PROTESTERS GATHERED IN ARIZONA THIS WEEKEND TO PROTEST AND CAST
DOUBT ON THE LEGITIMACY OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS THERE.
WHY? BECAUSE THEIR CANDIDATE IS
LOSING. >> I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT WE
NEED TO JUST HAVE A NEW ELECTION AT THIS POINT AND WE NEED TO DO
PAPER BALLOTS AND DO IT ALL IN ONE DAY AND BE DONE WITH IT.
IT'S AN ABSURD NOTION TO PLAY THE CHARADE AND ACT LIKE AFTER
THIS COUNTING WE WON'T HAVE TAINTED RESULTS EITHER WAY.
>> BUT DEMOCRACY IS NOT A STATIC THING AS WE KNOW, IT LIVES AND
BREATHES AND MUST CONSTANTLY BE DEFENDED AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD
DESTROY IT. WE'RE STILL A YOUNG COUNTRY AND
ON NOVEMBER 8th MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WENT TO THE POLLS AND
DID THAT. A LOT OF FOLKS GOT IT WRONG.
SO HOW DID THE PUNDITS AND POLL WATCHERS GET IT SO WRONG?
ONE OF THEM HERE IS FRANK LUNTZ, HE TWEETED OUT, WHEN THE DUST
SETTLES THE GOP WILL HAVE BETWEEN 223, 230 HOUSE SEATS.
REPUBLICANS WILL ALSO TAKE CONTROL OF THE SENATE.
LET'S BRING IN THE MAN BEHIND THAT TWEET MR. FRANK LUNTZ.
>> AND I ACKNOWLEDGED ON TWEETS SINCE THEN.
I DON'T SEE ANY POLLSTERS SHOWING UP.
WHERE ARE YOU? >> YOU ARE.
HOW DID SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING YOU, GET IT SO WRONG?
AS I SAID IN THE BEGINNING THERE, WE TEND TO OVERINDEX,
WE'VE BEEN DOING IT SINCE 2016, OVER INDEXING THE MAGA PART OF
THE ELECTORATE. >> THERE'S A FEAR THEY DID NOT
INCLUDE ENOUGH REPUBLICANS IN THEIR SAMPLES.
BECAUSE WE KNEW FROM 2016, 2018, AND 2020, THAT TRUMP VOTERS
TENDED NOT TO RESPOND TO POLLSTERS BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT
THE RESULTS WOULD BE USED AGAINST THEM.
THERE'S AN EFFORT TO, AS YOU SAY, OVER INDEX, THAT'S NUMBER
ONE. NUMBER TWO PEOPLE CAME TO THE
POLLS AND DECIDED ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
ABOUT 8% COMES IN UNDECIDED AND HAS TO DECIDE AT THAT MOMENT.
THEY WANT TO VOTE ONE WAY AND END UP VOTING THE OTHER.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? >> Reporter: THEY COME IN AND
THINK I'M GOING TO VOTE REPUBLICAN.
AND THEN THEY GO AND HAVE TO DECIDE DO THEY PULL THE BALLOTS
OR DO THEY WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT BY VOTING DEMOCRAT?
8% OF THE POPULATION COMES IN AND MAY CHANGE THEIR MINDS.
THIRD IS THAT THE INDEPENDENTS, AND THIS IS WHERE THE
REPUBLICANS HAVE TO TAKE VERY CLOSE ANALYSIS TO.
THE INDEPENDENTS USUALLY BREAK 55/45 REPUBLICAN.
IF THEY BREAK 60/40, REPUBLICANS WIN.
IN THIS CASE THEY BROKE 50/50. THAT'S A REAL PROBLEM FOR THE
GOP. IT'S A DROP.
AND ONE MORE, REPUBLICANS GOT 5 MILLION MORE VOTES FOR THE HOUSE
THAN THE DEMOCRATS. 5 MILLION.
SO WHY DON'T THE RESULTS SHOW THEMSELVES IN THE CONGRESSIONAL
RACES? THE ANSWER, REDISTRICTING.
THAT HAD A BIGGER IMPACT AGAINST THE GOP THAN ANYBODY REALIZED
AND YOU COULD NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL ELECTION DAY.
>> YOU BROUGHT UP INDEPENDENTS, RIGHT.
AND ONE OF THE SPLITS WAS 49/47, YOU SAID 50/50, BUT WE GET THE
GIST. "THE WASHINGTON JOURNAL"
EDITORIAL BOARD WRITES THE MESSAGE COULDN'T BE CLEARER,
INDEPENDENT VOTERS MAY BE UNHAPPY WITH THE DIRECTION OF
THE COUNTRY BUT THEY DIDN'T TRUST THE GOP ENOUGH TO GIVE
THEM POWER. THEY GO ON TO SAY THAT PARTY
WILL HAVE TO ADJUST POLICY ON ABORTION AND MESSAGE FOR 2024.
