Misplaced Pages

Frank Luntz: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 03:11, 23 November 2009 editFull-date unlinking bot (talk | contribs)324,022 editsm Unlinking full-dates. Details here. Codes: AMreg(×3), AModd(×1)← Previous edit Latest revision as of 18:49, 13 November 2024 edit undoAlbanaco (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,168 edits Use of language: wiki styleTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit 
(659 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American political consultant, author, and pollster (born 1962)}}
{{Infobox Person
{{for|the entomologist|Frank Eugene Lutz}}
|name = Frank Luntz
{{use American English|date=December 2016}}
|image = Frank luntz 2009.jpg
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2021}}
|image_size =
{{Infobox person
|caption = Frank Luntz at the 2009 Texas Book Festival
|birth_name = | name = Frank Luntz
| image = Frank Luntz by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|2|23}}
| caption = Luntz (age 53) in 2015
|birth_place =
| birth_name = Frank Ian Luntz
|death_date =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1962|2|23}}
|death_place =
| birth_place = ], U.S.
|death_cause =
| other_names =
|resting_place =
| known_for =
|resting_place_coordinates =
| education = ] (])<br />] (])
|residence =
| alma_mater =
|nationality = ]
|other_names = | employer =
| occupation = ] strategist, communication consultant, and ]
|known_for =
| title =
|education = ]<br />]
|alma_mater = | height =
|employer = | term =
| predecessor =
|occupation = Communication Consultant and Political Pollster
|home_town = | successor =
| party = ]
|title =
|salary = | boards =
|networth = | spouse =
|height = | partner =
|weight = | children =
|term = | parents =
|predecessor = | relations =
|successor = | signature =
|party = | website = {{URL|https://www.filuntz.com/}}
|boards = | footnotes =
|religion =
|spouse =
|partner =
|children =
|parents =
|relations =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}} }}
'''Frank I. Luntz''' (born February 23, 1962) is an ] Republican political consultant and ].<ref>http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=130628F1-18FE-70B2-A81BBE8E2316F81D</ref> His most recent work has been with the ] running focus groups after presidential debates. Luntz' specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.”<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Interview Frank Luntz | work = | publisher = PBS Frontline | url = http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-03-23 }}</ref> He is also an author of business books dealing with communication strategies and public opinion. Luntz' current company, The Word Doctors, specializes in message creation and image management for commercial and political clients.


'''Frank Ian Luntz''' (born February 23, 1962) is an American political and communications consultant and ],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/a-communication-consultant-and-pollster-reflects-on-angry-times/2016/01/06/f8cb3adc-9aa2-11e5-94f0-9eeaff906ef3_story.html|title=A communication consultant and pollster reflects on angry times|first=K. K.|last=Ottesen|date=January 7, 2016|via=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2009/05/luntz-to-gop-health-reform-is-popular-022155|title=Frank Luntz to GOP: Health reform is popular|author=Mike Allen|work=Politico|access-date=February 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224144705/http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=130628F1-18FE-70B2-A81BBE8E2316F81D|archive-date=December 24, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> best known for developing ] and other messaging for ]. His work has included assistance with messaging for ]'s ] and public relations support for ]. He advocated use of vocabulary crafted to produce a desired effect, including use of the term '']'' instead of ''],'' and '']'' instead of ''].''
==Background==
Luntz grew up in West Hartford, CT and is the son of Lester L. Luntz, ], a forensic ], and Phyllis Luntz and grandson of Benjamin Luntz D.D.S.


Luntz has historically frequently contributed to ] and ]<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-frank-luntz-created-a-mess-inside-the-los-angeles-times | title=How Frank Luntz Created a Mess Inside the Los Angeles Times | newspaper=The Daily Beast | date=May 28, 2021 | last1=Tani | first1=Maxwell }}</ref> (and since 2021 on CNN<ref>{{Cite web |last=Folmar |first=Chloe |date=2022-11-14 |title=Luntz cites multiple factors in pollsters' wrong predictions |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3734626-luntz-cites-multiple-factors-in-pollsters-wrong-predictions/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>CNN on Twitter: "This is pollster Frank Luntz's playbook for ... https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1646577762742808576</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Frank Luntz: Longtime GOP pollster's blunt advice to Biden on vaccines {{!}} CNN |date=2021-07-27 |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2021/07/27/gop-pollster-frank-luntz-vaccine-hesitancy-ac360-intv-vpx.cnn |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en}}</ref>) as a commentator and analyst, as well as running ]s during and after presidential debates on ]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.businessinsider.com/marco-rubio-debate-frank-luntz-focus-group-2015-11 | title=This Marco Rubio debate line shone in a Fox News focus group | website=] }}</ref> and ].<ref>{{Citation|title=Undecided voters speak to Frank Luntz during focus group|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/undecided-voters-speak-to-frank-luntz-during-focus-group/|access-date=October 6, 2016}}</ref> Luntz describes his specialty as "testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn ] on an issue or a candidate."<ref name="InterviewFrank">{{cite web |title=Interview Frank Luntz |work=Frontline |date=November 9, 2004 |publisher=PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html |access-date=March 23, 2007}}</ref> He is also an author of business books dealing with communication strategies and public opinion.
Frank graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science from the ] and received his Doctorate in Politics from ].


==Early life and education==
Luntz has appeared as a consultant or panel member on a number of television news shows, including: ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].
Luntz was born and grew up in ], the son of Phyllys ({{née|Kelmenson}}) and Lester Luntz, who together wrote the first American forensic dentistry textbook.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WT&p_theme=wt&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB0EFB2CC47E22B&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |title=The unpopular pollster Frank Luntz's political defection casts him as GOP party pooper |publisher=Nl.newsbank.com|access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2000-06-22-0006221500-story.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/dTOUL |archive-date=February 15, 2022 |url-status=unfit |work=] |title=Pollster Uncovers Al Gore's Secret Identity |date=June 22, 2000 |last=Cohen |first=Laurence D. |access-date=February 15, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/914581072.html?dids=914581072:914581072&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+28%2C+1962&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=Birth+Notice+1+--+No+Title&pqatl=google |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131191801/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/914581072.html?dids=914581072:914581072&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+28,+1962&author=&pub=Hartford+Courant&desc=Birth+Notice+1+--+No+Title&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 31, 2013 |work=] |title=Birth Notice 1 – No Title |date=February 28, 1962 }}</ref> His family is Jewish.<ref>{{cite news |last=Popper |first=N. |date=November 14, 2003 |title=Political pollster grows into his Jewish identity |work=The Forward }}</ref> He graduated from ], earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from the ], and received a doctorate in politics from ] where he was a contemporary of future British Prime Minister ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thedp.com/blog/under-the-button/2014/03/people-who-went-to-penn-frank-luntz|title=People Who Went to Penn: Frank Luntz|access-date=July 31, 2016}}</ref> Luntz's doctoral thesis<ref>{{Cite web|last=Luntz|first=Frank I.|title=Candidates, Consultants, and Modern Campaign Technology|url=http://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=oxfaleph011311797&vid=SOLO&search_scope=LSCOP_PHYS&tab=local&lang=en_US&context=L|access-date=2021-06-13|website=solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk|language=en}}</ref> formed the basis for his first book, ''Candidates, Consultants, and Campaigns: The Style and Substance of American Electioneering''. published in 1988.<ref>New York: Blackwell, 1988.</ref>


Luntz's studies at Oxford were funded by The ], a scholarship established in 1960 by Sir ] and ] to strengthen the "special relationship" between the ] and the ] through educational exchange between British universities and the ].
Luntz has written op-eds for such publications as: ], ], ], ], and ].


==Career==
Luntz was an Adjunct Professor at the ] from 1990 until 1996 and also taught at ] and ].
Luntz has appeared as a consultant or panel member on a number of television news shows, including '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. He has written op-eds for publications such as '']'', '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''. In addition to his work in the United States, Luntz also provides analysis for British news programmes such as ].

