Bipodisan

This week’s show features Kevin Wilhelm, author of “How to Talk to the ‘Other Side.’” Kevin, Jean and Robert discuss tactics for productive conversations about the most difficult political issues. Robert and Jean subsequently have no trouble finding agreement on President Trump’s politically motivated insertion of federal law enforcement into local jurisdictions.

This episode features the co-chairs of the congressional Problem Solvers Caucus: Democrat Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Republican Tom Reed (NY-23). Their conversation covers how the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus works, what the political ramifications can be for joining this collaborative group, and what hope lies ahead for issues from police reform to COVID recovery.

Human rights advocate Jewher Ilham, daughter of imprisoned Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti, joins Jean and Robert for a discussion about the threat the communist government of China poses to human liberty, globally. Recording on the eve of July 4th, the group agrees the United States of America is, and must remain, the beacon of liberty for the world. Jean and Robert also discuss the latest in the COVID-crisis.

This week, Robert and Jean discuss the uncomfortable facts around the ongoing pandemic and political and societal gridlock. COVID still holds us, and our economy, hostage; social unrest continues, and Americans and our representatives continue to disagree on what to do about any of it. And yet, hope shines like a diamond (a baseball diamond, that is) by the end of this episode.

U.S News & World Report Senior Political Writer Susan Milligan offers her knowledge and perspective on recent Supreme Court decisions as well as on Joe Biden’s possible vice presidential pick, inspiring a lively discussion about the changing role of the Court and the importance (or lack thereof) of running mates in presidential elections.

Team Bipodisan is joined this week by speaker, author and diversity engagement specialist Karith Foster, who sets the stage for a conversation about conversations. The group discusses the benefits of employing humor, courage, empathy and curiosity in difficult discourse. 

Robert, Jean and Claude engage in an open, respectful and emotional discussion about injustice, reactions and human connections. Hope is woven throughout this week’s show.

Technology journalist Rob Pegoraro joins Jean and Robert this week for a tutorial on the communications statute Trump seeks to tweak. The co-hosts find bipartisan agreement on: the long-overdue need for new federal legislation to regulate social media monoliths; their longing for a moment of national pandemic mourning; and the crisis-level need for a global coalition to stand up against the communist government of China.

This week, Robert and Jean embark on a bipartisan search for clarity on COVID-19 data and the political and class divisions underlying the pandemic.

While sticking to their ideological underpinnings, Robert and Jean engage in an exploratory conversation about COVID-era spending, deficits, debt, inflation and the dollar. The conversation is a little nerdy, but also accessible and even fun.