>> YOU CAN NEVER ASK PEOPLE TO ADJUST THEIR POLICIES BASED ON
ELECTIONS. SOMETIMES PRINCIPLES, SOMETIMES
PRINCIPLES ARE MORE IMPORTANT. YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE EVEN IF THEY DISAGREE WITH YOU ON THEIR
PRINCIPLE YOU'RE WORTHY OF THEIR SUPPORT.
SO I CHALLENGE CHANGING THEIR POSITION.
THAT SAID THEY HAVE TO ACCEPT IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE THAT STRICT
ON ABORTION, THEY'RE GOING TO TURN OFF YOUNGER VOTERS WHICH
VOTED OVERWHELMINGLY DEMOCRAT. AND THEY'RE GOING TO TURN OFF
WOMEN. WHICH VOTED SIGNIFICANTLY
DEMOCRATIC. AND THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.
THERE ARE TIMES YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE POLLS.
THERE ARE TIMES YOU LOOK PEOPLE STRAIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAY
ENOUGH. I HEAR YOU, I KNOW WHERE YOU
STAND, I'M SIMPLY AGAINST IT. BUT ACCEPT WHAT HAPPENS ON
ELECTION DAY. >> SINCE YOU MENTIONED ELECTION
VOTERS I WANT TO GET TO THIS. A PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER SAID I
WAS TELLING POTUS THE STREETS WERE NOT SAYING WHAT THE POLLS
WERE SAYING AND YOUNG PEOPLE WERE COMING OUT.
>> THAT'S A GIVEN. THAT'S NOT SO INSIGHT -- I DON'T
WANT TO BE CRITICAL OF THAT PERSON.
YEAH, THE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE VOTING BUT THEY STILL VOTE ON A
SMALLER PERCENTAGE THAN THEIR PARENTS AND A TINY PERCENTAGE
COMPARED TO THEIR GRANDPARENTS. SO TO ME, I WANT TO LOOK
FORWARD. I WANT TO TAKE WHERE WE STAND
RIGHT NOW AND FOCUS ON WHAT IT MEANS OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
AND NEXT FEW MONTHS. EVERYBODY IS REHASHING THE PAST.
AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE HAD ENOUGH OF DONALD TRUMP.
HE WASN'T REHASHING LAST WEEK, HE WAS REHASHING WHAT HAPPENED
TWO YEARS AGO. WE NEED TO LOOK FORWARD.
THAT'S WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE ASKING OF ALL OF US.
IT'S DONE, WE VOTED, WE HAVE A REALLY, REALLY SPLIT GOVERNMENT
RIGHT NOW. NOW LET'S MOVE FORWARD AND SEE
IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE. >> I WANT TO GET TO THE TRUMP
ASPECT OF THIS. I KNOW YOU DID A FOCUS GROUP
THIS WEEKEND ON WHO PEOPLE PREFER.
I THINK PEOPLE DO NOT TRUST POLLS RIGHT NOW.
>> WE SHOULDN'T. >> HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
>> YOU DON'T. >> THE POLLING IS IRRELEVANT IS
WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? >> YOU SPEND TOO MUCH TIME
FOCUSED ON WHO'S GOING TO WIN AND LOSE AND TRYING TO PREDICT
THAT. >> ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU DO?
>> I DON'T DO THAT. I HAVEN'T WORKED IN A POLITICAL
CAMPAIGN IN MORE THAN A DECADE. I USED THE NUMBERS GIVEN TO ME
BY THE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE AND THE
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE --
>> HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT, YOUR TWEET SAID BEFORE I PREDICT THIS
GROUP TO WIN -- >> YES.
BASED ON THEIR POLLING, NOT MY POLLING.
>> HERE'S MY QUESTION ON THAT. PEOPLE ARE SAYING THE MEDIA SAID
THIS, PUNDITS SAID THIS, DEMOCRATS ALSO THOUGHT THEY
WEREN'T GOING TO FAREWELL TUESDAY NIGHT, THEY'RE HAPPY
THEY DID, BUT THEY WERE BRACING FOR LOSSES.
HOW DO THEIR POLLSTERS FIX THIS? IS THERE ANY POINT IN POLLING IF
YOU CAN'T GET IT RIGHT? >> WHAT A GREAT QUESTION TO THE
MEDIA. >> VERY GOOD QUESTION.
>> STOP FOCUSSING ON WHO'S UP AND DOWN, AND START TRYING TO
UNDERSTAND WHY. GIVE US INSIGHT.
GIVE US INFORMATION THAT WE CAN USE.
PEOPLE WATCH THIS SHOW BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE INFORMED BY GIVING
YOU THEIR TEN OR 15 OR 30 MINUTES.
