To understand the enduring fraud of political focus-grouping, we must read the work of America's highest-profile focus grouper, Frank Luntz.
Writing for the Financial Times about his "three hours in a deep dialogue focus group with 29 Trump supporters," this wizard of wow has nothing of real import to reveal — nothing of consequence, nothing fresh, nothing insightful. Luntz, however, tells us (and of course tells his clients) that he has something of import to reveal: "[M]y Trump voter focus group was particularly illuminating."
We are now primed to be illuminated; more important, we are primed to "feel" illuminated — and that is the trick to Luntzian focus-grouping.
What is it that Luntz proclaims not only "illuminating" but "particularly" illuminating about (the extended oxymoron of) his "deep dialogue … with 29 Trump supporters"? Are we prepared to be wowed? Of course we are. Luntz is telling us that his findings are awesome. And those findings are: "Some [in the focus group] still believe the president is not Christian. Many believe he does not love America. And just about all of them think he does not reflect the values the country was built upon."
Luntz proceeds to other astonishing revelations. For example his gathered Trumpeteers possess "an abiding distrust in — and disrespect for — the governing elite," and they "do not like the direction America is headed in." We can now comprehend the Trumpeteer brain betwixt those Trumpeteer ears — not because we didn't already know that these voters distrust the elite and see national doom down the road, but because Frank Luntz tells us he recently had the key to comprehension, which he astonishingly unlocked. The profundities therein — properly primed as profound — he then lays before us.
As for the Trump supporters' rationalizations about Trump himself? — about his outrageousness, his insults, his rhetorical incongruities and his abject cluelessness on policy? Says Luntz: "They will justify any action, explain away any contradiction, and dismiss any criticism because they are so personally and passionately invested in him."
You kid us not. Right, Frank?
Having read these "findings," I am left with only two questions. What idiot paid for Luntz's expedition through the obvious? And how much did he pay?