Frank Luntz: Democratic primary voters don't want religious talk...

[wyldwolf]

... said Clark lost points in the debate for his personal spirituality lines.

Said this isn't the general election. Democrats are wary of religion mixed with politics and to primary voters, this kind of talk is a no-no.

Thoughts?

[Julien Sorel]

1. Maybe Clark should work harder on the script.

Vet it some more ;-)

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Frank Luntz...

Is an ancephalic goon. His opinions on anything regarding Democrats are worthless as used toilet paper.

Clark could have revealed, and proved, himself as The Second Coming and Luntz would have spun it negative.

[Bandit]

3. I almost never agree with Luntz but on this I do

Religion is a private matter and should stay that way.

[blm]

7. He's warning Democrats away from it which plays right into Bush's hands.

Dems should say and do whatever they feel is natural for them. Listening to Luntz advise Dems is liking taking a bite out of the poisoned apple.

[wyldwolf]

4. He had the male/female automated bar graph going...

... showing where the various candidates lost points among males and females by the things they said.

Very interesting.

[blm]

5. He also heaped more praise on Howard Dean. Surprise, surprise.

Warned Gep and Kerry to stop going after Dean.

[littlejoe]

6. Luntz is part of the problem.

He is going to do everything he can do, in a subtle manner, and sometimes not so subtly to put a negative spin on anything democratic. In short, the man is EVIL!

[salinen]

8. Luntz

will do anything to destroy us. If he has any suggestions for democrats, do the opposite.

[AmericanDem]

9. Luntz is the...

Dead squirrel wearing repuke polster that also said Dean won the last deabate. Need we say more?

[NNN0LHI]

10. Do you mean Republican pollster Frank Luntz...

...that everyone conveniently forgets to mention is a Republican pollster all of a sudden like? Is that the guy you are talking about here?

Don

[mlawson]

11. So, Luntz is implying that the repukes are the 'religious' party?

That should help them with their base...

[NNN0LHI]

20. Impy hell. I don't remember the exact words he used, but he came...

...damn close to identifying the Democratic party as the party of the anti-Christ. In so many words, he did. Tweety sat there nodding in agreement. The pricks.

Don

[realFedUp]

12. Democratic primary voters don't want their polling done by a Repug.

How irritating it is to hear the latest about
how Dems are doing from conservative pollers
and hacks hired by the cable "news" networks.
Gads, the least they could do is hire someone
known to be a Dem.

[funkyflathead]

13. About time some one said this

Seperate your religeous beliefs from your public service folks.

[NNN0LHI]

22. Why? Don't we still have religious freedom in this country?

Last time I checked that freedom even goes for presidents. The Republicans would just love to have a lock on everyone who votes that is religious. What do we gain with that? 4 more years of a Chimp in charge? Fuck that. I will gladly take a portion of the religious vote next year to beat Bush if that is what it takes to win. Wouldn't you? Or are you going to say no thanks, take you vote elsewhere (to Bush)?

Don

[ShaneGR]

14. Since when are Republican Pollsters Democratic Primary experts?

Bizarre.

[salinen]

15. This fucker Luntz

is Tweeties bitch. First we get polls. Then we get "reality" poll shows. "Boinc,boinc,boinc," sound of stabbing myself in the eyes.

[killbotfactory]

16. How else do you explain the decline of Lieberman?

It's certainly not his personality that's the problem...

[AmericanDem]

18. yes it is

Lieberman can care less about fellow dems. he has done everything to slander them. Hence his standing in the polls. I had nothing but the strongest prais for Lieberman prior to his bid for pres.

[AmandaRuth]

17. BSBSBSBSBSBS

One of the reasons I became active (going to a dem meeting) tonight was to help reclaim the dem party as the true party of Christians, we are our brothers (and sisters) keepers and gov can make a difference in peoples lives. I think people are crying out to hear and are hungry for a message of hope and change. my humble opinion.

[tlb]

19. May I point out the regular " Holy Joe" sneers ?

Luntz isn't saying anything that isn't already clear. And it's going to bite the nominee in the rear end.

America as a nation is not hostile to personal faith.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Frank Luntz....

is a ugly girl who dresses like a man to divert away from his ugliness. He's Karl Roves' lost twin!

[Kathleen04]

23. At the...

Presidential Candidates Forum on Women's issues (http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=forum+on+women%27s+issues), the candidates were all asked about their faiths. I think it has a neutral effect, at least on me. I can respect and appreciate the candidate's personal faiths, but I also know that it's separate from leadership. Obviously people do identify with candidates who are similar to them, but I do not see it as a defining issue in this situation.

