This week, we heard from Gretchen Barton, Founder and Principal at Worthy Strategy Group, LLC; Henry Fernandez, CEO at Fernandez Advisors; and Ben Lazarus, Director of Research Solutions at TargetSmart on the impact of the September 10 presidential debate on key voting segments.

Ben examined recent dial testing research from PSG Consulting, Innovating for the Public Good: R&D for Democracy and TargetSmart, whose unique “hot button” methodology captured voters’ live emotional reactions throughout the debate, providing deeper insights to highlight which moments resonated most strongly with the voters Vice President Harris needs to turn out.

Gretchen walked us through Worthy Strategy Group’s “Critical Six” list of top qualities voters prioritize in a leader. Drawing on this work, she reviewed the leadership qualities VP Harris demonstrated during the debate.

Finally, Henry highlighted the importance for polling and research to look beyond standard demographic markers, like age, race and gender, to better understand how a voter's lived experiences impact their behavior. You can find Ben and Gretchen's slides on our website.

Download Gretchen Barton's Slides

Download Ben Lazarus’s Slides
Listen to this Episode on Spotify