<![CDATA[The Bulwark: The Focus Group]]>

<![CDATA[The Bulwark: The Focus Group]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/s/thefocusgrouphttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QWq4!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe7bdbd69-ae32-45de-8348-8913f6966d53_256x256.pngThe Bulwark: The Focus Grouphttps://www.thebulwark.com/s/thefocusgroupSubstackThu, 04 Jun 2026 01:36:11 GMT<![CDATA[Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/peter-hamby-california-is-the-progressivehttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/peter-hamby-california-is-the-progressiveSat, 30 May 2026 10:01:44 GMTEveryone 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?

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]]><![CDATA[Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/adam-jentleson-more-heterodoxy-pleasehttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/adam-jentleson-more-heterodoxy-pleaseSat, 23 May 2026 10:00:43 GMTSarah 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.

Adam Jentleson’s Supermajority, available for pre-order.

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]]><![CDATA[Greg Bluestein: Georgia's Root Canal Primary]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/greg-bluestein-georgias-root-canalhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/greg-bluestein-georgias-root-canalSat, 16 May 2026 10:01:57 GMTGeorgia’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:

Just announced! We’ve added some chatty friends to our live shows in Cali. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

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]]><![CDATA[Tim Miller: Good Riddance, Bill Cassidy?]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bill-cassidy-thought-wed-forget-withhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/bill-cassidy-thought-wed-forget-withSat, 09 May 2026 10:02:11 GMTThis 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.

Just announced! We’ve added some chatty friends to our live shows in Cali. Tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

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]]><![CDATA[Maine Democrats Told Chuck Schumer to Go to Hell]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/sarah-mainehttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/sarah-maineWed, 06 May 2026 01:49:32 GMTIn 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

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]]><![CDATA[America's 'House of Cards' Mentality (with David Frum)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/americas-house-of-cards-mentalityhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/americas-house-of-cards-mentalitySat, 02 May 2026 10:02:47 GMTUsually, 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!

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[Are Democrats Blowing an Easy Way to Win? (w/ Rotimi Adeoye)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/are-democrats-blowing-an-easy-wayhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/are-democrats-blowing-an-easy-wayThu, 30 Apr 2026 18:42:05 GMTEnjoy a bonus episode of The Focus Group Podcast—Rachel Janfaza talks with Rotimi Adeoye about why Gen Z feels locked out of the economy. They discuss the “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

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[America's Divisions: Getting on Our Nerves (with Jessica Tarlov)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/americas-divisions-getting-on-ourhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/americas-divisions-getting-on-ourSat, 25 Apr 2026 10:02:20 GMTEveryone 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!

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[Trump Voters Say 'Nope' to the Pope (with Jonathan V. Last)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-voters-say-nope-to-the-popehttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-voters-say-nope-to-the-popeSat, 18 Apr 2026 10:01:48 GMTDonald 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!

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[BONUS EPISODE: Are Millennials Cool Again?]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bonus-episode-are-millennials-coolhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/bonus-episode-are-millennials-coolFri, 17 Apr 2026 10:03:14 GMTOn this bonus episode, 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.

Rachel Janfaza in The Bulwark:

Gen Z Is Ready for Hope and Change

By Sami Sage:

Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[The Sad, Mad GOP Base (with Amy Walter)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-sad-mad-gop-base-with-amy-walterhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/the-sad-mad-gop-base-with-amy-walterSat, 11 Apr 2026 10:01:49 GMTEDITOR'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.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[It’s ‘Messing With Me Mentally’ (with Ashley Parker)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/its-messing-with-me-mentally-withhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/its-messing-with-me-mentally-withSat, 04 Apr 2026 10:02:06 GMTThe 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). Atlantic staff writer Ashley Parker returns to the show.

By Ashley Parker:

The Wrath of Stephen Miller

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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]]><![CDATA[PSA: AI Is NOT Your Boyfriend!! (with Megan McArdle)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/psa-ai-is-not-your-boyfriend-withhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/psa-ai-is-not-your-boyfriend-withSat, 28 Mar 2026 10:02:18 GMTArtificial 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. The Washington Post's Megan McArdle joins the show to discuss how everyday Americans are using (and misusing!) AI, its impact on the political process and information environment, and how public policy can adapt to this brave new world.

Megan McArdle's Washington Post Podcast, Reasonably Optimistic

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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Watch, listen, and leave a comment. Hit that like 🤍 button and share this episode with a friend.

