Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the republican base.

[ourbluenation]

revolting

**************************

...from Joe Klein, sitting in on a focus group of Republicans during last Wednesday night's debate:

In the next segment--the debate between Romney and Mike Huckabee over Huckabee's college scholarships for the deserving children of illegal immigrants--I noticed something really distressing: When Huckabee said, "After all, these are children of God," the dials plummeted. And that happened time and again through the evening: Any time any candidate proposed doing anything nice for anyone poor, the dials plummeted (30s). These Republicans were hard.

But there was worse to come: When John McCain started talking about torture--specifically, about waterboarding--the dials plummeted again. Lower even than for the illegal Children of God. Down to the low 20s, which, given the natural averaging of a focus group, is about as low as you can go. Afterwards, Luntz asked the group why they seemed to be in favor of torture. "I don't have any problem pouring water on the face of a man who killed 3000 Americans on 9/11," said John Shevlin, a retired federal law enforcement officer. The group applauded, appallingly.

Hat tip...

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2007/11/the-foul-core-o.html

[Ron Green]

1. Love is difficult, fear is easy.

Morons do the easy thing.

[northernsoul]

7. "Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent"

I just read that in Asimov's SF classic, 'Foundation.' True enough.

[Supersedeas]

25. thus the disconnect with Christian teaching

[ThomCat]

2. They don't have any problem blaming random people

for something other people died doing 6 years ago, and torturing those random people for it. That's truly disturbing.

It's disturbing that those malicious assholes call themselves Americans. :(

[ourbluenation]

3. it's almost a childlike view with little thought process. n/t

[ThomCat]

6. It's very childlike and simplistic.

And yet, they consider themselves the mature intelligent adults because they know who to hate. :(

[LeftCoast]

11. Poor to no critical thinking skills

Strictly binary thinking. The possibility that these prisoners could very well be innocent never enters their minds.

[ThomCat]

17. It's that kind of thinking that allows attrocities to happen.

And yet people get so outraged when people in America today are compared to "Good Germans" before WWII.

[tom_paine]

29. Self-delete

Self-delete.

[havocmom]

13. and THAT from a retired law enforcement officer

AAARRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG :nuke:

[ThomCat]

16. Seriously! You would hope that someone who's job

was to serve and protect everyone wouldn't be so bigoted, but that's too much to ask apparently. :(

[havocmom]

18. I fear more and more departments are being run to appeal to those with that sort of thinking.

Just well organized thugs specially picked because the urge to bust heads over-rides interest in law, order, justice.

And, before someone climbs my frame, I say that coming from a family full of retired law enforcement people. I generally support cops but the past few years, I notice a slide back to the bad ol days for too many departments. bushco seems to be intent on grooming the brown-shirt wanna bees for positions to steer law enforcement. It is chilling. I remember 68 and fear 08 is gonna be worse.

[TroglodyteScholar]

33. A lot of cops see citizens...

...as just walking pains-in-the-ass who are all probably guilty of something. There's nothing wrong with treating people unfairly, because nothing is unfair in the cop's mind--it's already made up.

[havocmom]

39. SOME cops. To put them all in that slot is being just as bigoted as you insist they are

Some cops. Believe me, not all are the way you think they are.

[TroglodyteScholar]

42. Where did I "put them all in that slot?"

Re-read before you respond, please.

[hootinholler]

19. They call themselves Patriotic Americans!

Let's be clear here. Anyone who has a different world view is the enemy.

-Hoot

[judaspriestess]

4. stupid is as stupid does

pathetic

[ourbluenation]

5. let me just add that THIS is who we need to lay the smackdown on and quit eating our own.

these people cannot get power. period.

[LibDemAlways]

8. The repuke philosophy is simple and appeals to simple-minded

people. Poor = bad. Muslim = bad. And therefore, they get what they deserve.

No wonder those dials plummeted.

[TroglodyteScholar]

35. What's funny...

...is that I've known shit-poor republicans who had more disdain for poor people than any millionaire I've met. They would talk about poor people as tho it was someone ELSE...someone contemptible.

Absolutely pathetic how little actual thought is going on inside people like that.

[LibDemAlways]

40. I should have added a third category.

Minority = Bad.

That's at the heart of it. It all boils down to racism.

[Bolo Boffin]

9. Jesus Christ.

What about some innocent guy who's been ratted out by his neighbor in revenge for some petty wrong?

How disgusting.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

24. Jesus Christ indeed... -eom

[LSK]

27. exactly

[lazyriver]

10. This, right here is what we're fighting against.

We cannot permit these backward thinking knuckle dragging mouth breathing cretins to speak for us any longer. No matter who you support in the primaries, please do the right thing in the general election. Do your part to bury any and every repuke on the ticket.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. Tell me again how these people are NOT like those in Germany who abetted the rise of Hitler.

They are what someone with an intellect might call Social Darwinists....survival of the fittest only. The irony is that so many of them actually fit into the non-survivior category themselves, and they do not even realize it.

