HIS House Almost Burned Down, So Frank Luntz Had A Change Of Heart - And He Wants To HELP!

[hatrack]

Frank Luntz’s up-close encounter with our increasingly wild weather came at 3:15 a.m. one morning, when the GOP master messenger woke up to his phone blaring an emergency evacuation warning. Luntz saw flames outside his bedroom window. The famous pollster’s home in Los Angeles was in the path of the Skirball Fire, one of the many wildfires that destroyed parts of Southern California in December 2017.

Ed. - AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luntz, whose advice helped Republicans hold power for years and also keep their heads in the sand when it comes to climate change, cited the fire as an example of the climate crisis made personal. He’s the same political consultant who convinced conservatives to rebrand the “estate tax” as the “death tax.” He crafted talking points for the Koch brothers and reportedly convinced the Trump administration to talk about “border security” to drum up support for building a border wall.

EDIT

The hearing came amid signs that Republican voters are increasingly out of step with their elected representatives on climate change. In parts of the country hit hardest by extreme weather, like Florida, Republicans are already changing their tune on environmental policy. According to a survey from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication last year, 52 percent of Republicans said if there’s a conflict between environmental protection and economic growth, the environment should come first. Luntz played a role in turning the environment into a partisan battlefield. During President George W. Bush’s first term, his infamous memo warned Republican party leaders that they were losing “the environmental communications battle,” an issue on which Bush was “most vulnerable.” He advised them to emphasize a lack of scientific certainty around climate change and drop “global warming” for the less scary-sounding “climate change.”

Luntz is now offering his messaging services to the cause of climate action. “I’m here before you to say that I was wrong in 2001,” Luntz told the Senate committee. “Just stop using something that I wrote 18 years ago, because it’s not accurate today.” “That was a lifetime ago,” he said. “I’ve changed.” He promised to help the Democrats on the climate committee, provided that they put “policies ahead of politics” and commit to nonpartisan solutions.

EDIT

https://grist.org/article/the-gops-most-famous-messaging-strategist-calls-for-climate-action/

Link to tweet

https://climatecrocks.com/2019/07/26/darkness-into-light/#more-56400

[Moostache]

1. Tots and Pears for Frankie (n/t)

[2naSalit]

2. His lips are moving...nt

[riversedge]

3. Trust has to be earned.......but I will listen........

.............One of the Dark Side’s most dangerous and amoral hitmen says he’s had a change of heart, wants to do something about climate.
Author of the famous “Luntz memo”, pollster Frank Luntz helped shape devious language and tactics for a generation of Republican politicians who delayed, dissembled, and disinformed their followers on what scientists have been telling us.

Now he says his house almost burned down in a wildfire, and he gets it.
Can he use his powers for good?

He says one reason he hasn’t so far is because environmentalist have been mean to him.

Take a breath and admit you want to strangle the bastard, but we should probably listen to what he has to say. .............


https://climatecrocks.com/2019/07/26/darkness-into-light/#more-56400

Link to tweet

?s=20

[bronxiteforever]

4. His party has consistently mocked scientific findings

And the honest work of scientists hunting for real truth. When there was time to address the issue, they chose power over people. What they didn’t realize is that “their people” will also have to pay the bill that is coming due.

[CanonRay]

5. Classic Republican

Doesn't give a shit about anything or anybody until he personally gets bitten on the ass. Then suddenly he sees the light.

[in2herbs]

6. The Dems better not embrace him. He should remain an R mouthpiece being paid only by Rs. nt

[mountain grammy]

7. I don't think Frank ever believed the shit he was selliing

he did it for pure greed. But now your house is burning, Frank, you stinking sellout. If you end up with nothing, you deserve it.

[Boomer]

8. Too little, too late

“If I can give you a solution that will prevent most of that from happening, would you invest in it? … What would you be willing to pay to get that home back, to get that opportunity back, to get that life back? The answer for most people is everything.”

The climate change emergency is still being framed as "let's get back to normal" even though we're well beyond that point. Normal is gone, and it's not coming back in our lifetime or for many generations to come. We're now in the "let's keep the planet bearable for living" zone and there's no guarantee we'll succeed with that goal, even if we were seriously trying, which we're not.