The GOP's leading wordsmith and propagandist, Frank Luntz, made an appearance on CBS News this Wednesday morning and stated the obvious to anyone who has watched how the NRA reacted to the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT and who understands who the organization actually represents -- they're not paying attention to public opinion.

Of course they're not Frank. They're representing the gun manufacturers. Luntz's own polling has shown that the NRA's membership doesn't even agree with them.

GOP pollster: "I don't think the NRA is listening":

Luntz said that based on his polling and conversations with lawmakers in Washington, "the public is asking, if not insisting that something be done so that this does not happen again."

"The public wants guns out of the schools, not in the schools," Luntz said, speaking to the NRA's response to the Newtown shooting, in which the organization advocated for armed guards in schools across the U.S.

"I don't think the the NRA is listening. I don't think they understand," Luntz said. "Most Americans would protect Second Amendment rights and yet agree with the idea that not every human being should own a gun, not every gun should be available at any time, anywhere, for anyone - that at gun shows you should not be able to buy something right there and then without any check whatsoever."

Luntz added that what Americans are looking for from gun control legislation is "a common sense approach that says that those who are law-abiding should continue to have the right to own a weapon, but don't believe the right should be extended to everyone at every time for every time of weapon."

And when it comes to public opinion on the looming "fiscal cliff," Luntz said his polling indicates that Americans believe the GOP is primarily fighting for "the rich" and "big business" over "hardworking taxpayers," but added that on the other side of the aisle, "what the Democrats don't understand is the hostility towards how much Washington spends."

Luntz might be right when you talk in broad generalities about that spending, but when you break it down to specific issues like whether they want to see Social Security or Medicare cut, you're going to see some different results.

h/t Raw Story