-Caveat Lector-
MIND CONTROL
Channel 10 Sun Dec 13 19:02:42 1998 60 MINUTES
AFTER TEN MONTHS OF PUBLIC SCANDAL, ONLY 25% OF THE PUBLIC WANT
THE PRESIDENT IMPEACHED.
HOW DID AMERICANS COME TO FEEL THIS WAY?
HOW DID THIS PUBLIC CONSENSUS DEVELOP?
WELL, IT CERTAINLY WASN'T LEFT TO CHANCE.
MUCH OF IT WAS LEFT TO TOP POLITICAL POLLSTERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE
AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY WHO USED A COMBINATION OF SCIENCE AND
SALESMANSHIP TO PACKAGE THE DEBATE.
IT GOES ON ALL THE TIME, YOU JUST NEVER SEE IT. TONIGHT, WE'RE
GOING TO SHOW YOU.
>> Frank Luntz: WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO YOU ABOUT A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT ISSUES TONIGHT.
>> Kroft: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, FRANK LUNTZ, A TOP REPUBLICAN
POLLSTER, HAS GATHERED 40 PEOPLE OF ALL POLITICAL PERSUASIONS INTO
A CONFERENCE ROOM IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.
>> Luntz: I NEED TO KNOW HOW YOU THINK. I NEED TO KNOW HOW YOU
FEEL.
>> Kroft: IT IS JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER PRESIDENT CLINTON'S GRAND
JURY TESTIMONY WAS RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, AND LUNTZ IS TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT FOR HIS REPUBLICAN CLIENTS JUST WHAT IMAGES MOST PEOPLE
HAVE OF THE PRESIDENT AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHICH ONES ARE T HE
MOST DAMAGING.
>> Luntz: WHEN I SAY BILL CLINTON, WHAT COMES TO MIND FIRST?
>> Woman: CHARISMATIC.
>> Woman: INTELLIGENT.
>> Man: CRIMINAL.
>> Man: INEPT.
>> Woman: PHONY.
>> Man: LEADER.
>> Woman: SHAMELESS.
>> Woman: SNEAKY.
>> Woman: POLITICIAN.
>> Woman: POLITICIAN.
>> Kroft: THIS PROCESS ISN'T DESIGNED TO MEASURE PUBLIC OPINION,
IT'S DESIGNED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO SHAPE AND TO MANAGE IT.
THE TECHNIQUES WERE PERFECTED ON MADISON AVENUE AND ARE VIRTUALLY
THE SAME ONES USED BY SOFT DRINK COMPANIES AND SOAP MANUFACTURERS
TO INCREASE MARKET SHARE, GET PEOPLE TO SWITCH BRANDS, OR GO SEE A
PARTICULAR MOVIE.
LUNTZ IS GOING TO SHOW THEM VIDEO CLIPS OF PRESIDENT CLINTON
SPEECHES, STATEMENTS, AND TESTIMONY ON THE MONICA LEWINSKY
SCANDAL, AND HE IS ASKING THEM TO RECORD THEIR REACTION, USING ONE
OF THESE ELECTRONIC GADGETS.
>> Luntz: RIGHT AS THEY SPEAK, I WANT YOU TO REACT TO THIS.
THE MORE YOU AGREE, I BELIEVE, THE HIGHER YOU'LL PUSH YOUR DIAL.
AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO GIVE IT A TEN.
AND THE MORE YOU DISBELIEVE AND DISAGREE, THE LOWER YOUR DIALS
SHOULD GO.
>> Kroft: WHILE THE AUDIENCE WATCHES THE PRESIDENT'S PERFORMANCE,
ITS REACTION IS BEING MEASURED SENTENCE BY SENTENCE, IDEA BY IDEA,
AND TRANSLATED ELECTRONICALLY TO A TELEVISION SCREEN SO LUNTZ CAN
SEE HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING: RED FOR DEMOCRATS, GREEN
FOR REPUBLICANS, WHITE FOR INDEPENDENTS.
>> Luntz: IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN E.K.G. IT GETS INSIDE YOUR HEART AND
INSIDE YOUR HEAD.
SO WE KNOW HOW THEY'RE REACTING TO EVERY WORD, TO EVERY PHRASE, TO
EVEN FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.
