Podcast
The Focus Group Podcast
Hosted by The Bulwark · EN
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/
76episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S6 Ep45: Rachel Janfaza: You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!
5d ago00:41:22Summary readyGen 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
SummaryS6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone Is on the Take
2w ago00:41:03Summary readySummer’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
SummaryS6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id
3w ago01:07:30Summary readyEveryone 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
SummaryS6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please
4w ago01:11:56Summary readySarah 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.
SummaryS6 Ep41: Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary
May 1600:53:58Summary readyGeorgia'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
SummaryS6 Ep40: Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?
May 900:53:34Summary readyThis 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
SummaryS6 Ep39: Chuck Schumer’s Candidate Got Humiliated in Maine
May 600:12:53Summary readyIn 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
SummaryS6 Ep38: America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)
May 200:48:09Summary readyUsually, 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!
SummaryS6 Ep37: Trump Promised Lower Prices. Everything Got Worse! (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)
Apr 3000:45:19Summary readyEnjoy 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.htmlTickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events
SummaryS6 Ep36: America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)
Apr 2501:11:41Summary readyEveryone 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!
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