He was an adjunct professor at the ] from 1989 until 1996<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sas.upenn.edu/sasalum/newsltr/fall04/voices.html|title=Voices from the Inside: SAS Professors, Pollsters, and Pundits Weigh In on the 2004 Election|last=McLaughlin|first=Joseph|website=]|access-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> and also taught at ] and ]<ref>{{cite book|title=Teaching Environmental Literacy: Across Campus and Across the Curriculum, Volume 38|last=Reynolds|first=Heather L.|publisher=] |year=2010|isbn=978-0-253-22150-6|location=Indianapolis|pages=98}}</ref> as well as ] Abu Dhabi campus for January terms.<ref>https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/global-learning/2020/january/january-term-2020-american-elections.html accessed January 23, 2024.</ref>

==Health issues==
Luntz has experienced multiple strokes, which he has openly discussed in several interviews.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frank Luntz Reflects on Personal Illness and Calls for Civility in Public Life {{!}} C-SPAN.org |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5066774/frank-luntz-reflects-personal-illness-calls-civility-public-life |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=www.c-span.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=DePaolo |first=Joe |date=2020-10-01 |title=Frank Luntz Reveals He Suffered a Stroke, Recalls Heartwarming Meeting With Biden Afterwards: 'He Gave Me a Hug. And He Didn't Let Go.' |url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/frank-luntz-reveals-he-suffered-a-stroke-recalls-heartwarming-meeting-with-biden-afterwards-he-gave-me-the-biggest-hug-and-he-didnt-let-go/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Mediaite |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=David |date=2022-01-28 |title='Be thankful you don't have our poison': US pollster Frank Luntz's warning to UK |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/27/frank-luntz-interview-pollster-us-uk-politics |access-date=2024-04-24 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnz-ndHDyU&t=273s |title='We're in trouble': Republican pollster on younger voters losing faith in democracy |date=April 19, 2024 |language=en |publisher=CNN |access-date=2024-04-24 |via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> The first occurred on January 10, 2020, followed by a second on April 17, 2023.<ref>{{Citation |title=Is Trump's message winning? {{!}} The Bottom Line |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7MseJ9pR-4 |access-date=2023-08-24 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="meltdown2" /> Despite these challenges, he has consistently recovered and remained active in public analysis and media appearances.

He has stated that he believes that stress over not forcefully speaking out enough against president elect ] is responsible for the life-threatening health consequences he has endured.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Terris |first=Ben |date=2023-05-17 |title=Frank Luntz Can't Quit |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/05/frank-luntz-cant-quit-ben-terris-big-break-excerpt.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=Intelligencer |language=en}}</ref>


==Use of language== ==Use of language==
Luntz frequently tests word and phrase choices using focus groups and interviews. His stated purpose in this is the goal of causing audiences to react based on emotion: {{quote|"80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. ... If I respond to you quietly, the viewer at home is going to have a different reaction than if I respond to you with emotion and with passion and I wave my arms around. Somebody like this is an intellectual; somebody like this is a freak."<ref name="InterviewFrank" />}}


Focus groups and interviews are an important part of the process for finding the right words and phrases. In an article in ''The New Yorker'' Luntz is quoted as saying, "The way my words are created is by taking the words of others — average Americans, not politicians. I've moderated an average of a hundred plus focus groups a year over five years... I show them language that I've created. Then I leave a line for them to create language for me."<ref>{{Citation | last = Lemann | first = Nicholas | author-link = | last2 | first2 = | author2-link = | title = The Word Lab: The mad Science Behind What the Candidates Say | newspaper = The New Yorker | pages = | year = | date= October 16, 2000 | url = }}</ref> In an article in '']'' Luntz said,<blockquote>The way my words are created is by taking the words of others.... I've moderated an average of a hundred plus focus groups a year over five years... I show them language that I've created. Then I leave a line for them to create language for me.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lemann|first=Nicholas|author-link=Nicholas Lemann|date=October 16, 2000|title=The Word Lab: The Mad Science Behind What the Candidates Say|volume=76|pages=100–112|newspaper=The New Yorker|issue=31}}</ref></blockquote>


In a January 9, 2007, interview on ] with ], Luntz redefined the term "]" in a ''positive'' sense, saying that if one reads ] Essay On Language ''(presumably referring to ])'', In a 2007 interview on '']'' with ], Luntz argued that the term "]" could be considered in a positive sense, saying that if one reads ]'s essay ''Politics and the English Language'', "To be 'Orwellian' is to speak with absolute clarity, to be succinct, to explain what the event is, to talk about what triggers something happening… and to do so without any pejorative whatsoever." Luntz suggested that Orwell would not have approved of many of the uses of the term, given that his essay derides the use of cliché and dying metaphors.<ref name="FreshAir">'']'' with ], , January 9, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>
"To be 'Orwellian' is to speak with absolute clarity, to be succinct, to explain what the event is, to talk about what triggers something happening… and to do so without any pejorative whatsoever."<ref name="FreshAir">] with ], , January 9, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.</ref>


Luntz's description of his job revolves around exploiting the emotional content of language. "It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. ... my job is to look for the words that trigger the emotion. ... We know that words and emotion together are the most powerful force known to mankind."<ref name="InterviewFrank" />
Soon thereafter on the same program, he discussed his use of the term, "energy exploration" (oil drilling). His research on the matter involved showing people a picture of current oil drilling and asking if in the picture it "looks like exploration or drilling." He said that 90 percent of the people he spoke to said it looked like exploring. "Therefore I'd argue that it is a more appropriate way to communicate." He went on to say "if the public says after looking at the pictures, that doesn't look like my definition of drilling&mdash;it looks like my definition of exploring&mdash;then don't you think we should be calling it what people see it to be, rather than adding a political aspect to it all?" Terry Gross responded: "Should we be calling it what it actually is, as opposed to what somebody thinks it might be? The difference between exploration and actually getting out the oil&mdash;they're two different things, aren't they?"<ref name="FreshAir" />


Additionally in his 2007 interview on ''Fresh Air'', Luntz discussed his use of the term "energy exploration" to refer to oil drilling. His research on the matter involved showing people a picture of current oil drilling and asking if in the picture it "looks like exploration or drilling." He said that 90 percent of the people he spoke to said it looked like exploring. "Therefore I'd argue that it is a more appropriate way to communicate." He went on to say, "if the public says after looking at the pictures, that doesn't look like my definition of drilling—it looks like my definition of exploring—then don't you think we should be calling it what people see it to be, rather than adding a political aspect to it all?" Terry Gross responded, "Should we be calling it what it actually is, as opposed to what somebody thinks it might be? The difference between exploration and actually getting out the oil—they're two different things, aren't they?"<ref name="FreshAir" />
On C-SPAN's '']'' program on ], 2007, Luntz again attempted to illustrate the value of his "deep sea energy exploration" ] saying, "'Drilling' suggests that oil is pouring into the ocean. In ], not a single drop of oil spilled in the ] from the rigs themselves. That's why deep sea exploration is a more appropriate term." <ref>
</ref> This contention is shown to be false by the Minerals Management Service report which found that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita caused 124 offshore spills for a total of 743,700 gallons. 554,400 gallons were crude oil and condensate from platforms, rigs and pipelines, and 189,000 gallons were refined products from platforms and rigs. <ref>http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Katrina_Rita_PL_Final%20Report%20Rev1.pdf</ref>


