"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"
About this Quote
Luntz is selling trust while insisting he isnt selling anything at all. The phrase "words that work" is his signature tell: language isnt a mirror for reality, its a lever. By repeating "that work" across policies, products, services, he flattens moral and civic questions into consumer metrics. Government becomes a marketplace, persuasion becomes performance, and the standard for truth quietly shifts from accuracy to effectiveness.
The subtext is defensive in a very American way. "Im not going to ever try to sell a lemon" borrows the used-car metaphor to preempt the obvious charge against a message strategist: that he polishes bad goods. Its a claim of ethical boundary setting, but its also a brilliant reframing. The problem, he implies, isnt spin; its only dishonest spin. That lets him keep the core premise intact: that the right phrasing can make the public understand - or accept - what they otherwise might resist. Even "explain and educate" is doing work here, laundering persuasion as public service.
Context matters because Luntz built a career advising Republicans on framing: "death tax", "climate change", "energy exploration". Critics call it manipulation; supporters call it clarity. This quote tries to occupy the moral high ground by drawing a line between rhetorical craft and con artistry. But the line is conveniently subjective: if words make something "work", who gets to decide whether the underlying thing was sound, or merely saleable?
The subtext is defensive in a very American way. "Im not going to ever try to sell a lemon" borrows the used-car metaphor to preempt the obvious charge against a message strategist: that he polishes bad goods. Its a claim of ethical boundary setting, but its also a brilliant reframing. The problem, he implies, isnt spin; its only dishonest spin. That lets him keep the core premise intact: that the right phrasing can make the public understand - or accept - what they otherwise might resist. Even "explain and educate" is doing work here, laundering persuasion as public service.
Context matters because Luntz built a career advising Republicans on framing: "death tax", "climate change", "energy exploration". Critics call it manipulation; supporters call it clarity. This quote tries to occupy the moral high ground by drawing a line between rhetorical craft and con artistry. But the line is conveniently subjective: if words make something "work", who gets to decide whether the underlying thing was sound, or merely saleable?
Quote Details
| Topic | Marketing |
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