Let’s Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

The Bully Pulpit has merged with the Let’s Find Common Ground podcast. As the tone of public discourse becomes increasingly angry and divisive, Let’s Find Common Ground offers a healing path to reaching agreement and moving forward. At the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future, we bring together top Republicans and Democrats to transcend partisan divisions and explore solutions to our most pressing national and global challenges. Join veteran strategists Bob Shrum and Mike Murphy along with other Center staff and major voices for fun conversations that advance civil dialogue and practical politics. The conversations go behind the curtain with elected officials, campaign staff, journalists, academics, pundits, and political operatives. Every exchange is guided by standards central to the Center’s mission: Respect each other and respect the truth. Opponents are adversaries, not enemies. And if you lose, don’t burn down the stadium.

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Top 10 Let’s Find Common Ground Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Let’s Find Common Ground episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Let’s Find Common Ground for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Let’s Find Common Ground episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Local Common Ground: Dinner and a Fight. Simon Miontlake, Ted Wetzel, Tom Hach

Let’s Find Common Ground

01/05/23 • 31 min

Want to know one of the most exciting and innovative ways to find common ground? Get people out of their political bunkers and move them beyond rigid polarization in our divided nation. Consider local grassroots efforts, such as the one we profile in this podcast episode.

Journalist Simon Montlake of The Christian Science Monitor tells us about his reporting on a lively grassroots effort in northeast Ohio to help people of all political stripes disagree constructively. Participants meet first over dinner at a community center and then debate a hot topic. The audience is invited to discuss a controversial proposition, listening to different points of view. It’s called Dinner and a Fight with the word "fight" crossed out and replaced by "dialog".

Event organizers Ted Wetzel and Tom Hach explain how the evenings work and why they can be part of a broader effort to rebuild civic bonds. Ted is the founder and executive director of Fighting-To-Understand, a nonprofit group that encourages people to be more skilled at healthy disagreement. Former IT program manager and retired Navy Reservist Tom Hach is the Director of Ohio Freedom Action Network (OhioFAN).

Please tell us what you think! Share your feedback in this short survey. For every survey completed we’ll plant 5 trees. Common Ground Podcast Feedback Survey (qualtrics.com)

“The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy” - Book Talk with CNN Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin

Let’s Find Common Ground

02/22/25 • 61 min

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins bestselling author and CNN Chief Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin for a discussion on presidential pardons and Toobin's new book "The Pardon: The Politics of Presidential Mercy." They discuss famous pardons throughout history and the latest pardons from Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

Featuring: Jeffrey Toobin: CNN Chief Legal Analyst; Bestselling author of "True Crimes and Misdemeanors," "The Oath," "The Nine," "Too Close to Call," "The Run of His Life" (made into the FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson), and "A Vast Conspiracy"

Bob Shrum: Director, Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

De-polarizing America. What Can All of Us Do? Tania Israel

Let’s Find Common Ground

01/21/21 • 26 min

Wesley Clark. The Leadership We Need at a Time of Crisis.

Let’s Find Common Ground

05/07/20 • 25 min

What does it take to be an effective leader at a time of unprecedented crisis? We look at the vital skills great leaders share in common. Guest: Retired four-star general, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and 2004 Democratic Presidential candidate, Wesley Clark. He shares his unique experience in the military, business, politics, and as the leader of the non-profit group, Renew America Together.

Climate Policy and the Two Parties: The Search for Common Ground

Let’s Find Common Ground

04/14/25 • 66 min

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and former U.S. Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) for a discussion on the state of climate policy under the Trump administration and how Democrats and Republicans can cooperate to tackle climate change issues. This conversation is part of the Climate Forward conference in partnership with the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability.

Featuring:

Barbara Boxer: Former U.S. Senator (D-CA)
Garret Graves: Former U.S. Representative (R-LA)
Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Bipartisan Trust and Common Ground in Congress: Reps. Rusty Johnson (R) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)

Let’s Find Common Ground

04/25/24 • 29 min

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 Rusty 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.

Let's Find Common Ground with Anthony Scaramucci

Let’s Find Common Ground

02/28/25 • 59 min

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci for a discussion on current events and the first month of the second Trump administration. They discuss the state of the Republican and Democratic parties, the impact of Trump's domestic and international actions, and even touch on Bitcoin. Featuring: · Anthony Scaramucci: Former White House Communications Director; Founder & Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital; Founder of SALT; Author of four books · Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Why Trump is Popular in Small-Town America: Salena Zito

Let’s Find Common Ground

05/09/24 • 16 min

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 America
Her 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.”

Are Cable News and Legacy Media All But Dead?

Let’s Find Common Ground

03/17/25 • 72 min

CPF Director Bob Shrum joins media experts, Martin Gurri, Adam Nagourney, and Gordon Stables, for a discussion on how the changing media landscape has contributed to global populist trends. They discuss the transformation of the media landscape, the role of the elites in the media and politics, and media's impact on the state of democracy globally. Featuring:

Martin Gurri: Former CIA Analyst; Author of "The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium"
Adam Nagourney: National Political Reporter for The New York Times; Author of "The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn and the Transformation of Journalism" and "Out for Good: The Struggle to Build a Gay Rights Movement in America"; Fall 2019 Fellow, USC Center for the Political Future
Gordon Stables: Director, USC Annenberg School of Journalism
Bob Shrum: Director, USC Center for the Political Future; Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics, USC Dornsife

Introducing Let's Find Common Ground

Let’s Find Common Ground

04/30/20 • 1 min

As the tone of public discourse becomes increasingly angry and divisive, Common Ground Committee offers a healing path to reaching agreement and moving forward. We talk with top leaders in public policy, finance, academe and more to encourage the seeking and finding of points of agreement, and to demonstrate how combating incivility can lead us forward.

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FAQ

How many episodes does Let’s Find Common Ground have?

Let’s Find Common Ground currently has 242 episodes available.

What topics does Let’s Find Common Ground cover?

The podcast is about News, Election, General, Elections, International, Conversation, Democrat, Commentary, Murphy, Political, University, Conversations, School, National, Biden, News Commentary, Trump, Podcast, Podcasts, America, Education, Analysis, Republican, Opinion, Politics, California, Government and Race.

What is the most popular episode on Let’s Find Common Ground?

The episode title 'Jordan Blashek, Chris Haugh. Two Friends: One Democrat, the Other Republican Search for Common Ground' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Let’s Find Common Ground?

The average episode length on Let’s Find Common Ground is 44 minutes.

How often are episodes of Let’s Find Common Ground released?

Episodes of Let’s Find Common Ground are typically released every 6 days, 11 hours.

When was the first episode of Let’s Find Common Ground?

The first episode of Let’s Find Common Ground was released on Dec 9, 2019.

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Let’s Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

Top 10 Let’s Find Common Ground Episodes

FAQ

How many episodes does Let’s Find Common Ground have?

What topics does Let’s Find Common Ground cover?

What is the most popular episode on Let’s Find Common Ground?

What is the average episode length on Let’s Find Common Ground?

How often are episodes of Let’s Find Common Ground released?

When was the first episode of Let’s Find Common Ground?

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