For three years, Times Opinion has been conducting focus groups with Americans to explore how they see the country and the concerns shaping their lives. For these final 11 weeks of the presidential race, we are also doing something new: We have assembled a panel of 15 undecided voters ages 18 to 27, and will check in with them regularly through Election Day to track their opinions of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and to talk to them about the issues and news that matter most to them. We're zeroing in on young Americans partly because they're often overlooked or stereotyped as elections get down to the wire, perhaps seen as progressive or single-issue voters or as too flaky and distracted to be counted on. These assumptions get younger voters wrong, as I learned over my years covering presidential races as a reporter and editor. They are also an influential voting group in swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. And with many younger Americans quickly moving to support Harris, we were curious why these 15 voters in particular were more ambivalent about her than many peers. They all said they were open to supporting her, and their voting histories don't put them squarely in any one camp; in 2020, five of them supported Joe Biden, two voted for Trump, seven didn't vote (most were too young) and one wrote in Mitt Romney. Most of them are wary about Harris right now — some worry that she is too far left, or that she covered up Biden's age-related issues — and want to know how she would approach inflation, crime, the war in Gaza and other issues. But they are also skeptical or hostile about Trump; indeed, I was a little surprised at how many of them remain appalled by the Jan. 6 attacks. Several saw Trump more positively after the attempt on his life, but they were quickly turned off by his attacks on Harris and her race. So why are they undecided? I encourage you to hear that from them in their own words. We'll check back with the group about Harris's convention speech to see if it changes their opinions about her. And we'll be watching to see what they think about the coming debates, shifts in the economy and the Gaza war, and whatever else is in store for the presidential race. And in the end, of course, we're curious to see which candidate they decide to vote for, and why. We hope you'll follow along, too. Read the focus group transcript: Here's what we're focusing on today:
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Thursday, August 22, 2024
Opinion Today: We talked to undecided young voters about Harris and Trump
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