James L. Martin, chairman of the conservative ], described Luntz's role as being that of pollster and popularizer of the phrase "death tax."<blockquote>Martin gained an important ally in GOP pollster Frank Luntz, whose polling revealed that 'death tax' sparked voter resentment in a way that 'inheritance tax' and 'estate tax' couldn't match. After all, who wouldn't be opposed to a 'tax on death'? Luntz shared his findings with Republicans and included the phrase in the GOP's Contract with America. Luntz went so far as to recommend in a memo to GOP lawmakers that they stage press conferences 'at your local mortuary' to dramatize the issue. 'I believe this backdrop will clearly resonate with your constituents,' he wrote. 'Death is something the ] understand.' Apparently, he's right. Spurred by Luntz, Republicans have employed the term 'death tax' so aggressively that it has entered the popular lexicon. Nonpartisan venues like newspapers and magazines have begun to use it in a neutral context—a coup for abolitionists like Martin.<ref name="Meet Mr. Death">] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916061743/http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=meet_mr_death |date=September 16, 2011 }}, ''The American Prospect'', May 20, 2001</ref></blockquote>
==Global warming==
Although Luntz later tried to distance himself from the ] policy, it was his idea that administration communications reframe "]" as "]" since "climate change" was thought to sound less severe. Luntz has since said that he is not responsible for what the administration has done since that time. Though he now believes humans have contributed to ], he maintains that the science was in fact incomplete, and his recommendation sound, at the time he made it.<ref name="Meltdown">{{cite video | title= | year=2006 | medium=TV Programme | location=UK | publisher=BBC }}</ref>


In a confidential memo to the Republican party,<ref name= "Burkeman2003">], , ''The Guardian,'' March 3, 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2017.</ref> Luntz is credited with advising the Bush administration that the phrase "global warming" should be abandoned in favour of "climate change", which he called a "less frightening" phrase than the former.<ref>{{cite news|title=Americans care deeply about 'global warming' – but not 'climate change'|first=Suzanne|last=Goldenberg|author-link=Suzanne Goldenberg|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/may/27/americans-climate-change-global-warming-yale-report|newspaper=The Guardian|date=May 28, 2014|access-date=March 8, 2018}}</ref>
In a 2002 memo to President ] titled "The Environment: A Cleaner, Safer, Healthier America", obtained by the ], Luntz wrote: "The scientific debate is closing but not yet closed. There is still a window of opportunity to challenge the science...Voters believe that there is no consensus about ] within the ]. Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate, and defer to scientists and other experts in the field."<ref></ref>


==Publications==
== 2005 UK Conservative leadership election ==
Luntz is the author of the 2007 ''New York Times'' Best Seller, "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear."<ref>{{cite book|last=Luntz|first=Frank|title=Words that work : it's not what you say, it's what people hear|date=2007|publisher=Hyperion|location=New York|isbn=978-1-4013-0929-9|url=https://archive.org/details/wordsthatworkits00lunt|url-access=registration|edition=1st|access-date=April 19, 2014}}</ref> His second book, "What Americans Really Want ... Really: The Truth About Our Hopes, Dreams and Fears," climbed to #6 on the New York Times Business Best Sellers list. In March 2011, Luntz released his book,"Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business From Ordinary to Extraordinary".
In 2005 Luntz carried out a focus group on the ] leadership race on the ] current affairs show '']''. The focus group's overwhelmingly positive reaction to ] was seen by many as crucial in making him the favorite in a crowded field. Cameron was the eventual victor.<ref> by Nick Cohen, ''The Observer'', 10 December 2006</ref> In March 2007, Newsnight invited him back to gauge comparative opinions on Cameron, ] and ] in the city of ].


==Work==
== 2007 Irish general elections ==
===U.S. politics, 1990s===
Dr Luntz carried out a focus group research with the Irish state broadcaster ] to gather the opinions of the Irish people before the May 24th 2007 general elections. RTÉ hoped to show viewers some of the campaigning techniques the political parties were using without their knowledge.<ref>{{cite web
]
|url=http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/
Luntz was ]'s pollster during the ], and later that year served as ]'s pollster in the ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/frank-luntzs-tarnished-legacy/ |title=Frank Luntz's Tarnished Legacy |work=CBS News |date=September 22, 2009|access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref>
|title=The Luntz Effect
|date=2006-12-10
|publisher=]
|language=English
}}</ref>


Luntz also served as ]'s pollster in the mid-1990s for the ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html |title=Interview Frank Luntz |date=November 9, 2004 |publisher=PBS Frontline|access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> During that time, he helped Gingrich produce a ] memo that encouraged Republicans to "speak like Newt" by describing Democrats and Democratic policies using words such as "corrupt," "devour," "greed," "hypocrisy," "liberal," "sick," and "traitors."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article24720709.html|title=Newt Gingrich's mouth is famous as a verbal blowtorch|date=December 15, 2011|publisher=McClatchy Newspapers |first=William|last=Douglas|access-date=February 15, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4443.htm |title=Language: A Key Mechanism of Control |publisher=Information Clearing House |access-date=January 5, 2012 |archive-date=January 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119133029/http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4443.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== 2007 Australian federal election ==
Another focus group of swing voters was analysed by Luntz in the lead-up to the November poll between the ruling ] and the opposition ] party. Like the Irish scenario, the Coalition was well established, presiding over the country for 11 years and overseeing continued economic growth for much of that period. He noted that unlike the lead-up to the Irish elections, ] had a stronger and more popular Opposition leader in ]: "This is much closer to the Irish election where the leader just barely scraped in, ], because the economy was so good. But the big difference there was the opposition leader was not as good as Kevin Rudd." Luntz was brought in to conduct his research in a collaborative effort by ] and '']'' newspaper.<ref> ''The Australian''</ref>


In 1993<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1993-11-29-0000001369-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922231302/https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1993-11-29-0000001369-story.html |archive-date=September 22, 2021 |url-status=unfit |title=Political Adviser's Star on Rise Again After Wins in New York, Canada |first=Rachel |last=Gottlieb |date=November 29, 1993 |newspaper=] |access-date=November 4, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and 1997<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/09/08/giuliani.prospects/|title=AllPolitics – N.Y.'s Giuliani Riding High|date=September 8, 1997|website=CNN|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref> Luntz served as pollster and strategist for the successful mayoral campaigns of ] in New York City.
==Criticism==


===Israel and the Palestinians===
In 1997, he was reprimanded by the ] for refusing to release poll data to support his claimed results "because of client confidentiality". Diane Colasanto, who was president of the AAPOR when it reprimanded Luntz, said
In December 2008 to January 2009, Luntz wrote a report titled "". It was commissioned by ] and meant to advise media spokespeople to use specific language that Luntz believed would create a more favorable impression of Israel in the United States and the rest of the international community. For example, when discussing the contours of a ], the report advised describing Palestinian negotiating points as "demands" because Americans dislike people who make "demands." The report was marked "not for distribution or publication", but it was leaked to '']'' shortly after it was written.


===Global warming===
{{cquote2|It is simply wanting to know, How many people did you question? What were the questions? We understand the need for confidentiality, but once a pollster makes results public, the information needs to be public. People need to be able to evaluate whether it was sound research.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://dir.salon.com/story/politics/feature/2000/05/26/luntz/index.html?pn=1|title= Why should we trust this man?|accessdate=2007-09-30 |publisher= Salon.com|author= Chinni, Dante|date=2000-05-26}}</ref>}} In 2000 he was ]d by the National Council on Public Polls "for allegedly mischaracterizing on MSNBC the results of focus groups he conducted during the Republican Convention." In September 2004, MSNBC dropped Luntz from its planned coverage of that year's presidential debate, following a letter from ] that outlined Luntz's GOP ties and questionable polling methodology.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/wat/archive/wat082800.htm|title= Famous for 15 Minutes|accessdate=2007-09-30 |publisher= The Washington Post|author= Morin, Richard|date=2000-08-28}}</ref><ref> ] June 27, 2007</ref> In a video piece, entertainers and ]s ] lambasted Luntz for his comment that the key to survey polling is "to ask a question in the way that you get the right answer". The two also popularized the phrase "F**k you Frank" in reference to the bias of Luntz.<ref>{{cite video | title=] "Numbers" (season 4, episode 9) | medium=Television production | location= | date2=2006-05-29 | publisher=] | people=], ], Frank Luntz }}</ref> In the wake of the 2008 Presidential election, fellow Republican and prominent pollster ] criticized Luntz before journalists at a National Journal Breakfast, insisting that Luntz is "a moron" and lambasting him for mocking Senator McCain's inability to use a Blackberry, which McInturff attributed to the injuries that McCain sustained while a prisoner of war in Vietnam.<ref>Sam Stein, McCain Pollster Explains Loss, Calls Frank Luntz a Moron, Huffington Post (November 20, 2008), at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/20/mccain-pollster-explains_n_145139.html.</ref>
{{further|Public opinion on climate change|Media coverage of climate change}}
Although Luntz later tried to distance himself from the ] policy, it was his idea that administration communications reframe '']'' as ''climate change'' since "climate change" was thought to sound less severe.<ref>{{cite news|last=Burkeman|first=Oliver|author-link=Oliver Burkeman|title=Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2003/mar/04/usnews.climatechange|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=March 4, 2003|access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> The term "climate change" was not altogether new, as in 1956, the physicist ] published a seminal study called "The Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climatic Change",<ref>{{cite journal |title=The Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climatic Change |author=Gilbert N. Plass |author-link=Gilbert Plass |journal=] |year=1956 |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=140–154 |doi=10.3402/tellusa.v8i2.8969 |bibcode=1956Tell....8..140P |doi-access=free }}</ref> and in 1978 the journal '']'' debuted. Luntz has since said that he is not responsible for what the Bush administration did after that time. Though he now believes humans have contributed to ], he maintains that the ] was in fact incomplete, and his recommendation sound, at the time he made it.<ref name="Meltdown">{{cite video |title=Climate chaos: Bush's climate of fear |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/5005994.stm |date=2006 |medium=TV Programme |location=UK |publisher=BBC News |access-date=December 17, 2014 }}</ref>

In a 2002 memo to President ] titled "The Environment: A Cleaner, Safer, Healthier America", obtained by the ], Luntz wrote: "The scientific debate is closing ... but not yet closed. There is still a window of opportunity to challenge the science. ... Voters believe that there is no ]. Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate, and defer to scientists and other experts in the field."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2003/mar/04/usnews.climatechange|title=Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy|newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=January 12, 2011 |date=March 4, 2003 |first=Oliver |last=Burkeman |author-link=Oliver Burkeman |location=London}}</ref>

In 2010, Luntz announced new research that shows the American people are eager for ] to act on climate legislation that would promote ] and a healthier environment. "Americans want their leaders to act on climate change—but not necessarily for the reasons you think," Luntz said. "A clear majority of Americans believe climate change is happening. This is true of McCain voters and Obama voters alike. And even those that don't still believe it is essential for America to pursue policies that promote energy independence and a cleaner, healthier environment." In reference to recent political events, Luntz added: "People are much more interested in seeing solutions than watching yet another partisan political argument."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?ContentID=10735|title=Pollster Frank Luntz Releases New Polling Results: Bipartisan Public Support for National Climate Legislation|author=|work=Environmental Defense Fund|access-date=December 17, 2014|archive-date=February 12, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212010927/http://www.edf.org/pressrelease.cfm?ContentID=10735|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 25, 2019, Luntz spoke in front of the ] where he shared his advice to people pushing for action on the climate crisis. Furthermore, he stated that "I'm here before you to say that I was wrong in 2001", "That was a lifetime ago", and "I've changed." He promised to help the Democrats on the climate committee, provided that they put "policies ahead of politics" and commit to nonpartisan solutions. He had his change of heart after a wildfire, the ], threatened and forced him to evacuate his home in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://grist.org/article/the-gops-most-famous-messaging-strategist-calls-for-climate-action/|title=Frank Luntz, the GOP's message master, calls for climate action|newspaper=grist |access-date=August 28, 2019 |date=July 25, 2019 |first=Kate |last=Yoder}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sWgi4csfr8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/9sWgi4csfr8 |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=The Right Thing To Do: Conservatives for Climate Action Hearing|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===2005 UK Conservative leadership election===
In 2005, Luntz conducted a focus group broadcast on the ] leadership race on the ] current affairs show '']''. The focus group's overwhelmingly positive reaction to ] was seen by many as crucial in making him the favorite in a crowded field. Cameron was the eventual victor.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cohen |first=Nick |title=How a celebrity pollster created Cameron |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/dec/10/comment.conservatives |website=the Guardian |access-date=February 15, 2022 |date=December 10, 2006}}</ref> In March 2007, Newsnight invited him back to gauge comparative opinions on Cameron, ] and ] in the city of ].{{cn|date=August 2024}}

===2007 Irish general elections===
Luntz led a focus group telecast with the Irish state broadcaster ] to gather the opinions of the Irish people before the May 24, 2007 general elections. RTÉ hoped to show viewers some of the campaign techniques the political parties were using without their knowledge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishelection.com/12/the-luntz-effect/ |title=The Luntz Effect |date=December 10, 2006|publisher=Irish Election |access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref>

===2007 Australian federal election===
Another focus group of swing voters was analysed by Luntz in the lead-up to the November 2007 poll between the ruling ] and the opposition ] party. Luntz noted that, like the Irish scenario, the Coalition was well established, presiding over the country for 11 years and overseeing continued economic growth for much of that period; and that unlike the lead-up to the Irish elections, ] had a stronger and more popular opposition leader in ]: "This is much closer to the Irish election where the leader just barely scraped in, Bertie Ahern, because the economy was so good. But the big difference there was the opposition leader was not as good as Kevin Rudd." Luntz was brought in to conduct his research in a collaborative effort by ] and '']'' newspaper.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.theaustralian.com.au/projects/voters/voter6.html|title=The Voters' Verdict |work=The Australian |access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref>

===2010 UK general election===
During the 2010 UK general election, Luntz led focus groups during the Prime Ministerial debates between ], ] and ], and also appeared on the BBC's '']''.

Luntz predicted that the next election in 2015 would result in a hung parliament (it ultimately produced a Conservative majority government).<ref>{{cite news|title=Pollster Frank Luntz predicts 2015 hung parliament|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-28210964|access-date=July 26, 2014|publisher=BBC News|date=August 7, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Live UK election results|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2015/may/07/live-uk-election-results-in-full|newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=May 8, 2015}}</ref>

===Gun control===
In 2012, Luntz conducted a poll that found that sizable majorities of gun owners supported gun control measures such as mandatory criminal background checks, minimum age restrictions, and eligibility requirements for concealed weapon permits.<ref name=guncontrol>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-shooting-denver-guns-idUSBRE86O02O20120725|title=Poll finds gun owners, even NRA members, back some restrictions|work=Reuters|date=July 24, 2012|first=Edith|last=Honan}}</ref>

===U.S. politics, 2010–2022===
====Occupy Wall Street movement, 2011====
In November 2011, during the height of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Luntz had a meeting with the ] to discuss how to respond to the Occupy movement. He was quoted as saying: "I'm so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I'm frightened to death. They're having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism."<ref name=OWS>{{cite news|url=https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/republicans-being-taught-talk-occupy-wall-street-133707949.html|title=How Republicans are being taught to talk about Occupy Wall Street|date=December 1, 2011 |first=Chris |last=Moody |access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref>

