Luntz retracted prior smear of Clinton as "shrill," now concedes it is "passion"

On the June 29 edition of the Public Broadcasting Service's Tavis Smiley, while leading a focus group analysis of the previous day's Democratic presidential forum, Republican pollster Frank Luntz said of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY): "What I realized tonight -- and I've used the word 'shrill' to describe her -- what I realized tonight is that it's not shrill, it's passion."

As Media Matters for America previously noted, Luntz claimed on June 20 that Clinton's voice "turns people off."

From the June 29 edition of PBS' Tavis Smiley:

TAVIS SMILEY (host): Let me ask you a question quick, Frank. This got my attention standing behind the moderator's desk. When Hillary was talking about the Darfur issue, and she said very forcefully, "We'll shoot those planes down" --

AUDIENCE: Yes. Yes.

LUNTZ: Did you like it?

AUDIENCE: Yes. Yes.

SMILEY: I only ask that because, you know, the rub, unfortunately, the rub, in a very sexist world, the rub on women is they can't be tough on military issues. She said that line and delivered it forcefully.

LUNTZ: You know what I realized? What I realized tonight -- and I've used the word "shrill" to describe her -- what I realized tonight is that it's not shrill, it's passion. And when I watched her -- she would begin the answer, be very low key, and she would build. And you'd see the crescendo. I would see the reaction from them. The more that she went, and the more that she showed emotion, when she didn't hold back, the better that she did. Is that right?

AUDIENCE: Yes.

—S.P.