Episode 6

Are political tides turning toward common ground? Our co-founders explore the evolving landscape.

Seeking common ground and reaching out to the other side may play a greater role in next year’s election than in previous years. During a recent visit to Washington, Common Ground Committee co-founders Bruce Bond and Erik Olsen noted increased interest in the Common Ground Scorecard among Members of Congress and their staffs.

“There’s definitely from a polarization perspective more interest in getting away from that in the upcoming election,” said Bruce Bond in this episode.

Erik Olsen says that during meetings with Members of Congress, “they are very interested in representing themselves as bipartisan.”

This episode of Our Take on Common Ground also focuses on findings of a recent survey that found two-thirds of voters said they would be considering the degree to which a candidate worked with members of the other party as a factor in their voting decisions.

Separate research conducted for the anti-polarization movement Starts With Us, was also discussed. A recent study found that seven Members of Congress with the lowest numbers on the Scorecard received much more news media coverage than those with the highest scores.

Bruce Bond

Bruce Bond is Co-Founder, CEO and Board Chair of Common Ground Committee. He is a 30-year veteran of the information technology industry including an executive position at world-renowned analyst firm Gartner, launching several successful software start-ups, and roles as industry analyst, software developer, and chief information officer (CIO). Mr. Bond graduated with an AB degree in Politics from Princeton University where he was a national-class distance runner.

Erik Olsen

Erik L. Olsen is Co-Founder, CFO and Board Member of Common Ground Committee. He has more than 25 years of experience in investment management and fund management, and nine years of real estate investment experience. Mr. Olsen serves as Managing Partner of CataMetrics Management, a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Mr. Olsen specializes in macroeconomic analysis and policy issues. Mr. Olsen holds a B.A. degree from Principia College and an M.B.A. from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.