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA['All of You Could Be Democrats' (with Anderson Clayton)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/all-of-you-could-be-democrats-withhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/all-of-you-could-be-democrats-withSat, 21 Mar 2026 10:02:17 GMTA lot of the young people we’ve been talking to recently in our focus groups are relatively apolitical, and many of them don’t vote. But what DO these young people care about? And what could mobilize them in the future? Rachel Janfaza discusses with Anderson Clayton, the youngest state party chair in the U.S. and chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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]]><![CDATA[Illinois Senate Race: Daaaa Dems (with David Axelrod)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/illinois-senate-race-daaaa-dems-withhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/illinois-senate-race-daaaa-dems-withSat, 14 Mar 2026 10:02:32 GMTThe Democratic primary for US Senate in Illinois is a bit quiet, according to our guest. But underneath the surface, one candidate has a VERY interesting way of getting attention...and voters are starting to notice. David Axelrod, former adviser to President Obama, joins the show to discuss this Chicago-style Senate race.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[BONUS POD: Iran Fears &...Focus Groups Love The Bulwark?]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bonus-pod-iran-fears-and-focus-groupshttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/bonus-pod-iran-fears-and-focus-groupsThu, 12 Mar 2026 10:03:29 GMTSarah was out last week, and felt she had to bring you some timely focus group reactions to the War in Iran. We also check in on their feelings about the Trump administration (especially their handling of the Epstein Files), and talk about a growing strain of conspiracy theorizing tied to Israel (Jeffrey Epstein and Charlie Kirk are BOTH involved!)

Finally, we’ve recently seen members of the Bulwark community pop up in the wild in our focus groups. Hear what drew THEM to The Bulwark. Sarah and Bill Kristol sift through it all.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

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Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[What's a "Rug Pull"? (with Ed Elson)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/whats-a-rug-pull-with-ed-elsonhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/whats-a-rug-pull-with-ed-elsonSat, 07 Mar 2026 11:02:24 GMTRachel Janfaza sits in for Sarah on this week’s Focus Group to take a look at Gen Z’s personal finances, from their long-term outlooks to their day-to-day habits…especially their investments in crypto and how they’re engaging with sports betting and prediction markets. Ed Elson, co-host of Prof G Markets, joins Rachel.

Pre-order Sarah’s book, How to Eat an Elephant, coming in September!

Show notes:

Rachel in The Up and Up: How Gen Z spends, saves, and invests

Rachel in The Up and Up: The Kalshi election

Ed’s interview with Kalshi founder Tarek Mansour

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[Twitter vs. Texans (with Elaine Godfrey)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/twitter-vs-texans-with-elaine-godfreyhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/twitter-vs-texans-with-elaine-godfreySat, 28 Feb 2026 11:01:36 GMTThe 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. Atlantic staff writer Elaine Godfrey, who's profiled both candidates, joins the show to chat about the race and discuss why she was kicked out of a Jasmine Crockett campaign event.

By Elaine Godfrey:
Why I Got Thrown Out of a Jasmine Crockett Rally
Audio of Elaine being kicked out: ‘Elaine From Atlantic … She Needs to Leave’
Texas's Pete
A Democrat for the Trump Era

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[Texas-Sized Scandal (with Eric Benson)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/texas-sized-scandal-with-eric-bensonhttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/texas-sized-scandal-with-eric-bensonSat, 21 Feb 2026 11:02:44 GMTSen. 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. He's running against a scandal-plagued (but combative) Attorney General, and a less scandal-plagued (but also less known) newcomer. Texas Monthly writer Eric Benson joins Sarah to break down the Republican brawl in the Lone Star State.

Show notes:
Eric Benson's John Cornyn profile: The Last Ride of Big Bad John

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Ad-free editions are available exclusively for Bulwark+ members. Upgrade now to listen without ads and to join the community in the comments.

The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

]]><![CDATA[Two Qual Researchers Walk Into a Bar (with Margie Omero)]]>https://www.thebulwark.com/p/two-qual-researchers-walk-into-ahttps://www.thebulwark.com/p/two-qual-researchers-walk-into-aSat, 14 Feb 2026 11:01:43 GMTMore 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. Democratic pollster Margie Omero joins the show to discuss what she's heard in her own focus groups, listen to Trump voters who are down on his job performance, and check in with the Democratic base.

Margie's focus groups:
Trump’s Problems With Latinos Go Deeper Than the Economy
14 Wellness Voters Talk Parenting, MAHA and Social Media

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The Focus Group with Sarah Longwell is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube. Click to find the show or add this podcast to your player of choice, here.

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