Today Show Helps Frank Luntz Roll Out the Right Wing's Latest Hit Job on Edwards

[JohnLocke]

Today Show Helps Frank Luntz Roll Out The Right Wing's Latest Hit Job on Edwards
By Steve Young--Huffington Post
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
----
Republicans have been outstanding in couching the debate, quick to label issues, persons or an entire political party's position in terms so simplistic, yet deviously potent. A facile catchphrase feeds into the voters' darkest fears without engaging the least amount of analytical thought.

If you believe attacking terrorism where and how the Bush administration has is a disaster, you're "soft on terror."

If you feel the failure in Iraq is a failure you're the party of "cut and run."

If you present the facts from both sides of an issue, you're part of the "liberal media."

You can always tell when the Republican Party believes something can hurt them. They attack it like you'd wish a Michael Vick pitbull would attack its owner.

By the second or third time it's uttered, catchphrase rhetoric becomes obvious. But there are times when they are more insidious, building momentum under the radar. Oh, you know it's an attack, but it comes in so many different shapes and sizes it's difficult to notice until they all meet at one place: the target.

And one big target in the Republican cross-hairs is John Edwards.

(...)

It started with tagging Edwards as the "personal injury attorney." Next, the subtle, Coulter "Edwards is a fag" strategy. Bill O'Reilly deemed Edwards "out of the race" even though he polls higher than Mitt Romney who O'Reilly believes is a keeper. It moved into the "$400 haircut," and then to the "30,000 square foot house." Finally, settling on, "How can a man fight poverty when he lives in a 30,000 square foot house?"

But Monday you knew it was no longer a disconnected series of attacks, but a full-fledged offensive when the Republican's Master of Maxims, the Sultan of Slogans, the...um, King of Katchphrases, Frank Luntz - father of "Death tax," "Contract for America," "Climate Change - went on the Today Show to get on the "stop John Edwards train."

It was a bizarre segment with Meredith Viera setting up Luntz on politicians using humor. In every case, from John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, Rudy Guiliani and Hillary Clinton. Democrat or Republican, every single president and presidential candidate received a positive review from Luntz. Everyone but one: John Edwards.

(...)

Luntz pointed out that "you can't discuss poverty with people when you get a $400 haircut." Luntz said that Edwards "shouldn't be making jokes about it. He should be apologizing."

This after he set up the segment with saying that for politicians to be funny "they must poke fun of themselves."

Why Viera didn't ask why Edwards can't discuss poverty when he gets and expensive haircut? Ring that one up to gross infotainment negligence.

Now I appreciate what Frank Luntz does - in a sports fannish kind of way. The same way I felt about Larry Bird as a Philadelphia 76er fan. I hated his guts but wouldn't mind at all to have him on my team.

(...)

Award-winning TV writer and author of "Great Failures of the Extremely Successful," Steve Young, was political editor of National Lampoon and is now writing "Satire: Political Secret Weapon." (www.greatfailure.com)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-young/today-show-helps-frank-lu_b_58641.html

[LostInAnomie]

1. They are absolutely scared shitless of Edwards.

The "how can a rich man care about the poor" line shows the moral vacuum in their souls. It also is a clear sign that the class warfare that they live in fear of and preach so strenuously against is alive and well in their hearts. They only care about their own class and hate "class traitors" that show concern for the enemy.

[Hieronymus]

2. Seems so. Republicans called FDR a traitor to his class .. many still do.

[Efilroft Sul]

5. That was a brilliant assessment, LIA.

The Republicans are like the French aristocracy in "History of the World: Part I": Fuck the poor!

I swear, these people would be the first to nail Jesus back on the cross if he made a return engagement.

[tom_paine]

3. The Nazis have ALWAYS been the benchmark or Rove, Cheney & Bush

They just can't talk about it publically.

Of course, for them, they are a benchmark to STRIVE FOR, a day when the treasonous liberal will finally KNOW THEIR PLACE.

The Nazis have been our benchmark since mid-1999 when Bushler entered a race that had already been won for him and an election that was already over before campaigning had even begun.

Hyperbole? Maybe, but recent events show this hyperbole hs a chance of being true many MANY toime larger than it ever has before in our lives

[JohnLocke]

4. Kick (nt).