The Focus Group Podcast
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. https://www.thebulwark.com/podcast/focus-group/
Episodes
S6 Ep52: Jonathan Cohn: Pure Michigan Chaos
At the end of one of the most expensive Democratic primaries for Senate in American history, Abdul El-Sayed appears to be pulling away.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
S6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id
Everyone loves to complain about how California is governed...even some of the Democrats in our focus groups. So, how is the Democratic primary to replace Gavin Newsom shaping up?
S6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?
This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants.
S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)
Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting.
S6 Ep32: It's "Messing With Me Mentally" (with Ashley Parker)
The Iran War has been going on for a month, and it’s deeply, DEEPLY unpopular. Plus, we get reactions from swing voters on the characters inside the Trump administration who they like (like Marco Rubio), or REALLY dislike (listen to find out).
S6 Ep31: PSA: AI is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)
Artificial intelligence is such a big change to human civilization that our political class is struggling to keep up. The voters in our focus groups are struggling, too.
S6 Ep27: What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)
Rachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances.
S6 Ep26: Twitter vs. Texans (with Elaine Godfrey)
The Texas Senate primary on March 3 between James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett is a toxic cesspool on Twitter. But Texas Democrats are practically giddy over how much they like both candidates.
S6 Ep25: Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)
Sen. John Cornyn has been a consistent ally of President Trump. Even Trump likes him just fine...but that may not be enough to save him in Texas, because he may have just been too mild-mannered for too long. We break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State.
S6 Ep24: Two Qual Researchers Walk Into a Bar (with Margie Omero)
More and more Trump voters are souring on his administration. But why? Inflation, immigration, and Epstein are all in the mix, but there's a giant mosaic of disappointments. We needed a second qualitative researcher to make sense of it all.
S6 Ep23: Young Trump Voters Have Feelings (with Rachel Janfaza)
Why are Gen Z men drifting right while Gen Z women move left? And why do right-wing zoomers think the gender gap is so wide?
S6 Ep21: The Heebie Jeebie GOP (with Will Sommer)
Some strange, under-the-radar things are happening on the right. Marco Rubio is experiencing a strange rehabilitation with the Republican base, and some young men are excited about taxing OnlyFans. Meanwhile, JD Vance is still on the struggle bus with swing voters, especially women.