I just read the latest memo from Frank Luntz and his company The Word Doctors telling Republican politicians how to kill financial reform in Washington DC while still sounding like they are on the side of change. Because as his company’s tag line says: “It’s not what you say, It’s what people hear.”
This guy is good at crafting a message. I’ll give him that.
And it would be fairly innocent if he was just selling ice cubes to Eskimos.
But he is effectively selling bacon to pigs, and the idea of Thanksgiving dinner to turkeys.
He is telling Republicans to admit that reform is needed, that such an economic crisis can never happen again, but that the way to be safe is to do NOTHING. That Republicans should play up government’s inability to get things done, while being the major cause of nothing getting done for the last year.
The public is angry about loopholes that lobbyist have gotten into laws in the past, like the loopholes the big Wall Street Banks use to take illegal insurance out on our mortgages. But Luntz wants Republicans to talk about the loopholes pawnbrokers and car dealers are trying to get into new bills. Yeah, because pawnbrokers and car dealers caused the Great Republican Recession of 2009. Right?
Luntz says to politicians that they should appear to be an agent of change and demand accountability, because only then will they be able to block any meaningful change and allow big corporations to avoid accountability—that being the Republican mission of late.
I understand why the rich and the banks like Republican candidates and their obstructionist politics. But I am constantly amazed at how effective guys like Luntz are at getting working class and working poor citizens to vote against their own self interest. So it will probably work again this time. Especially with messages like this: Can I interest you in a turkey and bacon sandwich, Mr. Pig and Miss. Turkey? I am of course in favor of protecting swine and fowl, but these sandwiches are delicious!
This guy is good at crafting a message. I’ll give him that.
And it would be fairly innocent if he was just selling ice cubes to Eskimos.
But he is effectively selling bacon to pigs, and the idea of Thanksgiving dinner to turkeys.
He is telling Republicans to admit that reform is needed, that such an economic crisis can never happen again, but that the way to be safe is to do NOTHING. That Republicans should play up government’s inability to get things done, while being the major cause of nothing getting done for the last year.
The public is angry about loopholes that lobbyist have gotten into laws in the past, like the loopholes the big Wall Street Banks use to take illegal insurance out on our mortgages. But Luntz wants Republicans to talk about the loopholes pawnbrokers and car dealers are trying to get into new bills. Yeah, because pawnbrokers and car dealers caused the Great Republican Recession of 2009. Right?
Luntz says to politicians that they should appear to be an agent of change and demand accountability, because only then will they be able to block any meaningful change and allow big corporations to avoid accountability—that being the Republican mission of late.
I understand why the rich and the banks like Republican candidates and their obstructionist politics. But I am constantly amazed at how effective guys like Luntz are at getting working class and working poor citizens to vote against their own self interest. So it will probably work again this time. Especially with messages like this: Can I interest you in a turkey and bacon sandwich, Mr. Pig and Miss. Turkey? I am of course in favor of protecting swine and fowl, but these sandwiches are delicious!
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