Let’s Find Common Ground

Latest Episodes:

Why Democrats Fail With Rural Voters: Chloe Maxmin Feb 02, 2023

Show notes

Why do the two main political parties do so poorly with some large groups of voters? In this episode, we look at how in recent decades Democrats have been losing rural America by growing margins. In 1996, Bill Clinton carried nearly half of all rural counties. But in 2020 Joe Biden won majorities in fewer than 7% of these counties.

Our guest, Chloe Maxmin, a progressive Democrat from rural Maine, was the youngest woman ever to serve in Maine's Senate. She was elected in a conservative district in 2020 after unseating a two-term Republican incumbent in a region that twice voted for Donald Trump by large majorities.

She argues that her party has ignored voters in rural America and that their road to winning begins with respect, empathy, seeking common ground, and listening carefully to rural voters' concerns. On the doorstep candidates and volunteers, Maxmin argues, should "take the time to listen to why somebody believes the things they do and why they think the way they do."

Our next show will focus on Republicans and their struggles with Gen-Z voters. Our previous episode was about why independent voters are ignored and misunderstood by both main parties.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Why We Misunderstand Independent Voters Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Independent voters make up more than 40 percent of the voting public. But you wouldn’t know that from media coverage, which focuses almost exclusively on red versus blue. Independents are often overlooked or seen as wishy-washy. Our guests on this episode say that’s a big misconception.

In this show we look at a group of voters, including many young people, that is making up a growing slice of the US population.

Our guests are Jackie Salit and John Opdycke. Jackie is the author of Independents Rising and president of Independent Voting, an organization dedicated to bringing respect, recognition and reform to independent voters. John Opdycke is president of Open Primaries, which campaigns for primary elections in which every American can vote, not just Republicans or Democrats.

John and Jackie say that independents are not moderates: They envision a much less divisive political system than the current one, and they want to play a bigger role in American democracy.

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

Local Common Ground: Dinner and a Fight. Simon Miontlake, Ted Wetzel, Tom Hach Jan 05, 2023

Show notes

Want to know one of the most exciting and innovative ways to find common ground? Get people out of their political bunkers and move them beyond rigid polarization in our divided nation. Consider local grassroots efforts, such as the one we profile in this podcast episode.

Journalist Simon Montlake of The Christian Science Monitor tells us about his reporting on a lively grassroots effort in northeast Ohio to help people of all political stripes disagree constructively. Participants meet first over dinner at a community center and then debate a hot topic. The audience is invited to discuss a controversial proposition, listening to different points of view. It’s called Dinner and a Fight with the word "fight" crossed out and replaced by "dialog".

Event organizers Ted Wetzel and Tom Hach explain how the evenings work and why they can be part of a broader effort to rebuild civic bonds. Ted is the founder and executive director of Fighting-To-Understand, a nonprofit group that encourages people to be more skilled at healthy disagreement. Former IT program manager and retired Navy Reservist Tom Hach is the Director of Ohio Freedom Action Network (OhioFAN).

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

The Search for Common Ground: 2022 Year-End Show Dec 22, 2022

Show notes

2022 was a year of surprises in politics and the world beyond. In our year-end special, "Let's Find Common Ground" podcast puts the spotlight on six interviews that we published during the past twelve months.

We hear former Congressman Will Hurd discuss moderation and extremes in American politics. Author and market researcher Diane Hessan tells us what pollsters often overlook when they speak with voters. Former gun industry executive Ryan Busse reveals the key differences between responsible gun ownership and the reckless use of firearms.

Co-hosts Richard Davies and Ashley-Milne Tyte also feature their conversation with a prison reformer and a corrections industry executive. Two members of Congress— one Republican, one Democrat— explain their efforts to improve how Congress works. And a leading newspaper editor and reporter discuss how they face up honestly and creatively to bias and misinformation in the news media.