[BiggJawn]

24. "When you pray, pray in private, lest any man should boast"

Works for me. Frankly, I don't give a shit if you worship Ba'al, just do it out of the public eye.

And why just limit that to the primaries? I don't care for candidates wrapping themselves in the Shroud of Turin for the Big Show, either.

[NNN0LHI]

25. Do you think Bush is going to comply with your wishes concerning religion?

Don't count on it. He knows what side his bread is buttered on. If we can get some fundies to vote for our guy due to a little inspirational religious pandering to garner their votes, I say go for it. If we don't the Republicans will be glad to do it. Why? Not because they are religious. It is because they are smart. They know what works and what it takes to win.

Don

[ibegurpard]

26. Pay no attention to Luntz

He's a Republican hack.

[fairfaxvadem]

27. maybe the aversion isn't religion per se..

maybe it is folks on the alert for getting hi-jacked by fake religious claptrap such as that dished out by Shrub and his ilk. I find myself being a bit on-guard with the religious talk and I hate having to feel that way.

I think the GOP has made being "Christian" synonymous with "Money" and "Selfishness" and "If You are Poor you Must Deserve It", so yes, many of us cringe now when religion is brought up in the political realm.

Hard to believe Kennedy overcame the obstacles of being a Catholic over 40 years ago. We sure haven't come very far.

[ibegurpard]

28. Oh, I cringe as well.

But coming from Frank Luntz, even something I might agree with I have to wonder what his agenda really is and what he's really trying to say.

[NNN0LHI]

31. What Luntz is saying is that the religious vote belongs to the Republicans

So you Democrats had better leave it be for us, because we Republicans know what is best for you. That is exactly what he is trying to say. Take it to the bank.

Don

[David Zephyr]

29. This is Luntz's Sick Way of Telling Americans All Dems Are Atheists.

He is so transparent in his hostility towards the Democratic Party that he sometimes thinks he is a bit too smart.

I'd like to have 15 minutes with Luntz on a stage. That would be fun.

[ibegurpard]

30. you got it!

Luntz has an agenda and it's not to help Democrats.

[NNN0LHI]

32. You damn right David. You are spot on...again n/t

[fairfaxvadem]

33. and check out the main WP page on this topic...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/

They are all in on it....

[NNN0LHI]

34. Thanks. Here are some snips

A Spiritual Struggle for Democrats
Silence on Religion Could Hurt Candidates
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 27, 2003; Page A01


The nine Democratic presidential candidates all consider themselves religious, though most keep their faith and spiritual views to themselves when campaigning.

Their silence stands in contrast to President Bush, among the most overtly religious presidents in generations, and could undermine the Democratic nominee, as polls consistently show that voters want to hear more about faith from their national leaders.

Democrats "have been very hesitant to talk about faith . . . and in doing so we have lost a connection with a lot of people," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), an Orthodox Jew and one of only two candidates who frequently talk about God. Long-shot candidate Al Sharpton, an ordained minister, is the other. "Democrats ought to pay attention to the fact that the two Democrats who have been elected president since Johnson were Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton . . . and both talked a lot about their faith," Lieberman said.

In interviews, most of the candidates said they are uncomfortable discussing their faith as publicly as Bush does or Clinton did. Yet most agreed the party must do a better job of connecting with religious voters, or risk not winning the White House in 2004.

Voters "want leaders, particularly a president, who they trust and who they think is a good person," said Sen. John Edwards (N.C.), who was baptized a Southern Baptist at age 16 but has joined the Methodist Church. "If you are a person of faith, I think it adds weight to that issue of whether you are a good person." snip

An overwhelming majority of Americans consider themselves religious. A recent poll conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that nearly 70 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of Republicans expressed strong religious beliefs when asked questions designed to measure these attitudes.

more

[jsw_81]

35. Articles like that make me cringe

As an atheist, I find it extremely frustrating to see how religious this country is. And it sickens me to see how so many people seem to think that you can't be a moral person without believe in a bunch of primitive superstition like fundamentalist Xtianity.

I look forward to the day when openly atheist/agnostic candidates can run for public office and actually have a chance of being elected. This is happening in Europe and Canada, so why not here? Why must we always be so backward?

[w4rma]

36. Luntz is lying to smear all Dems as being anti-religious. (n/t)