The Cutting Room Floor – Mar 6, 2026
Stuff that didn't make the cut but was too good to toss
Friday, March 6, 2026
It's Friday. Here's some stuff we found interesting this week, but couldn't fit into a full post. Take what's useful, ignore what's not, have a good weekend.
"Taxpayer money shouldn't pay for strip club trips" tests at 72%. The top-performing message on the Labor Secretary scandal. "Reagan Democrats" framing tests at 30%. Turns out voters just want basic professionalism.
The "Secretary of War" rebrand polls at -23. 52% oppose vs. 29% support. The "warrior ethos" pitch is getting crushed by the "performative militarism" critique. The branding is less popular than the war itself. Oof.
The Kuwait friendly-fire incident splits voters 36-36. 28% unsure—the highest uncertainty on any Iran question. The fog-of-war narrative is working for neither side. Yet.
The Pentagon's Ivy League tuition ban polls at -28. The single most unpopular policy in our survey. Turns out voters don't want to restrict service members' educational opportunities, even if they're skeptical of elite universities. Who knew.
"Culture war cosplay" is landing. Messages that pair the strip club scandal with the Secretary of War title—framing it as "too distracted by theatrics to keep troops safe"—test at 65%+. The frivolity frame is working.
See you next week. Go outside.
Methodology: Findings drawn from Tavern Research surveys and message testing, February 27 - March 2, 2026.
