The Braver Angels Podcast

Host of Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren, and former host of Fox New's On The Record, Greta Van Susteren has been one of the most visible anchors in American political media for many years. But how did Greta's media career begin? And what did it have to do with a Toga party in 1976? Hear Greta recap her whipsaw career in broadcast journalism, her time at Fox News, the one time Roger Ailes told her what not to report, and weigh in with her thoughts on media bias and what it's like to interview politicians in this special interview on The Braver Angels Podcast. Help us build a house united. Join the work of Braver Angels at www.braverangels.org Social Media Twitter: @braverangels @greta @JohnRWoodJr @ciaranjoconnor Facebook and Instagram: @braverangels

Many Americans are deeply concerned about the culture of shaming and silencing that some see as becoming dominant on college campuses and increasingly in major American institutions and cities. No one has more reason to be concerned about this than Heather Heying - former professor of evolutionary biology at Evergreen State College and noted member of the "Intellectual Dark Web." But in this conversation with April Lawson, a conservative feminist and Braver Angels Director of Debates and Public Discourse, Heather confronts the tension between the need for civil norms in society and the pressure people feel to pursue social justice in ways that lead to quick progress. Heather and April explore issues of free speech, feminism, campus culture and social justice in this dynamic conversation between free thinkers. You'll be wiser by the end of it. Join Braver Angels: www.braverangels.org Follow Twitter: @braverangels @HeatherEHeying @AprilALawson

Bill Fry is retired Military, a Tea Party activist, and an avid Trump supporter. He's also a longtime Braver Angels leader who is co-organizing "No Ballot No Buck," a bipartisan campaign finance reform initiative in Ohio with his liberal counterpart Rob Weidenfeld. Bill talks to host Ciaran O'Connor about Braver Angels, Donald Trump, and working together to find surprising areas of convergence amidst a wider climate of acrimony.

Carol Swain may not reflect the image some people have in mind when they think of an elite university professor. She is an African-American Christian Conservative who grew up in severe rural poverty to achieve success at the top of the academic ladder. Her story of personal accomplishment shines light on the power of perseverance in face of adversity. The values Carol pulls from her experience also lend a foundation to understanding her politics, her Christian faith and even her support of President Donald Trump. Hear Professor Swain tell her personal story and talk antiracism, Christianity and Trump in this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast. With John Wood, Jr. www.braverangels.org Follow on Social Media: @BraverAngels @CarolMSwain @JohnRWoodJr

Carlos Hernandez is a Latino Braver Angels leader from San Francisco who supports President Trump. In this episode, Carlos talks to host Ciaran O'Connor about what it's like to be a conservative in San Francisco, why he supports the President, and how he believes Braver Angels' work can build trust and understanding between those who plan to vote differently in November. This conversation is a part of Braver Angels 2020, a national campaign to help Americans "Fight Right" by debating painfully divisive issues in a constructive way that prizes vigor and virtue over rancor and vitriol.

Dominique DiPrima is a former co-host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show and is the host of The Front Page with Dominique DiPrima. A "leading-edge" progressive activist, she has challenged the political status quo from the airwaves of KJLH in Los Angeles as LA's most popular Black morning show host. Kira Davis is the editor at large of Red State, a non-conforming voice who challenges Democratic orthodoxy while championing the values of faith, family and independence. Dominique and Kira are politically opposite. But they are both willing to challenge Republicans and Democrats while listening to and learning from each other. Listen to this fascinating back and forth between two passionate Black women dedicated to justice, equality and progress in America. John Wood, Jr. moderates. Join us at www.braverangels.org Follow us on social media: Twitter: @braverangels @JohnRWoodJr

