1. framing-science
  2. The Luntz Memo and the Framing of Climate Change

The Luntz Memo and the Framing of Climate Change

By nisbetmc on May 17, 2007.

In a segment from the recent Frontline special "Hot Politics," GOP pollster Frank Luntz explains his 1997/1998 memo that became the playbook for how conservatives like President Bush and Senator James Inhofe redefined climate change as really a matter of "scientific uncertainty" and "unfair economic burden." We detail the strategy and its impact on public opinion in our Framing Science thesis and in our talks as part of the Speaking Science 2.0 national tour.

Below you can watch a clip of Senator Inhofe's appearance on Fox & Friends the week of the release of this year's first IPCC report. Inhofe stays on message with the "scientific uncertainty" and "economic burden" frames adding that climate change is really a campaign driven by the "far left," i.e. "Hollywood elitists and the United Nations."

Tags
FRAME: Economic Competitiveness
FRAME: Technical Uncertainty
Framing Science
global warming

More like this

How James Inhofe Speaks Science
In a segment from the recent Frontline special "Hot Politics," GOP pollster Frank Luntz explains his 1997/1998 memo that became the playbook for how conservatives like President Bush and Senator James Inhofe redefined climate change as really a matter of "scientific uncertainty" and "unfair…
Urban Areas & Climate Change Communication Solutions
Back in February, I traveled to Rome, Italy to present at a conference sponsored by Columbia University's Earth Institute and the Adriano Olivetti Foundation. The focus was on climate change and cities. For the proceedings on that conference, I was asked to contribute a short overview on the…
The Two Americas of Global Warming: Democratic Leaders Warn of a Looming Threat While Republicans Say Don't Worry
With political leaders like Senator James Inhofe and ideological safe zones like Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial page, is it any wonder that only 23% of college-educated Republicans accept that human activities have contributed to global warming, or that among Republicans the issue…
How Hillary Frames Science: Social Progress, Economic Development, and Public Accountability
Without necessarily intending to, in her speech last week Hillary Clinton demonstrated just how irrelevant some criticisms of the "framing science" thesis have been. Consider: Hillary is a politician, and she wants to deliver a message about science--a vastly complex subject with many diverse…

Why does it look like it's dubbed? The words don't correspond to the mouthings. I was expecting Master of the Flying Guillotine to break out at any moment. Frontline is very cool but flying guillotines would help popularize it with the public.

So, is that dubbing issue a YouTube thing or are the liberals putting words into Frank's mouth? :-)

Frank: Today I would not have that paragraph in a document I put out...

Well, duh -- Today you'd have a different paragraph because that paragraph has lost it's impact due to critical examination. However, Frank believes that others, still using his words, have a responsibility that they should account for. These words are Frank's children -- and oh, how we hate to disavow our kids.

Have you asked Frank to assist in the framing of the environmental, energy and climate positions?

Ted: he as much as said he has to idea how to do that - here is another quote from the Hot Politics program:
"you tell me where global warming fits in [on the more immediate issues]" Iraq, Iran, terrorism, health care, prescription drugs, education..."
For the answer to that you will have to wait until I find more time to blog.... If we want to bring people around we have to go through the painstaking and discomforting process of constructing a new frame of reference (like Al Gore is doing) rather than using inadequate ones just because they work. ok, I think I have the beginning of my next post... I have a a few posts up about the Luntz at www.postnormaltimes.net but his 15 minutes are almost up.

15-minutes? Frank is a gift that keeps on giving. I give him much more than 15-minutes. Between contract with America, death taxes, corporate gunslinging, and gaming the outcome of elections, I believe that for Frank, the sky's the limit...

I think one of my favorites evah is this:

The poll, commissioned by the Center for the Study of Taxation and conducted by GOP pollster Frank Luntz, found that 72% of gay and lesbian Americans believe the federal death tax is "discriminatory" and fully 82% of the respondents support a law which would repeal it.

"The message to both Democrats and Republicans in Congress came through loud and clear in this poll -- gay and lesbian Americans want the death tax repealed," said Kevin Ivers, director of public affairs for Log Cabin Republicans. "This survey went to great lengths to represent both points of view on this issue, but the response was unwavering and crystal clear."

"Gay Americans understand that this is not about the David Geffens of the world, but it's about average gay and lesbian families that deserve fairness," Ivers said.

Practiced lies are the best because you can say them with a straight face.

I thought about that 15 minutes and corrected in the post I just put up - "his extended 15 minutes, if not over, will become a lesson for the history books." - here is the 1st paragraph - lets see how he responds to Gore:

As attention gathers around Al Gore's new book, The Assault on Reason, I'm waiting to see if Frank Luntz helps to reframe and build consensus around climate and related matters, as Gore is actually doing, or whether he continues to just call for building consensus and finding "ways to be environmentally protective and not anti-economy," - and dismisses Gore and friends as angry and hysterical, in which case he can be dismissed as "a Luntz" and his extended 15 minutes, if not over, will become a lesson for the history books. Regardless, Al seems to be ready for him and his kind...

full post here