The Focus Group Podcast

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/

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20 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes20

Newest first

Yesterday · 1 hr 3 min
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. We've been talking to Democratic primary voters in Michigan about El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, and what they like (and don't like) about each candidate. Jonathan Cohn, author of the newsletter The Breakdown and The Bulwark's resident Michigander, joins the show to discuss a primary that Sarah thinks has gone on for way too long. episode links: How Old-School Race Animus Could Shake Up the Michigan Senate Race Why Gretchen Whitmer’s Senate Endorsement Matters Why Mallory McMorrow’s Campaign Didn’t Survive
July 25 · 56 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 #ad show 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
July 18 · 53 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
July 11 · 46 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.
July 4 · 1 hr 7 min
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.
June 27 · 55 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
June 20 · 50 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.
June 13 · 41 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
June 6 · 41 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 Math CPR’s PollTracker (Trump Approval Rating Aggregator) CPR’s “Find a Race” sorter CPR’s Recent Poll: Battleground District Project
May 30 · 1 hr 7 min
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? Plus, a proto-Trump is running for Los Angeles mayor, and Republicans are noticing beyond California. Puck News's Peter Hamby returns to the show to download on how California politics is shaping the rest of America in 2026. By Peter Hamby: California Love Is Xavier Becerra the Best California Can Do? Get 50% off of a new Bulwark+ subscription for the next year, that’s everything we offer on our website, by going to thebulwark.com/sanity – this is a limited time offer
May 23 · 1 hr 11 min
S6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please
Sarah is sick and tired of the arguments about whether Democrats should move to the left or the center, because Democratic voters’ answers to this question overlap a lot more than the online turf wars suggest. Adam Jentleson, founder of the Searchlight Institute and author of the forthcoming book Supermajority returns to the show to dig into why voters don’t think in partisan boxes, how some surprising Democratic figures are breaking ideological molds, and what a genuinely big-tent coalition actually looks like in practice.
May 16 · 53 min
S6 Ep41: Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary
Georgia's primaries for Governor and U.S. Senate have LOTS of things for political nerds (like you, dear listener) to chew on. But the Republican and Democratic voters we talked to felt pretty sick of politics. Some of what we learned: How Republicans feel about their chances against Jon Ossoff in the fall (not good) Why a Trump-like billionaire is overshadowing Trump's endorsed candidate for governor Whether Democratic voters will tolerate a former Republican Lieutenant Governor running as a Democrat The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein joins the show. By Greg Bluestein: Politically Georgia Podcast Flipped: How Georgia Turned Purple and Broke the Monopoly on Republican Power
May 9 · 53 min
S6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?
This week's show has a rare note of agreement with our MAGA focus group participants. In Louisiana, Bill Cassidy is running for re-election to the Senate, and trying to pass himself as a MAGA true believer, even though after January 6 he voted to bar Donald Trump from office forever. Our Republican focus groups know he's full of it, and so does Tim Miller who joins the show this week. Tim and Sarah also discuss Republican voters' recent Strange New Respect for Marco Rubio, JD Vance's falling stock, and whether Republicans have an appetite for a future Donald Trump, Jr. candidacy. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
May 6 · 12 min
S6 Ep39: Chuck Schumer’s Candidate Got Humiliated in Maine
In this bite-sized bonus Focus Group episode, Sarah Longwell breaks down the political earthquake in Maine after Janet Mills dropped out of the Senate race. Why are Democratic voters rejecting establishment candidates, forgiving scandals that once would’ve been disqualifying, and demanding fighters over polished politicians? Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
May 2 · 48 min
S6 Ep38: America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)