Learn more at commongroundcommittee.org/podcasts

Winter Is Coming: Campaign 2024 Dec 10, 2022

Show notes

CPF Co-Director Mike Murphy joins political insiders and strategists for a discussion on the 2024 presidential election. The panelists also talk about how candidates and campaigns are shaping up for the upcoming election, the possibility of a Joe Biden 2024 campaign, and Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. Featuring:

Tad Devine: President, Devine Mulvey Longabaugh Media; Chief Strategist, Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign
Jon Favreau: Co-Founder of Crooked Media; Former Head Speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Shaniqua McClendon: Vice President of Politics, Crooked Media; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Corrin Rankin: California Republican Party's Central Valley Vice Chair
John Thomas: Republican Strategist, President of Thomas Partners Strategies
Mike Murphy: Co-Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future; NBC Political Analyst

The Golden State: Blue LA and the Purple Congressional Battlegrounds Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

FOX 11 News Co-Anchor Elex Michaelson joins political insiders, strategists, and education experts for a discussion on how California and Los Angeles were impacted by the elections. They also talk about the Los Angeles mayoral election, the future of Gavin Newsom’s political career, control of the Senate, and the future of the Democratic and Republican parties in California.

Featuring:

Barbara Boxer: Former U.S. Senator (D-CA); Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Addisu Demissie: Principal and Co-Founder, 50+1 Strategies; Political Strategist, Gavin Newsom's 2018 gubernatorial campaign and Cory Booker's 2020 presidential campaign
Christian Grose: Professor of Political Science and Public Policy, USC Dornsife; Academic Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy
Ira Reiner: 39th Los Angeles County District Attorney; Former Los Angeles City Attorney and Controller, Fall 2022 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Tom Ross: President and CEO, Swing Strategies political consulting firm
Elex Michaelson: Host, "The Issue Is"; Co-Anchor, FOX 11 News; Winner of multiple Emmy and Golden Mic awards

Common Ground at Work: From Disaster to Success Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Collaboration is seen as a given in working life. Being part of a team means cooperating with others on all kinds of projects. But the reality is few of us learn how to collaborate. And when a collaboration fails it can leave such bad scars that the people involved never want to work together again.

In this episode, we speak with professor and collaboration expert Dr. Deb Mashek, author of the forthcoming book Collabor(hate): how to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone).

Deb found that three-quarters of people have been in at least one collaboration they loathed. But she says if more of us learn some simple skills, these kinds of disasters can be avoided. She also reveals how her own journey from trailer park to Ph.D. helped her become an expert in human relationships.

What the Heck Just Happened? Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Award-winning journalist Hank Plante joins political insiders, journalists, and education experts for a discussion on the 2022 midterm election results. Panelists also talk about Nancy Pelosi stepping down as House Democratic leader, the reliability of polling, and messaging strategies of both political parties. Featuring:

Elan Carr: Former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism; Former Deputy District Attorney of Los Angeles; Fall 2022 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Bill Carrick: Political Strategist, President Bill Clinton, Robert Luna, Eric Garcetti, Dick Riordan, Dianne Feinstein, and more
Seema Mehta: Staff Writer for the Los Angeles Times covering the 2022 midterm elections
Symone Sanders: Former Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris; Former Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Lynn Vavreck: Marvin Hoffenberg Professor of American Politics and Public Policy, UCLA; Contributing Columnist to The Upshot at The New York Times
Hank Plante: Emmy and Peabody-winning political journalist

Finding Common Ground: The State of Our Democracy Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins Democratic political icon James Carville and former White House Chief of Staff and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus for a Common Ground Committee discussion on the 2022 midterm election results and the state of our democracy. They discuss the biggest takeaways from the midterm election, Carville's take on a Biden second run, and Priebus' experiences in the Oval Office. Featuring:

James Carville: Political Icon
Reince Priebus: White House Chief of Staff (2017), Chairman of the RNC (2011-2017)
Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Talking with people you love, whose views you don’t. Holiday Special: Brian and Clare Ashcraft & Tania Israel Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

The holiday season is here but many people across the country may be dreading sitting down with their nearest and dearest— all because of politics.

In the first half of this episode, we discuss political differences with a father and daughter who have different ways of seeing the world. Clare Ashcraft and her dad Brian live in Ohio. He’s an engineer and a conservative. She is a liberal-leaning college student.

In the second half, we hear from an expert— well-known psychologist Tania Israel, author of “Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide: Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work." We share a series of smart tips that aim to minimize conflict and maximize cooperation with parents, family and friends.

"Let's Find Common Ground" is hosted by Ashley Milne-Tyte and Richard Davies.

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