RUSH: You know Frank Luntz, the pollster, Frank Luntz? There’s a story here at Mediaite. I just got this. We’ll get to the Obama soap opera just a second, ’cause it’s classic. It’s already begun. I’ll set the plot line for you here in just a mere moment. Apparently, it’s a profile of Frank Luntz who, as you know, does political focus groups on Fox. He assembles a bunch of people that are said to be a cross-section of America, and he gives ’em little electronic devices, and they register their opinion and other reactions as they’re listening to things.
Then after what it is they’re watching is over, Luntz goes in there and interviews them and has a group discussion with the focus group. Now, the profile of Luntz in The Atlantic says that Luntz sunk into a depression following the 2012 election after Obama won. “Luntz described himself as ‘less healthy now than [he has] ever been in [his] life,’ sleeping two or three hours at a time and fretting over the future of his career in political consulting. The Atlantic’s Molly Ball wrote: ‘The crisis began, he says, after last year’s presidential election, when Luntz became profoundly depressed.
“For more than a month, he tried to stay occupied, but nothing could keep his attention. Finally, six weeks after the election, during a meeting of his consulting company in Las Vegas, he fell apart. Leaving his employees behind, he flew back to his mansion in Los Angeles, where he stayed for three weeks, barely going outside or talking to anyone.'” Well, if that’s the definition of depressed count me in, ’cause that’s me. Sequestered and not talking? That, to me, is freedom. But for Luntz, it was the definition of depression. He said, “‘I just gave up,’ the pollster said. After the election, he seemingly realized Americans want to ‘impose their opinions rather than express them,'” that’s a quote, “and that a divided country will find it harder to warmly receive his conservative sales pitches. ‘I’m not good enough,’ he said. ‘And I hate that. I have come to the extent of my capabilities. And this is not false modesty. I think I’m pretty good. But not good enough. “‘The old Frank Luntz was sure he could invent slogans to sell the righteous conservative path of personal responsibility and free markets to anyone … The new Frank Luntz fears that is no longer the case, and it’s driving him crazy.’ According to the profile, Luntz is considering breaking into Hollywood as a consultant, as he no longer works any existing political contracts and has apparently submitted many pitches to studios.”
So he can’t do it, can’t persuade. I didn’t know that’s what he was doing. Snerdley, did you know that’s what he was doing? Folks, honestly now. I’m, again, not trying to be provocative. I had no idea Luntz was trying to persuade people. I thought what Luntz was doing was focus groups and learning what people thought about things and going on TV with it. I didn’t know that Luntz was trying to win anything. I didn’t know Luntz was trying to come up with slogans to help beat Obama. I had no idea that’s what Luntz was trying to do. His focus groups were an attempt to persuade people of conservatism? Get this from the piece. “Luntz mostly all says he wishes we would stop yelling at one another. He dreams of drafting some of the rich CEOs that he’s friends with to come up with a plan for saving America from its elected officials.” Well, the No Labels bunch? I’m just telling you, I’m honestly surprised here. I did not… Look, if Luntz was trying to affect the outcome of elections, he coulda done those focus groups in an entirely different way. Anyway, so Luntz is now gonna try to work for Hollywood, these rich CEOs, and get them to run and so forth. Depressed for three weeks? (interruption) What? I don’t know. I don’t know if he was Perot’s pollster or not. I don’t know. I don’t know. But he’s lived in Hollywood for a long time. This is not new. But, I mean, he’s been trying to get in his consulting firm with people in Hollywood. That isn’t really new. I guess it is to The Atlantic. I’m literally surprised to learn that Luntz was trying to persuade people. That doesn’t make sense with what I saw.
Related Links