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A year ago, Republican voters thought Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine were badasses. Now...Zelenskyy is just as bad as Putin. Tom Nichols, Professor Emeritus at the Naval War College and staff writer at The Atlantic, joins Sarah to listen to the voters' foreign policy takes. Tom is not impressed with the voters.  show notes: Tom Nichols Atlantic piece: I Supported the Invasion of Iraq Tom Nichols book: Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy Pew Research Poll: Poll on Ukraine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've heard the terms "woke" and "cancel culture" for years now. No one seems to agree on what they mean, though — which is why our guest says the culture wars will keep morphing, and they'll go on forever. New York Times opinion writer Jane Coaston joins Sarah to hear how the focus groups respond to "wokeness," "cancel culture," and...schools and drag show bans. We promise, this is NOT the episode to miss. show notes Jane Coaston: The Debate Hugh Hefner Won and William Buckley Lost Survivor: Host Jeff Probst Refuses to Say "Come On In, Guys" Teen who refuses to cite the Pledge of Allegiance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mike Pence seems to think that he's destined to be president. The evangelical Christians in our focus groups did NOT get the memo. McKay Coppins, staff writer at The Atlantic joins Sarah to talk about the future of social conservatism in the Republican Party and Mike Pence's 2024 prospects. show notes: "God's Plan for Mike Pence" by McKay Coppins https://www.littlebrown.com/titles/mckay-coppins/the-wilderness/9780316327466/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marjorie Taylor Greene wants a national divorce. We don't, but we asked our focus groups about it anyway. New York Times opinion columnist David French (literally) wrote the book on a possible national divorce. He joins Sarah to talk about whether (and how) the United States holds together; and the task of rebuilding trust in our institutions. Show notes: Divided We Fall: America's Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation (by David French) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/26/opinion/fox-news-lies-dominion.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Voters that we talk to are iffy about Biden running for re-election given his age, but Republicans may have even larger challenges. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs joins Sarah to talk Joe Biden, the Democratic base, and the bright future of the Democratic bench. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Republican establishment — and many Republican voters in our focus groups — think Ron DeSantis is the answer to their prayers that they can win in 2024. But Donald Trump has a say in this matter, and he's already offering up an early taste of the kind of attacks he's planning on DeSantis. Heads-up: Those attacks are likely to go lower. What are DeSantis' vulnerabilities as a candidate? Tara Palmeri of Puck News joins Sarah to listen to the focus groups and share some of her reporting from the Trump and DeSantis camps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ready or not, it looks like Joe Biden is running for re-election. Our swing voters liked his State of the Union speech this week, but they've got concerns under the surface. Peter Baker, Chief White Correspondent for The New York Times, joins Sarah to listen to Trump-to-Biden voters and make a broader assessment of the Biden administration's political standing. show notes: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/us/politics/kamala-harris-vice-presidenct-legacy.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Focus Group podcast is BACK, with a twist: We're releasing The Bulwark's first-ever poll of Republican primary voters where we're trying to figure out just how big the "Always Trump," "Maybe Trump," and "Never Trump" buckets are among Republican primary voters. For that, we brought in Republican pollster Whit Ayres, who joins Sarah to stack our poll results up against the focus groups we've done since the election. Links: Poll by The Bulwark and North Star Opinion Research of Republican Primary VotersPoll Toplines from Whit Ayres Don’t miss an episode of this season of The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell—subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts today. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're wrapping up this election cycle in Georgia with voters who voted for Herschel Walker in November — but aren't so sure about him going into the December 6 runoff. Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein joins Sarah for one last focus group in 2022. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The midterms have come and gone, and it turns out many of our focus groups were signs of things to come. Amy Walter, Editor-in-Chief of the Cook Political Report, joins Sarah for a look back at this year's groups. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump announced his 2024 campaign this week. Republican elites would love to move on from him, but will Republican voters? David Drucker, the author of In Trump's Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP, joins Sarah to listen to Trump voters from the past year and discuss whether they provide clues for how the 2024 Republican primary may unfold. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah has a special message for Focus Group fans as we wait for the remaining election results. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah has a special message for Focus Group fans as we wait for the remaining election results. 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

Instead of a focus group this week, Sarah sits down with four political super-nerds to get their read on Tuesday's election and beyond. She's joined by Jon Ralston to talk Nevada, Brahm Resnik — political reporter for Phoenix’s local NBC affiliate — to talk Arizona, along with Bill Kristol, and Gunner Ramer, the political director of the Republican Accountability PAC. Leave a comment, here. 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comJohn Fetterman had a bad night in the Pennsylvania Senate debate, and an even worse night in our focus group — though this group wasn't inclined to like him anyway. Legendary Democratic operative James Carville joins Sarah to break down the Pennsylvania Senate race, and James shares his thoughts on how the Democratic Party needs to shape up. The Focus Group podcast is now exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comArizona is ground-zero for the Big Lie about the 2020 election. The Republican nominees for Governor and Secretary of State, Kari Lake and Mark Finchem, are avowed election deniers, and Democrats may or may not rise to the occasion to beat them. But our guest HAS risen to the occasion: Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer joins Sarah to listen to Arizona swing voters and talk about his job running elections for 60% of Arizona voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comGeorgia is a closely divided state, but we're likely to see a lot of ticket splitters there this year - specifically a lot of people voting for arch-conservative Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. Partly because they think Kemp is doing a good job, and partly because Warnock's opponent, Herschel Walker, is a total mess. TIME Magazine national political correspondent Molly Ball joins Sarah to discuss her reporting out of Georgia and listen to a group of Georgia swing voters. The Focus Group is now exclusively part of Bulwark+. 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comThe 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. The Focus Group is now exclusively part of Bulwark+. 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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comTo 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+. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thefocusgroup.thebulwark.comRepublicans 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. Go the TheBulwark.com/FocusGroup to get the next two weeks on us—Free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices