Read up on Luntz, then consider this excerpt from former Bush staffer John DiIulio's letter to Esquire describing working in the Bush White House:

In eight months, I heard many, many staff discussions, but not three meaningful, substantive policy discussions. There were no actual policy white papers on domestic issues. There were, truth be told, only a couple of people in the West Wing who worried at all about policy substance and analysis, and they were even more overworked than the stereotypical, non-stop, 20-hour-a-day White House staff. Every modern presidency moves on the fly, but, on social policy and related issues, the lack of even basic policy knowledge, and the only casual interest in knowing more, was somewhat breathtaking -- discussions by fairly senior people who meant Medicaid but were talking Medicare; near-instant shifts from discussing any actual policy pros and cons to discussing political communications, media strategy, et cetera. Even quite junior staff would sometimes hear quite senior staff pooh-pooh any need to dig deeper for pertinent information on a given issue.

Better yet, read his whole letter. The article is here. Strongly recommended reading.

Frank Luntz has been very successful. I can understand his desire to step to the other side of the board and play chess with himself. Personally, I'd rather he didn't. The fundamental politics-over-policy approach of the sort of government that results from his tactics is to me the single most disturbing problem in this country today, far more than any single issue on the table.

Problem is, those tactics work so well because the American public can't be bothered to actually listen. "Boring," they say, "can you just give me a soundbite please?" I guess we do get the government we deserve.

Pfft. Now I'm depressed.