>> Kroft: TO FIND OUT WHAT IS WORKING FOR THE PRESIDENT AND WHAT'S
NOT, LUNTZ DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO LISTEN.
HE JUST FAST-FORWARDS THROUGH THE TAPES WATCHING FOR THE SQUIGGLY
LINES THAT GO WAY UP OR WAY DOWN.
THIS IS THE PRESIDENT'S FOUR- MINUTE SPEECH THE NIGHT HE TESTIFIED
BEFORE THE GRAND JURY.
>> Luntz: THAT REACTION? SMALL AMONG DEMOCRATS, BIGGER AMONG
INDEPENDENTS, HUGE AMONG REPUBLICANS.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE SAID IN THAT SIX-SECOND SEGMENT THAT CAUSED
SUCH A NEGATIVE REACTION. WHAT DID HE SAY?
>> Luntz: I DON'T KNOW.
>> Kroft: LET'S PULL IT BACK AND SEE.
>> Luntz: OH.
>> Clinton: I ANSWERED THEIR QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY, INCLUDING
QUESTIONS ABOUT MY PRIVATE LIFE; QUESTIONS NO AMERICAN CITIZEN
WOULD EVER WANT TO ANSWER.
>> Luntz: "ANSWERED QUESTIONS TRUTHFULLY." NOBODY BELIEVES HIM.
"ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS PRIVATE LIFE THAT NO AMERICAN WOULD
WANT TO ANSWER" AND IT GOES POSITIVE.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND.
WHENEVER THE ISSUE COMES UP TO HONESTY AND TRUTH, BILL CLINTON
LOSES.
>> Clinton: IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR MEANING OF THE WORD "IS" IS.
>>
(LAUGHTER)>> Kroft: BUT LUNTZ WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE DOING THIS KIND
OF RESEARCH.
THE NEXT TIME THE PRESIDENT SPOKE OUT ABOUT THE LEWINSKY SCANDAL,
THREE WEEKS LATER AT A PRAYER BREAKFAST, ALL THAT TALK ABOUT TRUTH
AND FULL DISCLOSURE THAT HAD GOTTEN SUCH A NEGATIVE RESPONSE FROM
THE FOCUS GROUP IN ST. LOUIS HAD DISAPPEARED FROM THE PR
ESIDENTIAL VOCABULARY.
>> Clinton: I DON'T THINK THERE IS A FANCY WAY TO SAY THAT I HAVE
SINNED.
>> Kroft: DO YOU THINK SOMEONE DID THIS TEST AND SHOWED THE
RESULTS TO BILL CLINTON OR TO HIS TOP ADVISORS?
>> Luntz: I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE DID INSTANT RESPONSE.
I'M ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THEY DID WORD TESTING AND MESSAGE
TESTING, TRADITIONAL POLLING, TO HELP HIM THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
>> Kroft: AND WHY IS LUNTZ SO SURE?
>> Luntz: THERE'S NOTHING THAT I DO THAT THE DEMOCRATS DON'T DO.
POLITICS IS CHESS. AND I GOT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING IF I'M
GOING TO DO IT WELL FROM MY SIDE.
>> Kroft: THE PRESIDENT'S POLLSTERS, MARK PENN AND DOUG SCHOEN,
HAVE DONE WORD AND MESSAGE TESTING FOR THE PRESIDENT ON THE
LEWINSKY SCANDAL, BUT THEY DECIDED NOT TO LET US INTO ANY OF THEIR
POLLING SESSIONS OR TO DISCUSS SPECIFICALLY WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
SO WE WENT TO SOMEONE WHO SHOULD HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.
UNTIL DICK MORRIS GOT CAUGHT IN HIS OWN SEX SCANDAL, HE WAS THE
PRESIDENT'S GRAND MASTER OF POLLING AND STRATEGY AND HIS CLOSEST
POLITICAL CONFIDANT.
HOW MUCH HAS PRESIDENT CLINTON USED POLLS?
>> Morris: PRESIDENT CLINTON USES POLLS ABOUT AS MUCH AS HE USES
RESPIRATION.
HE POLLS AS OFTEN AS HE BREATHES. I... HE...
