Frank Luntz: Obama Had The Advantage Today, But GOP Should Do This Again

[jefferson_dem]

Frank Luntz: Obama Had The Advantage Today, But GOP Should Do This Again

I just got off the phone with Frank Luntz, the well-known GOP pollster who was aggressively called out by Obama at today’s televised face-off with Republicans, and he conceded Obama had the advantage today — but said he’d still advise Republicans to debate him again, because it put them on his “level.”

Luntz also confided that Obama had approached him after the event and joked with him about calling him out. “We had a laugh about it,” Luntz told me in an interview just now. “He said, `It’s good for business.’”

During today’s event, Obama singled out Luntz, poked fun at his obsession with polling and focus groups, and cast him as a symbol of what’s wrong with Washington. “It’s all tactics, and it’s not solving problems,” Obama said.

Asked who won today’s face-off, Luntz said something that people on both sides would agree with.

“I call it in favor of the American people,” Luntz said. “I think it was good for everybody. I’ve never seen this before. I’ve never seen the President of one party interacting with the other party.”

Pressed on who had the upper hand, Luntz conceded: “Obama had the advantage. But he always had the advantage.” He said it was a boon to the President, because he “demonstrated bipartisanship before a national audience.”

<SNIP>

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/frank-luntz-obama-had-the-advantage-today-but-gop-should-do-this-again/

[grantcart]

1. Luntz 100% correct - I am off to buy a lottery ticket.

[Go2Peace]

23. Guys... Luntz is a propagandist... think...

I am glad Obama did this, it needed to be done, some think this was a "stick", but actually it was a "carrot". If they still decide not to get on board and continue to play hardball and the President keeps elevating them through too much "bipartisanship", it gives them legitimacy.

There is a fine balance that needs to occur. It looks like the President is getting better advice. So hopefully he understand this.

But "Stick and Carrot" outreach in itself is NOT the answer to the current problems, it has to be FOLLOWED up by a similar outreach to the Public and a reframing of the political policy debate. If it is not, then this just becomes more Partisan Bickering.

There is MUCH more work to do. Nothing has yet really changed.

[frazzled]

2. If Luntz thinks they can outsmart him next time ...

he's the biggest sucker alive. Actually, I think the Republicans are being all rosy and "how great it was"--but they will never allow themselves to get into the lion's den with Daniel again.

[Fire1]

5. I don't know about that. They don't know just how stupid they are.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

32. For Luntz, I don't think it was about outsmarting.

It was about dragging the leader of the free world down to the level of rank and file, interchangeable mid-level lawmakers. And believe it or not, whereas Congress has an awful approval rating, it's something that I hadn't previously considered - but he might be right in that it would favor Republicans to keep doing it. It gets their taint on him. I'm not sure, but I wouldn't totally discount the idea.

[DrToast]

3. Luntz is a smart dude. If only he used his power for good and not evil. (nt)

[Ikonoklast]

8. Yeah. That's why the Republicans lost both houses, and the executive branch.

He's a jeenius.

[DrToast]

9. That's why health care breezed through with our huge majorities, huh?

[Ikonoklast]

15. Democrats in the Senate did that.

Luntz didn't.

[depakid]

12. They controlled both houses and got damn near everything they wanted for 12 years

and STILL block the progressive agenda when they're on the verge of being relegated to the fringe for a generation.

They only lost because the consequences of their unpopular and often irrational policies came home to roost HARSHLY- and their leaders were narcissists and sociopaths.

Better face facts. Republicans are much better at this than Democrats. They take no prisoners, make no excuses and do what it takes to win.

They're planning on delivering a royal thumping to Congress this year- and they're not going to let ANYTHING or ANYONE, least of all Obama with his overtures of Kumbaya, get in their way.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

33. After holding it with smoke and mirrors for about 12 years.

Luntz had a lot to do with getting them there, but that's all he's about - he isn't about governing.

[Pisces]

14. He goes to the highest bidder.

[Fire1]

4. By all means, they should be on his "level."

:sarcasm: :puke:

[MadBadger]

6. Puts them on his level? Not when he is standing at a podium with the Presidential Seal on it

[NYC Liberal]

7. Sarah Palin should take questions from the House Democratic Caucus

............. :rofl:

[LonePirate]

13. Weiner, Sestak, Grayson, et al, would eat her alive!

I would love to see that happen even though it never will.

[Cha]

17. Yeah, nice precedent

President Obama set.

[leftynyc]

10. Just couldn't bring himself to admit

the President kicked ass. Had to frame it as a win for the people. Which it was but if the pubs were seen as the "winners", you know he wouldn't have put it like that.

[depakid]

11. Obama: "Join with me" "I'm not an ideologue. I'm not!"

Republicans sense a chance to seize on the sour public mood to make electoral gains against Democrats who control Congress in November elections.

