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What Surprised Us in Focus Groups With Voters About Jan. 6
nytimes ^ | 1/7/2022 | Mark Peterson

Posted on 01/09/2022 7:07:28 PM PST by bitt

“What were some of the biggest things that happened in 2021?”

That was the opening question to two very different focus groups of voters convened by Times Opinion this week. The wide-open question was intended to see what was top of mind for the two separate groups — nine Democrats and eight Republicans from across the country — who weren’t told the discussions would focus on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the state of democracy in America. Unprompted, the Democrats started off with these answers:

“The Capitol in January.”

“Definitely.”

“Absolutely.”

And the Republicans started off with these answers:

“The vaccine. More and more people getting vaccinated.”

“The economy started to go bad.”

“The price of everything going up, and we’re back to $50 fill-ups.”

The moderator of the Democratic focus group, Margie Omero, and I weren’t expecting these participants (and others who followed suit) to bring up the Capitol attack right away, given all the news and challenges of 2021. And while I wasn’t surprised that some Republican participants, when asked by moderator Kristen Soltis Anderson for one-word reactions to “Jan. 6,” said they thought it was “way overblown” and “misrepresented,” I was struck that other Republicans defied Trumpian orthodoxy and reacted to Jan. 6 by saying “scary” and “definitely Trump.”

Those early moments of the focus groups were a taste of the unexpected, illuminating and nuanced opinions that surfaced over the course of the discussions, which we’ve published as edited transcripts (along with video clips). By using roughly the same questions for each group, we saw some of the predictable partisan divides, but also some overlap: Not only Republicans, but Democrats had some empathy for some of the Americans who stormed the Capitol, seeing them ordinarily as people who had real, understandable frustrations with “the

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: focusgroups; jan6; january6th; markpeterson; mediawingofthednc; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; panicporn; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills
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1 posted on 01/09/2022 7:07:28 PM PST by bitt
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To: Whenifhow; null and void; aragorn; EnigmaticAnomaly; kalee; Kale; azishot; AZ .44 MAG; Baynative; ..

p


2 posted on 01/09/2022 7:07:41 PM PST by bitt ( <img src=' 'width=50%>)
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To: bitt

The NYT are fascists, Jim.


3 posted on 01/09/2022 7:09:07 PM PST by Paladin2 (🍊 Is this <--- going to get me in trouble?)
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To: bitt

BS. Sounds like a fake focus group designed to give the answers they want to drive the narrative they’re pushing.


4 posted on 01/09/2022 7:09:48 PM PST by imabadboy99
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To: imabadboy99

The real narrative is the economy. The inflation. The difficulty finding employees. Remember what Bill Clinton’s motto was in 1992. We may not like him, but on that point he was right. Independents/swing voters couldn’t give a fig about January 6 if their raise is being eroded by Bindenflation.


5 posted on 01/09/2022 7:14:25 PM PST by packagingguy
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To: imabadboy99

Any advice given by kevin’$ roomie Frank luntz on questions to ask?


6 posted on 01/09/2022 7:15:58 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? 😕)
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To: bitt

Story is paywalled but I’m very curious to know what independents think.

My guess is that the Democrats are turning off the independents with the incessant over the top focus on the so-called coup. But their base really believes it so they can’t turn it off.

If I’m right they are cooking their own goose and hoisting it on their own petard.


7 posted on 01/09/2022 7:16:08 PM PST by edwinland
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To: All

.
Why would anyone believe anything from the Times?

$50 Fillups have been back.

BS


8 posted on 01/09/2022 7:17:07 PM PST by AnthonySoprano (‘’)
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To: bitt

Were it a real insurrection, both sides would know. One guy in a Viking hat, another carrying zip ties, and a few thousand tourists politely staying within the velvet ropes, do not constitute an insurrection.

I do recall watching the event unfold live. Perfectly reasonable for the chambers to evacuate, as unknown persons were entering with unknown purpose to face & protest perpetration of fraud unto treason. Can’t blame congresscritters for leaving post haste.

That said, it was nothing more than what Progressives regularly aspire to: loud disruptive protests, to the point of a _few_ going a bit too far (breaking thru barriers, stealing classified computer storage devices, etc), while most simply wander aimlessly attempting to demand redress of grievances by those long fled.

Seems the real motive for CNN et al to drag out and over-hype the event is sheer jealousy: their side _wants_ to do such, but can’t pull it off as cleanly as pissed-off Trump backers did.


9 posted on 01/09/2022 7:19:08 PM PST by ctdonath2 (Statistics don't matter when they happen to you.)
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To: bitt
defied Trumpian orthodoxy

Yessiree Bob.
No bias there!
Nope!
Not even a smidgen!

10 posted on 01/09/2022 7:19:25 PM PST by Roccus (First we beat the Nazis........Then we defeated the Soviets........Now, we are them.)
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To: bitt

“...I was struck that other Republicans defied Trumpian orthodoxy...


‘Nuff said.


11 posted on 01/09/2022 7:19:39 PM PST by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: AnthonySoprano

$88 for a 3/4 fill of 87 Octane, PureGas the other day.

YMMV.


12 posted on 01/09/2022 7:19:54 PM PST by Paladin2 (🍊 Is this <--- going to get me in trouble?)
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To: bitt

Nothing about the Afghanistan fiasco?


13 posted on 01/09/2022 7:20:22 PM PST by virgil (The evil that men do lives after them )
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To: bitt

Anything the NYT writes is fresh off the Beltway dedicated fax line. I wouldn’t trust a recipe from their foods and dining section.


14 posted on 01/09/2022 7:21:34 PM PST by blackdog (Jab Dodger. )
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To: bitt
Unprompted, the Democrats started off with these answers:

“The Capitol in January.”

“Definitely.”

“Absolutely.”

It proves to me that the TeeVee can make certain Merkuns quack whatever it wants them to quack.

15 posted on 01/09/2022 7:21:55 PM PST by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: All
AE72-F332-73-CC-48-E0-9-D5-A-894566-D1388-B
Sacred BLM Riot

16 posted on 01/09/2022 7:21:58 PM PST by AnthonySoprano (‘’)
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To: edwinland

Here


17 posted on 01/09/2022 7:22:25 PM PST by Theoria
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To: edwinland

https://archive.vn/b46sk


18 posted on 01/09/2022 7:23:21 PM PST by kiryandil (China Joe and Paycheck Hunter - the Chink in America's defenses)
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To: Roccus

Soon I suspect to hear of “Dystrumpian deplorables shopping for survival gear at Walmarts”.


19 posted on 01/09/2022 7:23:51 PM PST by blackdog (Jab Dodger. )
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To: AnthonySoprano
1-E6-DE4-B1-A39-C-4-D98-9-EE1-194-C7624115-F


Sacred BLM Riot

20 posted on 01/09/2022 7:24:36 PM PST by AnthonySoprano (‘’)
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