====Depression and sale of LuntzGlobal, 2012–2014====
According to a 2014 article in '']'', Luntz became frustrated with the contention and argumentation of voters after the ] and, at the time of the interview for the article, was in psychological turmoil: "Something in his psyche has broken, and he does not know if he can recover."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-agony-of-frank-luntz/282766/|title=The Agony of Frank Luntz|author=Molly Ball|date=January 6, 2014|work=The Atlantic|access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/the-campaign-spot/cheering-frank-luntz-and-ourselves-jim-geraghty/|title=Cheering Up Frank Luntz, and Ourselves|author=Jim Geraghty|author-link=Jim Geraghty|work=]|date=January 8, 2014|access-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> As a result, in 2014, after ] won, he sold the majority of shares of his polling business, LuntzGlobal.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

====State of the Republican Party====
In August 2020, Luntz was asked what the defining principles of the Republican Party were, to which he responded, "You know, I don’t have a history of dodging questions. But I don’t know how to answer that. There is no consistent philosophy. You can’t say it’s about ] at a time of ] and ] and ]. It’s just not credible."<ref name=meltdown2>{{cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/24/republicanmeltdown-trump-convention-400039|title=The Grand Old Meltdown|last=Alberta|first=Tim|newspaper=]|date=August 24, 2020|access-date=August 24, 2020}}</ref>

====Midterm election 2022====
On election day in 2022, Nov. 8, Luntz tweeted his prediction: "When the dust settles from the 2022 midterms, the GOP will have between 233–240 House seats – outdoing their total from 1994. Republicans also will take control of the Senate, but that won’t be clear until Friday. Top issues for 2022 voters: 1. The economy 2. Inflation and rising prices 3. Crime... 6. Abortion...
10. Donald Trump. This year, Democrats ran on abortion and Trump while ignoring Americans' growing economic hardship."<ref>{{cite tweet |user=FrankLuntz | number=1589773444207484928| title=When the dust settles}}</ref> Instead, Republicans narrowly won control of the House, but failed to win control of the Senate.

==Controversies==
===Refusal to release poll data===
In 1997, the ], of which Luntz was not a member, criticized Luntz for refusing to release poll data to support his claimed results "because of client confidentiality". Diane Colasanto, who was president of the AAPOR at the time, said

<blockquote>It is simply wanting to know, How many people did you question? What were the questions? We understand the need for confidentiality, but once a pollster makes results public, the information needs to be public. People need to be able to evaluate whether it was sound research.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.salon.com/2000/05/26/luntz/|title=Why should we trust this man?|access-date=2022-02-15 |work=] |author=Chinni, Dante|date=2000-05-26}}</ref></blockquote>

In 2000 he was ]d by the National Council on Public Polls "for allegedly mischaracterizing on MSNBC the results of focus groups he conducted during the Republican Convention."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/wat/archive/wat082800.htm|title=Famous for 15 Minutes|access-date=September 30, 2007 |newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Morin, Richard|date=August 28, 2000}}</ref> In September 2004, MSNBC dropped Luntz from its planned coverage of that year's presidential debate, saying "e made a decision not to use focus groups as part of our debate coverage. This decision had nothing to do with Frank's past work or politics." Luntz disagreed, believing that MSNBC "buckled to political pressure" from activist ].<ref>Howard Kurtz's Media Notes, ''Washington Post'': October 4, 2004.</ref>

===2010 "Lie of the Year" award===
Luntz was awarded the 2010 ] Lie of the Year award for his promotion of the phrase 'government takeover' to refer to ], starting in the spring of 2009. {{" '}}Takeovers are like coups,' Luntz wrote in a 28-page memo. 'They both lead to dictators and a loss of freedom.{{' "}}<ref>, by Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan, ], December 16, 2010</ref> In an editorial response, the ''Wall Street Journal'' wrote that "PolitiFact's decree is part of a larger journalistic trend that seeks to recast all political debates as matters of lies, misinformation and 'facts,' rather than differences of world view or principles." The editors of PolitiFact announced "We have concluded it is inaccurate to call the plan a government takeover."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703886904576031630593433102 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/7TryF |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |url-status=unfit |title=PolitiFiction: True 'lies' about ObamaCare |date=December 23, 2010 |work=] |access-date=November 12, 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Leaked tape from the University of Pennsylvania===
On April 25, 2013, '']'', a conservative news outlet, published a scathing article about Luntz titled "The Problematic Frank Luntz's ]".

<blockquote>In fact, what Luntz has done is simply reveal the kind of thinking that goes on in the minds of too many on the right who, whether they realize it or not, have been intellectually and culturally bullied that there is some sort of 'right way'—'right' as in 'correct'—to think. Resulting in some conservatives who suffer from what might be called a political version of Stockholm Syndrome—where the captives identify with their captors.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Problematic Frank Luntz's Stockholm Syndrome|url=https://spectator.org/53617_problematic-frank-luntzs-stockholm-syndrome|work=American Spectator|date=25 April 2013}}</ref></blockquote>

The article was a response to an April 22, 2013 leaked recording of Luntz at the ], where he said conservative radio personalities (specifically ] and ]) were being "problematic" and "destroying" Republicans' ability to connect with more voters, or even maintain a majority in the ] in the 2014 mid-term elections.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Frank Luntz's problematic secret Rush Limbaugh tape|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/frank-luntz-rush-limbaugh-problematic-secret-tape|magazine=Mother Jones|date=April 30, 2013}}</ref>

As part of his critique Luntz said:

<blockquote>And they get great ratings, and they drive the message, and it's really problematic. And this is not on the Democratic side. It's only on the Republican side. ... got every other source of news on their side. And so that is a lot of what's driving it. If you take—Marco Rubio's getting his ass kicked. Who's my Rubio fan here? We talked about it. He's getting destroyed! By Mark Levin, by Rush Limbaugh, and a few others. He's trying to find a legitimate, long-term effective solution to immigration that isn't the traditional Republican approach, and talk radio is killing him. That's what's causing this thing underneath. And too many politicians in Washington are playing coy.<ref name=corn>{{cite magazine|url=http://m.motherjones.com/politics/2013/04/frank-luntz-rush-limbaugh-problematic-secret-tape|title=Secret Tape: Top GOP Consultant Luntz Calls Limbaugh "Problematic"|magazine=Mother Jones|date=April 25, 2013|first=David|last=Corn}}</ref></blockquote>

After the leak, Luntz announced that he would no longer fund a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. The scholarship, which was in his father's name, supported student trips to Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedp.com/article/2013/04/student-leaks-off-the-record-luntz-comments|work=The Daily Pennsylvanian|first1=Sarah|last1=Smith|first2=Will|last2=Marble|title=Student leaks off-the-record comments by Republican strategist|date=April 25, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/frank-luntz-penn-scholarship_n_3165808.html |work=Huffington Post |first=Paige |last=Lavender |title=Frank Luntz Fires Back After Comments Are Leaked |date=April 26, 2013}}</ref>


==Bibliography== ==Bibliography==
*Luntz, Frank. ''Candidates, Consultants, and Campaigns: The Style and Substance of American Electioneering''. New York: Blackwell, 1988. * ''Candidates, Consultants, and Campaigns: The Style and Substance of American Electioneering''. New York: Blackwell, 1988.
* New York: Hyperion, 2007. * ''Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear''. New York: Hyperion, 2007.
* New York: Hyperion, 2009. * ''What Americans Really Want ... Really''. New York: Hyperion, 2009.
* ''Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary''. New York: Hyperion, 2011.


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{C-SPAN|3108}}
*

*
{{Authority control}}
*
*
*
*
*
* in '']'' on 23 January 2007
*


{{Persondata
|NAME = Luntz, Frank
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = American political consultant, author, and pollster
|DATE OF BIRTH = February 23, 1962
|PLACE OF BIRTH =
|DATE OF DEATH =
|PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luntz, Frank}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Luntz, Frank}}
] ]
]
]

] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 18:49, 13 November 2024

American political consultant, author, and pollster (born 1962) For the entomologist, see Frank Eugene Lutz.