[roguevalley]

14. This is very simple. The only way dipshits like this can support

something this awful is because they have an UNSHAKEABLE and PROFOUND belief that they will never have to face this. If they did, they would sing another tune out their asses. As long as it happens to someone else, they can live in their pseudo-macho fantasies and pretend they are tough.

[PATRICK]

15. Luntz packs these groups

to order. Whose order and to what purpose? Impolite ever to imagine the question. Most bluntly he packages peanut galleries to pick the required winners and losers of both parties. The GOP has descended into grotesqueries and Dems can still be rattled easily by insecurities instigated by these groups.

The guy is tool of the fraud system himself. It just gets uglier and uglier and there are always goons enough to oblige his needs.

Simply they want Romney and Thompson. That is the bald sell no matter how evident these lemons are. If reality resists this sell even so there are other plans, but the Bush people see no need or advantage in ever retreating without being smacked down. Then they will just come back with their Chosen Crony.

The warp of the GOP is not ever recognized. The control and influence of the basement popular dynasty of the disastrous little Prince is as silent in the national discussions as it is arrogantly absolute. There is NO liberty for a true wide open race for change and new personages of power. Elections are a necessary joke that we are supposed t feel grateful they are still tolerated in the present dog and pony show form.

[tom_paine]

28. Well said, and long time no see, PATRICK.

:hi:

[Gabi Hayes]

30. amen...he's MUCH worse than Rove, and has been, over the years, more

influential, too.

you know the story of how he and Gingrich changed the way politics was fought, and I mean fought, in the early 90s, which brought us the Fourth Reich (Congress of 1995), which led to the Clinton Inquisition, which led to their being able to destroy Gore to the point of being able to steal the 2000 election

without Luntz's DESTRUCTION of the language, his turning it into an even more effective political language, there would have BEEN no 95th congress, no impeachment, no Bush. that's where they've won the war of "ideas," ideas couched in marketing terms (I'd love to see an actual journalist try to get Luntz to open up to his study of the likes of Bernays, etal)

anyway, it's Friday, and this is too depressing to contemplate. just wait and see how bad it gets this time.

with the corporate media once again doing their part (WaPo ignoring the Guili Nathan money fiasco), what do you think is going to happen when the actual election campaign begins?
do you think a 'democrat,' whatever that is today, will EVER win the presidency again?

[Gabi Hayes]

31. check it....note the Book TV link. bet they kissed his ass on that one.

Frank Luntz: Words that Work (Commonweal Institute Blog)Here I think that Terry Gross should have asked Luntz to explain whether the words that Gingrich used to describe his political opponents (betray, cheat, ...
www.commonwealinstitute.org/CIBlog/2007/01/frank_luntz_words_that_work_1.html - 22k - Cached - Similar pages

Pacific Views: Frank Luntz: Words that WorkHere I think that Luntz should have had to explain whether the words that Gingrich used to describe his political opponents (betray, cheat, greedy, ...
www.pacificviews.org/weblog/archives/002396.html - 18k - Cached - Similar pages

Review of Frank Luntz's Words That Work: It's Not What You Say ...BrothersJudd.com reviews Frank Luntz's Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, ... and famously to Newt Gingrich at the time of the Contract with America. ...
brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/1610/Words%20That%20W.htm - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Amazon.com: WORDS THAT WORK: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY, IT'S WHAT ...That Luntz's words are effective there can be little doubt. ... which helped Newt Gingrich's Republican party win control of both houses of Congress for the ...
www.amazon.com/WORDS-THAT-WORK-WHAT-PEOPLE/dp/product-description/1401302599 - 105k - Cached - Similar pages

Frank Luntz calls Republican leadership in Washington 'One giant ...In a 10-page addendum to his new book ""Words that Work -- It's Not What You Say ... Prior to teaming up with Gingrich, Luntz did polling for Pat Buchanan's ...
www.mediatransparency.org/pdastory.php?storyID=178 - 17k - Cached - Similar pages

frontline: the persuaders: interviews: frank luntz | PBSA corporate consultant, pollster and political consultant to Republicans, Luntz's specialty is testing language and finding words that will help his clients ...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html - 46k - Cached - Similar pages

Hyperion BooksIn Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical use of words ... That Luntz's words are effective there can be little doubt. ...
www.hyperionbooks.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=1401302599&SUBJECT=Business - 27k - Cached - Similar pages

Hyperion Books"Words That Work deserves an attentive read. Mr. Luntz offers a fair amount of good advice ... That Luntz's words are effective there can be little doubt. ...
www.hyperionbooks.com/titlepage.asp?ISBN=1401302599 - 75k - Cached - Similar pages

Luntz, Maslansky Strategic ResearchIn Words That Work, Luntz offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the tactical ... As the book develops, Mr. Luntz's "words that work" turn out to be portals ...
www.luntz.com/book_overview.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Book TV - After Words: Frank Luntz, author of "Words That Work ...After Words: Frank Luntz, author of "Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, ... such high profile political figures as Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani,

[Gabi Hayes]

32. you can watch Luntz here, on Book TV, if you can bear it

http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=7872&SectionName=After%20Words&PlayMedia=Yes

interviewed by John McCaslin of the Washington.....TIMES!

his first words, just about, to Luntz, are "It's a GREAT book!"

do they EVER do it differently on Book TV: maniac RWer interviews maniac RWer, then maniac RWer interviews anyone on the 'left?'

that's the thing that infuriates me about Book TV the most.

