Obama Calls on Frank Luntz to Spin Ebola Crisis
The average person doesnât have to know who Frank Luntz is to be affected byÂ his work. The Fox News commentator and GOP analyst shaped Newt Gingrichâs Contract With AmericaÂ and changedÂ the relatively benign public perception of the estate tax, by renaming it the death tax. His talent is turning opinions around, and now it seems even President Obama is seeking LuntzâÂ rebranding skillsÂ toÂ help change Americansâ increasinglyÂ negative impressions regarding the administrationâsÂ mishandling of the Ebola crisis, the latest in aÂ long list of Obamaâs disasters. Taking the âif you canât beat âem, join âemâ attitude, Obama has apparently turned to LuntzGlobal.com to spin his disastrous Ebola crisis management strategy in the opposite direction, hoping to bolster his gloomy approval rating numbers. During a daily press briefing yesterday, reporters questionedÂ White House Press Secretary Josh EarnestÂ about the lack of pro-active leadershipÂ that seems to surround the Presidentâs strategy in dealing with Ebola. Â Earnest disagreed with the tone of the questions, detailingÂ steps the President has taken to offer âall the federal resources we have at our disposalâ to aid and assist state and local health agencies. âI donât agree with this negative spin,â said Earnest. âEven Frank Luntz is surprised at the level ofÂ public pushback regardingÂ the Presidentâs efforts.â Â Immediately questioned by a number of reporters on whether LuntzÂ wasÂ called in to adviseÂ the President, Earnest replied, âThere has been some contact made; there have been some discussions.â When pressed further, Earnest would only remarkÂ âWe are not in a position to comment on the specifics of what meetings took place between the administration and Frank Luntz. The President is working very hard to manageÂ many difficult issues; getting the economy back on track, the dismantling of ISIL, and the latest Ebola crisis which he is fully in control of and apprised of.â Many GOP insiders have reacted with stunned disbelief. Â Arizona Senator John McCain remarked âNow weâve gone from âleading from behindâ to âspinning from behind. I guess thatâs what you call this kind of desperate move by the President.â Â Former Alaska Governor and McCain running mate Sarah Palin took to Facebook and remarked: âDo we have a traitor in our midsts? Â Say it isnât so Frank Luntz, that you would turn your very back on us and join the enemy camp? Â I urge you to reexamine and reload yourself with the real Americans and their struggles with this new frightfully misguided lack of preparedness and leadership skill from Obama concerning the growingÂ Ebola eventuality.â Time will tell if Obamaâs strategy of âreaching across the aisleâ â proven ineffective so far â will produce the positive spin he so desperately seeks in the waning days of his presidency, asÂ results of the Luntz/Obama alignmentÂ have not yet been seen. Â New Ebola outbreaks have been reported, most visibly in New York City on Thursday, with little direct comment or involvement from the White House, although state officials in New York seem to suggest that they are doing just fineÂ without relying on the Obama administration for guidance or assistance in handling the growing crisis.