#428: Braver Angels First 100 Days Debates: "Is Trump Making America Great?" Jessie Mannisto

We release this show at a moment of high political drama. Economics, financial markets, and America’s relations with the rest of the world are in a state of tumult. So how on earth do we talk with and listen to people on the other side? Should you even try?

Jessie Mannisto, Director of Debates at Braver Angels says “yes!”

In this episode we learn why understanding those who you disagree with is a vital first step to repairing civic relations. We discuss the First 100 Days Debates: “Is President Trump Making America Great?” Braver Angels is holding a series of structured debates this spring on birthright citizenship, DEI, foreign policy, the limits of executive power and more.

Everyone has an opinion about the President and his Administration. “Right now we are all in some way emotionally activated, whether with triumph or with fear and anger,” Jess tells How Do We Fix It? host Richard Davies. “At Braver Angels we are coming together to try to live well in a polarized time.”

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#427 Braver Angels: Beginnings and Today’s Challenge. David Blankenhorn

I don’t do this work in optimism. I do it in hope”, Braver Angels President  David Blankenhorn tells our podcast. “If we’re going to have any chance to fix this and save our country, this is what needs to be done.”

Soon after the tumultuous 2016 election Braver Angels sprung to life— co-founded by David, Bill Doherty and David Lapp. Two years after its founding this nationwide volunteer-led citizen movement had its first convention attended by 72 conservative and 72 liberal delegates. Last summer, more than 750 reds and blues were at the Braver Angels national convention in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

In the past few years Braver Angels workshops, debates, and other events have been held in all 50 states. The work continues every day all across America.

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#426 Braver Angels. Learning & Listening Across Political Divides: Wilk Wilkinson

What do you think of people who you totally disagree with about politics? Can you listen to their point of view and have a constructive conversation? Do you dismiss the other side as evil or deplorable?

In this episode we hear from Wilk Wilkinson, a Christian conservative who voted for Donald Trump. He has working class roots and grew up poor. A decade ago Wilk was enraged at liberals, but today he’s working closely with both reds and blues at Braver Angels to turn down the volume on loathing and distrust.

“There’s no reason why I can’t have civil conversations with people on the blue side”, says Wilk. “We cannot get stuck in this idea that just because politically we don’t see eye-to-eye we are enemies.”

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#425 Why Should I Trust You? Vaccines and Public Health. Brinda Adhikari and Tom Johnson

In the five years since the COVID pandemic began, trust in public health institutions and vaccines has plummeted. According to a new opinion poll, just over half of the public now says they trust the Food and Drug Administration to make the right recommendations on health issues at least “a fair amount,” down from nearly two-thirds (65%) in June 2023. 

About 1 in 4 Republicans parents now say they’ve akipped or delayed some children’s vaccines.

"Why Should I Trust You?" is a new podcast about why so many Americans have lost trust in science and public health. We hear from two of the show's co-hosts, journalists Brinda Adhikari and Tom Johnson. They speak about what they've learned from a remarkably broad range of skeptics, scientists and doctors who have different opinions about vaccines and public policy on healthcare. 

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#424 Braver Faith: Building Bridges With Respect Not Agreement. Mark Beckwith

How Do We Fix It? raises questions about solutions to divisive topics of politics and public policy: Decidedly secular matters. In this episode we look at how religious groups and institutions can help bring people together across divides. Braver Faith is our focus. The Right Rev. Mark Beckwith is our guest.

Braver Faith is one the newest and most vibrant groups within Braver Angels— America's largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement that works to push back against rigid polarization. Led by faith leaders from many different religious backgrounds and beliefs, Braver Faith is a civic organization that develops educational tools to build bridges between people who are divided over politics.

Mark Beckwith speaks with us about the group's goals and principles. "So many people that I talk to within Braver Angels tell me their commitment emerges from their particular faith", he tells us.

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#423 Braver Angels "Road Trip Across a Divided America": Joseph Sim

In the fall 2024, a young British filmmaker jumped in a small car and drove across America, asking more than 200 strangers the same two questions: "How did we lose connection with our neighbors, and how do we get it back?" Many of the answers and explanations are fascinating.

"I am a firm believer that developing a curiosity or a curiosity in strangers is the cure for a polarized and isolated world," says Joseph Sim, the director and producer of the new documentary, "A Road Trip Across a Divided America."

In this podcast we also hear from experts, everyday citizens and members of Braver Angels, who gave Joseph renewed hope that America can overcome the toxic divides that currently poison so many friendships and family relationships. 

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#422 Holiday Helper: Embracing Disagreement With Love. Tania Israel and Arthur Brooks.

The holiday season is here, but many people across the country may dread sitting down with their nearest and dearest— all because of politics.In this episode we share down-to-earth advice from two wise experts who have thought deeply and creatively about how to minimize conflict and maximize cooperation with parents, family, and friends.

Tania Israel is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and award-winning author of "Beyond Your Bubble: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation".

Arthur C. Brooks is Professor of the Practice of Public and NonProfit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. We discuss the findings of his book "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From the Culture of Contempt".

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#421 Braver Angels Reds and Blues: Election Day 2024 and Beyond

Some wore red hats, others wore blue. Outside scores of polling places in many states across the country, pairs of Democrats and Republicans sat together in a radically simple experiment called the Braver Angels Election Day Initiative.

The contrast between dire media forecasts of violence, and calamity during the election and what actually happened was stark. The day passed by calmly with minimal reports of disruption. There was a sense of quiet majesty that day.

In this episode we hear about the experience of three Red/Blue pairs of Braver Angels volunteers. For all of them the experience of presenting themselves in public as liberals and conservatives who could get along was uplifting. We also get reactions and reflections about the results and what they mean for our democracy.

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#420 Tangle: Independent, Non-partisan News. Isaac Saul

Do you believe what you see in newspapers, websites and on TV? Most Americans don't trust the people who are supposed to truthfully report the news. A new Gallup poll says Americans have record-low trust in mass media. Only one-in-three adults has a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of confidence in the media to report the news "fully, accurately and fairly."

More than 150,000 readers each day turn to Tangle, a website read by liberals, conservatives and independents. Every day Tangle tackles one current debate in American politics, and summarizes arguments from left, right, and center. All Sides Bias Checker gives Tangle a "middle" rating, which means the site neither leans left nor right.

Our guest, politics reporter Isaac Saul, started Tangle in 2019 as an independent, ad-free, nonpartisan newsletter. He grew up in Bucks County Pa. — one of the most politically divided counties in America — where he was exposed to a huge range of political opinions and values. As a young journalist, Isaac learned the media ecosystem was broken when he found that he wasn’t being judged based on his writing, but where it was being published. 

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#419 Braver Angels Election Day Initiative. Elizabeth Doll and Don Goldberg

Are you fed up with politics and especially the presidential campaign? On How Do We Fix It? we're reporting on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels. This nationwide citizen-led movement is a growing coalition of liberals and conservatives working to restore hope and co-operation to our politics. 

In this episode we speak with a second pair of Red-Blue volunteers who will be working together and meeting voters outside a polling site on November 5th. It's all part of the nationwide Election Day Initiative. Our guests are Elizabeth Doll and Don Goldberg. On election day, they will be outside King County Election HQ in Renton, Washington.

"The other is not necessarily the enemy", Don tells us. "They just happen to be another side." Elizabeth agrees and hopes that one result of the Initiative is that Americans "recognize people can be friends...  talk about politics with each other, disagree about politics, and still be in relationship with each other."

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