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Dr. Frank Luntz Pollster and Political Analyst
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‘They’re all liars’: Americans debate rising political polarization

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Dr. Frank Luntz Pollster and Political Analyst
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Increasing polarization has consistently ranked as a top political concern for Americans in recent years. Americans are divided by culture, religion, policy, ethics, information sources, and at times, even by core values.

In this unique, 24-minute episode of America Speaks, political analyst and pollster Dr. Frank Luntz dives fearlessly into these myriad divisions with ordinary Americans from across the country. The resulting shouting match is sometimes difficult to listen to but ultimately reveals some of the key fears and misperceptions that divide us as a country.

Content warning: This video contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and rape.

This is probably going to be the most unique America speech you’ve ever seen. Normally, I have a teleprompter in front of me, and I’m reading lines that I wrote. But they’re still on the screen. Right now there are no lines. Because what I’m about to show you has no real explanation. If you thought that America was together, if you thought that we were unified, please, I’m asking you watch this. The next 30 minutes are going to shock and agitate and probably upset you. But this is America for real. We went to Tampa, Florida, Cleveland, Ohio, Phoenix, Arizona, Chicago, Illinois, first generation immigrants, women who normally get along with each other.

 

And all we saw was disrespect and anger, like nothing I’ve ever seen before. So to open this, let’s let me take you to Tampa, Florida, to listen to people who dined together. had an interesting conversation but the moment that cameras came on, everything came apart. Let’s listen.

 

fleeing the country they’re fleeing a war torn country. They’re coming in the right way lock your door they’re asking

 

me why do you lock your door at night?

 

Proceed. Proceed. Who am I are.

 

We have responsibility to the community.

 

It took four minutes for this to degenerate. And the group just came apart.

 

Is this America.

 

Many of you think this is America.

 

It’s happening right now.

 

In terms instead of really putting

 

your children to watch this, you think they’re gonna be proud? You think the American people gonna look in and say this is constructive? This makes me feel why why are you doing it? Why are you yelling? Why are you yelling? This is the way that American has become a broken down then be the cheat. That’s why we’re doing it. So I’m trying to do I try to own intelligent conversation. I don’t hear that I hear you interrupting. raising your voice and talking. Obviously, I’m talking. Thank you. So even that.

 

How was that being? Talking still? Yes, thankfully. Now, because I’m looking at both of you. Both of you are doing this. She’s staring at you and wants to pick a fight with you. You want to pick a fight with her intelligently. But there’s a difference between intelligent conversation and simply yelling

 

happened to them. Call the cops. And they wait 1520 30 years because they’re afraid for their careers.

 

They made that conscious choice as a woman who’s been sexually assaulted three times. I resent that. I resent that. I did not choose that. I did not did you solve the top? I was 17 I was wondering, I was just wondering why are we blaming the offenders and we allow the next person to be victimized and then that’s your next and then I stopped it I had a lead score because I was confused and I almost got my ass kicked every single day you know what I did? I just shut up and moved on. You have to have self confidence you have to come from a good home you have to have the ability to say no

 

no, no, no no.

 

And he still said that you walk away by being

 

there and he’s only

 

saying No Why are you playing why is that

 

me for the

 

decision to hold me down I’m saying no

 

you realize that the Republican Party wasn’t sponsored

 

other type volunteer Klansmen, or that we’re all racist.

 

Okay, let’s get through.

 

Because when an African American male is killed by another African American male and they know who killed that African American male their consequences. The issue is when an African American male is killed by a cop on camera, on video on film and they’re zero

 

consequences. That’s the difference.

 

Very small percentage is, is very appropriate. My grandfather and my father and one of my sons, or law enforcement have been or were our

 

cops. And it’s a constant thing. They have to be on guard at all times to understand the fear that

 

guard but it is such an overblown, says the white guy. No offense, you know what I mean?

 

Now let me take you to Cleveland, Ohio, Ohio has always been a bellwether for Republicans and Democrats in more recent years. It’s been a slightly more Republican state, but Democrats still hold statewide office there. According to our voters, however, the battle the pitch battle between the left and the right has only just started, you can barely get a word in edgewise. Listen to the conversation if you can. Because this is America at its worst.

 

like nobody’s going to do it, we don’t want them. That doesn’t matter where our embassy is like

 

that reason he doesn’t like

 

a ground

 

underground rocket to start

 

with. And you think an embassy

 

embassy is a symbology?

 

Why

 

the reality

 

of life

 

here.

 

Stan,

 

come tell you that he didn’t know how

 

to do the recovery.

 

Question would not call country shithole country versus the reality of

 

question and I’m offended.

 

This isn’t even about American politics.

 

And you were talking over him the entire time. And you were talking over her the entire time. And you didn’t listen to anything that he said. And he wasn’t listening to anything that was going on over here. If your kids saw this,

 

it would laugh at you.

 

And they would tell you never ever discipline them again.

 

You did it. All of you did it

 

and feel good about it.

 

The wives do.

 

We’ve been reduced to this by the passion that we feel for so many things. I mean, this country is falling apart.

 

I told you that’s exactly what we don’t need the way his attitude was to read the voter for a guy who makes fun of disabled people are calling. Oh, no, I’m sorry. No, no, that’s not a good answer. That’s a good answer.

 

And then you can have your chance to speak and debate it. There are no rules. There’s no rules here. Are there other words, I think someone would have put them in.

 

We got one guy screaming his brain off.

 

I’m shocked that he’s a conservative. I’ve seen some animalistic behavior. Yeah. That juveniles should say, Do you want to take back the word animals they’ll say juvenile

 

you got her dehumanizing half the group that I even say that I don’t know why he’s raised

 

up and he says all those Mexicans are rapists and murderers.

 

Say that you’re talking about what I’m talking about? He was running. Yeah, no, they said they said

 

some of them can our rate this summer.

 

They asked me what I feel.

 

I’m trying to

 

MSRP called Ms. 13. And it was not all immigrants

 

you know, liberals defend against 45 just said you know, people wish people in

 

their homes, like you they’re almost safety and just like you. God created almost sacred. I’m waiting to see the things he said about women. The things that’s happened. The fact that she’s talking I heard her she just

 

doesn’t stop it. She was actually going to answer your question your question, and I started that when she said she didn’t want to answer she was answering it after I had already.

 

What is wrong with you? CRA the CRA answering the question she told me I don’t want to

 

wait.

 

But you guys are tearing each other apart. This is the most disrespectful group.

 

This is the most disrespectful group that I’ve hosted. Since election Eve, when I did it for 60 minutes, you are the worst.

 

This country was gone. That’s what this country was based on. But

 

guess what, most people come into this country by flying in on a plane and stay in here than they do crossing the Mexican border. So we’re gonna stop planes from coming in the country.

 

My president, the United States, you should be the best of all of us. I mean, you sit there and look at like the John Kennedy’s, even this might offend a few people by Barack Obama. Barack Obama spoke in full sentences. Barack Obama didn’t assault women, Jackie.

 

I don’t think people in this room are fit to tie the President’s shoes. He’s so successful. He has followed through on almost every thing that he ran on. Everything that he ran on, like Barack Obama seemed to be anti American going and doing everything he could for every Muslim I am speaking. I did not ever interrupt you. Yes, you did. But go ahead. We think of senior citizens or grandparents or parents as people who are kind give you candy. Like everything that you do. But these Phoenix seniors could not have been meaner to each other had a lot to say. It’s the way they said it. That your concern all of us. Let’s listen.

 

There right. There’s the problem. Oh, it’s not right. No, right here. Your attitude is the problem. My attitude. Yes. I don’t want somebody telling me that my schools have to have prep schools have to have prayer in school.

 

They did not before

 

prayer in school. Why said God chooses the color of our skin? That’s all I said. Now, if you don’t say that, who’s making the choice? What if you don’t believe in God?

 

choice as an American you should do because you try and force it on everybody else. You’re making a lot of gross assumptions. I’m not making gross assumptions.

 

I’m looking at my fancy Husein anti LGBT in Indiana. So what I rest my case, it all comes down to listening to what the other person has to say. Open not to your ears and not your mouth and listen to what other people have to say then way what’s going on? They’re all liars. They all lie. Okay, then what do you think everybody says about United aggressive and brutal and, and all this stuff but you sound condescending was Obama but you couldn’t stand to watch that guy. He just looked down on top of everybody. Trump will get down in the dirt and work with you so

 

that you aren’t respect but you have a president who takes on women, minorities, everything but wiped away was the election and he Why didn’t you guys handle that he didn’t

 

you can handle it, he gets the popular vote. It doesn’t make a difference. Electoral College is put up for that simple reason. He won by the Electoral fair and square. We’ve got people tearing down monuments that have been there for 150 years they tried to change or tried to train or not. And that was that was the traders the competitors. And it was about slavery. And you’re and you’re gonna glorify those came up, you don’t know statues went up. They went up in the 60s, the whole black people down. You don’t know the history. Minority came here in 1896 Got to a boat from Italy. One of the first things they did was buy an American flag with a little one it had

 

to do with confederacy it’s free. Trader it’s respected in concert with the traders it could young were not right.

 

But at the same time, you still have to have respect and the lack of respect is why we’ve got a problem for you. And yeah, that can veterus the lessons from the past. Right? We don’t repeat it again. Hopefully not. But we are my grandparents emigrated from Poland couldn’t get through Ellis Island.

 

Die interrupt you. Did I interrupt you?

 

It’s typical. It’s typical man wants to listen

 

Because Middle America, really the, the earth of the of this country, the people that really care and love this country got out and voted for a change. That’s what made the difference.

 

Don’t love this country. So this is the kind of language that divides your implication that the rest of his

 

people in the Midwest voted this time than I’ve ever voted before

 

you interrupted me.

 

Make no mistake, one of the sharpest divisions in America today is over race. And sometimes people don’t even know what they’re saying. Or at least they don’t realize the impact that it will have on somebody else. Well, we touched the third rail of America, the racial divide, and what we heard was pretty rough. Let’s listen.

 

The economic opportunity for black shirts increased dramatically. They’re all over Hollywood, you can turn on the TV every other commercial.

