The Focus Group Podcast

Latest Episodes:

S4 Ep3: "He's not fighting. He needs to fight." (with Jen Psaki) Oct 07, 2023

Show notes

We hear four consistent themes from Democrats: water is wet, Joe Biden is old, Kamala Harris is invisible, and Democrats wish their party would fight a bit harder. But we have a guest with some ideas to fix it: Jen Psaki, former White House Press Secretary, and host of Inside with Jen Psaki on MSNBC joins Sarah to hear some critiques from voters that, as Jen says, Democrats need to hear.

S4 Ep2: "I Prefer Male Presidents" (with Tim Miller) Sep 30, 2023

Show notes

One of our focus group participants really prefers that the president be a man. And most of the Republican voters we talked to have only one man in mind: Donald Trump. The Bulwark's own Tim Miller joins Sarah for part two of our season premiere to break down the sorry state of the non-Trump candidates in the Republican presidential primary.
show notes:
https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/there-are-two-gop-primaries-only-one-is-real?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
https://plus.thebulwark.com/p/super-pacs-worthless-donors-stop-torching-cash

S4 Ep1: 91 Problems, But the Base Ain't One (with Jake Tapper) Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

The Focus Group Podcast is BACK, and we're powering all the way through the 2024 election. For part one of our two-part season premiere, we're checking in on how Donald Trump's legal troubles have put his campaign on steroids. CNN's Jake Tapper joins Sarah to hear how much the voters care about Trump's mounting indictments (spoiler: they don't). They also discuss how the media should be covering a presidential nominee on trial, and Jake discusses his new book, All the Demons Are Here.
show notes:
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jake-tapper/all-the-demons-are-here/9781668623435/?lens=little-brown

Our Sizzling Summer of Focus Groups Jul 29, 2023

Show notes

The Focus Group Podcast is on hiatus for a few more weeks, but we've been doing focus groups this whole time. We've got a preview of what you're going to hear when we come back, and we're re-upping our conversation from March with Jane Coaston of The New York Times about our never-ending culture wars. Enjoy, and we'll see you soon!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S3 Ep8: The "Everybody Sucks" Foreign Policy (with Tom Nichols) Mar 25, 2023

Show notes

A year ago, Republican voters thought Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine were badasses. Now...Zelenskyy is just as bad as Putin. Tom Nichols, Professor Emeritus at the Naval War College and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Sarah to listen to the voters' foreign policy takes. Tom is not impressed with the voters.

show notes:

Tom Nichols Atlantic piece: I Supported the Invasion of Iraq

Tom Nichols book: Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy

Pew Research Poll: Poll on Ukraine

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How the Culture Wars Weren't Won (with Jane Coaston) Mar 18, 2023

Show notes

You've heard the terms "woke" and "cancel culture" for years now. No one seems to agree on what they mean, though — which is why our guest says the culture wars will keep morphing, and they'll go on forever. New York Times opinion writer Jane Coaston joins Sarah to hear how the focus groups respond to "wokeness," "cancel culture," and...schools and drag show bans. We promise, this is NOT the episode to miss.

show notes

Jane Coaston: The Debate Hugh Hefner Won and William Buckley Lost

Survivor: Host Jeff Probst Refuses to Say "Come On In, Guys"

Teen who refuses to cite the Pledge of Allegiance

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Voters Forgot God's Plan (with McKay Coppins) Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

Mike Pence seems to think that he's destined to be president. The evangelical Christians in our focus groups did NOT get the memo. McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic joins Sarah to talk about the future of social conservatism in the Republican Party and Mike Pence's 2024 prospects.

show notes:

"God's Plan for Mike Pence" by McKay Coppins

https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/mckay-coppins/the-wilderness/9780316327466/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S3 Ep5: "They" Sent This Tornado (with David French) Mar 04, 2023

Show notes

Marjorie Taylor Greene wants a national divorce. We don't, but we asked our focus groups about it anyway. New York Times opinion columnist David French (literally) wrote the book on a possible national divorce. He joins Sarah to talk about whether (and how) the United States holds together; and the task of rebuilding trust in our institutions.

Show notes:

Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation (by David French)

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/26/opinion/fox-news-lies-dominion.html

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Why They Play the Game (with Robert Gibbs) Feb 25, 2023

Show notes

Voters that we talk to are iffy about Biden running for re-election given his age, but Republicans may have even larger challenges. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs joins Sarah to talk Joe Biden, the Democratic base, and the bright future of the Democratic bench.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

S3: DeSanctimonious Deep Dive (with Tara Palmeri) Feb 18, 2023

Show notes

The Republican establishment — and many Republican voters in our focus groups — think Ron DeSantis is the answer to their prayers that they can win in 2024. But Donald Trump has a say in this matter, and he's already offering up an early taste of the kind of attacks he's planning on DeSantis. Heads-up: Those attacks are likely to go lower. What are DeSantis' vulnerabilities as a candidate? Tara Palmeri of Puck News joins Sarah to listen to the focus groups and share some of her reporting from the Trump and DeSantis camps.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected