Why should we trust this man?

Fri, 26 May 2000 18:00:00 +0000

Whatever it is about the pollster Frank Luntz -- the baby face, the unctuous charm, the ever-changing hairdo -- no one seems to be able to get enough of him. Even since last week, when his sole candidate, Rudy Giuliani, made a tortured exit from the campaign trail, Luntz still makes the media rounds, from CNBC's "Rivera Live" to the New York Times.

He's possibly the best example of what we could call the pollster pundit: someone who both purports to scientifically poll the opinions of the public, and then also interpret that data to support his own -- in Luntz's case, conservative -- point of view. This is what allows Luntz to face a room full of journalists and, in all seriousness, proclaim George W. Bush's jittery, time-delayed appearance on David Letterman -- the one which prompted boos from the audience -- a total success.

It's what allows Luntz to proclaim that Giuliani would've been no more hurt from his admission of marital difficulties than his admission that he has cancer. "He beat crime, he beat drugs, he beat unemployment, he beat welfare, he beat trash in the streets, he beat the squeegee guy," Luntz said. "He's like a mayor machine."

Salon.com > Dante Chinni

Why should we trust this man?