>> Kroft: EVERY DAY?
>> Morris: DURING PERIODS OF CRISIS, EVERY DAY.
>> Kroft: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S POLLED ON?
>> Morris: OH, I THINK HE'S POLLED ON EVERYTHING.
I DON'T THINK THERE IS A SINGLE AREA OF AMERICAN LIFE THAT HE HAS
NOT POLLED ON.
>> Kroft: MORRIS SAYS HE EVEN USED POLLING TO ADVISE THE PRESIDENT
ON WHERE TO TAKE HIS ELECTION-YEAR VACATION.
HIS RECOMMENDATION: DON'T GO BACK TO BACK TO MARTHA'S VINEYARD.
TOO MANY RICH PEOPLE.
>> Morris: I SAID, "HEY, MR.
PRESIDENT, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO THE MOUNTAINS, GO CAMPING, GO
COOKING OVER AN OPEN FIRE.
STRESS YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE ALL THAT."
>> Kroft: AND THE PRESIDENT DID, ACCORDING TO MORRIS, WITHOUT MUCH
ENTHUSIASM.
>> Clinton: HELLO.
>> Kroft: BUT A LOT OF THE POLLING MORRIS COMMISSIONED FOR THE
PRESIDENT WAS TO HELP HIM SELL SOME UNPOPULAR PROGRAMS THAT THE
PRESIDENT BELIEVED IN, LIKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND SENDING TROOPS
TO BOSNIA.
>> Morris: PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT THE POLITICIAN IS GOING TO SAY,
"I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE ISSUE.
LET ME JUST STICK UP MY FINGER, SEE WHICH WAY THE WIND IS BLOWING
AND THEN I'LL TAKE THAT POSITION." THAT'S A SILLY WAY TO USE
POLLING, AND IT'S USUALLY WRONG.
IT USUALLY DOESN'T WORK.
THE RIGHT WAY TO DO POLLING IS TO SAY "THIS IS WHAT I'M FOR.
NOW HOW CAN I GET THE PEOPLE TO AGREE WITH ME?
HOW DO I SELL IT?">> Kroft: IS THAT WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT,
SELLING?
>> Morris: WELL, ALL OF POLITICS IN A DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT SELLING.
AND IF YOU IGNORE THE SELLING, THEN YOU LOSE, AND YOU CAN'T DO
ANYTHING.
>> Kroft: AND POLITICS IS JUST ADAPTED MARKET RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO SELL POTATO CHIPS AND SHAMPOO AND
EVERYTHING ELSE.
RIGHT?
>> Morris: NO, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A FAIR COMPARISON, BECAUSE
WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL POTATO CHIPS, ALL YOU CAN DO IS CHANGE
THE WRAPPING AND THE PACKAGING AND THE COLOR AND THE PRICE.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE POTATO CHIP.
HERE WE CHANGE THE POTATO CHIP.
>> Kroft: AND THE POLITICAL POLLSTERS MAKE THOSE CHANGES WITH THE
SUBTLETIES OF LANGUAGE.
THEY CAN CHANGE A CLIENT'S POSITION BY SIMPLY CHANGING A FEW
WORDS.
AND EACH WORD IS TESTED FOR THE APPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE.
>> Luntz: WHICH OF THESE WORDS MATTERS MOST TO YOU?
HOW MANY OF YOU PICK "VALUES"?
>> Kroft: THE NET EFFECT, SOMETIMES EVEN THE OBJECTIVE, IS TO BLUR
THE POLITICAL DIALOGUE, TO FUZZ IT UP WITH CATCH PHRASES AND BUZZ
WORDS THAT MARKET RESEARCH SAYS PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR.
>> Luntz: FAMILY?
WE HAVE A WINNER WITH FAMILY.
>> Morris: ULTIMATELY, A PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH IS LIKE THE ALL-TIME
GREATEST HITS: THE OLDIES BUT GOODIES.
>> Kroft: FEW PEOPLE HAVE SPENT MORE TIME STUDYING THE RISE OF
POLITICAL POLLSTERS AND THEIR EFFECT ON AMERICAN POLITICS THAN
PROFESSOR LARRY SABATO, A POLITICAL SCIENTIST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
VIRGINIA AND THE AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT-- A
SUBJECT, HE SAYS, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT.
>> Sabato: I THINK THEY WOULD BE TRULY SHOCKED IF THEY KNEW THE
DEGREE TO WHICH THE POLLSTERS AND THE POLITICIANS WERE HOLDING UP
A MIRROR TO THEMSELVES AND JUST PARROTING BACK WHAT THEY SAY AND
WHAT THEY THINK.
>> Kroft: SO THEY'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY PUBLIC OPINION, IN TERMS
OF MANIPULATE IT?
>> Sabato: OH, ABSOLUTELY.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MANIPULATION.
>> Kroft: LET'S TAKE THE IMPEACHMENT ISSUE.
DO YOU SEE THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TRYING TO MANIPULATE
THAT?
>> Sabato: YEAH.
>> Kroft: THROUGH POLLING?
>> Sabato: I THINK A LOT OF IT HAS HAD TO DO WITH THE PHRASES THAT
ARE USED BY THE WHITE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES OR THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE
THE WHITE HOUSE CAMP THAT GO ON TELEVISION.
>> Kroft: SO WHILE THE REPUBLICANS WERE HAMMERING AWAY WITH
PERJURY AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, THE DEMOCRATS CAME UP WHICH
PROVED TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE.
>> Rahm Emmanuel: IT IS A PRIVATE WRONG.
>> James Carville: I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PRIVATE BILL CLINTON, THE
BILL CLINTON I KNOW.
>> BECAUSE THERE IS A CONTRITION IN HIS OWN PRIVATE LIFE.
>> Sabato: THEY'VE LEARNED TO SAY THAT PRIVATE LIVES ARE SEPARATE
FROM PUBLIC LIFE.
THAT WORKS WITH THE PUBLIC, FOR EXAMPLE.
>> Kroft: AND YOU THINK THAT PRIVATE LIFE IS SOMETHING THEY'VE
PICKED UP FROM POLLS.
>> Sabato: OH, YEAH.
I'VE HEARD THAT REPEATEDLY.
AND OF COURSE THAT PHRASE IS RIGHT OUT OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S
SPEECH ON AUGUST 17.
>> Clinton: EVEN PRESIDENTS HAVE PRIVATE LIVES.
>> Morris: IN A FOUR-MINUTE SPEECH, HE USED THE WORD "PRIVATE" SIX
TIMES.
PRIVATE...
PRIVATE...
PRIVATE LIVES...
>> Morris: AND THAT IS A THEME THAT'S PROBABLY BEEN IDENTIFIED IN
THE POLLING.
>> Kroft: THE LAST TIME DICK MORRIS TOOK A POLL FOR THE WHITE
HOUSE WAS ON JANUARY 21 OF THIS YEAR, THE SAME DAY THE MONICA
LEWINSKY SCANDAL BROKE.
HE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PRESIDENT.
>> Morris: WE AREN'T GOING TO TALK ABOUT THOSE TONIGHT.
>> Kroft: BUT HE DID TALK TO A FEDERAL GRAND JURY ABOUT THOSE
CONVERSATIONS UNDER OATH.
AND KENNETH STARR RELAYED MORRIS' TESTIMONY TO CONGRESS.
>> Starr: MR. MORRIS SUGGESTED THAT THE PRESIDENT PUBLICLY
CONFESS.
THE PRESIDENT SAID, "WHAT ABOUT THE LEGAL THING?"
>> Kroft: MORRIS SUGGESTED THEY TAKE A POLL, AND THE PRESIDENT
AGREED.
BY THE TIME HE CALLED BACK THE PRESIDENT WITH THE RESULTS, HE HAD
IDENTIFIED SEVERAL WORDS THE PUBLIC DIDN'T LIKE.
HE STATED THAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO FORGIVE
ADULTERY, BUT NOT PERJURY OR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE.
>> Srr: THE PRESIDENT REPLIED, "WELL, WE JUST HAVE TO WIN THEN."
>> Kroft: THE PRESIDENT SAYS HE DOESN'T RECALL MAKING THAT
STATEMENT, BUT HE CONFIRMED THAT THE CONVERSATION HAD TAKEN PLACE
AND THE POLL RESULTS DISCUSSED.