Frank Luntz
Luntz (age 53) in 2015
BornFrank Ian Luntz
(1962-02-23) February 23, 1962 (age 62)
West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Trinity College, Oxford (DPhil)
Occupation(s)Republican Party strategist, communication consultant, and political pollster
Political partyRepublican
Websitewww.filuntz.com

Frank Ian Luntz (born February 23, 1962) is an American political and communications consultant and pollster, best known for developing talking points and other messaging for Republican causes. His work has included assistance with messaging for Newt Gingrich's Contract with America and public relations support for The Israel Project. He advocated use of vocabulary crafted to produce a desired effect, including use of the term death tax instead of estate tax, and climate change instead of global warming.

Luntz has historically frequently contributed to Fox News and CBS News (and since 2021 on CNN) as a commentator and analyst, as well as running focus groups during and after presidential debates on Fox News and CBS News. Luntz describes his specialty as "testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate." He is also an author of business books dealing with communication strategies and public opinion.

Early life and education

Luntz was born and grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Phyllys (née Kelmenson) and Lester Luntz, who together wrote the first American forensic dentistry textbook. His family is Jewish. He graduated from Hall High School, earned a bachelor of arts degree in history and political science from the University of Pennsylvania, and received a doctorate in politics from Trinity College, Oxford where he was a contemporary of future British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Luntz's doctoral thesis formed the basis for his first book, Candidates, Consultants, and Campaigns: The Style and Substance of American Electioneering. published in 1988.

Luntz's studies at Oxford were funded by The Thouron Award, a scholarship established in 1960 by Sir John R.H. Thouron and Esther du Pont Thouron to strengthen the "special relationship" between the United States and the United Kingdom through educational exchange between British universities and the University of Pennsylvania.

Career

Luntz has appeared as a consultant or panel member on a number of television news shows, including The Colbert Report, Capital Gang, Good Morning America, Hannity, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Meet the Press, PBS NewsHour, Nightline, The O'Reilly Factor, Real Time with Bill Maher, and The Today Show. He has written op-eds for publications such as The Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. In addition to his work in the United States, Luntz also provides analysis for British news programmes such as Newsnight.

He was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania from 1989 until 1996 and also taught at George Washington University and Harvard University as well as NYU Abu Dhabi campus for January terms.

Health issues

Luntz has experienced multiple strokes, which he has openly discussed in several interviews. The first occurred on January 10, 2020, followed by a second on April 17, 2023. Despite these challenges, he has consistently recovered and remained active in public analysis and media appearances.

He has stated that he believes that stress over not forcefully speaking out enough against president elect Donald Trump is responsible for the life-threatening health consequences he has endured.

Use of language

Luntz frequently tests word and phrase choices using focus groups and interviews. His stated purpose in this is the goal of causing audiences to react based on emotion:

"80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. ... If I respond to you quietly, the viewer at home is going to have a different reaction than if I respond to you with emotion and with passion and I wave my arms around. Somebody like this is an intellectual; somebody like this is a freak."

In an article in The New Yorker Luntz said,

The way my words are created is by taking the words of others.... I've moderated an average of a hundred plus focus groups a year over five years... I show them language that I've created. Then I leave a line for them to create language for me.

In a 2007 interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Luntz argued that the term "Orwellian" could be considered in a positive sense, saying that if one reads George Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language, "To be 'Orwellian' is to speak with absolute clarity, to be succinct, to explain what the event is, to talk about what triggers something happening… and to do so without any pejorative whatsoever." Luntz suggested that Orwell would not have approved of many of the uses of the term, given that his essay derides the use of cliché and dying metaphors.

Luntz's description of his job revolves around exploiting the emotional content of language. "It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. ... my job is to look for the words that trigger the emotion. ... We know that words and emotion together are the most powerful force known to mankind."

Additionally in his 2007 interview on Fresh Air, Luntz discussed his use of the term "energy exploration" to refer to oil drilling. His research on the matter involved showing people a picture of current oil drilling and asking if in the picture it "looks like exploration or drilling." He said that 90 percent of the people he spoke to said it looked like exploring. "Therefore I'd argue that it is a more appropriate way to communicate." He went on to say, "if the public says after looking at the pictures, that doesn't look like my definition of drilling—it looks like my definition of exploring—then don't you think we should be calling it what people see it to be, rather than adding a political aspect to it all?" Terry Gross responded, "Should we be calling it what it actually is, as opposed to what somebody thinks it might be? The difference between exploration and actually getting out the oil—they're two different things, aren't they?"

James L. Martin, chairman of the conservative 60 Plus Association, described Luntz's role as being that of pollster and popularizer of the phrase "death tax."

Martin gained an important ally in GOP pollster Frank Luntz, whose polling revealed that 'death tax' sparked voter resentment in a way that 'inheritance tax' and 'estate tax' couldn't match. After all, who wouldn't be opposed to a 'tax on death'? Luntz shared his findings with Republicans and included the phrase in the GOP's Contract with America. Luntz went so far as to recommend in a memo to GOP lawmakers that they stage press conferences 'at your local mortuary' to dramatize the issue. 'I believe this backdrop will clearly resonate with your constituents,' he wrote. 'Death is something the American people understand.' Apparently, he's right. Spurred by Luntz, Republicans have employed the term 'death tax' so aggressively that it has entered the popular lexicon. Nonpartisan venues like newspapers and magazines have begun to use it in a neutral context—a coup for abolitionists like Martin.

In a confidential memo to the Republican party, Luntz is credited with advising the Bush administration that the phrase "global warming" should be abandoned in favour of "climate change", which he called a "less frightening" phrase than the former.

Publications

Luntz is the author of the 2007 New York Times Best Seller, "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear." His second book, "What Americans Really Want ... Really: The Truth About Our Hopes, Dreams and Fears," climbed to #6 on the New York Times Business Best Sellers list. In March 2011, Luntz released his book,"Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business From Ordinary to Extraordinary".

Work

U.S. politics, 1990s

Luntz speaking at a Republican event in Des Moines, Iowa.

Luntz was Pat Buchanan's pollster during the 1992 U.S. Republican presidential primary, and later that year served as Ross Perot's pollster in the general election.

Luntz also served as Newt Gingrich's pollster in the mid-1990s for the Contract with America. During that time, he helped Gingrich produce a GOPAC memo that encouraged Republicans to "speak like Newt" by describing Democrats and Democratic policies using words such as "corrupt," "devour," "greed," "hypocrisy," "liberal," "sick," and "traitors."

In 1993 and 1997 Luntz served as pollster and strategist for the successful mayoral campaigns of Rudolph Giuliani in New York City.

Israel and the Palestinians

In December 2008 to January 2009, Luntz wrote a report titled "The Israel Project's 2009 Global Language Dictionary". It was commissioned by The Israel Project and meant to advise media spokespeople to use specific language that Luntz believed would create a more favorable impression of Israel in the United States and the rest of the international community. For example, when discussing the contours of a two-state solution, the report advised describing Palestinian negotiating points as "demands" because Americans dislike people who make "demands." The report was marked "not for distribution or publication", but it was leaked to Newsweek shortly after it was written.

Global warming

Further information: Public opinion on climate change and Media coverage of climate change

Although Luntz later tried to distance himself from the Bush administration policy, it was his idea that administration communications reframe global warming as climate change since "climate change" was thought to sound less severe. The term "climate change" was not altogether new, as in 1956, the physicist Gilbert Plass published a seminal study called "The Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climatic Change", and in 1978 the journal Climatic Change debuted. Luntz has since said that he is not responsible for what the Bush administration did after that time. Though he now believes humans have contributed to global warming, he maintains that the science was in fact incomplete, and his recommendation sound, at the time he made it.

