Let’s Find Common Ground

CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by the Center's Spring 2021 Fellows to recap President Joe Biden's inauguration and share their insights on the country’s future under the Biden Administration. Featuring: Barbara Comstock - Former U.S. Representative (R-VA) and CPF Spring 2021 Fellow Shaniqua McClendon - Political Director, Crooked Media and CPF Spring 2021 Fellow Todd S. Purdum - Former New York Times Reporter and Staff Writer at The Atlantic; CPF Spring 2021 Fellow

The vital task of finding common ground in American politics became much more difficult in the traumatic days after the violence and mayhem at the U.S. Capitol. While many Americans viewed the pro-Trump crowd as thugs, others thought of them as patriots. This podcast is the first in a new series on dealing with polarization. We speak with professor Tania Israel, author of "Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work." Dr. Israel is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and past-President of the Society of Counseling Psychology.   In this episode, we discuss practical, concrete steps listeners can take to have meaningful conversations that reach across deep divisions. In a time of anger, deep divisions, and even political violence, how do we begin to de-polarize America? What is our personal role in finding common ground? Are there practical steps all of us can take?  "One of the things I recommend is being curious. Try to find out more about what's behind what somebody says," Tania Israel tells us.

James Baker was at the center of American political power for three decades. His resume is exceedingly impressive— Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and White House Chief of Staff, twice. He ran five presidential campaigns. Baker's accomplishments were far-reaching— he helped end the cold war, reunify Germany, assembled the international coalition to fight the Gulf War, and negotiated the rewriting of the U.S. tax code. Quite simply, he was "The Man Who Ran Washington," which is the name of a highly-praised new book, co-authored by our guests, New York Times chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker (no relation), and his wife, Susan Glasser, staff correspondent for The New Yorker. In this episode, we discuss how Washington has become a more angry, and anxious place. We learn about Baker's track record of successful governance, his steely pragmatism, why the art of compromise is crucial to almost any negotiation between powerful rivals, his deep friendship with the first President Bush, and Baker's opinion of Donald Trump.

From tragedy and disruption caused by COVID-19, to impassioned pleas for racial justice heard across the country, and the deep divisions in our politics, 2020 was a year like no other.  On "Let's Find Common Ground", we've shared a remarkable range of thoughtful, personal and surprising conversations about some of the most important topics of our time. We revisit a few of the most memorable and special moments in this year-end episode.  Among the highlights: Houston's Chief of Police Art Acevedo and New York City civil rights activist and mayoral candidate, Maya Wiley, discuss ways to find common ground on police reform. Eva Botkin-Kowacki of The Christian Science Monitor reveals how environmental activists and farmers use different language to discuss the threat of a changing climate. Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Abigail Spanberger explain how they work together to pass laws and find solutions to controversial issues in a dysfunctional Congress. We also listen to fascinating insights from an inter-racial couple, Errol and Tina Toulon, about how they are viewed by others.

For decades, environmental activists have cast themselves as defenders of the planet against greedy, profit-hungry corporations. At the same time, many conservatives have ridiculed the science of climate change, and warned against the economic costs of the Green New Deal and similar initiatives. In this podcast, we explore a new narrative with two environmental campaigners. Bill Shireman and Trammell Crow are authors of the book, "In This Together: How Republicans, Democrats, Capitalists and Activists Are Uniting to Tackle Climate Change and More." Bill Shireman is President of the non-profit Future 500, which brings together people of all points of view to discuss environmental reform. He teaches leadership and negotiations at UC Berkeley Haas Business School, and is a founding member of BridgeUSA.  Business leader and developer Trammell Crow is the President of the Crow Family Foundation. He is a founder of Texas Business for Clean Air and a member of the Clean Capitalist Leadership Council.  "We have our conflicts, but we are not at war with each other," says the In This Together website. "Together we will be solution focused, not divisive, as we champion freedom, justice, prosperity, and sustainability for all."

In a time of deep and sometimes bitter political division, what are the most effective ways to have conversations with family members who vote for a different party or don't see the world the way that you do? In this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground" podcast, we explore the challenges and opportunities faced by many families, especially as they come together during the holidays. Our guests are Becca Kearl, a Joe Biden supporter, and her mom, Robbie Lawler, who went for Donald Trump. Becca is a Managing Partner at the non-profit group, Living Room Conversations. She is a founding member of the Utah Dialogue Practice Network. Becca is also fully engaged in the non-profit venture of raising five kids with her husband in Provo, Utah. Robbie Lawler is a mother of six and was named National Mother of Young Children in 1996. She has received awards for community projects she worked on, and most recently was events coordinator for the Law School at Brigham Young University. She lives with her husband in Alpine, Utah. We share tips and ideas about how to have difficult or awkward conversations with those you love. Find more constructive suggestions here from Living Room Conversations.

Center Co-Director Mike Murphy is joined by top Republican strategists, journalists, and historians to examine the growing divisions within the Republican Party and explore strategies forward. Featuring: Douglas Brinkley - Author; Professor of History at Rice University; Presidential Historian for CNN Jessica Millan Patterson - Chairwoman, California Republican Party Karl Rove - Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff, George W. Bush Administration Anthony Scaramucci - Entrepreneur, Founder of SkyBridge and SALT Conference, Former White House Communications Director, Trump Administration Bret Stephens - Opinion Columnist, New York Times; Author

CPF Director Bob Shrum is joined by strategists Stephanie Cutter and James Carville, Journalist Adam Nagourney, and Cristobal Alex, Senior Advisor for Joe Biden's presidential campaign to examine Biden's winning campaign strategy.

Voters sent decidedly mixed messages in the 2020 election. This episode looks at what we can learn from then about how divided the country is — or isn’t. Voters in cities, suburbs and rural parts of the country went to the polls in record numbers. We discuss the extraordinary level of interest in the presidential campaign, and reasons why President-elect Biden won five million more votes than President Trump.  Our guests are Christa Case Bryant, a national political reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, and Story Hinckley, a National Political Correspondent in Washington on the newspaper’s national news desk in Washington. Both traveled extensively during the 2020 campaign, listening to voters and politicians in battleground states. They share their rich and moving experiences on the frontlines of the campaign, and what they learned from the many people they met along the way.

CPF Co-Directors Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy are joined by journalist Adam Nagourney, Republican strategist Mike Madrid, and USC Professor Jane Junn to discuss the future of polling, the Republican Party, and the latest election results. Nagourney has been the Los Angeles Bureau Chief of the New York Times since 2010 and Madrid is a co-founder of The Lincoln Project and a longtime Republican political strategist with an expertise in Latino voting trends and analysis. Junn is a USC Professor of Political Science and the Associates Chair in Social Sciences, who has authored five books on political participation and public opinion in the United States.