The philosophy of Nonviolence guided the moral leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in a struggle for freedom and justice that inspired the world. Dr. King's philosophy birth a vision for American society that still challenges the conscience of the nation. And yet the true substance and practice of Nonviolence is largely forgotten today. How can we understand Nonviolence? How do we apply it in our current struggle? Veteran of the Civil Rights Movement Professor Harry Boyte of Augsburg University and Damien Conners, former executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, join April Lawson and John Wood, Jr. to talk about the philosophy, history and practice of Nonviolence to shine a light on how it's moral power can be recaptured in the midst of our current challenges in America. Help us build a house united. Learn more about the work of Braver Angels at www.braverangels.org Follow: Twitter: @braverangels @HarryBoyte @DameAlexander @AprilALawson @JohnRWoodJr

There is a movement underway to depolarize American politics. It is a movement committed to transforming the way we interact with and think about each other as Americans. And guess what? It is bigger than just Braver Angels. John and Ciaran welcome National Conversations Project and Listen First founder Pearce Godwin, Bridge Alliance founder Debilyn Molineaux and founder of The Village Square Liz Joyner to a conversation on the work of building bridges over the raging floods of American division. Each of these social innovators brings a deep perspective and experience to this vital work. You'll want to know their names and their stories. Join us at www.braverangels.org Follow: Twitter: @braverangels @USConvoProject @BrdgAllianceUS @VillageSquareUS @PearceGodwin @debilynm @ciaranjoconnor @JohnRWoodJr Facebook: @braverangels @NationalConversationProject @bridgealliance @thevillagesquare

The Braver Angels Songwriting Contest is over! And we've emerged with three incredible winning songs. In this episode of The Braver Angels Podcast John Wood, Jr. and Sage Snider speak to Jon Baker and Donna Elaine Miller (writers of the "A United States of Humanity," performed by Donna), Thomas Prasada-Rao ("Even You") and Scott Cook ("Say Can You See") to discuss the inspiration behind and to listen to excerpts from their winning songs. Each of these artists shines a wonderful light upon the spirit of patriotic-empathy that is growing through the work of Braver Angels. And each one was a unique American story to tell. Take a moment to listen and be moved. www.braverangels.org

Fashion stylist and cultural commentator Ayishat Akanbi is a uniquely refreshing voice in the social discourse of the United Kingdom. Increasingly however Ayishat's following is growing in the United States where people of widely differing background are drawing value from her empathetic and deeply perceptive approach to communicating across ethnic and political differences. Ayishat joins John Wood, Jr. to talk about the parallels of their owns experiences as people of African descent and strong multicultural experience in majority white countries. Listen as Ayishat and John compare notes on the projects of empathy building across the divides in both Britain and America and the shared idealism that animates the work community builders on each side of the pond. We are building a house united. Join us at www.braverangels.org. Follow: Twitter: @Ayishat_Akanbi @JohnRWoodJr @braverangels

Why has America struggled so mightily to control the coronavirus compared to other countries? Is there something about American identity or culture that renders us uniquely ill suited to managing this crisis? What do we mean by "cancel culture?" And how can we promote the values of free speech while making sure marginalized voices are heard? Ciaran O'Connor hosts a deep and candid roundtable with April Lawson, Monica Guzman, and Greg Steinbrecher.

What are the forces driving the breakdown in our media system? How do media polarization, hyperpartisanship, and disinformation threaten our values and democracy? And what can we do about it?? Ciaran O'Connor talks to the leaders of two organizations working to free people from filter bubbles so they can better understand the world, surmount the business model challenges that have driven the news media towards hyperpartisanship, and help Americans forge a shared reality in which to understand and analyze our nation's most important issues. John Gable is the Cofounder and CEO of AllSides, which provides daily news and issues from all perspectives -- left, center, right, and everything in between, to provide a fuller picture of what is really going on. Nathaniel Barling is the Cofounder and CEO of Knowhere, a news organization dedicated to establishing the facts as they are, on the global, national, and local stories that matter, and integrating machine learning deeply into the newsroom.