THEY WATCH BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY
WANT TO STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL THE EVENTS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO PROJECT THE FUTURE.
THEY WANT TO FULLY AND COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENT. SO LET'S GO BACK TO USING
POLLING FOR WHAT IT WAS MEANT TO DO.
INSIGHT, INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE, AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY, WISDOM.
YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT FOCUS GROUP.
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. >> WE DO BECAUSE YOU SPOKE TO
THESE ARE TRUMP VOTERS. >> YES, ALL OF THEM.
>> HERE'S WHAT THEY THINK THEY WANT 2024 TO LOOK LIKE.
>> TO ME HE'S A MORE POLISHED VERSION OF TRUMP.
WILLING TO FIGHT BACK AND GO AFTER IT BUT DOING IT IN A WAY
HE DOESN'T DEGRADE OR SAY THINGS THAT ARE JUST OFF PUTTING.
>> THAT'S TALKING ABOUT DeSANTIS?
>> YES. AND ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THEM.
THEY ALL VOTED FOR TRUMP TWO YEARS AGO AND ALMOST ALL OF THEM
WOULD VOTE FOR DeSANTIS TODAY. THEY APPRECIATE WHAT TRUMP DID.
THEY APPRECIATE HIS AGENDA BUT THEY DON'T APPRECIATE HIM AS A
PERSON AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY WORN OUT WITH HIM AS A PERSON.
AND I BELIEVE IF TRUMP GOES AHEAD AND ANNOUNCES TOMORROW, HE
DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORLD THAT HAS BEEN CREATED OVER THE
LAST WEEK. AND TRUMP'S VICIOUS BRUTAL
ATTACKS NOT JUST OF DeSANTIS BUT ALSO OF THE GLEN YOUNGKIN, THE
GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA, THE REPUBLICANS ARE BEGINNING TO
SAY, OKAY, ENOUGH ALREADY. >> WHO HE INSULTED WITH A RACIST
SLUR. >> YES.
I APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DID. I RESPECT WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH,
BUT GO HOME. >> WHAT ELSE DID YOU LEARN?
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE LOVE HAVING YOU IS, BECAUSE
YOU'LL BE SO CANDID ABOUT WHEN I GOT IT WRONG BUT ALSO BECAUSE
YOU SPEND SO MUCH OF YOUR TIME SPEAKING WITH THESE PEOPLE.
WHAT ELSE DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT FOCUS GROUP THAT SURPRISED
YOU? >> WE DID A STUDY FOR THE
AMERICAN CONSERVATION COALITION ABOUT CLIMATE.
AN EXAMPLE. THE REPUBLICANS SEEM TO BE
HOSTILE TO CLIMATE LEGISLATION. THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN PARTICULAR
AND THE PARTY IN GENERAL HAS TO TACKLE CLIMATE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY HAVE TO GO ALL IN WITH THE BIDEN
PROPOSAL. IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE TO
SHUT OFF EXPLORATION FOR ENERGY. BUT IT DOES MEAN IF THEY DON'T
RESPECT AND APPRECIATE AND MAKE SPECIFIC TANGIBLE EFFORTS ON THE
CLIMATE ISSUE, THEN THE VOTERS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO REJECT
THEM. IT'S NOT JUST CLIMATE, IT'S THE
ECONOMY, IT'S TAXES, IT'S ON THE BUDGET.
>> IT'S ON ABORTION. WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME HERE.
SO EVERYONE ASKS TRUMPISM IS OVER, RIGHT?
IS THIS THE LAST GASP OF TRUMPISM?
>> THIS IS FRIDAY THE 13th PARTY 15.
FREDDY ALWAYS COMES BACK JUST WHEN YOU THINK HE'S DONE.
>> DIDN'T WE SAY WE SHOULDN'T BE PROJECTING WHAT HAPPENED.
>> THAT'S AS FAR AS WINNERS BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE DONORS
RUNNING AWAY FROM HIM, THE TRUMP SUPPORTED RIGHT WING MEDIA, THE
MURDOCH MEDIA MOVING AWAY FROM TRUMP, I THINK THAT'S A FAIR
QUESTION. ARE PEOPLE JUST OVER IT?
ARE THEY OVER IT? >> THEY'RE OVER THE LANGUAGE,
THEY'RE OVER THE MEANNESS, THE UGLINESS.
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, I'LL GIVE YOU ONE WORD TO CLOSE THE
SEGMENT. UNITY.
THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW AND THE MORE WE CAN
HELP THEM ACHIEVE THAT, THE BETTER GOOD WE ARE DOING.
>> I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. WE HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE VOTERS
DECIDE. THANK YOU, FRANK.
APPRECIATE IT.