The Focus Group Podcast

Latest Episodes:

He Scares the Crap Out of Me (with Holly Otterbein) Oct 08, 2022

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com

The Pennsylvania governor's race is a bit of a political science experiment: what happens if one candidate barely runs any ads? Turns out, swing voters still really don't like that guy. POLITICO's in-house Pennsylvania expert Holly Otterbein once again joins Sarah on the pod. They discuss how swing voters are feeling about the Pennsylvania governor's race, as well as how these same voters may be starting to sour on John Fetterman in the Senate race.

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George Washington Wouldn't Tolerate Furries(with Charlie Sykes) Oct 01, 2022

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com

To listen to this episode in full and to get future editions, upgrade to a Bulwark+ membership now and the next two weeks are on us—Free. Go to TheBulwark.com/FocusGroup to claim this free trial offer.

America's Dairyland is becoming America's Election Land. Wisconsin has major races for governor and for U.S. Senate...and how are the Trump-to-Biden voters that delivered Wisconsin for Joe Biden feeling about them? The Bulwark's own Charlie Sykes joins Sarah to talk about what the voters (and Charlie) are thinking. Listen to the end for the most laugh-out-loud funny moment Sarah's ever heard in a focus group.

The Focus Group is now exclusively part of Bulwark+.

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"Lesser of Two Evils" Drinking Game (with Natalie Allison) Sep 24, 2022

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com

Republicans may be losing one of their best pickup opportunities in the Senate after they nominated a MAGA weirdo to run against an astronaut in Arizona. POLITICO Senate campaigns reporter Natalie Allison joins Sarah to listen to a group of Arizona swing voters and what they think of their choices.

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What Happens in Vegas Won't Stay in Vegas (with Jon Ralston) Sep 17, 2022

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com

Nevada's economy was hit especially hard by COVID. Now, the Democratic governor and senator are paying the price in their re-election campaigns...or are they? The dean of the Nevada press corps, Jon Ralston, joins Sarah to talk about a Nevada focus group...and whether voters in the Secretary of State race are playing Russian roulette with American democracy.

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The Head vs the Heart in Big Ten Country (with Tim Alberta) Sep 10, 2022

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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com

The Atlantic’s Tim Alberta joins Sarah to discuss whether Ohio is really more Trump+8 than R+8 — and to debate Tim Ryan's chances against J.D. Vance. Meanwhile, in Michigan's governor's race, Gretchen Whitmer hits Tudor Dixon on her biggest vulnerability — abortion — while facing lingering resentment over her Covid response.

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Make Politics Boring Again, Please Sep 03, 2022

Show notes

On this week's episode, we're sharing a director's cut of a recent focus group, featuring swing state suburban women. These voters from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Georgia backed Trump in 2016, but flipped in 2020. Hear what they have to say about the big races in their states, their desire for things to be "normal" again, and how the end of Roe is influencing their vote this November.

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Vibe Check (with Tim Miller) Aug 27, 2022

Show notes

As primary season winds down, Democrats are gaining ground in what was supposed to be a wave year for Republicans. Tim Miller joins Sarah to discuss the anti-abortion extremists endorsed by Trump, how Democrats are making Dobbs a game-changer, and the weirdo theory of politics.
The Focus Group Podcast is exclusively available to Bulwark+ members.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com/subscribe

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The Florida Man Thunderdome (with Marc Caputo) Aug 20, 2022

Show notes

Florida is the center of Republican politics these days — and it's getting redder all the time. Trump lives there, and his political understudy is the governor. Marc Caputo of NBC News — the best Florida Man in the political press corps — joins Sarah to listen to a group of Florida reverse flipper voters (not Trump 2016/ yes Trump 2020). They also discuss Trump, DeSantis, 2024, and how the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago could impact it all.
The Focus Group Podcast is exclusively available to Bulwark+ members.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.com/subscribe

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