 

To get my point out there all over the sports are all over Hollywood.

 

are getting into business pitch that we’re going to make an emerald and every Bible and I’ll talk about how many

 

companies all I hear people is super and then like, oh, black leaders need to all be able to

 

talk about how suicide he said. Jesse Jackson for firing it. What did you What did you hear what you just said? You don’t even know if I like Reverend Sharpton? I don’t I think he’s Jackley a preacher. I think he just shows up and makes the opportunity off from the plight of black people. So you don’t even know how I feel about a certain leader. You I think you just want a pathetic black people. So it’s easier for you to push your agenda on onto it.

 

Chicago, I mean, we have and when it’s true unless people acknowledge that we have an unprecedented amount of violence, I think the media is gonna put the spotlight on the politicians and politicians are the ones that can solve this problem. For instance, we do what Rudy did in New York and bring back stop and frisk.

 

Clearly phrase areas or approaches

 

went down 60% that

 

African Americans are carrying guns they’re carrying.

 

carrying guns.

 

I feel like I feel like that can happen. But this is gonna piss me off. But why people need to be honest about the history of this country. First, we need to acknowledge that black people still to this day get treated like shit on a worldwide level. It’s not even just the United States. This is across the whole entire globe. And I think once that happens, then we can truly have a conversation because there’s a lot of oh, well I’m not like that. I’m not like this. We’re not talking about we’re talking about the whole big picture. Motion immersion. Chicago is black on black. That’s a lot

 

what the government’s doing black games are killing black will

 

say hold on. A second most humans.

 

In America hold on most police officers most people kill people that are close to them. Black people are gonna get in the car drive 45 minutes north and go kill white folks. Like most people, white or black.

 

lives close to the inner city. It’s black on black lives.

 

1960s The 1940s

 

It’s not

 

nice to protest more than anything. How did we get here this black people killed her. Oh, you scared man.

 

We need to chill out for one second. The happiest, most satisfied, most believing in the American Dream are first generation immigrants. But even they are still susceptible to the divisions of American politics. Our immigrants from all across the globe have a lot to say about American politics. But it got pretty rough pretty quickly.

 

Every candidate it’s been like, endorsed by Donald Trump and supported by Donald Trump in a Republican primary or in a general election as basically lost. No Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

 

But I mean, this is talking about like the Republicans think that he’s the kiss of death and the Democrats agree with that. And the Republican Party’s losing its base that it usually usually use

 

is gonna win the next

 

unit.

 

You just said he’s misinformed. He is about what the

 

endorsement is one that is separate on language. Is that appropriate in a discussion among people you don’t know, to say no. Because he’s been misinformed, because he’s saying that he lost everyone that he’s endorsed, but he has none. But the question is, did you not just insult him? No, because we’re having a discussion.

 

So it’s okay. I just said he’s misinformed.

 

And convinced he’s insulted by that for every one of them, but at other doors we can knock on, and he will probably want you off the boat.

 

They don’t know. And Election day is, I say the best or in some cases, the worst for last.

 

Traditionally, my focus groups, women, particularly middle aged women, are the people who bring individuals together who find common ground. If you’re a mom, you relate to and connect to other moms. Not anymore. Politics is so divisive, that it even pushed apart, our women’s focus group. Let’s listen to

 

her why a woman who doesn’t have to go down the street and worry about getting shot. I’m American son being American, every single day I find the police and then do you have to worry that when he gets pulled over, he will be shot because he’s black. So how do we break through on this? Or is there a way? We’re not getting moral leadership from the top, the guy at the top is not setting the example. And so of course, we’re all going to be talking at each other because we don’t get that example from him. Let’s see. I think people should have some common sense. And you shouldn’t be looking to the president to give you a more ground. I mean, come on. I mean, I think it’s ridiculous of the President talking to the free he’s the present United States. Nothing should be setting an example. No, no. I think Obama was racist. I.

 

I think

 

that the country

 

I’m waiting for racist that he supported the man who was murdered by the cops, right. Yeah. Who are the people who are committing the mass shootings? If you could? Man, yeah, what color? Are they six?

 

But actually, we don’t it doesn’t matter what color are they every time something goes wrong? If

 

I really am.

 

I’m sick a hair matters. rather bring their children in here and risk getting killed, we’re missing a day, they’re worried about their children getting killed. So when you take that risk for your child, of course, okay, so that’s what these people

 

are sneaking in here. Because it’s a scary place. No, it’s not a great place, but it’s better than where they’re living. All the sessions you just saw were conducted between 2019 and 2022. They were conducted in cities and communities all across the country, everyone had an equal opportunity of participating. I would like to tell you that this is the exception. I would like to tell you that this is not the rule. But unfortunately, this is what’s happening in living rooms, and community halls all across America. None of these that you’ve seen ever made air before? Because the network’s wouldn’t put them on. They thought it showed America in such a bad light. But we at America speaks want to show you the truth, unedited. I thank you very much for listening. I know that probably you’re upset. The good news is there’ll be another one of these coming shortly. And hopefully, it’ll have a more positive conclusion. So on behalf of America speaks right here at straight arrow news. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz. Have a great day.

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