Can gay rights activists and proponents of religious liberty build the trust and understanding needed to find common ground? Or is this divide destined to be a zero-sum fight? Jonathan Rauch is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He's also a gay man who helped lead the movement to legalize same-sex marriage. Glenn Stanton is the Director of Global Family Formation Studies at Focus on the Family, a senior contributor to The Federalist, and an opponent of same-sex marriage. Jon and Glenn are longtime ideological adversaries -- and good friends. In this episode, Braver Angels co-founder Bill Doherty leads a passionate and candid discussion between the two men on the topic of LGBTQ rights and religious liberty in the context of recent Supreme Court decisions relevant to the divide.

In different ways, Joy Donnell and Maleena Lawrence are on the front lines of the cultural and political struggle against "White Supremacy." The idea of white supremacy holding sway over the dominant institutions and culture of American life strikes many Americans as outrageous whereas for many other Americans this truth is almost self-evident. But what do people actually mean by white supremacy? Joy Donnell, founder of the Center for Intersectional Media and Entertainment, and Maleena Lawrence, founder of Deeprooted Entertainment, take us deep into their own perspectives and experiences with white supremacy in this special Braver Angels sit-down. With Monica Guzman and John Wood, Jr. www.braverangels.org Follow on Twitter @braverangels @doitinpublic [Joy Donnell] @MaleenaLawrence @moniguzman @JohnRWoodJr

This is a conversation like few others. Bob Woodson and Hawk Newsome are among the most important voices in black America today, but their politics couldn't be any more different on the surface. Hawk Newsome is the chairman and former president of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York. Bob Woodson advised the Reagan administration, the Bush administration and is a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. Woodson is an independent black conservative and frequent Fox News contributor while Newsome is considered one of the most radical voices in today's social justice movement. Yet both men have fought their way up from modest beginnings to become leading voices in the conversation over racism and the future of black America. Newsome and Woodson collide in spectacular fashion in a conversation that is at times explosive and at times converges in profound agreement. John Wood, Jr. moderates as Newsome and Woodson represent the wide range of social, political and generational perspectives of the Civil Rights Movement, addressing black history, racism, the future of black America and their own striking life experiences. This back and forth that is guaranteed to give you an understanding of the range and depth of black perspectives in America that you did not have before. This conversation is brought to you as a part of Braver Angels 2020. Learn more and get involved at www.braverangels.org Follow: Twitter: @IamHawkNewsome @BobWoodson @JohnRWoodJr @braverangels

How can America move from a politics of hate to a politics of love? Ciaran O'Connor interviews Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig.

A columnist at Quillette Magazine, a contributor to Citi Journal and a person who has testified before the House of Representatives on the subject of reparations, Coleman Hughes is a writer and public commentator who has been celebrated for his sober analysis of issues relating to race in America. He joins John Wood, Jr. to talk about the statistics illustrating the nuanced reality of police violence towards African-Americans and the ways in which experience may help shape our viewpoint of social realities. You'll hear some viewpoints here you won't hear many other places. www.braverangels.org Twitter: @coldxman @JohnRWoodJr @braverangels

Tara Isabella Burton, one of the most interesting rising commentators on religion (broadly-defined!) in the American public square, joins April Lawson and Luke Nathan Phillips on the Braver Angels Podcast to discuss her new book, Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World. Why do Americans in a secularizing age seem to find spiritual fulfillment in corners as dark and strange as Bronze Age Pervert and SoulCycle? To what degree are America's polarized and identitarian squabbles about politics something akin to theological conflicts and religious revivals? Is there anything we can learn from America's history of religious experimentation to help us cope? Listen in for an engaging conversation on some extremely eccentric, incredibly human, and quintessentially American ways of understanding the social and spiritual world.

Braver Angels leaders John Wood, Jr. and April Lawson are joined by author, social psychologist and Braver Angels board member Jonathan Haidt to discuss the historical and psychological paths by which the United States has found itself looking over the cliff of chaotic social divisions – and wrestle with how we forge a positive path into the future.

