Having surged to the top of the polls nationally and in the key early-voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Donald Trump is now the clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. Set against the backdrop of a conventional wisdom that held such a thing impossible, how did it happen? […] Read more »
The Best Way to Vilify Hillary Clinton? G.O.P. Spends Heavily to Test It
… In rooms like this one around the country, an expensive and sophisticated effort is underway to test and refine the most potent lines of attack against Mrs. Clinton, and, ultimately, to persuade Americans that she does not deserve their votes. While the general election is 16 months away, Republican […] Read more »
Shaping a Campaign Against Hillary Clinton
American Crossroads, a “super PAC” founded by Karl Rove, the Republican strategist, recently conducted two four-hour focus groups in Florida to test a series of attack ads against Hillary Rodham Clinton. … Here are descriptions of some ads, along with some reactions from the participants. CONT. Ashley Parker, New York […] Read more »
Do Iowa Republican Voters Want a Conservative?
In this Bloomberg Politics/Purple Strategies Iowa focus group video, Republican voters discuss the 2016 GOP field, what type of experience they’re looking for in a candidate and the future of conservatism. Bloomberg Politics Read more »
What New Hampshire voters are looking for in a candidate
Is Mike Huckabee, the newest candidate to enter the Republican primary field, “stale,” “graceful” or “too quiet”? That’s how some voters described the former Arkansas governor in a New Hampshire focus group comprised of Republicans and independents. CONT. CBS News Read more »
Senators Need Not Apply
Coverage of the first gathering of Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire last weekend focused on how many of them attacked Hillary Clinton, but there was another unifying message among several of the speakers: Governor is greater than senator. … On Saturday morning, pollster Frank Luntz held a focus group […] Read more »