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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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 days ago41 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
- 1 weeks ago41 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
- 2 weeks ago1h 7m
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 LoveIs 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
- 3 weeks ago1h 11m
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, 202653 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, 202653 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, 202612 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, 202648 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 UnthinkableBy David Frum:The David Frum ShowMAGA’s Strange Quiet After the ShootingGet tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles!
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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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