A Michigan Focus Group
Chuck Todd’s anti-Trump to the bone but now and then surprises happen and one happened on Meet the Press when Todd played a video of a focus group of Republican voters sitting around a table in Grand Rapids, Michigan;–––the moderator started by asking, ‘Do you think impeachment is too complicated to follow? and a white-haired man sitting on his left shook his head. ‘No. I think it’s fairly straightforward. I think a lot of people see it more as an infomercial. This just seems like it really is political theatre.’
The moderator asked about President Trump’s tweets and an amused voice, off camera, chuckled, ‘He doesn’t win a lot of style points.’ A middle-aged woman with short dark hair added, ‘My friends are sick of both sides’ and another voice said, ‘No one trusts anyone anymore.’
The moderator paused. ‘Does this have any effect on anybody’s Presidential vote?’
A young man leaned forward, putting both arms on the table. ‘We knew who Trump was when we voted for him’ and another man added, ‘My vote is more effected by the current economic situation and balancing that against frankly Trump’s personality which is not the best.’
Glancing around the table, the moderator probed, ‘Where do you stand on how Trump has changed the Republican Party and his personality?’
A man in his forties spoke for the first time. ‘What matters to me – as a Christian am I allowed to live out my faith. I’m not sure Trump cares a lot about that but at least he’s not actively trying to take it away. The Democratic Party, a lot of what I hear from them, they actually want to take away my, not just my, all of our religious freedom because we have a new religion in America, I believe.’
The younger man added: ‘My biggest concern is it is not a Republican party anymore, it is the Trump political army; no one can step out of line or they must leave.’ A woman with jet-black hair demurred, ‘With Trump we got a real street brawler… we needed somebody to fight. We needed a street brawler.’
Not waiting for the moderator to ask another question the first woman said, ‘Politics is now a game, a giant game and it’s all about getting us upset because angry people vote;’ nodding, the white-haired man added, ‘And I think the media stokes that – it’s becoming more and more entertainment.’
“Did Trump do anything wrong?” the moderator asked and laughing a voice off camera said, “Oh, daily.”
That same Sunday morning a troupe of well-known Washington Pundits also pontificated on Meet the Press but the only signs of hope were the words of six nameless voters sitting around a table in Grand Rapids.
A Michigan Focus Group
Chuck Todd’s anti-Trump to the bone but now and then surprises happen and one happened on Meet the Press when Todd played a video of a focus group of Republican voters sitting around a table in Grand Rapids, Michigan;–––the moderator started by asking, ‘Do you think impeachment is too complicated to follow? and a white-haired man sitting on his left shook his head. ‘No. I think it’s fairly straightforward. I think a lot of people see it more as an infomercial. This just seems like it really is political theatre.’
The moderator asked about President Trump’s tweets and an amused voice, off camera, chuckled, ‘He doesn’t win a lot of style points.’ A middle-aged woman with short dark hair added, ‘My friends are sick of both sides’ and another voice said, ‘No one trusts anyone anymore.’
The moderator paused. ‘Does this have any effect on anybody’s Presidential vote?’
A young man leaned forward, putting both arms on the table. ‘We knew who Trump was when we voted for him’ and another man added, ‘My vote is more effected by the current economic situation and balancing that against frankly Trump’s personality which is not the best.’
Glancing around the table, the moderator probed, ‘Where do you stand on how Trump has changed the Republican Party and his personality?’
A man in his forties spoke for the first time. ‘What matters to me – as a Christian am I allowed to live out my faith. I’m not sure Trump cares a lot about that but at least he’s not actively trying to take it away. The Democratic Party, a lot of what I hear from them, they actually want to take away my, not just my, all of our religious freedom because we have a new religion in America, I believe.’
The younger man added: ‘My biggest concern is it is not a Republican party anymore, it is the Trump political army; no one can step out of line or they must leave.’ A woman with jet-black hair demurred, ‘With Trump we got a real street brawler… we needed somebody to fight. We needed a street brawler.’
Not waiting for the moderator to ask another question the first woman said, ‘Politics is now a game, a giant game and it’s all about getting us upset because angry people vote;’ nodding, the white-haired man added, ‘And I think the media stokes that – it’s becoming more and more entertainment.’
“Did Trump do anything wrong?” the moderator asked and laughing a voice off camera said, “Oh, daily.”
That same Sunday morning a troupe of well-known Washington Pundits also pontificated on Meet the Press but the only signs of hope were the words of six nameless voters sitting around a table in Grand Rapids.