House Republican leader John Boehner said after the session that he thought the dialogue went well and that he hoped the president saw that there are some areas on which they can agree if Democrats will only listen.

...When Georgia congressman Tom Price charged that Obama had repeatedly accused Republicans of offering "no ideas and no solutions," Obama shot back, "I don't think I said that."

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre60s5jy-us-obama-republicans/

[jefferson_dem]

16. Well...he's correct.

He's not an ideologue.

Thank Goodness.

The rest is just spin.

[depakid]

18. He's perceived as weak- and naive

Republicans aren't interested in "cooperating" with anything that doesn't tear him and the Democrats down- and/or further their own narrative. And they'll work as a cohesive unit at every turn to do so. Especially in an election year.

[jefferson_dem]

20. Oh, bollocks. Weak and naive? I suspect you didn't actually watch the event today.

Because, if you did, you wouldn't say that ... at least you wouldn't say that and know it to be true.

The repugs can try to roll out whatever stupid narrative they want. The fact is...they were schooled like playground punks by the POTUS today. But repugs weren't the only audience Obama has in mind.

Besides, weren't you just promoting "kill the bill"? Seem like this cohesive unit that's opposed to Obama...just might include yourself.

[depakid]

21. Seen enough to form an opinion- before it got, shall we say, disgusting

I look at things differently that you and some others- you see shallow tête-à-tête's and silly little point scoring. Even your descriptive language is juvenile "schooled like playground punks"

There's a broader scope to all of this of course, and it's been studied and its principles advocated countless times (apparently to little avail).

If you read my posts- or guys like Lakoff, Westen and others you can see how that works over time.

Regarding health care reform- I advocated passing responsible legislation through reconciliation from the outset that included a public option- and putting what might not get through 50+1 up in the Senate's face. Let 'em come out one by one against pre-existing conditions, etc. (essentially a patient's Bill of Rights) see how far that got them.

Instead- the Senate and the administration quite publicly associated itself with health insurers and PhARMA, and did so in a way that projected weakness (yet again) through appeasement and grovelling.

The resultant crap legislation IMO is worse than the status quo and needs surgery to remove the malignant parts before either I or the general public will- or should, get on board. It's a bit more complictaed than "kill the bill."

[dionysus]

30. you can't argue with bitter.

:shrug:

[Cosmocat]

27. Look ...

"House Republican leader John Boehner said after the session that he thought the dialogue went well and that he hoped the president saw that there are some areas on which they can agree if Democrats will only listen."

No one at DU will disagree that the Rs will continue with their barbaric scorched earth approach to things ...

What you are not getting is this ... The above statement 1) drives us nuts due to its bold faced hypocrasy 2) lights a fire under nitwit Rs ... 3) will get a small margin in chipping away at BO and the Ds ...

But, to people who GENUINELY are moderates, independents or whatever, that is going to sound like what it is, nonsense ... The jaggoff is saying "if only the democrats will listen" after BO, you know, listened ...

BO won the primary and the election with the same approach, and they were bloodfests from the other end ... People see he is a genuinely good guy, and the Rs being the Rs will go overboard and overplay their crape, and the margin starts to break back ...

He is doing what he does because he is genuine in it.

But, in the end, the people who TRULY are winnable, will be won by the difference between the Rs acting like fools and him taking the high road ...

[Hello_Kitty]

19. I'd like to see him do this every week. And one with the Dems too. eom eom

[Smashcut]

22. "it put them on his level"

No, it made clear they're nowhere near his level.

[ellacott]

25. So true

He showed that how disingenuous they were and used their own questions to prove his point.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

24. Obama always had the advantage because "the facts have a liberal bias" nt

[Arkana]

26. FUCK YOU FRANK LUNTZ YOU'RE...right?

Well that's just weird.

[Overseas]

28. K&R. That's why I wish we weren't so bipartisan. It was the Bush Bailout.

It was the Bush Crash.

It was GOP policies that got us to that desperate point where we needed the bailout

and that immoral point where we were breaking the Geneva Conventions.

I was really hoping for distance from the failed Republican policies and more teaching about their failures and the plutocracy they created where the gap between the rich and poor grew by leaps and bounds.

My dream of a 21st Century Green FDR included exposing GOP failures and holding them accountable, not tossing out the best Democratic ideas to grovel for their votes.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

29. He had the "advantage"

Umm......duh!! He's smarter than them and and always will be.

[LatteLibertine]

31. I sincerely hope

the Republicans attempt to block any and all financial sector reform then spin it as Luntz suggests.

The financial market bail out started a fire that will not be quenched by rhetoric. Good luck to Rethugs who choose this path on their next jobs.