your disgust by sending them an Email.

While your at it send one to PMSNBC, CNN and anyone else.

yourcomments@foxnews.com

[Darkwolf377]

I haven't seen Luntz in ages since I don't watch TV (only DVDs). But I always thought he was straining to make a point all the time. His focus groups never seemed to deliver anything conclusive, but he tried so hard to make it seem that a change of a couple votes meant something.

If we didn't have prognostication, 75% of TV news would be eliminated. And most of these predictions are wrong.

[MitchellC]

If you've watched the focus groups, you'll notice, just as the blog post described, there are always an oddly overwhelming number of folks who 'happened to decide' during the debate that Mitt was the best candidate. Here's the latest. Given that these "undecideds" are self-selecting, and the Romney campaign's recent record of sleaze, it wouldn't be a stretch.

[Court Watcher]

They may be stacked, they may not be. I know one thing, I wondered the same thing when 100% of the Focus group in Iowa, was full of Huckabee supporters last week.

It really does not matter though. The voters are not stupid and will vote their preference, and no focus group is going to change that. I am voting for my myself.

Here is McCain SUCKING up to the GAYS. Then flip flopping just 11 minutes later. McCain is not gay, but he sure does pander to the GAYS, and the Illegal Mexicans, and TAX Hikers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeBw28tX5Nw

[restornu]

I thought Fox was for Rudy how did it get to be for Mitt when Christ "Murrow" Wallace always goes hatch on Mitt

Ed Murrow

must have been Chris uncle

[Court Watcher]

More McCain Flip Flopping

Click below to read inform yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioy90nF2anI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CZLTFvMM_E&feature=related

[Enchante]

"To participate in a FOX NEWS Focus Group, CLICK HERE."

WOW, that's such a scientific approach to getting an accurate and unbiased sample! /s

A more accurate statement on the website would be:

"To help the candidate of your choice, just pretend to be undecided so you can get on national TV and pretend to a sudden 'conversion' to your favored candidate...."

[MitchellC]

In McCain’s defense (and I am not a supporter of his), the first time he seemed to be talking about not criminalizing homosexual “marriage,” meaning not kicking down homos’ doors and arresting them, while the second time he seemed to mean that marriage should not be redefined to include homosexuality. That’s the disctinction that practically all conservatives seem to believe in, which liberals blur with their rhetoric.

[MitchellC]

Um.... what?

[SAJ]

Ah. Thank you.

As I mentioned, I couldn't stomach the faux-cus group for more than a few minutes hand-running. Perhaps if I'd suppressed the 'gag' reflex and watched them throughout, I'd have seen what you saw.

For some reason, Spike Jones' old tune, 'Right In Der Fuehrer's Face' is running through my head just now. Probably just tired.

''Ven Herr Rom-ney says, 'You should vote for me' ...etc.''

FReegards!

[Joann37]

I’m a Hunter supporter, but listened to some of the debate tonight. I was impressed by a few of the answers that Thompson provided, and thought he had a good grasp of the problems they addressed.

Forgive me for not being specific (I was doing a bunch of other things at the time), but somewhere between Luntz and his focus group and the Hannity and Colmes discussion afterward, Thompson was in fact made out to be like the loser of the evening. I was very surprised because I thought he answered very well.

Anyway, I’m still mad at FNC for leaving Hunter out! The media THINKS they get to pick our candidate. God only knows what they’ll pull when the general election comes around.

[Court Watcher]

McCain is against tourture even when needing this vital tool to collect information that terrorists hold. Isay he is wrong, and was jaded by his days as a P.O.W.

Secondly, McCain wants to close GITMO in Cuba. what is he think ? Read the link below if you want proof of this McCain major blunder.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-06-18-gitmo-candidates_N.htm

[DaveTesla]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1949475/posts

[Recovering_Democrat]

I doubt the audience was stacked. Perhaps people just think Romney won. Frankly, I thought he did a damn good job in the debate. I do admit to being undecided between Mitt and Fred, but I am truly undecided.

[MitchellC]

Thanks, didn’t catch that one on a search.

[americanophile]

I’ll say this...the debate sure wasn’t. Chris Wallace, and everyone else really went after Romney.