[Gabi Hayes]

34. from above links, great analysis of how ineffective Teri Gross can be, and what

a lying hypocrite Luntz reveals himself to be, as usual:

http://www.commonwealinstitute.org/CIBlog/2007/01/frank_luntz_words_that_work_1.html

[Gabi Hayes]

37. New York Review of Books on Luntz, along with Frank Rich and

scroll down about half way, if you want Luntz...Rich precedes

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20217

.....the surprising thing about Frank Luntz's Words That Work is the extent to which he rather gleefully acknowledges that his job, as the Republicans' most famous spin doctor of the past fifteen years, has been to take ideologically extreme proposals (with which he agrees) and find the words that will make them sound sensibly appealing to the average American. He did this most famously in 1994, by helping to compose the Contract with America for Newt Gingrich. By the same token, he notes, in a brief addendum at the end of the book that he wrote immediately after last fall's elections, the GOP's 2006 failures did not stem from the fact of the mess in Iraq, or Hurricane Ka-trina, or the Terri Schiavo case, or the Dubai ports deal, but merely from the Republicans' repeated use of the wrong language to defend their positions on these matters. Perhaps inevitably from the author's point of view, the loss is also owing to the fact that Republican Congressman John Boehner, long hostile to Luntz on personal grounds, banished him from the party's strategic deliberations after he became the House majority leader.

Luntz calls himself "a committed advocate of political rhetoric that is direct and clear." He invokes George Orwell as a hero, advising his readers at one point to put Words That Work down and "walk—no, run" to their local bookstore and read Orwell's famous essay "Politics and the English Language," from which he quotes and paraphrases liberally. He asserts repeatedly that to be effective in political or corporate communication, language must be accurate and credible.

He does not ask what Orwell would have made of the words "death tax," one of the more famous Luntz coin-ages, and one of which he is particularly proud. Republicans were having trouble selling Americans on the idea that the "estate tax" was an evil state intrusion into private affairs. But along came Luntz and suddenly there was no more "estate tax." He admits that he was against helping his Republican friends on this issue at first—not because he opposed the idea on the merits but because he feared that "Republicans advocating the elimination of a tax on the heirs of millionaires would play badly with the electorate." But then, well, he just took an accurate look at the facts, and came up with the term that set off all the right asso-ciations, conjuring an image of some belligerent beadle banging on the grieving family's door in Dickensian England. The problem was solved:

Sure, some object that the term "death tax" is inflammatory, but think about it. What was the event that triggered its collection? You pay a sales tax when you are involved with a sale. You pay an income tax when you earn income. And when you die, if you've been financially successful—and forgotten to hire really smart and expensive accountants—you may also pay a tax. So what else would you call that, if not a "death tax"?

In 2004, two groups named the American Family Business Institute and the Free Enterprise Fund launched a $15 million television ad campaign aimed at selected Democrats and implying that virtually anyone who had a farm or business to leave to children could be destroyed by the tax. In that year, 2,429,024 Americans died. But since all estates valued under $1.5 million were subject to no tax at all under federal law at the time, only 18,431 of these who died, or just 0.76 percent, left behind enough money to owe any federal tax. And the tax bite didn't reach its maximum percentage (36.7 percent) until estates were valued at $20 million or more.<6>

[PATRICK]

41. And why

since he is a spin hack, would any group or media have credibility in using him to form a representative focus group to present the nation with fair commentary about any event?

If I hired Jeffrey Daumer to be the school crossing guard shouldn't I get some scrutiny too? Dems have used Luntz, I think, for the same media quick response spin purposes in deliberate intent to defraud the listeners of fair commentary. Just going along with the media presentation and legitimizing this fraud would have been more than bad enough. Instead, they often participate, trying to use the same hitmen. No wonder we are losing the Constitution.

[NMMNG]

20. And they call us hateful

Oy.

[Orsino]

21. Have they really told themselves that the 9/11 killers are still alive?

Do they think that terrorists are made of the same stuff the black box is?

Or are they secret MIHOPpers?

[Afje]

22. That's the reason Mike Huckabee isn't the front runner with the

"christian conservative". Despite all his looney notions he isn't a hater.

[TwilightGardener]

26. He hates gay people. But I guess they don't count.

[yardwork]

23. I imagine that they all call themselves Christians, too.

The ones who hate little children just because they happen to be brown or immigrants, the ones who believe it's fine to torture and murder people just because they're Muslim - I'll bet those hypocrites walk around carrying their Bibles and patting themselves on the back for being "saved."

[Cass]

36. The 29 percenters John Dean spoke of in his book, 'Conservatives Without Conscience'.

They would follow Bush and their republican leaders off a cliff. Scary bunch.

[Disturbed]

38. Luntz is a RWing Jerk. Fux Noise loves this Jerk.

He is a PR Goon for the RWing Fascists.