Health Insurers Taught Republicans How To Oppose The Public Option - *with* Frank Lutz

[underpants]

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/12/10/po-ahip/

Yesterday, Media Matters obtained internal Fox News correspondence, which reveal that Fox bosses instructed their journalists not to use the term “public option” during the health care fight.

DC Managing Editor Bill Sammon wrote that Fox’s reporters should instead use “government option” and similar phrases. Polling by Frank Luntz showed that using “government option” language made the public option unpopular with the American public.
Now, Ben Smith is reporting that the phrase first originated not with Fox or Luntz, but AHIP — the insurance lobby powerhouse that shaped much of the law to its liking:

A former Republican Hill staffer closely involved in the battle over the health care plan — and concerned that credit go where it’s due — e-mails that the case for the linguistic shift first emerged in February in research provided the GOP by the health insurance industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

AHIP focus groups from late February (whose findings appear in this document, provided by the former aide) found that voters like the idea of a “public” plan, and that the most negative term is a “government-run health insurance plan.”

A round of polling from AHIP in February and March confirmed that argument. “It is clear the most negative language to use when describing a ‘public plan’ is ‘a government-run health insurance plan,’” reads a presentation the group distributed, starting in March, to allies, Republican staff and opinion leaders and to conservative media, according to the former aide.

Sen. John Ensign was the first to pick up the talking point in a March 24 release blasting a “Government-Run ‘Public’ Health Insurance Plan.”

[drm604]

1. Frank Luntz is a soulless evil man.

He's gotten wealthy by teaching corporations and Republicans how to use linguistics and psychology to mislead the public.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Luntz

[msongs]

2. you're just jealous cuz dems are so incompetent at using language lol nt

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

4. I'm jealous because they have a media infrastructure that is almost impossible to counter.

The dems called it a public option which is a pretty good term. I can't blame the dems when they get drown out by Fox and everyone else on the radio who then blare "govt option" 24x7. I'm jealous that the cons have a direct media lever that they can push around very precisely, i.e. the morning talking point.

I'm also jealous that the cons have a much simpler coalition to keep together that also has big bucks. There are basically three category of Republicans. The corps/low tax crowd, the fundies and the country bumpkins. They are all tied together with the "keep the government off my back and love Jesus" thread.

Dems on the other hand have a much more complicated coalition to manage; minorities, unions, gay-rights, pro-choice, anti-war, teachers etc, etc. We are all tied together with "government is needed to balance out the inequalities and injustices of society but it better solve my problem first".

The cons have an easier sell. It's easier to care about yourself then others. It's also easier to do nothing or to de-regulate rather then add a new regulation. Progressives have a much tougher row to hoe.

[gateley]

3. He's incredibly good at what he does - I give him that. I still hate him, but I'm

in awe of his (evil) talent.

[drm604]

5. What he's good at

is distorting language and preventing real discussion of issues.

[gateley]

6. Exactly - and that's what he's paid to do and again, he does it well. He gives

them a talking point that they repeat endlessly until it's burned into peoples' brains and eventually becomes part of the lexicon. Death Tax. Undersea Energy Exploration. Climate Change.

He's evil, but he's good at what he does.