The Focus Group Podcast
Episodes
S6 Ep62: Republicans Thought Florida Was Safe. Then Everything Changed (with Kimberly Leonard)
Sarah Longwell and Kimberly Leonard analyze Florida’s competitive midterm races, noting that disaffected Trump voters are driving a close governor’s…
S6 Ep61: These Trump Voters Are Considering the Unthinkable: Voting for a Democrat (with Amy Walter)
Sarah Longwell and Amy Walter discuss the volatile 2026 midterm landscape, focusing on how Trump’s low approval ratings and economic frustrations are driving Republican voter defections.
S6 Ep60: Republicans Are Suddenly Fighting for Their Lives in Ohio (with Andrew Tobias)
Host Sarah Longwell and guest Andrew Tobias analyze Ohio’s 2026 midterm races, focusing on how data center backlash is driving Sherrod Brown’s lead in the Senate race against John Husted.
S6 Ep59: LIVE from San Francisco: Focus Groups Are Revealing a HUGE Weakness for Republicans
Sarah Longwell discusses her qualitative research methods and the value of focus groups in understanding voter sentiment, particularly regarding the…
S6 Ep58: Something's Happening in Texas (with Chris Hooks)
Sarah Longwell and Christopher Hitchens analyze the Texas Senate race, where James Talarico leads Ken Paxton among Trump disapprovers due to Paxton’s perceived corruption and lack of campaigning.
S6 Ep57: The GOP is MIA in North Carolina (with Chris Cooper)
Political scientist Christopher Cooper analyzes North Carolina’s 2024 Senate race, where Roy Cooper leads an unknown opponent despite a "purple" state dynamic.
S6 Ep56: Why Ed Markey May Survive a Revolt Against Old Candidates (with Adam Reilly)
Host Sarah Longwell and guest Adam Riley analyze the Massachusetts Senate primary between incumbent Ed Markey and challenger Seth Moulton.
S6 Ep55: Sarah Had to Double-Check: “These Are All Trump Voters?” (with Amy Walter)
Sarah Longwell and Amy Walter analyze the Georgia Senate race, highlighting John Ossoff’s appeal to disaffected Trump voters who value his focus on…
S6 Ep54: MAGA's Future is in Florida (with Will Sommer)
Sarah Longwell and Will Sommer analyze the schism between MAGA establishment and America First factions, highlighting Tucker Carlson’s potential 2028 run.
S6 Ep53: South Carolina’s Surprise Election (with Meg Kinnard)
Sarah Longwell and AP’s Meg Kennard discuss South Carolina’s compressed Republican Senate primary following Lindsey Graham’s death.
S6 Ep52: Jonathan Cohn: Pure Michigan Chaos
Host Sarah Longwell and guest Jonathan Cohn analyze the Michigan Senate primary between Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens.
S6 Ep51: Amy Walter: Pennsylvania's Trump-Shapiro Voters
Sarah Longwell and Amy Walter analyze the Democratic generic ballot, noting that despite a favorable political environment, Democrats face a brand problem and internal infighting.
S6 Ep50: David French: Character Counts For Less
Sarah Longwell and David French discuss the declining importance of character in American politics, contrasting past conservative standards with current voter tolerance for flawed candidates.