Mean Joe Green

Hats off to Grist's Amanda Griscom Little for a great interview with GOP pollster and Republican spinmeister Frank Luntz. Luntz, (who is kind of like George Lakoff's alter ego), is the guy credited with adding "death tax" to the lexicon and who, early in his dubious career, helped craft Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America." One thing is clear from the interview: Luntz can't stand environmentalists, who he says are not nice people. They're mean, mean, mean. You may not agree with much of what Luntz has to say, but I think he makes a couple valid points. Mostly, though, it's the window to his worldview that makes the exercise worthwhile. I'd urge folks to read it. As Luntz sees it:

The problem the environmental community has is they don't listen to their opponents. When I do my research, I spend more time studying the opposition argument because that's what I need to respond to.