Pollster Frank Luntz Strokes “Little Ol’” Sean Hannity’s Ego

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by Steve Krakauer | 9:52 am, May 27th, 2010

» 22 comments

Pollster Frank Luntz does two things really well – come up with phrases that work (“death tax” anyone?) and lead a group of people in real-time dial polling.

He took the polling to a new, personal level last night, asking what an Arizona group thought of Sean Hannity. Guess what? They love that great American!

“We had 23 people in that room,” Luntz told the host during an appearance on his show last night. “Only two of them had something negative to say about you.”

And even those who had something negative to say weren’t that negative. One woman said “he talks a lot,” but she later said she’s really like to go to dinner with Hannity. The majority of the group threw around terms like “great American” and “patriot,” with one woman saying, “I think he does a great job at getting people really emotional about something, he gets them real amped up ready to talk.”

But it was this comment that Hannity liked the most: “He exposes things that other commentators don’t.” (Maybe other commentators like, oh I don’t know, a guy on at 5pmET who all of a sudden has become the #2 guy at Fox News after only being there for about a year?)

Although the host said the ‘do you like me?’ poll happened without his knowledge, and he didn’t know what to expect before rolling the tape, he certainly relished all the positive reinforcement from “ordinary Americans.” “I learn, I try to improve,” said Hannity. “If I think the criticism is valid, I try to improve.”

Luckily Luntz found a group that liked Hannity just the way he was!

Check out all the love for Hannity:

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fnc, focus groups, fox news, Frank Luntz, Hannity, Sean Hannity

http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

Are you angry because there were no left-wing loons in the crowd. Only in cities like New York or D.C. would you be able to find people that hate Hannity.
I hate to break the news to you, but left-wing loons are a minority in the country even though they over populate this website.
http://mediaite.com Steve Krakauer

Are you saying that if you have something critical to say about Sean Hannity you’re a “left-wing loon”? You don’t see something a little wrong with that?
The Real Royal King

Now, Pollyanna Blower Show, you underestimate Mr. Hannity. I can assure you that there are hundreds of thousands of people right here in the center of Texas who believe Hannity to be an utter anathema to journalism and American democracy.

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I can’t imagine how Hannity got through this without dying of embarrassment. He is an egg of a sort I find unappetizing.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kam-Fet/572005492 Kam Fet

Right! I bet they do.
stoogedudes

After the interview, Hannity required assistance to remove Luntz’s lips from his hindquarters.
writer

Hannity has segments where he plays tapes of people phoning in, calling him the worst names in the book. And he frequently has guests who disagree with him. Maybe people respect that approach more than, say, Keith Olbermann, whose guest list only comes from the Daily Kos.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

So Luntz’s focus groups are a stacked deck and his phrases play to the partisans?
writer

Olbermann doesn’t just stack the deck. He refuses to deal the cards.
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

I think we should start a list of loons on this page. Let me see now……..
1. RRK
2. Kam Fet
3. stoogedudes
4. Magister
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

@writer: I just assumed that Luntz wanted stuff that plays to the masses.
writer

Which ‘masses’ is that? The left is always telling us that Fox only has a teeny, tiny sliver of the population watching.
http://www.sailrabbits.com Magister

@writer: I don’t know the purpose of this particular focus group, but whenever I’ve been involved with the construction of one, the idea was to get a cross-section including many of those who don’t already buy the product.

Perhaps this group was designed to say mostly partisan things in support of a point of view, but if it had the purpose of trying out phrases and positions that might appeal to unaffiliated, independent or moderate voters and/or to seek opinions from folks like them, then I’ve got to say that he failed.
writer

Same with any poll, though. How does the pollster really know he’s getting a representative cross section? Whatever. Olbermann still sucks.
MediaWhore

The partisan hacks at Fox certainly deserve credit for having the most flexible necks in the business. They blow themselves far more often and with more vigor than anyone else can even approach.

The best part is how they can switch back and forth so easily between stroking themselves and playing the aggrieved victim. These are the two things that conservative sheep live for: Pretending their heroes are being persecuted while simultaneously pretending that everyone loves them.

Takes a large dose of compartmentalization and delusion, but goddamn it, you Republisheep manage to pull it off. Kudos to you!

p.s. Buy more gold.
writer

I hear that Olbermann is going to quit having guests at all. He’s going to get one of those plastic birds that dips its beak in water, then nods.
stoogedudes

WOO-HOO! Gordon Bloyer Show called me a LOON! Coming from you, that is a BADGE OF HONOR! THANK YOU!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Dan-Scerpella/1022068347 Dan Scerpella

I find it amusing the author of this articles chafes at Luntzes characterizations like “Death Tax” and other Lefties have thrown embolisms over the word “Death Panels” in the healthcare debate. Hyperbole is the stock and trade of political speech and the Left is an able practitioner in it. Apparently memes are terrific until someone comes up with a negative one for something you support.
The Real Royal King

stoogedudes says:
May 27, 2010 at 1:09 pm

WOO-HOO! Gordon Bloyer Show called me a LOON! Coming from you, that is a BADGE OF HONOR! THANK YOU!

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Yes, but I am a bigger loon than you are!
writer

No arguing that, Fredo.
stoogedudes

Just you wait, RRK, I’ll be coming after your title! You and Kam Fet both!

Because if Gordon Bloyer Show says it, you can take that to the bank…too bad the bank is Goldman Sachs.

Hey Gordon, you wouldn’t happen to give certificates of achievement for your loon list would you?
http://PoliticalGlutton.com PoliticalGlutton

Frank Luntz strokes little Sean indeed!
ganymede

One really has to question the judgment of rightwing types. After their lauding of George Bush who from his body language to his verbal language and demeanor has to be the most inauthentic and phoniest public figure of recent memory, even Sarah Palin has more credibility. Sean Hannity is simply a liar and dissembler, not really on the level of Frank Luntz who like Karl Rove comes directly from the Joseph Goebbels school of propaganda. It’s no mystery why we’re in such trouble when so many people are taken in by these bullshiters. What is it about the American psyche that makes people so gullible that they will sell their soul and moral values for a mess of pottage.