Usually, an assassination attempt outside a dinner with the president would be a HUGE news event. Instead, the voters in our focus groups weren't talking much about it, and when we brought it up, we heard a LOT of conspiracy theories. We also talked to some Republican voters about whether '86' is really a violent threat, as this week's indictment against James Comey alleges. Atlantic staff writer David Frum joins Sarah for a wide-ranging conversation on the week's events, voters' reactions, and keeping American democracy strong for the long haul. By David’s wife, Danielle Crittenden: Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the Unthinkable By David Frum: The David Frum Show MAGA’s Strange Quiet After the Shooting Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
April 30 · 45 min
S6 Ep37: Trump Promised Lower Prices. Everything Got Worse! (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)
Enjoy a bonus episode of The Focus Group Podcast—Rachel Janfaza talks with Rotimi Adeoye about why moderate Gen Z focus group participants feel locked out of the economy. They discuss Rotimi’s “House by 30” idea, why vague promises aren’t cutting it, and how both parties—especially after Trump’s failed affordability pledges—are losing trust with young voters who feel like they did everything right and still can’t get ahead. Read Rotimi Adeoye in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/opinion/democrats-homeownership-affordability.html Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
April 25 · 1 hr 11 min
S6 Ep36: America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)
Everyone agrees that America is too divided. But ALMOST everyone is also contributing to that division in one way or another. So, how do we rebuild a country where Americans can live with each other a little easier? Sarah and our guest both have some ideas. Professional disagreer Jessica Tarlov of the Raging Moderates podcast and Fox News’s The Five, joins Sarah to discuss America’s political divisions and how voters across the political spectrum are feeling about them. Pre-order Jessica’s upcoming book, I Disagree: Winning Arguments Without Losing Friends. Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
April 18 · 1 hr 12 min
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. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what they thought of their feud, and about Trump's Truth Social Post depicting himself as Jesus. JVL returns to the show with some choice words for some of his fellow Catholics, and discusses the role the Catholic Church has played in American politics more broadly. Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
April 17 · 45 min
S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)
On this bonus episode of The Focus Group, Rachel and guest Sami Sage of Betches Media wonder whether millennials are truly still ‘cringe.’ They also discuss the Gen Z gender gap, and how some politically moderate young women are navigating that political divide in their personal lives. By Sami Sage: In Paperback on April 28: Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Democracy-in-Retrograde/Sami-Sage/9781668053492) Check out 'The Context', from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation: https://kettering.org/thecontext/
April 11 · 51 min
S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)
EDITOR'S NOTE: This episode has been updated to remove comments made by or about a focus group participant who we believe misrepresented his political viewpoints to gain access to the group. We are reviewing our participant screening processes accordingly. If there's a blue wave in the 2026 elections, it'll be either because new people start voting for Democrats, or the current Republican base gets sad and stays home. So we convened a focus group of 2020 and 2024 Trump voters who are unhappy with his administration to give you a sample of the kind of despair that could keep Republicans home in November. Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report, returns to the show to break down the midterm landscape.

The Focus Group Podcast

S6 Ep52: Jonathan Cohn: Pure Michigan Chaos

S6 Ep51: Amy Walter: Pennsylvania's Trump-Shapiro Voters

S6 Ep50: David French: Character Counts For Less

S6 Ep49: Tommy Vietor: Democrats’ Way Forward on Israel

S6 Ep48: Heather Cox Richardson: America's 250 Great (and Awful) Years

S6 Ep47: Kyle Clark: Colorado's Mad Libs

S6 Ep46: Patrick Svitek: Texas & Maine Swing Voters Sound Off

S6 Ep45: Rachel Janfaza: You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!

S6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone Is on the Take

S6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id

S6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please

S6 Ep41: Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary

S6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?

S6 Ep39: Chuck Schumer’s Candidate Got Humiliated in Maine

S6 Ep38: America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)

S6 Ep37: Trump Promised Lower Prices. Everything Got Worse! (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)

S6 Ep36: America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)

S6 Ep35: Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)

S6 Ep34: Why Women Don’t Need Men Anymore—In Their Own Words (w/ Sami Sage)

S6 Ep33: The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)