Make America Relate Again

On this season, I want to bring you a broad spectrum of relationships, so we can see how these conversations can work across the span of human interaction. So far, we've heard me and a dude I met in a bar - an acquaintance relationship - and a genuine pair of close friends. In this episode, I'm bringing you experts. Kim Iversen is a co-founder of the liberal news media organization, The Left, and Nick Hankoff is the Chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Southern California. In this episode, they talk about capitalism versus welfare, and which system is truly more compassionate towards those in need. Transcript and more at makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

Greg & Kouhyar came to me through Better Angels (www.better-angels.org). They are the red and blue co-chairs of the Better Angels Southwest Ohio Alliance, and since meeting at a BA workshop last April, they've become the best of friends, in spite of their many, MANY differences. Greg is a conservative Christian, and Kouhyar is a liberal Muslim. How are these two dudes managing to not only be civil with each other, but to maintain a tight friendship? Listen to find out. More at makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

For the first episode of Season 2, I'm challenging myself to have one of these conversations with a conservative man, something I was afraid I'd be incapable of when I was producing Season 1. This is the only episode in this season that will feature me as the liberal in the conversation. My conversation partner, Doug, is a researcher working with US Forces Korea, but originally from Jacksonville, Florida. In this episode, we discuss feminism (which Doug thinks is no longer necessary and I think is absolutely vital for society to move forward) and white privilege (which Doug thinks doesn't exist and I feel very strongly that it does). The result? You'll have to listen to find out, but let's just say Doug and I discovered we had more in common than we thought. More at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

The second season of Make American Relate Again will premiere on June 26, 2018! Unlike Season 1, Season 2 will feature a different liberal and conservative having a conversation about a specific political issue each week, and I'm currently looking for guests across the US for the show. And it's not all women this time. This season is open to all Americans, men and women and everyone in between. If you or someone you know is interested in being on the show, please email me at [email protected]. I'll send you a short questionnaire to get you started, and if selected, I'll record you right in your home city or town. I'll provide coaching before your recorded conversation to help you keep your cool, and you'll get to contribute to the effort to depolarize America. I can't wait to hear from you!

In Part 2 of my conversation with Niky Shea, we talk Antifa protestors, how extremism is making it hard for the rest of us to communicate with each other, how Trump legitimized the alt-right, LGBTQ rights under the Trump administration, the Russia investigation, climate change, and how life experiences can deeply affect your political decisions. A smorgasbord of topics to wrap up Season 1. Fact checks and transcript available at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

Burlesque dancer and model Niky Shea describes herself as a moderate, and she wanted to come on the show to explain why comparisons between Trump and Hitler make no sense. We ended up talking for over three hours with no breaks about nearly every major issue surrounding the 2016 election and the Trump administration. This is the first half of that conversation. Fact checks and transcript available at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

This mini-episode features my phone call update with Alley Mulrain, recorded on August 10, 2017. We talk about how Alley thinks President Trump is doing so far, the situation with North Korea, the Paris Climate Agreement, and LGBTQ rights under the Trump administration. Show notes and transcript available at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

This episode features Part 2 of my conversation with the wonderful Alley Mulrain, who sensed my need to rant at length on all sorts of issues important to liberals. was willing to listen with an open mind, and somehow didn't strangle me. We talked climate change, terrorism, social programs, why liberals see Trump as scapegoating minority groups, and why the GOP is against marriage equality. Fact checks and transcript available at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

So much has happened in politics since Sarah and I last spoke in early March, so I gave her a call on July 30, 2017, to see if her opinions have evolved since then. I'm so glad I did - she had a lot to say. Find fact checks and a transcript of this mini-episode at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.

Sarah Ito is many things: an Army vet, a career Wall Streeter, a lesbian, a feminist, an actor, and a writer. She's worked alongside legendary feminist and gay rights icons like Jean O'Leary and Ginny Vida. She's the most unlikely Trump voter I could ever have imagined, but she sure knew her stuff and had really clear, well-formed opinions. Find a transcript of this episode and detailed fact checks at www.makeamericarelatepodcast.com.