Political commentator and author Sally Kohn returns to the Braver Angels Podcast to talk about her personal path to social justice advocacy, her empathy for conservative America and the battle to be aware of our own prejudices.

What does "defund the police" really mean? How can media outlets balance concerns about social justice and free speech? And how can America come together amidst upheaval? Ciaran O'Connor, John Wood, Jr., April Lawson, and Monica Guzman discuss on the latest edition of the Braver Angels Podcast.

Bridget Phetasy is a writer, actress and comedian whose Twitter feed has emerged as an unlikely refuge for political misfits across the spectrum. Formerly a columnist for Playboy, a contributor to publications including The Federalist and a guest on podcasts including The Joe Rogan Experience and The Rubin Report, Bridget has never gone into depth on the rough and tumble, zig-zagging life journey that brought her to her unusual brand of political celebrity…until now. Monica Guzman and John Wood, Jr. ask the questions in this provocative introspective. Warning: some explicit sexual language. Join Braver Angels: www.braverangels.org Twitter: @BridgetPhetasy @JohnRWoodJr @moniguzman @braverangels Facebook: @BraverAngels

John Wood, Jr. is joined by Braver Angels leaders Sage Snider, Luke Phillips and special guest Phillippa Hughes, founder of the Looking for America project, to talk about the Braver Angels songwriting contest, the cross-cultural artistic and convening work of Looking for America, and the power of music, art, food and culture to transcend the normal divisions of politics. Interested in writing a song for Braver Angels? Learn more at: https://braverangels.org/the-braver-angels-songwriting-contest/ Learn about Look for America at: https://www.lookingforamerica.us/ Follow at Twitter: @BraverAngels @johnrwoodjr @SageSnider @HughesPhillipa IG: @BraverAngels Facebook: @BraverAngels

Like the rest of America, Braver Angels has been touched by the COVID-19 epidemic and the national response. Some of us have been touched in very personal ways. So listen as the Braver Angels crew, including Ciaran, April, Monica and John, share their own experiences related to COVID-19, while exploring the warring attitudes of the American people. Follow us: www.braverangels.org Twitter: @BraverAngels @JohnRWoodJr @ciaranjoconnor @moniguzman

How do we overcome the bitterness of American politics and change the way things are done? This is John Wood, Jr. "Left of Bernie," yet a consistent defender of President Trump; author, commentator and creator of the comic strip "Dilbert" Scott Adams is a fascinating or infuriating voice in the political conversation, depending on who you ask. But Scott is schooled in the art of persuasion. I enjoyed talking to Scott about the practical ways we can repair our politics. Better yet, I got to challenge Scott to sharpen our own understanding of how to bring Americans together. Mr. Adams doesn't disappoint. Join Braver Angels at www.braverangels.org Follow On: Twitter: @BraverAngels @ScottAdamsSays @JohnRWoodJr Facebook: @BraverAngels @TranscendingPolitics Instagram: @BraverAngels

Sam Daley-Harris is a true pioneer in the area of bipartisan political organizing, and he has the track record to prove it. From his beginnings in anti-poverty work in the 70's to climate change today, Sam has built organizations that have set the cutting edge in grassroots coalition building. In this episode of The Braver Angels Podcast, Sam travels through his history as an organizer, recounting lessons and victories, and offers his perspective on how we can come together across the divide during and beyond COVID-19. John Wood, Jr. hosts. Learn about Braver Angels: www.braverangels.org Learn more about Sam and Civic Courage: https://civiccourage.org/ Follow Us Twitter: @braverangels @johnrwoodjr Facebook: @braverangels