In a 2002 memo to President George W. Bush titled "The Environment: A Cleaner, Safer, Healthier America", obtained by the Environmental Working Group, Luntz wrote: "The scientific debate is closing ... but not yet closed. There is still a window of opportunity to challenge the science. ... Voters believe that there is no consensus about global warming within the scientific community. Should the public come to believe that the scientific issues are settled, their views about global warming will change accordingly. Therefore, you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate, and defer to scientists and other experts in the field."

In 2010, Luntz announced new research that shows the American people are eager for Congress to act on climate legislation that would promote US energy independence and a healthier environment. "Americans want their leaders to act on climate change—but not necessarily for the reasons you think," Luntz said. "A clear majority of Americans believe climate change is happening. This is true of McCain voters and Obama voters alike. And even those that don't still believe it is essential for America to pursue policies that promote energy independence and a cleaner, healthier environment." In reference to recent political events, Luntz added: "People are much more interested in seeing solutions than watching yet another partisan political argument."

On July 25, 2019, Luntz spoke in front of the United States House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis where he shared his advice to people pushing for action on the climate crisis. Furthermore, he stated that "I'm here before you to say that I was wrong in 2001", "That was a lifetime ago", and "I've changed." He promised to help the Democrats on the climate committee, provided that they put "policies ahead of politics" and commit to nonpartisan solutions. He had his change of heart after a wildfire, the Skirball Fire, threatened and forced him to evacuate his home in 2017.

2005 UK Conservative leadership election

In 2005, Luntz conducted a focus group broadcast on the Conservative leadership race on the BBC current affairs show Newsnight. The focus group's overwhelmingly positive reaction to David Cameron was seen by many as crucial in making him the favorite in a crowded field. Cameron was the eventual victor. In March 2007, Newsnight invited him back to gauge comparative opinions on Cameron, Gordon Brown and Sir Menzies Campbell in the city of Birmingham.

2007 Irish general elections

Luntz led a focus group telecast with the Irish state broadcaster RTÉ to gather the opinions of the Irish people before the May 24, 2007 general elections. RTÉ hoped to show viewers some of the campaign techniques the political parties were using without their knowledge.

2007 Australian federal election

Another focus group of swing voters was analysed by Luntz in the lead-up to the November 2007 poll between the ruling Coalition and the opposition Labor party. Luntz noted that, like the Irish scenario, the Coalition was well established, presiding over the country for 11 years and overseeing continued economic growth for much of that period; and that unlike the lead-up to the Irish elections, Australia had a stronger and more popular opposition leader in Kevin Rudd: "This is much closer to the Irish election where the leader just barely scraped in, Bertie Ahern, because the economy was so good. But the big difference there was the opposition leader was not as good as Kevin Rudd." Luntz was brought in to conduct his research in a collaborative effort by Sky News Australia and The Australian newspaper.

2010 UK general election

During the 2010 UK general election, Luntz led focus groups during the Prime Ministerial debates between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, and also appeared on the BBC's Daily Politics.

Luntz predicted that the next election in 2015 would result in a hung parliament (it ultimately produced a Conservative majority government).

Gun control

In 2012, Luntz conducted a poll that found that sizable majorities of gun owners supported gun control measures such as mandatory criminal background checks, minimum age restrictions, and eligibility requirements for concealed weapon permits.

U.S. politics, 2010–2022

Occupy Wall Street movement, 2011

In November 2011, during the height of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Luntz had a meeting with the Republican Governors Association to discuss how to respond to the Occupy movement. He was quoted as saying: "I'm so scared of this anti-Wall Street effort. I'm frightened to death. They're having an impact on what the American people think of capitalism."

Depression and sale of LuntzGlobal, 2012–2014

According to a 2014 article in The Atlantic, Luntz became frustrated with the contention and argumentation of voters after the 2012 presidential election and, at the time of the interview for the article, was in psychological turmoil: "Something in his psyche has broken, and he does not know if he can recover." As a result, in 2014, after Obama won, he sold the majority of shares of his polling business, LuntzGlobal.

State of the Republican Party

In August 2020, Luntz was asked what the defining principles of the Republican Party were, to which he responded, "You know, I don’t have a history of dodging questions. But I don’t know how to answer that. There is no consistent philosophy. You can’t say it’s about making America great again at a time of Covid and economic distress and social unrest. It’s just not credible."

Midterm election 2022

On election day in 2022, Nov. 8, Luntz tweeted his prediction: "When the dust settles from the 2022 midterms, the GOP will have between 233–240 House seats – outdoing their total from 1994. Republicans also will take control of the Senate, but that won’t be clear until Friday. Top issues for 2022 voters: 1. The economy 2. Inflation and rising prices 3. Crime... 6. Abortion... 10. Donald Trump. This year, Democrats ran on abortion and Trump while ignoring Americans' growing economic hardship." Instead, Republicans narrowly won control of the House, but failed to win control of the Senate.

Controversies

Refusal to release poll data

In 1997, the American Association for Public Opinion Research, of which Luntz was not a member, criticized Luntz for refusing to release poll data to support his claimed results "because of client confidentiality". Diane Colasanto, who was president of the AAPOR at the time, said

It is simply wanting to know, How many people did you question? What were the questions? We understand the need for confidentiality, but once a pollster makes results public, the information needs to be public. People need to be able to evaluate whether it was sound research.

In 2000 he was censured by the National Council on Public Polls "for allegedly mischaracterizing on MSNBC the results of focus groups he conducted during the Republican Convention." In September 2004, MSNBC dropped Luntz from its planned coverage of that year's presidential debate, saying "e made a decision not to use focus groups as part of our debate coverage. This decision had nothing to do with Frank's past work or politics." Luntz disagreed, believing that MSNBC "buckled to political pressure" from activist David Brock.

2010 "Lie of the Year" award

Luntz was awarded the 2010 PolitiFact Lie of the Year award for his promotion of the phrase 'government takeover' to refer to healthcare reform, starting in the spring of 2009. "'Takeovers are like coups,' Luntz wrote in a 28-page memo. 'They both lead to dictators and a loss of freedom.'" In an editorial response, the Wall Street Journal wrote that "PolitiFact's decree is part of a larger journalistic trend that seeks to recast all political debates as matters of lies, misinformation and 'facts,' rather than differences of world view or principles." The editors of PolitiFact announced "We have concluded it is inaccurate to call the plan a government takeover."

Leaked tape from the University of Pennsylvania

On April 25, 2013, The American Spectator, a conservative news outlet, published a scathing article about Luntz titled "The Problematic Frank Luntz's Stockholm Syndrome".

In fact, what Luntz has done is simply reveal the kind of thinking that goes on in the minds of too many on the right who, whether they realize it or not, have been intellectually and culturally bullied that there is some sort of 'right way'—'right' as in 'correct'—to think. Resulting in some conservatives who suffer from what might be called a political version of Stockholm Syndrome—where the captives identify with their captors.

The article was a response to an April 22, 2013 leaked recording of Luntz at the University of Pennsylvania, where he said conservative radio personalities (specifically Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin) were being "problematic" and "destroying" Republicans' ability to connect with more voters, or even maintain a majority in the House of Representatives in the 2014 mid-term elections.

As part of his critique Luntz said:

And they get great ratings, and they drive the message, and it's really problematic. And this is not on the Democratic side. It's only on the Republican side. ... got every other source of news on their side. And so that is a lot of what's driving it. If you take—Marco Rubio's getting his ass kicked. Who's my Rubio fan here? We talked about it. He's getting destroyed! By Mark Levin, by Rush Limbaugh, and a few others. He's trying to find a legitimate, long-term effective solution to immigration that isn't the traditional Republican approach, and talk radio is killing him. That's what's causing this thing underneath. And too many politicians in Washington are playing coy.

