Pollster Frank Luntz on the McCain Ads

HANNITY: Joining us now, pollster Frank Luntz.

I don't know. She may get the campaign ad for the season, and if you want to sign up, by the way, for one of Frank's focus groups, just go to Luntz.com.

I love both ads, Frank. How are they going over?

FRANK LUNTZ, WWW.LUNTZ.COM: Well, the Paris Hilton comment -- she used the word drilling, so she does know how to use two-syllable words. I was impressed.

Look, Obama is taking the 18 to 29-year-old vote, but every time that Paris Hilton appears on television, she's losing people who are over age 50. What I would say to her parents, don't be angry at John McCain, say something to your daughter, quite frankly.

Now we've got serious ads to go over here. The first one is a Obama ad that takes on John McCain for being in Washington for 26 years and still nothing has happened with oil prices.

It's a very powerful ad. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's been in Washington for 26 years, and as gas prices soared and dependence on oil exploded, McCain was voting against alternative energy, against higher mileage standards.

Barack Obama -- he'll make energy independence an urgent national priority, raise mileage standards, fast track technology for alternative fuels, $1,000 tax cut to help families as we break the grip of foreign oil.

A real plan and new energy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: You know I think that's easy to counter, Frank, but go ahead, your thoughts.

LUNTZ: Well, look, it's the $1,000 that bothers me, because Obama ran against Hillary Clinton's give-back on energy prices, and now he suddenly switches his point of view.

How can you be against it when Senator Clinton offers it?

HANNITY: Yes.

LUNTZ: And now you're offering exactly the same thing?

HANNITY: Well.

LUNTZ: It's seems a little hypocritical.

HANNITY: Oh but that's been the case on just about everything. I mean he's pretty much adopted the Clinton platform.

Wouldn't you respond with something like this? That Barack Obama opposes nuclear power, opposes coalmining, building refineries, I don't know what your term for drilling -- exploration, I got to assume.

LUNTZ: Yes.

HANNITY: He opposes all drilling, and John McCain, you know -- in that case, in the Republicans support these things now?

LUNTZ: What it basically is that Barack Obama supports continuing to buy oil from the Middle East, from the Arab countries.

HANNITY: A lot of (INAUDIBLE)

LUNTZ: John McCain wants to buy oil right here in America, and there's a big difference -- it's your choice, America, where do you want to get your energy from because we need to have energy.

Now John McCain has got an ad, it's 60 seconds, and unlike attacking Barack Obama, he takes a position of why he's different, why he's a maverick, why the American people should consider voting for him.

Let's listen to John McCain's latest ad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Washington's broken. John McCain knows it. We're worse off than we were four years ago. Only McCain has taken on big tobacco, drug companies, fought corruption in both parties, he'll reform Wall Street, battle big oil, make America prosper again.

He's the original maverick. One is ready to lead. McCain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLMES: Frank, he talks there about big oil and -- but actually he's taken huge money from big oil. He's got millions and millions of dollars including having lobbyists for big oil on his staff so that doesn't ring true to me.

LUNTZ: But, Sean, so has Barack Obama.

COLMES: This is Alan.

LUNTZ: I mean, Alan, so has Barack Obama, and this is the pot calling the kettle black. There's a simple issue here. Where are you going to get energy? We are going to need it for our cars, for our homes, we need it for our economy. And that's why energy is the number one issue right now.

Are we going to get it right here in America or are we going to depend on the Middle East? It's a very simple question.

COLMES: All right, but we only have 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. The rest of the world, the Middle East, has a lot more.

LUNTZ: So why not.

COLMES: Ultimately we can't make up the difference.

LUNTZ: Why not nuclear energy? Why not hydroelectric? The problem is that Obama has been saying no to so many American sources, and you know, Alan, that I've stood up for him in terms of his language and his presentation, but on this issue, if you study the facts and you look at the policies on energy, John McCain is looking towards American solutions for energy.

COLMES: All right, we.

LUNTZ: . and Barack Obama keeps supporting Middle Eastern choices.

COLMES: I thought Paris Hilton actually had a better idea than McCain. She talks about hybrid cars. I have a whole ad up at "Liberal Land" at my Web site where she actually goes into policy idea.

Anyway.

LUNTZ: So basically -- I got to ask you, Alan. So basically, you're saying that you support Paris Hilton for president? I don't know if I'd go there, Alan.

COLMES: All right, Frank. Thanks for being with us.