Opposition must shed it’s perception as whiners to win upcoming election

Frank Luntz, the American pollster, pitched up on RTE One’s The Week in Politics programme last night, to take the political focus group — famously described by Bill Clinton as “a bunch of bull” — to a new and exciting level.

Thirty two floating voters, identified by Red C, some of whom voted for the current government at the last general election, some against, some not at all, were brought to an RTE studio, where, for the guts of four hours, Luntz beat political opinions out of them.

Luntz doesn’t take “Don’t know” for an answer. When one woman didn’t have an opinion on a question he’d asked, he barracked her in a way which stunned and mortified her, leaving the rest of the group in no doubt that they were there to deliver instant feedback, not sit in silent reflection.