Recently, the New York Times held its last focus group of 2023; the group consisted of 13 individuals and was a mix of voters who had supported either Biden or Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The goal of the focus group was to get a feel for the pulse of regular voters and their outlook, both on the last four years of the Biden administration as well as the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Notably, the sentiment surrounding the economy was more positive than those expressed in previous sessions; even the moderator, Frank Luntz, commented, “This is not that bad. In fact, it’s reasonably good.” The group still had some strong criticisms of the Biden-led economy, and more than a few participants voiced their concerns surrounding issues such as lack of affordable housing, inflation, and the ever-increasing national debt.
While the opinions on economic development carried more hopeful outlooks for the future of the nation, most of the participants expressed feelings of hopelessness and disillusionment with the political system as a whole.
Paul, a 62-year-old white high school teacher from Oregon who voted for Biden in 2020, went on to say, “I don’t even recognize my nation anymore. We’ve been kidnapped by extremes on the right and the left, and both political parties exploit this for fundraising and to win elections.’’ Sean, another Biden supporter, agreed, “Like Paul just pointed out, we’re pawns, and we’re being shown we’re pawns.”
Later on, Sean added, “We’re preconditioned to instant gratification. We have so much excess and access that we’re caught between too much information, boredom, and too much unbridled emotion. And nobody in that climate gets what they want. And the loudest voices are getting the spotlight on both sides. And that’s making us all think everyone’s crazy… I don’t think (that everyone is crazy), but I think that crazy sells across the headlines. And I think both sides realize that.”
Another strongly expressed (and widely shared opinion) was an overall strong distaste for another Biden-led administration, overwhelmingly both by Democrats as well as Republicans. Most Democrats reflected the broader mood of the country in saying they would still vote for Biden over Trump, but they voiced concerns over how weak he would perform against other candidates, like Haley.
When asked what they would say to President Biden if he were listening in on the focus group, Marie, a 48-year-old Democrat from Illinois, said, “Let somebody else run, but if you do run, I’ll support you.” Fifty-one-year-old Deborah, also a Biden voter in 2020, added, “I’d say, ‘Thanks, Joe, for forgiving my student loan.’ And I would say, ‘You’ve been great, and I appreciate all your service…. But bow out and let someone else stand up. Bow out’.”
The sentiments of hope for America are still present, although more buried and perhaps less widely shared than in the past. When Mr. Luntz asked how one would describe America to their children, Angela, a 56-year-old black Democrat from California, said the following: “I would definitely tell them, this is still the greatest country of them all. I’m 56 years old, and I’ve been voting since I was able to vote. I remind them of the importance of voting. I have one son who said, in 2020, ‘Why vote? Nothing’s going to change.’ I said, ‘You can’t have that attitude. You have to vote. Your voice does matter. Speak and scream it as loud as you possibly can.’ And we always had a hope for change.”
Chris, another black voter who supported Biden in 2020, commented on the divisiveness in America and shared his more optimistic outlook: “I think the divisiveness is going to improve. I’m relying upon some of the young folks who haven’t been tainted. I think that their ability to think out of the box, to organize, is going to be pivotal. And I think they’re going to see through some of these smoke screens and actually elect people who they think are going to do the right thing, so I’m optimistic.”
