The Braver Angels Podcast
Our lives have changed – our politics need to change too. Now is a time for us to remember that we need each other as Americans. Now is a time for us to reject those voices that say we don’t. The Braver Angels Podcast brings you face to face with leading voices from across the divide alongside remarkable Americans you did not know existed. Experience a movement to reignite the spirit of America and defeat the forces that divide us. With John Wood, Jr., Ciaran O’Connor and April Lawson.
Latest episodes
Nov 21, 2018 • 29min
A Former Trump Official on Politics, Polarization, and a Path Forward
Better Angels CMO Ciaran O'Connor is a former political staffer for President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Lexi Hudson is a former official in the Trump administration's Department of Education. In this edition of the Better Angels podcast, Lexi and Ciaran reflect on the state of politics, polarization, and how we can find our better angels to move forward as a nation. Production: W. Harry Fortuna http://machinedhumanity.com/ Music: Josh Lim https://www.joshjameslim.com/
Jul 17, 2018 • 21min
A Trump Supporter and a Black Lives Matter Activist Discuss Policing and Racial Justice
Ciaran and John host a lively Better Angels discussion between Hawk Newsome, the head of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, and Greg Smith, a Trump supporter and former police officer. Produced by Harry Fortuna. http://machinedhumanity.com/ Music Credits: "Backed Vibes" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Jun 14, 2018 • 9min
Conservatives Find Healing in a Better Angels Workshop
Steve Sphar and Marisa Bogdanoff, the red and blue co-chairs of Better Angels' Sacramento alliance, discuss their journey to build an alliance, including the challenges of equally representing the two sides.
May 23, 2018 • 33min
Sally Kohn and "The Opposite of Hate"
Sally Kohn is a longtime organizer, political commentator (on both CNN and Fox News), and the author of the just-published "The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity." In this episode of the Better Angels Podcast, Ciaran, John and Sally discuss how to work with those you disagree with, how to confront hatred within oneself, and what it's like to be a progressive on Fox News. Produced by Harry Fortuna. http://machinedhumanity.com/
Apr 24, 2018 • 10min
Confronting Polarization with Jordan Peterson
Better Angels President David Blankenhorn talks to Jordan Peterson, a psychologist, professor, and influential conservative intellectual, about politics, polarization, and how to bring conservatives into the fold.
Apr 5, 2018 • 23min
Bridging the Divide with Jonathan Rauch: From Same-Sex Marriage to Donald Trump
Ciaran talks to Jonathan Rauch, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute, about politics, polarization, and Jon's history of bridging divides within the same-sex marriage debate.
Mar 24, 2018 • 38min
Bridging the Divide in High Schools
Ciaran O'Connor joins Ryan Adell, Executive Director of Next Generation Politics, to interview Avalon Fenster and Ryan Arranz, a liberal and a conservative high school student, about polarization, politics, and the next generation of political dialogue.
Mar 19, 2018 • 26min
A New Way of Talking Politics with Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr.
Better Angels' Director of Public Engagement Ciaran O'Connor talks with John Wood, Jr. about their respective political backgrounds — Ciaran as a former Obama & Clinton staffer and John as a former GOP nominee for Congress — and how they came to work together.
Mar 15, 2018 • 33min
A Conservative Christian and a Liberal Muslim Find Their Better Angels
After participating in a Better Angels workshop, conservative Christian Greg Smith and liberal Muslim Kouhyar Mostashfi visited each others' places of worship and became friends. Now they are leaders in the Better Angels movement and advocates for bridging the political divide. In this episode, Better Angels Director of Public Engagement Ciaran O'Connor brings them together for a wide ranging discussion about their background, politics, and how their relationship could be a model for coming together across difference.
Mar 15, 2018 • 41min
April Lawson (NYT) and Annafi Wahed (The Flip Side)
In the inaugural edition of the revamped Better Angels Podcast, Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. talk to April Lawson, editorial assistant to David Brooks and Ross Douthat at the New York Times, and Annafi Wahed, a former Clinton staffer and founder of The Flip Side, about their political perspectives — clarifying disagreements and illuminating commonalities.
