Let's Find Common Ground Common Ground Committee

Abortion is one of the most passionate, divisive, and emotional issues in the 2024 election campaign. The debate is often dominated by extremes on both sides.
But what if passionate pro-life and pro-choice movement leaders could get together in the same room and learn how to disagree better? That is exactly what happened in Massachusetts, beginning in the mid 1990's. Leaders on both sides held secret discussions over the course of several years . 
These wrenching conversations began in the mid 1990’s at a very difficult time— after two women were murdered by an anti-abortion extremist in Brookline, Massachusetts.
We hear from The Reverend Anne Fowler, an Episcopal Priest who served on the board of directors for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, and lawyer Fran Hogan, who's been President of Women Affirming Life. They’re among the six women profiled in the 2023 documentary, "The Abortion Talks". 
This interview was first published last year.

From cars to entertainment, technology to retailing, most large industries have faced huge changes in the past thirty years. But none more so than the news business. 
Since 2000, countless numbers of local and regional newspapers went bust. Those that did survive fired a big percentage of their reporters and slimmed down. The past two decades also saw the rise of social media and highly opinionated online journalism, slanted well to the left or right of the political spectrum. Local reporting of how our towns, cities and states are run has died out in many parts of the country.
Political journalist Chris Stirewalt is our guest in this episode. He is a contributing editor and regular columnist at the conservative news site, The Dispatch. Chris wrote the book, "Broken News: Why The Media Rage Machine Divides America and How to Fight Back."
Find more episodes of "Let's Find Common Ground" here. Learn more about The Common Ground Scorecard here.

Unlike the vast majority of journalists who cover American politics, Salena Zito lives far away from the centers of power and wealth. She writes about small-town America and the parts of the country that much of the media doesn’t cover. Zito's commitment to understanding the heartland of America is evident in her frequent trips along the nation’s back roads. She drives thousands of miles, avoiding interstates and major cities, to grasp the pulse of rural and small-town AmericaHer insights about American voters are especially valuable in this election year. In this podcast, we learn why so many people who live in rural and small-town America support Donald Trump and the populist coalition that reshaped the Republican Party. Salena Zito writes columns and reports on politics for the Washington Examiner, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and the New York Post. She is coauthor of "The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.”

More than 50 Members of Congress have announced that they’re not running for reelection in 2024. Many cite political dysfunction and angry divisive rhetoric as reasons behind their decision to quit.
Retiring Democratic Senator Joe Manchin recently told CNN: “Every one of us should be ashamed of what we’re living through now in the 118th Congress.”
But there are constructive examples of cooperation. On the next episode of "Let's Find Common Ground", we host a lively conversation with Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) and Dusty Johnson (R-South Dakota). Both argue that finding common ground is a crucial ingredient in governing and making progress on solving the biggest challenges facing the nation.
Johnson and Krishamoorthi also speak of their work together as Members of the bipartisan House Select Committee on China.

Many Americans are exhausted by polarization and hyper-partisanship. Bitter divides are not just a problem for election campaigns and public institutions; they’re also damaging the workplace. 
Employee morale at many businesses and nonprofits has plunged— impacted by tribalism, culture wars, and political divides. CEOs are often in a tough spot. Some have banned talking politics at the office. Or they’ve taken a public stand on an issue of the day in an effort to ‘do the right thing.’ But that can end up pleasing some employees while alienating others. 
 In this episode of 'Let's Find Common Ground,' we have the privilege of hearing from Simon Greer, the visionary founder of Bridging the Gap. This organization is dedicated to equipping college students with the skills to communicate effectively across differences. Simon's work extends beyond the campus, as he also consults with numerous organizations grappling with these same challenges within their workforces. His efforts offer a beacon of hope in the face of workplace polarization.

Partisan divides are as deep as ever. Most Americans are exhausted by the dysfunction and divisions in American politics. Some scholars claim the country is on the brink of civil war. But several recent polls suggest that clear majorities of voters agree on many issues. 
We dive into the data from two different groups that study American attitudes and beliefs.
Kate Carney is chief of staff for the nonpartisan research organization, More in Common. Her work aims to help build strong communities for a strong country.
John Geer is a professor of political science and leads the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy. He discusses findings from Vanderbilt’s which tracks trust in institutions and democracy.
Hear some of their surprising findings on this episode of "Let's Find Common Ground".