Frank Luntz: Obama "[c]learly ... trying to make a statement" with flags "behind him" at March 18 speech -- but he often speaks with flag background
SUMMARY: On Hannity & Colmes, Frank Luntz said of Sen. Barack Obama: "[W]hen he gave his [March 18] speech on race, it was the first time that he used American flags behind him." However, Media Matters has identified numerous prior instances in which Obama spoke in front of either multiple American flags or a prominent American flag.
On the April 9 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, responding to the assertion by co-host Sean Hannity that the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama has made a "very conscious effort to show him as being pro-American after the Jeremiah Wright controversy," pollster Frank Luntz said of Obama: "[W]hen he gave his speech on race, it was the first time that he used American flags behind him, and they were stacked all the way across. No matter where your camera was you got that." Luntz added, "Clearly, he was trying to make a statement." Luntz was referring to Obama's March 18 speech on race and politics at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. However, Media Matters for America has identified numerous prior instances in which Obama spoke in front of either multiple American flags or a prominent American flag.
For example:
March 3, 2008, San Antonio
March 2, 2008, Nelsonville, Ohio
February 21, 2008, Obama's message to the people of Sderot, Israel
January 1, 2008, Des Moines, Iowa
September 12, 2007, Clinton, Iowa
August 24, 2007, Conway, South Carolina
May 30, 2007, Reno, Nevada
May 29, 2007, Iowa City, Iowa
From the April 9 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:
HANNITY: Barack Obama and the issue of -- they've now gone very -- a very conscious effort to show him as being pro-American after the Jeremiah Wright controversy. Tell us what you got.
LUNTZ: Well, the first thing is that, obviously, when he gave his speech on race, it was the first time that he used American flags behind him, and they were stacked all the way across. No matter where your camera was you got that.
HANNITY: Right.
LUNTZ: Clearly, he was trying to make a statement. We've got a couple sound bites of Obama taking what some people say is a conflicting point of view on what he thinks about America. First, let's listen to Barack Obama when he's coming out patriotic -- almost sounds like Ronald Reagan. Let's take a look.
THESE PHOTOS MUST BE DOCTORED !!! WE ALL KNOW OBAMA IS AN ANTI-AMERICAN MUSLIM.
<sarcasm off>
Luntz is just being a FOX News putz. They count on him to come up with something, even trivial, to help them in their Obama bashing. Luntz, who is supposed to be so insightful and cognizant of "appearances" in the campaign world, should have known about how there is usually flags around where Obama make speeches.
It's very funny that Luntz is talking about Obama and flags to Hannity who just got outed on his overuse of flags by The Daily Show last night.
The Daily Show mocks Fox News: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/11/smackdown-the-emdaily-sho_n_96185.html
I don't think he lied. He just didn't know about the practice.
I thought Obama was overdoing it with the flags then, and he still does so. Isn't one flag enough?
Flagwaving is not becoming to anyone-- especially when a liberal does it.
It's clearly pandering, and it's one of the many reasons why progressives as different as Paul Krugman and Alexander Cockburn have big, big problems with Obama's tendencies here.
One flag is enough. Obama looks plainly ridiculous festooned with all of those. It's clear pandering.
As an Obama supporter, I have to give Luntz a pass on this one. Even I was surprised when Obama bought up all the flags in the state to decorate the stage during his speech.
Heck, it was almost like Obama was proud to be an American in his adult life.
Go Obama!
Two words:
"Trojan Horse"
Seven words:
"NAC's father should have used a Trojan."
:-)
As a Huckabee supporter, I have to give NAC a pass on the previous post. Even though he can't see the lie that's right in front of his eyes, he chooses to smear Obama anyway, making his posts both meaningless and irrelevant. The next time I talk to the Huckster I'm going to see if he can call God and ask him why he didn't give NAC a sense of humor.
Go Huckabee!
Naw, I'm sure God is in his Fav 5
But Mike's not in God's Fave F..... :-)
Hell, he WAS Betsy Ross, before the sex change.
Performed by Ben Franklin. :-)
the crafty fella has everyone fooled one way or another
"Memo to Luntz: Obama is an American. "
who is wrapping himself in an excess of flags. It's pretty ridiculous and offensive. One is enough.
Even Nixon never had that many onstage.
I don't think it was a statement at all. Clearly, those flags just happened to be there...
And those behind McCain as well...
All candidates wrap themselves in the flag, and Luntz knows that. Hell, I'd be shocked, SHOCKED, if he didn't.
"All candidates wrap themselves in the flag, and Luntz knows that. "
All right wing candidates do, and that's Luntz's point--he should know.
Obama's overdoing it with the flags. He's constantly pandering to the right (like with his Social Security scare tactics) and it gives one pause.
CARLIL
Pause for what ? Be specific ?
Obama's overdoing it with the flags.
