"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"
About this Quote
Luntz is doing what he’s famous for: laundering a hard-edged view of political messaging through a soothing moral distinction. By setting “ideology” against “principle,” he smuggles in a hierarchy that flatters the communicator. Ideology, in this framing, is rigid, tribal, noisy - the stuff that “runs into” conversation like a shopping cart with a broken wheel. Principle, by contrast, is positioned as calm, portable, reasonable - something that can “work together” with communication because it’s presumed to be broadly legible.
The subtext is tactical. Luntz isn’t diagnosing a philosophical problem so much as granting permission to sidestep doctrinal commitments in the name of clarity and persuasion. “Ideology” becomes the culprit when messages don’t land; “principle” becomes the respectable alternative when you want to repackage the same policy priorities without triggering audience defenses. It’s a marketer’s move: don’t sell the label, sell the feeling of coherence.
The sentence-level choices matter. “Run into each other” suggests accident and conflict, not debate; “complement” implies harmony as an ideal the ideologue can’t reach. The repetition of “often” gives it the air of observational common sense, not a partisan argument. Contextually, this tracks with the post-1990s political environment Luntz helped shape, where winning meant discipline, framing, and emotional cueing. The line isn’t anti-ideas; it’s pro-message, insisting that the only ideas worth keeping are the ones that survive translation into palatable language.
The subtext is tactical. Luntz isn’t diagnosing a philosophical problem so much as granting permission to sidestep doctrinal commitments in the name of clarity and persuasion. “Ideology” becomes the culprit when messages don’t land; “principle” becomes the respectable alternative when you want to repackage the same policy priorities without triggering audience defenses. It’s a marketer’s move: don’t sell the label, sell the feeling of coherence.
The sentence-level choices matter. “Run into each other” suggests accident and conflict, not debate; “complement” implies harmony as an ideal the ideologue can’t reach. The repetition of “often” gives it the air of observational common sense, not a partisan argument. Contextually, this tracks with the post-1990s political environment Luntz helped shape, where winning meant discipline, framing, and emotional cueing. The line isn’t anti-ideas; it’s pro-message, insisting that the only ideas worth keeping are the ones that survive translation into palatable language.
Quote Details
| Topic | Wisdom |
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