Fox News post-Texas debate focus group crowns Rubio winner, fights over Trump
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."
And if you're wondering what the funniest moment of the night was for the focus group, as Luntz teased at the end, it was from Ben Carson, and you can watch it here.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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