The Focus Group Podcast

Episode

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  S6 Ep61: These Trump Voters Are Considering the Unthinkable: Voting for a Democrat (with Amy Walter) 03.10.2026 1j 6mnt

  It’s October, and the political environment is really, really, REALLY bad for the Republican Party.
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  S6 Ep60: Republicans Are Suddenly Fighting for Their Lives in Ohio (with Andrew Tobias) 26.09.2026 55mnt

  Ohio used to be the biggest swing state in the country. It's turned pretty red, (Trump won it by 11 points in 2024) but it's very hotly contested this year.
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  S6 Ep59: LIVE from San Francisco: Focus Groups Are Revealing a HUGE Weakness for Republicans 19.09.2026 1j 9mnt

  Sarah and Pod Save America’s Dan Pfeiffer discuss her book, How to Eat an Elephant, what focus groups are, why she does them, and she uncorks some fresh focus group content on-stage.
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  S6 Ep58: Something's Happening in Texas (with Chris Hooks) 12.09.2026 55mnt

  Against all odds, Democrats still have a chance in the Texas Senate race. So, is it because Ken Paxton is bad, or because of James Talarico's Nice Young Man energy? Turns out, both.
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  S6 Ep57: The GOP is MIA in North Carolina (with Chris Cooper) 05.09.2026 49mnt

  North Carolina has been a difficult nut for Democrats to crack for nearly two decades. But relatively popular former Gov. Roy Cooper appears to be on the verge of changing that this year.
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  S6 Ep56: Why Ed Markey May Survive a Revolt Against Old Candidates (with Adam Reilly) 29.08.2026 1j 1mnt

  Why is 80-year-old Ed Markey surviving a Democratic revolt against aging politicians?
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  S6 Ep55: Sarah Had to Double-Check: “These Are All Trump Voters?” (with Amy Walter) 22.08.2026 1j 1mnt

  Amy Walter returns to the pod for a pundit therapy session.
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  S6 Ep54: MAGA's Future is in Florida (with Will Sommer) 15.08.2026 43mnt

  The battle lines of the next Republican primary are being drawn in Florida's Republican primary for governor.
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  S6 Ep53: South Carolina’s Surprise Election (with Meg Kinnard) 08.08.2026 42mnt

  After Sen. Lindsey Graham’s passing in July, South Carolina is holding a special Republican primary to replace him as the nominee for U.S. Senate.
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  S6 Ep52: Jonathan Cohn: Pure Michigan Chaos 01.08.2026 1j 3mnt

  At the end of one of the most expensive Democratic primaries for Senate in American history, Abdul El-Sayed appears to be pulling away.
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  S6 Ep51: Amy Walter: Pennsylvania's Trump-Shapiro Voters 25.07.2026 56mnt

  In Pennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro is on track for a pretty big win in November. And he can't do that without winning over a lot of former Trump voters, including the ones in our focus group.
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  S6 Ep50: David French: Character Counts For Less 18.07.2026 53mnt

  American politics and politicians are decidedly lower-character than they used to be. So, how did we get here?
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  S6 Ep49: Tommy Vietor: Democrats’ Way Forward on Israel 11.07.2026 46mnt

  Over the last three years, Democratic voters’ opinion of Israel has taken a nosedive. Sarah and Tommy Vietor talk about why.
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  S6 Ep48: Heather Cox Richardson: America's 250 Great (and Awful) Years 04.07.2026 1j 7mnt

  If you're wondering how (and whether) America is worth celebrating on this particular July 4th, this show will be a bit of a pep talk for you.
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  S6 Ep47: Kyle Clark: Colorado's Mad Libs 27.06.2026 55mnt

  Colorado isn't much of a swing state anymore, but we're covering its primaries anyway. Both of its senators and one longtime member of Congress are facing bigger headwinds than you might expect.
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  S6 Ep46: Patrick Svitek: Texas & Maine Swing Voters Sound Off 20.06.2026 50mnt

  Barrels of ink have been spilled about James Talarico, Ken Paxton, Graham Platner, and Susan Collins. For the first time, we're listening to how swing voters in Texas and Maine are assessing these two races.
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  S6 Ep45: Rachel Janfaza: You Kids, Get Off My Lawn! 13.06.2026 41mnt

  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?
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  S6 Ep44: Amy Walter: Everyone Is on the Take 06.06.2026 41mnt

  Summer’s here, and Sarah’s taking a break from primary election coverage to take stock of the national political landscape.
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  S6 Ep43: Peter Hamby: California Is The Progressive Id 30.05.2026 1j 7mnt

  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?
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  S6 Ep42: Adam Jentleson: More Heterodoxy, Please 23.05.2026 1j 11mnt

  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.