Frank Luntz Quotes

Powerful Frank Luntz for Daily Growth

About Frank Luntz

Frank Luntz, born on October 18, 1963, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an influential American pollster, communications consultant, and television personality. Known for his work in political strategy and public opinion research, Luntz has been a key figure in shaping political discourse and campaign messaging for over three decades. Raised in a Jewish family, Luntz developed a keen interest in politics from a young age. He attended Pennsylvania State University, where he majored in Speech Communications. After college, Luntz worked as a speechwriter for U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and later joined the Republican National Committee as a consultant during the 1988 Presidential election. In 1984, Luntz founded Frank Luntz & Company (now LuntzGlobal), a bipartisan research and communications firm that has advised numerous political figures, including Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. The company is renowned for its focus group research, which involves conducting live interviews to gauge public opinion on various topics. One of Luntz's most significant contributions is the "ValueMessage Test," a method that identifies the most effective words and phrases for political messages based on audience reaction during focus groups. His work has led to several notable phrases becoming part of the American political lexicon, such as "the Democratic Party's War on Religious Values" and "the Republican Party's Contract with America." Luntz is also a best-selling author and television personality. His books, including "What Americans Really Want...Really: The Truth About the American Dream and the American Nightmare," provide insights into public opinion and offer strategies for effective communication. Luntz has appeared as a political analyst on numerous television programs, including CNN's "State of the Union." Despite his polarizing presence in American politics, Frank Luntz continues to influence public discourse and campaign strategy with his unique approach to understanding and shaping public opinion.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Words have power. Television has brought not only a new technology, but a new philosophy: Information is king."

Frank Luntz's quote emphasizes the significant influence that words and media (specifically television) hold in our society. He suggests that information or knowledge is the ultimate power in today's world, shaped by modern technology like television. This perspective highlights the importance of clear, impactful communication to educate and shape public opinion, as well as the transformative role of media in disseminating such information rapidly and widely. In essence, Luntz underscores that words and media have the power to inform, persuade, and ultimately drive change.


"Don't tell me what you value, show me your wallet, and I'll tell you what you value."

This quote suggests that a person's actions, particularly their spending habits, can reveal more about their true values than their words alone. In other words, if someone claims to value education, for example, but does not invest in it financially, their actions may indicate that they do not truly value education as highly as they claim. The quote encourages us to look beyond declarations of values and instead consider the choices people make with their resources to understand their true priorities.


"The right words, in the right order, can change the world."

Frank Luntz's quote underscores the immense power of language in shaping perceptions, influencing decisions, and driving actions. Words are not mere sounds or symbols; they carry meaning, emotions, and cultural connotations. When carefully chosen and skillfully arranged, words can effectively communicate ideas, motivate people, and spark change on a global scale. By understanding this, we can harness the power of language to create a more positive, understanding, and progressive world.


"The single most powerful word in the English language is not 'power,' or 'love,' or 'hate.' It's 'because.' Use it every chance you get."

Frank Luntz emphasizes that the word "because" is a powerful tool in communication, as it provides reasoning and justification for one's perspective or actions. By using "because," people can create stronger arguments, establish credibility, and foster understanding by showing the connection between their statement and evidence or context. It allows individuals to express ideas more effectively and persuasively.


"If you want to persuade someone, don't start by telling them what to do or what you think they should believe. Start by asking them why."

The quote emphasizes that effective communication and persuasion are not about imposing one's own beliefs or actions upon others, but rather understanding their perspective first. By asking "why," we demonstrate empathy, curiosity, and a genuine interest in the other person's thoughts and feelings. This approach fosters an open dialogue, encourages collaboration, and builds trust, making it more likely for the other person to be receptive to our ideas or suggestions.


The challenge in working in politics, particularly if you're working for a political party, is that everyone's a messenger.

- Frank Luntz

Politics, Particularly, Messenger

Traditional market researchers are cold and calculating and scientific.

- Frank Luntz

Market, Traditional, Calculating

I've done reasonably well over the last 10 years because I took the strategy of language and politics and applied it to the corporate world, which has never been done before.

- Frank Luntz

Over, Which, Took, Corporate World

Preserving parks and open spaces is a winner because it doesn't need to be explained to everyday Americans.

- Frank Luntz

Winner, Parks, Open Spaces, Spaces

There's a lot of money with a lot of big law firms that have a tremendous amount at stake by getting the right language to convince the right jury that my client is either innocent or that the opposition is guilty.

