Obama vs Luntz; Olive Branch, meet Disdain

( – promoted by buhdydharma )

olive branch

n

1. a branch of an olive tree used to symbolize peace

2. any offering of peace or conciliation

http://www.thefreedictionary.c…

dis dain

tr.v. dis·dained, dis·dain·ing, dis·dains

1. To regard or treat with haughty contempt; despise. See Synonyms at despise.

2. To consider or reject as beneath oneself.

n.

1. A feeling or show of contempt and aloofness; scorn.

http://www.thefreedictionary.c…

Given the same opportunity, the famed GOP guru, Frank Luntz, would recommend the same tactics again, in order to derail progress …

… progress that even he admits “the American people want”

Luntz to GOP: Health reform is popular
By: Mike Allen, May 5, 2009

Dr. Frank Luntz, a top Republican consultant on the language of politics, is warning the GOP that the American people want health-care reform and that lawmakers need to try to avoid directly opposing President Barack Obama.

“You simply MUST be vocally and passionately on the side of REFORM,” Luntz advises in a confidential 26-page report obtained from Capitol Hill Republicans.
[…]
Instead, Luntz says Republicans should warn against a “Washington takeover” of health care, and insist that patients would have to “stand in line” with “Washington bureaucrats in charge of healthcare.”
[…]
Here are some suggested arguments for Republicans that Luntz calls “clear winners”:

— “It could lead to the government setting standards of care, instead of doctors who really know what’s best.”

— “It could lead to the government rationing care, making people stand in line and denying treatment like they do in other countries with national healthcare.”

— “President Obama wants to put the Washington bureaucrats in charge of healthcare. I want to put the medical professionals in charge, and I want patients as an equal partner.”

http://dyn.politico.com/prints…

Fortunately, Obama 2.0, has decided to “push back” against the Party that has “fought him” every step of the way. A “fight” the GOP has waged, mostly based on tactics, as opposed to principle:

Mark Blumenthal, pollster.com — January 29, 2010

From our Pollster-centric perch, this is a memorable comment. In answering the last question of the Q & A session with the House Republicans today in Baltimore, President Obama called out pollster Frank Luntz:

That’s why I say if we’re going to frame these debates in ways that allow us to solve them, then we can’t start off by figuring out, (a), who is to blame, (b), how can we make the American people afraid of the other side? Unfortunately that’s how our politics works right now. That’s how a lot of our discussion works.

That’s how we start off every time somebody speaks in Congress, the first thing they do, they stand up and all the talking points – I see Frank Luntz sitting in the front. He has already polled it and he said the way you’re really going to — I’ve done a focus group and the way we’re going to really box in Obama on this one or make Pelosi look bad on that one — I know Frank. I like Frank. We’ve had conversations between Frank and I, but that’s how we operate. It’s all tactics. It’s not solving problems.

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/obama_vs_luntz.php

That was good to see, the President “reaching out”, but with the bluntness, that speaking the Truth requires.  This approach is perfect for pointing out their pettiness.

Especially when the GOP has shown so little interest in meeting in the middle, finding compromise, or solving actual problems:

Fox & Friends hosts Luntz to decry Pelosi “rebranding” the public option, push “government option” language
MediaMatters, October 28, 2009

Fox & Friends hosted “word doctor” Frank Luntz — who has instructed conservatives to use the term “government option” rather than “public option” because it doesn’t poll as well — to criticize House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “rebranding” of the public option as the “consumer option.” Co-host Gretchen Carlson also continued Fox News’ trend of using language echoing that approved by Luntz by asking if the public option should be called a “government takeover of health care.”

http://mediamatters.org/research/200910280023

Truth matters little to those who will re-write their own History, as a matter of course.

And what does the famed GOP guru, Frank Luntz, have to say about being put in the “hot seat” by the new, no-nonsense Obama?

The Plum Line — Greg Sargent’s blog

Frank Luntz: Obama Had The Advantage Today, But GOP Should Do This Again

I just got off the phone with Frank Luntz, the well-known GOP pollster who was aggressively called out by Obama at today’s televised face-off with Republicans, and he conceded Obama had the advantage today – but said he’d still advise Republicans to debate him again, because it put them on his “level.”
[…]
But Luntz said he’d counsel Republicans to do it again. “It was good for Republicans – it put them on the same level with the president and it will get their ideas heard,” he said.

http://theplumline.whorunsgov….

Sadly it seems, the GOP guru, Frank Luntz, would recommend the same tired tactics again, in order to derail progress …

… progress that even Luntz admitted “the American people want”.

There’s a word for that kind of hypocrisy … what is it called, again?

Oh yeah, Disdain, that’s the word.

Disdain for the American People, and what we want.

Disdain, for finding Real Solutions, in a time of such desparate need …

Of course, that IS what the Party of No, does best …

nada, nothing, zip … in other words, Obstruct.