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The Focus Group Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Bulwark
Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say.
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The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago56 min
S6 Ep51: Amy Walter: Pennsylvania's Trump-Shapiro Voters
In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro is on track for a pretty big win in November. And he can't do that without winning over a lot of former Trump voters, including the ones in our focus group. Cook Political Report editor in chief Amy Walter returns to the show to discuss how our Pennsylvania focus group felt about Shapiro, AND Sen. John Fetterman, and about the Trump administration. They also break down whether Democrats should be concerned about the generic ballot polling we're seeing right now.The Korean skincare brand everyone is talking about. Our listeners get 20% off their entire order by using code THEFOCUSGROUP at https://jiyuskin.com/THEFOCUSGROUP #JIYU #adshow links Subscribe to the Cook Political Report! CPR’s PollTracker (Trump Approval Rating Aggregator) CPR’s “Find a Race” sorter CPR’s Battleground District Project
- 1 weeks ago53 min
S6 Ep50: David French: Character Counts For Less
American politics and politicians are decidedly lower-character than they used to be. So, how did we get here? And why have voters seemingly lowered their expectations?The New York Times’ David French joins the show to discuss Americans’ relationship with low-character politicians like Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump, and how our major political parties have handled candidates like Ken Paxton and Graham Platner in 2026.Show notes:David French: The Platner Trap
- 2 weeks ago46 min
S6 Ep49: Tommy Vietor: Democrats’ Way Forward on Israel
Many Democratic primaries in 2026 have been hashing out America’s relationship with Israel, because Democratic voters' opinions of Israel have taken a nosedive the last three years. Pod Save America and Pod Save the World co-host Tommy Vietor joins Sarah to discuss the role Israel-related politics has played in the 2026 midterms, and the role it may play in the next presidential primaries.There are more tickets to see Sarah and JVL on September 8 in NYC! We are about to sell out the orchestra section—but we want to sell out the balcony, too. It’s a point of pride. Come hang with us. Tickets are here.
- 3 weeks ago1h 7m
S6 Ep48: Heather Cox Richardson: America's 250 Great (and Awful) Years
If you're wondering how (and whether) America is worth celebrating on this particular July 4th, this show will be a bit of a pep talk for you. Heather Cox Richardson joins Sarah to discuss voters' complicated relationship with patriotism this year, and the lessons of history for rebuilding from the Trump years.Through July 6: Join The Bulwark for $86 a year—14 percent off.Follow Heather Cox Richardson's 250 to 250 project, which marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by telling the stories of the people, places, and events that have moved the United States toward a more perfect Union.
- Jun 27, 202655 min
S6 Ep47: Kyle Clark: Colorado's Mad Libs
Colorado isn't much of a swing state anymore, but we're covering its primaries anyway. Both of its senators and one longtime member of Congress are facing bigger headwinds than you might expect. Our focus groups of Colorado Democrats will tell you why. Kyle Clark, host of Next with Kyle Clark, joins Sarah to discuss Colorado's upcoming primaries. Plus: Kyle's crazy run-in with the Republican frontrunner for governor, whether Rep. Lauren Boebert has gotten less crazy, and how Democrats feel about Gov. Jared Polis's pardon of Tina Peters.Show notes:Kyle's interview with Rep. Lauren Boebert
- Jun 20, 202650 min
S6 Ep46: Patrick Svitek: Texas & Maine Swing Voters Sound Off
Barrels of ink have been spilled about James Talarico, Ken Paxton, Graham Platner, and Susan Collins. For the first time, we're listening to how swing voters in Texas and Maine are assessing these two races. We hear from 2024 Trump voters in Texas who disapprove of the president, and Mainers who voted for Joe Biden for President in 2020 and for Susan Collins down-ballot. CNN political reporter Patrick Svitek joins to break these groups down, and to preview some upcoming congressional primaries.
- Jun 13, 202641 min
S6 Ep45: Rachel Janfaza: You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!
Gen Z swung hard for Trump in 2024. Now his approval with them is under 30%. What happened, and what does this generation’s mix of political views (especially on the war in the Middle East) mean for 2026? Bulwark contributor Rachel Janfaza is back on the pod to discuss. Plus: Sarah has some opinions about Gen Z’s new social habits, and we get into how AI is quietly destroying the entry-level job market — including, yes, applications to scoop ice cream.show links:Rachel Janfaza: Are lines the new third space?Rachel Janfaza: I Applied to 70 Jobs: Meet the Class of 2026
- Jun 6, 202641 min
S6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone is on the Take
Summer’s here, and Sarah’s taking a break from primary election coverage to take stock of the national political landscape. We haven’t talked to swing voters in a little while about the overall state of the country, and it’s becoming clear that the war in Iran is overshadowing, well, everything. Plus: The post-redistricting U.S. House math for Democrats, and a local issue bubbling up all over the country that has some lessons about why Americans are so disillusioned.Sarah all kicks this around with one her favorite nerds: Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report.Note: The discussion of Maine’s Senate race took place BEFORE the June 4 New York Times reporting on Graham Platner.Subscribe to the Cook Political Report!By Amy Walter: Taking Stock of the House MathCPR’s PollTracker (Trump Approval Rating Aggregator)CPR’s “Find a Race” sorterCPR’s Recent Poll: Battleground District Project
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About The Focus Group Podcast
Unfiltered, uncompromising, unexpected—The Focus Group is a look into what the average voter thinks about politics, policy, and current events. Sarah Longwell, publisher of The Bulwark, has conducted hundreds of hours of focus groups all across the country. She and a series of special guests will take you behind the glass to hear what real focus group participants have to say.
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