Things have changed in the USA. But while ordinary Americans fight extraordinary battles to beat back COVID-19 and keep our economy running, Braver Angels and hopeful Americans across the country look for ways to make our politics worthy of our heroes and the future we want to see. In this episode of the Braver Angels Podcast, guests Chloe Valdary and Ken Bone talk Braver Angels, courage in the face of social judgment, and about the opportunities we have to uplift our society and our politics during lock down and the 2020 election. Co-hosts John Wood, Jr. and Ciaran O'Connor. Twitter: @cvaldary @kenbone18 @braverangels @johnrwoodjr @ciaranjoconnor Learn more about the work of Chloe Valdary at https://theoryofenchantment.com/ Join the mission at Braver Angels: https://braverangels.org/

Everybody seems to hate the media. But is it the problem or the solution? And is it possible that during the COVID-19 pandemic Americans are coming together after all? Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. are joined by media figures Annafi Wahed (founder of The Flipside), Denise Quinn (talk radio show host on KYKN in Salem, OR) and Monica Guzman (co-founder of The Evergrey in Portland, OR) to analyze how media habits and coverage are changing, not changing, and what it all means in the midst of our current crisis. You'll be surprised at what there is to learn.

It's a new day in America, and many things have changed. This new day requires courage. Better, has become Braver. In this episode Braver Angels national ambassadors John Randolph Wood, Jr. and Ciaran Justice O'Connor talk about Better Angels transformation, the politics of Republicans and Democrats during the Coronavirus crisis, and the challenge of bringing Americans together in the 2020 election. Save the Republic. Learn more at www.braverangels.org Social Media: Twitter: @johnrwoodjr @ciaranjoconnor @braverangels

Recorded 3/12/2020: Peter Boghossian, Co-author of the book How to Have Impossible Conversations, drops by The Better Angels Podcast to talk with John Wood, Jr. and Ciaran O'Connor about how the techniques in this book prepare us for some of the difficult dialogues the spreading pandemic is confronting us with. Pick up your copy of How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide: https://www.amazon.com/How-Have-Impossible-Conversations-Practical/dp/0738285323 Follow Peter Boghossian Twitter @peterboghossian @JohnRWoodJr @ciaranjoconnor @betterangelsusa

As American society becomes increasingly polarized and sorted by geography, ideology, and capital, our children are growing up in bubbles — isolated from kids who come from different backgrounds. But what if there were a way for kids to study abroad ... right here in America? Ciaran O'Connor talks to David McCullough III about his vision for the American Exchange Project, and what we can learn from students bridging the divide.

What's your reaction when you hear the name James Comey? If you're a Democrat, maybe you blame him for the election of Donald Trump. If you're a Republican, maybe you see him as the embodiment of a sinister deep state. Or maybe you see him as a faithful public servant who's been unfairly maligned by both sides. Either way, the former FBI Director has been at the center of some of the most polarizing moments in recent American history. James Comey joins Better Angels' Ciaran O'Connor and April Lawson to discuss his most controversial decisions — from investigating Hillary Clinton's emails to being fired by President Trump — and to reflect on some deeper questions around moral philosophy, ethical leadership, humility, overconfidence, and personal tragedy.

What happens when a liberal and a conservative decide to jump into an old Volvo and drive across the country? Jordan Blashek and Christopher Haugh share the story of their friendship, their travels, and how their journey changed their understanding of America and each other. Their new book is entitled Union: A Democrat, A Republican, and a Search for Common Ground.

Ciaran and John tackle the impeachment question, in addition to discussing polarization at the municipal level, John's forthcoming solo podcast, and how a President should smell.

Rusty Reno is the editor of First Things Magazine, an influential conservative journal on politics, religion, and public life. Rusty joins the Better Angels podcast to talk about how and why the religious community has responded to — and in many cases rallied around — President Trump amidst the populism surging through modern conservatism.