Flags? Did someone say flags?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8_odhuWfTk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8_odhuWfTk
It's a statement from day 1 with the official announcement, on the campaign trail, during the primaries, on to the general election, then perhaps at the inauguration, while in the White House or any public appearance, at every speech, for every photo op, for the escort upon their last day as president, on the walls and covering their presidential library, and finally, draping over their casket upon their demise.
Nothing new.......
Sorry Tommy, we've got a moratorium in this country on displaying flag draped caskets.
They don't display them, the Pentagon won't let people photograph them, but there have been over 4.000 flag-draped coffins flown back from Iraq. Thanks to War Criminal-In-Chief George W. Bush.
True, so very true.
Has Hannity's white supremacist pal, Hal Turner caused a Jeremiah Wright like controversy yet? Hannity is due for a fall.
I always spell Luntz with a "C"
Wow...
How ridiculously stupid can one person be?
I just noticed, Barack Obama has stopped wearing his turban and carrying his "Death to America" sign around. What's he trying to pull?
billiyboyjones begat truthjustice who begat notanothercon
I know I skipped many of his pseudonymes.
Why don't you go tip over a dumpster when you're done hanging out in your parents basement.
Obama hates America SOOOO much that he became a US Senator, and is now running for President.
Yep, you sure do have to hate America to be a civil servant and aspire to reach the highest office in the land.
You're a toolbag..
At least he doesn't hate bowling pins...he tried to miss as many as he could. Won't you agree? That should put him in good graces with the ever-fairminded Cons.
Joozy, did you know that McBush wanted to bowl but he still thought duckpins we in style? And was suprised they actually bowled indoors....he was suprised about indoor toilets also.
Just another cryptoislamofascist gambit Col. Trying to disarm the natural fear of having a president who isn't, you know, a normal man.
Emperor Ming is fighting this same discrimination. Armor piercing rounds are carrying the day for him so far, in the bear baiting arena of politics.
Go Ming! A candidate that you know where you stand with.
On your knees or prostrate are the traditionally correct positions.
Thats trick changing your name Joozian, three times now I think?
What tripwire allows you to so easily define someone as an america hater? Is this a redeemable state? Is this a way to define someone who's opinions should count for naught, and can be safely ignored forevermore? How many other senators do you figure also hate america. Just saying any democratic senator is the same is cheating and weak rhetoric.
Oh yah, Go Ming!!
Oh my, this is perfect. I've forced myself to watch FOX , (albeit in controlled 2-3 minute doses, so as to not endanger my health) and have come to the realization that they are one of the forces behind the mass exodous to the Democratic party by voters all across the land. Even Ralph Nader gives speeches with old glory some where in the field of view, and he really does hate America.
To say a politician is now, finally doing his shtick in front of the flag is like saying he is now, finally breathing oxygen, a patently stupid thing to say.
This is sooooo stupid. Come on. Yes, Luntz mostly goes with the Fox agenda but this time you have to give him a break. If you watch the whole piece Luntz defends Obama all the way. Hannity makes stupid points and Luntz makes him look like a broken record.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRIy_Mop2lA
Few people have praised Obama like this one Fox, and other major channels, for that matter.
Note to MMFA: You can find something wrong in everything if you really wan´t to, but don´t try to discredit an intervju when some one is defending Obama.
Michelle Obama chooses not to wrap herself in the flag.....rather she'd rather wrap herself in white people.
From a recent campaign stop:
“I’ve been here since 11 a.m. setting up and it’s been amazing. It feels like [Barack] Obama is coming,” said sophomore social and decision sciences major Rotimi Abimbola, a leader of Students for Obama who had only a few days to coordinate the event.
While the crowd was indeed diverse, some students at the event questioned the practices of Mrs. Obama’s event coordinators, who handpicked the crowd sitting behind Mrs. Obama. The Tartan’s correspondents observed one event coordinator say to another, “Get me more white people, we need more white people.” To an Asian girl sitting in the back row, one coordinator said, “We’re moving you, sorry. It’s going to look so pretty, though.”
“I didn’t know they would say, ‘We need a white person here,’ ” said attendee and senior psychology major Shayna Watson, who sat in the crowd behind Mrs. Obama. “I understood they would want a show of diversity, but to pick up people and to reseat them, I didn’t know it would be so outright.”
This was an event at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Got to love the hypocrisy! The whole article.
http://www.thetartan.org/2008/4/7/news/obama
Quick look over there. Lets not talk about the TOPIC, Luntz is an idiot his statement is too dumb to be defended so lets talk about something ELSE anything ELSE as long as I think it makes a Dem look bad.
Stop being a troll PC.
LOL
You didn't really believe all those black folks standing behind Junior really voted for him did you?
GIS for "John McCain"
Nary a lapel pin in sight.
Good grief, too many flags, not enough flags, can't bowl right, doesn't like coffee, smokes, doesn't tip enough, tips too much, she's a bitch, he's not strong enough...
Seems like there's nothing any Democrat can do that will please these people.
And yet Bush kills 4,000 Americans invading the wrong country and they pay it no mind?