After the leak, Luntz announced that he would no longer fund a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania. The scholarship, which was in his father's name, supported student trips to Washington, D.C.

Bibliography

  • Candidates, Consultants, and Campaigns: The Style and Substance of American Electioneering. New York: Blackwell, 1988.
  • Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear. New York: Hyperion, 2007.
  • What Americans Really Want ... Really. New York: Hyperion, 2009.
  • Win: The Key Principles to Take Your Business from Ordinary to Extraordinary. New York: Hyperion, 2011.

References

  1. Ottesen, K. K. (January 7, 2016). "A communication consultant and pollster reflects on angry times" – via Washington Post.
  2. Mike Allen. "Frank Luntz to GOP: Health reform is popular". Politico. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  3. Tani, Maxwell (May 28, 2021). "How Frank Luntz Created a Mess Inside the Los Angeles Times". The Daily Beast.
  4. Folmar, Chloe (November 14, 2022). "Luntz cites multiple factors in pollsters' wrong predictions". The Hill. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. CNN on Twitter: "This is pollster Frank Luntz's playbook for ... https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1646577762742808576
  6. Frank Luntz: Longtime GOP pollster's blunt advice to Biden on vaccines | CNN, July 27, 2021, retrieved August 24, 2023
  7. "This Marco Rubio debate line shone in a Fox News focus group". Business Insider.
  8. Undecided voters speak to Frank Luntz during focus group, retrieved October 6, 2016
  9. ^ "Interview Frank Luntz". Frontline. PBS. November 9, 2004. Retrieved March 23, 2007.
  10. "The unpopular pollster Frank Luntz's political defection casts him as GOP party pooper". Nl.newsbank.com. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  11. Cohen, Laurence D. (June 22, 2000). "Pollster Uncovers Al Gore's Secret Identity". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  12. "Birth Notice 1 – No Title". Hartford Courant. February 28, 1962. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013.
  13. Popper, N. (November 14, 2003). "Political pollster grows into his Jewish identity". The Forward.
  14. "People Who Went to Penn: Frank Luntz". Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  15. Luntz, Frank I. "Candidates, Consultants, and Modern Campaign Technology". solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  16. New York: Blackwell, 1988.
  17. McLaughlin, Joseph. "Voices from the Inside: SAS Professors, Pollsters, and Pundits Weigh In on the 2004 Election". University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  18. Reynolds, Heather L. (2010). Teaching Environmental Literacy: Across Campus and Across the Curriculum, Volume 38. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-253-22150-6.
  19. https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/news/latest-news/global-learning/2020/january/january-term-2020-american-elections.html accessed January 23, 2024.
  20. "Frank Luntz Reflects on Personal Illness and Calls for Civility in Public Life | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  21. DePaolo, Joe (October 1, 2020). "Frank Luntz Reveals He Suffered a Stroke, Recalls Heartwarming Meeting With Biden Afterwards: 'He Gave Me a Hug. And He Didn't Let Go.'". Mediaite. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  22. Smith, David (January 28, 2022). "'Be thankful you don't have our poison': US pollster Frank Luntz's warning to UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  23. 'We're in trouble': Republican pollster on younger voters losing faith in democracy. CNN. April 19, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
  24. Is Trump's message winning? | The Bottom Line, retrieved August 24, 2023
  25. ^ Alberta, Tim (August 24, 2020). "The Grand Old Meltdown". Politico. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  26. Terris, Ben (May 17, 2023). "Frank Luntz Can't Quit". Intelligencer. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  27. Lemann, Nicholas (October 16, 2000). "The Word Lab: The Mad Science Behind What the Candidates Say". The New Yorker. Vol. 76, no. 31. pp. 100–112.
  28. ^ Fresh Air with Terry Gross, "Frank Luntz Explains 'Words That Work'", January 9, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
  29. Joshua Green "Meet Mr. Death" Archived September 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The American Prospect, May 20, 2001
  30. Oliver Burkeman, Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy", The Guardian, March 3, 2003. Retrieved May 31, 2017.
  31. Goldenberg, Suzanne (May 28, 2014). "Americans care deeply about 'global warming' – but not 'climate change'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  32. Luntz, Frank (2007). Words that work : it's not what you say, it's what people hear (1st ed.). New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-1-4013-0929-9. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
  33. "Frank Luntz's Tarnished Legacy". CBS News. September 22, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  34. "Interview Frank Luntz". PBS Frontline. November 9, 2004. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  35. Douglas, William (December 15, 2011). "Newt Gingrich's mouth is famous as a verbal blowtorch". McClatchy Newspapers. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  36. "Language: A Key Mechanism of Control". Information Clearing House. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  37. Gottlieb, Rachel (November 29, 1993). "Political Adviser's Star on Rise Again After Wins in New York, Canada". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  38. "AllPolitics – N.Y.'s Giuliani Riding High". CNN. September 8, 1997. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  39. Burkeman, Oliver (March 4, 2003). "Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  40. Gilbert N. Plass (1956). "The Carbon Dioxide Theory of Climatic Change". Tellus. 8 (2): 140–154. Bibcode:1956Tell....8..140P. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v8i2.8969.
  41. Climate chaos: Bush's climate of fear (TV Programme). UK: BBC News. 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  42. Burkeman, Oliver (March 4, 2003). "Memo exposes Bush's new green strategy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved January 12, 2011.
  43. "Pollster Frank Luntz Releases New Polling Results: Bipartisan Public Support for National Climate Legislation". Environmental Defense Fund. Archived from the original on February 12, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  44. Yoder, Kate (July 25, 2019). "Frank Luntz, the GOP's message master, calls for climate action". grist. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  45. "The Right Thing To Do: Conservatives for Climate Action Hearing". Archived from the original on December 14, 2021 – via YouTube.
  46. Cohen, Nick (December 10, 2006). "How a celebrity pollster created Cameron". the Guardian. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  47. "The Luntz Effect". Irish Election. December 10, 2006. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  48. "The Voters' Verdict". The Australian. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  49. "Pollster Frank Luntz predicts 2015 hung parliament". BBC News. August 7, 2014. Retrieved July 26, 2014.
  50. "Live UK election results". The Guardian. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  51. Honan, Edith (July 24, 2012). "Poll finds gun owners, even NRA members, back some restrictions". Reuters.
  52. Moody, Chris (December 1, 2011). "How Republicans are being taught to talk about Occupy Wall Street". Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  53. Molly Ball (January 6, 2014). "The Agony of Frank Luntz". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  54. Jim Geraghty (January 8, 2014). "Cheering Up Frank Luntz, and Ourselves". National Review Online. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  55. @FrankLuntz (November 8, 2022). "When the dust settles" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  56. Chinni, Dante (May 26, 2000). "Why should we trust this man?". Salon.com. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  57. Morin, Richard (August 28, 2000). "Famous for 15 Minutes". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 30, 2007.
  58. Howard Kurtz's Media Notes, Washington Post: Pink-slipped pollster. October 4, 2004.
  59. PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: 'A government takeover of health care', by Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan, PolitiFact, December 16, 2010
  60. "PolitiFiction: True 'lies' about ObamaCare". Wall Street Journal. December 23, 2010. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  61. "The Problematic Frank Luntz's Stockholm Syndrome". American Spectator. April 25, 2013.
  62. "Frank Luntz's problematic secret Rush Limbaugh tape". Mother Jones. April 30, 2013.
  63. Corn, David (April 25, 2013). "Secret Tape: Top GOP Consultant Luntz Calls Limbaugh "Problematic"". Mother Jones.
  64. Smith, Sarah; Marble, Will (April 25, 2013). "Student leaks off-the-record comments by Republican strategist". The Daily Pennsylvanian.
  65. Lavender, Paige (April 26, 2013). "Frank Luntz Fires Back After Comments Are Leaked". Huffington Post.

External links

Categories: