Frank Luntz's focus group of Texas Republican voters was pretty clear on the winner of Thursday night's presidential debate: Marco Rubio. But if Rubio won, Luntz asked them on Thursday's Kelly File, why did they spend so much time talking about Donald Trump? It turns out the focus group was sharply divided between people who liked Trump — "He's the only one on the stage who's accomplished anything," said the guy with the wrap-around mustache — and those who found him to be a pugilistic policy lightweight.
So why did they think Rubio won the debate? "He was able to attack Trump," said one young man. "I thought he was more knowledgeable about the issues," said another voter. "Rubio is charming, he has a little-boy face, he comes across as just an all-American boy, and that's what he did — he zinged Trump several times," said an older woman. He didn't come across like "a mechanical robot, like he usually does," the lone black participant said. "This time he was more personable."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are home insurance prices going up?Today's Big Question Climate-driven weather events are raising insurers' costs
-
'All too often, we get caught up in tunnel vision'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
2024: the year of legacy media failuresIn the Spotlight From election criticism to continued layoffs, the media has had it rough in 2024
-
Putin says Russia isn't weakened by Syria setbackSpeed Read Russia had been one of the key backers of Syria's ousted Assad regime
-
Georgia DA Fani Willis removed from Trump caseSpeed Read Willis had been prosecuting the election interference case against the president-elect
-
Democrats blame 'President Musk' for looming shutdownSpeed Read The House of Representatives rejected a spending package that would've funding the government into 2025
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdownSpeed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdownSpeed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorismSpeed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about BidensSpeed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
-
South Korea impeaches president, eyes chargesSpeed Read Yoon Suk Yeol faces investigations on potential insurrection and abuse of power charges
