Focus group of FORMER PA supporters of Donald Trump

Just under 5 minutes of video from this morning’s Face the Nation.

A few comments about this.

Some prefatory comments first.  I have been in about half a dozen Frank Luntz run focus groups over the past decade or so.  Most were done for clients on specific issues, one was specifically generally on politics.  Luntz is skilled at leading groups and eliciting responses, and sometimes he does not take kindly to strong personalities that go in a direction that he does not want to go, as I found out after one group.  On the other, he can be very positive — in one group I was in he was surprised when I helped to explain the rationale for a point of view with which I disagreed. 

Now, my reactions to this video.

First, a lot of the damage Trump has done to his prospects is irreversible.

Second, I believe attempts to “pivot” will actually hurt Trump, as I believe that — regardless of any positive responses from media talking heads — his expressing regrets however mealymouthed they were do not help him, and possibly also undercut him.  His brand is blunt, “straight-talking” and not afraid to be politically correct.  People who supported him strongly liked that he never apologized. 

The results of this group are not something that should be used as the basis for “scientific” speculation, it is not a scientific poll.  But it does provide some very meaningful insight, which is one reason political campaigns will use focus groups in a variety of ways — testing ads, and messaging for example.

Hope you find this useful.