- Frank Luntz

Law, Big, Amount, Client

There's a problem with political polling in that you have so much pressure to do what your client wants you to do and say what your client wants you to say. I've never felt that pressure. I am independent of the political parties.

- Frank Luntz

Politics, Independent, Felt, Client

The principles behind explaining and educating the product or the elected official is similar, even though the actual execution of it is very, very different.

- Frank Luntz

Behind, Similar, Actual, Explaining

We as Americans assume that big companies are bad, and big power companies are even worse.

- Frank Luntz

Big, Even Worse, Companies, Assume

It's all emotion. But there's nothing wrong with emotion. When we are in love, we are not rational; we are emotional. When we are on vacation, we are not rational; we are emotional.

- Frank Luntz

Love, Emotion, Nothing, Vacation

The fundamental problem for Republicans when it comes to the environment is that whatever you say is viewed through the prism of suspicion.

- Frank Luntz

Through, Republicans, Prism

People like me have to have the discipline only to work for clients, corporations, political people, products, services, networks that we believe in and we want to see succeed.

- Frank Luntz

Work, Clients, Like, Corporations

What matters most in politics is personality. It's not issues; it's not image. It's who you are and what you represent.

- Frank Luntz

Politics, Image, Most, Represent

There are people still in the Republican Party that I believe practice the communication of anger, of disappointment, of regret, of pain, of sorrow, of suffering. That's not what the American people want to hear.

- Frank Luntz

Pain, Practice, Still, Party

The Republican National Committee hired me, and they hired me because they wanted someone who could look members straight in the eye and tell them the truth.

- Frank Luntz

Republican, Committee, Could, Hired

There are words that work, that are meant to explain and educate on policies that work, on products that work, on services that work. I'm not going to ever try to sell a lemon. I don't do that.

- Frank Luntz

Explain, Going, Meant, Educate

Ideology and communication more often than not run into each other rather than complement each other. Principle and communication work together. Ideology and communication often work apart.

- Frank Luntz

Other, Rather, Principle, Apart

Sound science must be our guide in choosing which problems to tackle and how to approach them.

- Frank Luntz

Sound, How, Which, Tackle

In fact, in more cases than not, when we are rational, we're actually unhappy. Emotion is good; passion is good. Being into what we're into, provided that it's a healthy pursuit, it's a good thing.

- Frank Luntz

Fact, A Good Thing, Cases, Rational

We as Americans and as humans have very selective hearing and very selective memory. We only hear what we want to hear and disregard the rest.

- Frank Luntz

Memory, Rest, Very, Hearing

I don't understand why people whose entire lives or their corporate success depends on communication, and yet they are led on occasion by CEOs who cannot talk their way out of a paper bag and don't care to.

- Frank Luntz

Bag, Why, Occasion, Entire Lives

Republicans use think tanks to come up with a lot of their messages. The think tanks are the single worst, most undisciplined example of communication I've ever seen.

- Frank Luntz

Think, Republicans, Use, Messages

I have seen how effective language attached to policies that are mainstream and delivered by people who are passionate and effective can change the course of history.

- Frank Luntz

Change, Passionate, Policies, Mainstream

Eighty percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. I can change how you think, but how you feel is something deeper and stronger, and it's something that's inside you.

- Frank Luntz

Percent, Inside, Feel, Deeper

One of the things that you have trouble with politicians, particularly in Washington, is when you get mad at them and you can't touch them; you can't punch them; you can't yell at them.

- Frank Luntz

Touch, Them, Particularly, Punch

Some people call it global warming; some people call it climate change. What is the difference?

- Frank Luntz

Change, Some, Call, Climate Change

It is acceptable to bring someone to tears if it explains to them in an emotional way why a product, a service, or a candidate is the right person, is the right thing to do.

- Frank Luntz

Tears, Product, Acceptable, Candidate

When I started in this business, everybody said the Democrats were the better communicators because they sounded like social workers, and Republicans were awful because they sounded like morticians. In some cases. they actually dressed like morticians.

- Frank Luntz

Some, Everybody, Cases, Workers

Politics is gut; commercials are gut.

- Frank Luntz

Politics, Gut, Commercials

The advantage of working for a corporation is that it has only one message, because a product or a service doesn't speak; it's just there, and you can advertise it.

- Frank Luntz

Product, Message, Advantage, Advertise

A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth.

- Frank Luntz

Truth, Even, Compelling, Emotionally

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