Julie Kohler, author of the Washington Post article "How Calls to 'Love Your Enemies' Enforce the Status-Quo," joins Ciaran and John for a back and forth about her own past critiques of Better Angels, the proper place of empathy in political life, and the importance of depolarization to preserving the possibility for political progress in the long run. Julie is a senior advisor for the Democracy Alliance, a progressive donor network. She has a Ph.D. in family social science and writes frequently on women and politics. You can find her on Twitter @juliekkohler1. Follow the BAP at: John Wood, Jr. Twitter: @johnrwoodjr Facebook: @transcendingpolitics Ciaran O'Connor Twitter: @ciaranjustice Music by Josh Lim: www.joshjameslim.com/

John Wood, Jr. and guest co-host Greg Steinbrecher talk to, Monica Guzman journalist and founder of Seattle based publication The Evergrey, about the influence of identity on our culture of conversation in the United States, and how to have difficult conversations across racial and political divides. Check out the Evergrey at https://theevergrey.com/ Follow Monica Guzman Twitter @moniguzman John Wood, Jr. Twitter @johnrwoodjr Facebook @transcendingpolitics Greg Steinbrecher Twitter @gregsteinbrecher

Editor, political analyst and veteran of previous Republican presidential administrations, Bill Kristol brings a critical take on President Trump and a long range overview of political polarization to this episode of The Better Angels Podcast. Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr co-host. Join us at www.better-angels.org and help us depolarize America! Bill Kristol: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillKristol John Wood, Jr. Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRWoodJr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TranscendingPolitics/ Ciaran O'Connor https://twitter.com/ciaranjoconnor Music by Josh Lim: www.joshjameslim.com/

In this special episode of the Better Angels Podcast, writer and philosopher Lexi Hudson interviews David Blankenhorn, founder and president of Better Angels, about the state of polarization in the United States, what makes a strong civil society and his own personal journey through the heat of American division.

Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. fill us in on the uplifting triumph that was the Better Angels National Convention in St. Louis, June 19th to 22nd.

Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. are joined by stand up comedian and BA Podcast producer Mike Casentini to trade voice impersonations and to talk political tribalism, political hypocrisy, and why its so hard to have reasonable conversations in today's political climate. Better Angels www.better-angels.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/BetterAngelsUSA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BetterAngelsUSA/ John Wood, Jr. Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRWoodJr Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TranscendingPolitics/ Ciaran O'Connor Twitter: https://twitter.com/ciaranjoconnor Music: Josh Lim www.joshjameslim.com/

Listen to Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. break down the political and racial divides alongside special guest, Chloe Valdary. Chloe Valdary is a writer and the founder of the Theory of Enchantment, a curriculum which confronts polarization through the use of pop-culture. Chloe's written work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Quillette. Learn more about Chole: https://theoryofenchantment.com/ Twitter: @cvaldary

Pundits and activists on the left and the right are saying we cannot seek understanding with our political opponents without sacrificing our political goals. We disagree.

Ciaran O'Connor and John Wood, Jr. recaps their recent journeys across the country discussing depolarization and reconciliation, Ciaran's interview with Ezra Klein, the values that bind Americans and John's feelings on Memorial Day.

John Wood, Jr. highlights a surprising potential political partnership in congress, and reveals a new Better Angels process...

Ciaran talks to Ezra Klein about the state of our public conversation, viewpoint diversity on college campuses, the rise of the intellectual dark web, and whether Better Angels can truly find values that meaningfully connect Americans across ideological differences.

Better Angels leader and media director John Wood, Jr. calls upon us to "Unite America," addressing the challenges and arguments against depolarization in this special episode of The Better Angels Podcast.

John and Ciaran sit down with conservative community organizer and Evangelical Christian Evan Chase to discuss Evangelical politics, support for Trump, race and the power of love to transform community.

Ciaran and John talk about their roads to Better Angels, the Depolarization Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., the need for community and how to apply love in politics.

Prominent Democratic strategist and Director of the Center for the Political Future at USC Bob Shrum talks with Ciaran and John about his friendship with Co-Director (and prominent GOP strategist) Mike Murphy, their work at the center, and how American politics became so divided.