Episode 84 – Finding the Fairway in a Divided America
We sit down with Cori Kramer, longtime Washington insider and President of Center Forward
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Show Notes
In this episode of Golf and Politics, we sit down with Cori Kramer, longtime Washington insider and President of Center Forward, to talk about something increasingly rare in American politics: building trust across divides.
Cori shares her journey from Capitol Hill staffer to leading one of DC’s most influential bipartisan organizations, where she’s spent the last 15 years convening lawmakers, chiefs of staff, and policy leaders from both parties—often off the record and far from the cameras. Why? Because governing without trust doesn’t work.
We dig into:
- How primary elections, fundraising, and social media are warping incentives in Congress
- What Center Forward’s voter behavior study reveals about compromise, values, and civil discourse
- Why most Americans actually live in the center—but don’t show up for primaries
- How personal relationships (and yes, golf) can break down political walls
- The real human cost of politics, friendship, and showing up for people during life’s hardest moments
Plus, Kori opens up about her path to DC, mentors who shaped her career, lessons on leadership and listening, and even her growing connection to the game of golf—including a Ryder Cup experience and a young golfer in the family.
This is a thoughtful, honest conversation about politics as a process, not just an outcome—and why disagreement doesn’t have to mean division.
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