DID CLINTON RELY ON THEM TO DECIDE WHETHER HE SHOULD TELL THE
TRUTH?
KENNETH STARR BELIEVES SO.
DICK MORRIS WON'T SAY.
BUT IT IS CLEAR THAT BY POSTPONING HIS CONFESSION FOR SEVEN
MONTHS, THE PRESIDENT WAS ABLE TO BUY SOME TIME AND CHANGE THE WAY
THE PUBLIC LOOKED AT THE SCANDAL.
>> Morris: I THINK IT TOOK PEOPLE A WHILE TO GET USED TO THE IDEA
THAT CLINTON COMMITTED ADULTERY IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND THAT HE
HAD LIED ABOUT IT IN HIS DEPOSITION.
AND I THINK THAT THE PASSIVE PART OF THE PRESIDENT'S STRATEGY WAS
TO BASICALLY GIVE THE PUBLIC TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT ON ITS OWN
BEFORE HE ACTUALLY RATIFIED IT.
>> Sabato: I THINK THIS IS THE MOST CALCULATING OF PRESIDENTS AND
POLITICIANS.
AND HE'S LEARNED FROM MANY CRISES THAT IF YOU BUY TIME,
CIRCUMSTANCES MAY CHANGE.
PUBLIC OPINION MAY CHANGE.
SO I CAN EASILY BELIEVE THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
CROSSED HIS MIND THAT LED TO THE ORIGINAL LIE.
>> Kroft: JUST DRAG IT OUT, AND LET PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IT TO DEATH.
>> Sabato: EXACTLY.
>> Kroft: NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE PRESIDENT'S CURRENT POLLSTER DOUG
SCHOEN THINKS THAT CONCLUSION IS UNTRUE AND BLATANTLY UNFAIR.
AND THAT PUBLIC OPINION HAS SAVED THE COUNTRY FROM AN OVERZEALOUS
PROSECUTOR AND THE MEDIA ELITE.
>> Schoen: I CAN TELL, ON THE ISSUE OF WHAT THIS ISSUE IS ABOUT,
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IT IS ABOUT SEX AND SEX ALONE.
AND IN THEIR VIEW, IT IS A RELATIVELY UNIMPORTANT MATTER, COMPARED
TO THE LARGE ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY.
>> Kroft: NOW, DID THE PEOPLE COME TO THAT CONCLUSION THEMSELVES?
OR WERE THEY HELPED ALONG BY PUBLIC OPINION RESEARCH?
>> Schoen: I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE CAME TO THAT IMPRESSION ON
THEIR OWN.
AND I THINK THE GOOD JUDGMENT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THIS ISSUE
IS REALLY A TESTIMONY TO THEIR INDEPENDENCE, FROM THE SO- CALLED,
ALL-PERVASIVE MEDIA.
>> Kroft: IT IS EASY TO OVER- EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF
POLLSTERS.
IT IS NOT SO MUCH A SCIENCE AS AN ART, A TOOL TO HELP LEADERSHIP
DEFINE THE PUBLIC WILL, AND ITS PROPONENTS SAY THAT'S THE POINT OF
DEMOCRACY.
BUT LIKE IT OR NOT, IT HAS ALSO TURNED THE ELECTORATE INTO ONE
MORE MARKETPLACE.
IT'S THE WAY THE SYSTEM WORKS, AND IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
>> Sabato: WELL, TRAGICALLY, THE POLITICIANS WHO TEND TO WIN ARE
THE ONES WHO USE POLLS THE MOST AND THE BEST.
AND THAT'S BEEN OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE WHO'S WATCHED THE SYSTEM.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY THEY WANT STRAIGHTFORWARD CANDIDATES WHO TELL
THEM THE HARD TRUTH.
NO, THEY DON'T.
NO, THEY DON'T.
THEY WANT CANDIDATES WHO TELL THEM ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY WANT TO
HEAR.
AND THE POLLS REVEAL WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS TO HEAR.
As you take every breath, the political mobs have their mass
mind control machine plotting how they are going to control the
minds of the Lemmings.
You have one of their elephant or donkey badges, they already have their
ring in
your nose.
.
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