60 Minutes: Frank Luntz focus group argues. Frank asks "how did we get here?" INCREDIBLE
.. 60 Minutes, Nov 6, had a segment about how everybody is pissed off at the election. They had GOP propaganda consultant, Frank Luntz assemble a group of people (nothing was said as to whether it was a random sample) who he asked various questions. The people expressed varying degrees of disgust.
that they had Frank Luntz on what is purported to be a fact based news program was incredible. Even more incredible was Luntz expressing dismay that the people were arguing with each other. Frank Luntz was the sonofabitch who helped the GOP weaponize their rhetoric. IN the notorious GOPAC memo to Republicans from Newt Gingrich entitled: Language: a Key Mechanism of Control
[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1pc solid #000000;padding:10px;"]Luntz also served as Newt Gingrich's pollster in the mid-1990s for the Contract with America.[15] During that time, he helped Gingrich produce a GOPAC memo that encouraged Republicans to "speak like Newt" by describing Democrats and Democratic policies using words such as “corrupt,” "devour," "greed," "hypocrisy," "liberal," "sick," and "traitors."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-american-voters-on-trump-clinton/
For those interested, CBS is very well set-up for comments. One of the best of M$M sites. As always, I encourage others to let CBS 60 Minutes know what you think of this segment. I think it would be great if 60 Minutes got a deluge of criticism from Democrats on this segment.
FWIW, I dropped the following comment on their site (this was written 'on the fly' so there may be some non-standard sentences in there, although I tried to edit for errors before posting here).
[div class="excerpt" style="border: 1px solid #000000;padding:10px;"]This 'report' achieved Kafka-esque levels of irony.
Frank Luntz asking "How did we get to this point where everyone of you ..., all of you gave me a negative reaction? How did we get here? "
How did we get hear? asked by Frank Luntz - INCREDIBLE!!!
Luntz had a central role in starting the GOP's campaign to use language cynically to make your opponents (Democrats) appear not only wrong but despicable for disagreeing with you. This all began with the notorious GOPAC memo to Republican candidates, Language: A Key Mechanism of Control, which included a list of key words for attacking Democrats...
"Luntz also served as Newt Gingrich's pollster in the mid-1990s for the Contract with America.[15] During that time, he helped Gingrich produce a GOPAC memo that encouraged Republicans to "speak like Newt" by describing Democrats and Democratic policies using words such as “corrupt,” "devour," "greed," "hypocrisy," "liberal," "sick," and "traitors."._WIKIPEDIA (Frank Luntz article)
Yes, Luntz was there from the beginning of the 'Attack' rhetoric designed to depict those who disagree with you in the very worst light, caricaturing them as moral degenerates, or otherwise despicable people. Luntz was the one who coined the term "Death tax" for Inheritance tax.
Now, after about three decades of raging rhetoric from the Right (it began, before Luntz, in a less organized way, on Right Wing cable tv, in the mid-1970s) amplified by Gingrich, with Luntz help, taking things to a more organized use of weaponized language and downright propaganda, Democrats are getting tired of this. After about three decades of this sort of assault, people who are interested in seeing Government get something done (mostly this would be Democrats) have become fed up with this one way barrage of raging rhetoric AND are starting to speak up when they hear disinformation, unsupported accusations and propaganda.
Thus, very recently, some of us Democrats have started firing back. But what we are firing back at is Disinformation crafted by RW propaganda groups. In the group you assembled, people who, in the past, would have put up with disparaging, baseless attacks and charges against a Democratic candidate, are starting to fight the disinformation and baseless charges.
When some in the group described Clinton as 'corrupt' and 'dishonest' many in the group knew these characterizations were based on Nothing but Disinformation. For example Three years of Benghazi Inquisitions (8 or 9 by now) which everyone knows were NOT intended to find out the truth but to damage Hillary Clinton as possible presidential candidate. The email/server inquiry is the more of the same. Republican Reps McCarthy and Richard Hanna, admitted that the whole point of all the Benghazi Inquisitions was to damage Clinton politically.
Point in fact: NOT ONE of the emails purported to contain classified info had a Classified Header on it. When Comey was questioned about this by Rep Matt Cartwright, he had to admit that in fact NOT ONE of the emails in question had a classified header on it. NOTE THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED ON M$M, ANYWHERE!
Point in fact: All of the emails in question were sent to or forwarded to Sec Clinton - NOT ONE was initiated by Clinton.
(Question: IF Comey thinks these emails SENT TO CLINTON contain classified information, why is he NOT INVESTIGATING THE PEOPLE WHO AUTHORED THE EMAILS???)
Point in fact: the State Dept DOES NOT AGREE (not now, not ever) that the information in those emails is classified.
Point in fact: Colin Powell used a personal email account with a commercial email service provider to conduct Government business on AND HE ADVISED Clinton TO DO THE SAME. Classified information was found in some of Powell's emails. Clinton chose to use a server operated by Government IT people, guarded by Government personnel (Secret Service) as safer.
Point in fact: According to the State Dept's IG report MANY individuals were found to be using personal email accounts to conduct Government business.
Point in fact: In order to do their jobs State Dept officials here and in foreign assignments will occasionally communicate Classified information over non -secure networks. IT IS UNAVOIDABLE! Sometimes someone has a 'situation' they need guidance on in A VERY SHORT TIME-FRAME. Officials in D.C. can't say to them, as soon as I get this message encrypted, you will get your answer, ..probably by tomorrow. THAT is NOT ACCEPTABLE. When Dept of State officials communicate about classified matters they use vague language so only somebody who already knows what they are talking about -- would know what they were talking about.
POWELL HAS NOT TURNED IN ANY OF HIS EMAILS. HE HAD THEM ALL DELETED (but they can still be found on commercial email service providers archives) - EVEN THOUGHT THE STATE DEPT HAS ASKED FOR THEM THREE TIMES - HE HAS NOT BOTHERED TO RESPOND TO THEIR REQUESTS FOR HIS EMAILS. The Powell emails spoken of above were found in someone else's inbox. As for the bulk of Powell's emails - HE HASN'T TURNED IN ONE EMAIL. Does that comply with Government Information archiving laws???
If you have heard of some of the above information for the first time, there is a good reason for it. M$M HAS NOT BEEN TELLING YOU OF IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON IN WASHINGTON.
= new reply since forum marked as read
..ALSO, You will feel better having spoken your mind!
