CGC News

Chris Wallace And Jonathan Karl Share Common Ground on The Role Of Media In Polarization

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Part of the National Week of Conversation, former Fox News anchor and ABC Chief Washington correspondent discuss the impact of the media on America’s views.

Wilton, CT, April 25, 2022 – Last night Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization, held their fifteenth public forum – Media, Politics and Polarization – that brought Chris Wallace, formerly of Fox News, for his second appearance with CGC, having last participated in 2020 alongside New York Times’ Maggie Haberman. This time he was joined by Jonathan Karl, ABC News’ Chief Washington Correspondent and co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. The two media personalities engaged on the media’s impact on American attitudes, and how public trust can be restored as news outlets navigate a changing landscape. Former CBS news correspondent and author Jacqueline Adams moderated the conversation.

This virtual panel discussion was presented in partnership with the Bridge Alliance as part of the National Week of Conversation 2022.

“Americans trust in the news media is at an all time low,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder of Common Ground Committee. “Last night, Chris Wallace and Jonathan Karl reminded us that there is hope for the future. Journalists like Chris and Jonathan remain committed to sharing facts with the public. We look forward to seeing our audience and all Americans reading news that challenges them and finding common ground.”
Over the course of the evening, Wallace and Karl discussed their individual experiences with their respective networks, and what it takes to tell the news objectively and without political agenda. Specific points brought up during the evening include:

  • The media does not create polarization it reflects it
  • The media should prioritize its own credibility over day-to-day rating fluctuations
  • There is a huge range of information and news available in “the media” — Americans need to avoid getting caught up listening to or reading only things which support their biases
  • News should focus on facts and journalists have a responsibility to the public to interview a wide variety of people, even if audiences don’t all like interviewee’s views

During the event, Wallace expressed optimism for the future of journalism despite intense polarization. “I don’t think we should be too depressed or downcast. There’s a lot of great reporting happening on the left and the right,” he said. “To a certain degree, the focus is in the wrong direction, it’s not the institutions. It’s not on the media or the government to change. It’s on individuals. It’s on us as individuals to demand that change.”

Karl, too, expressed hope for the future while also calling for a rededication to facts over ratings. “We need to have news organizations that are dedicated to nothing more than pursuing the facts,” he declared. “We have gone through intensely polarized periods, perhaps some worse than this. I sense in the people I speak to that the pendulum will swing. I am cautiously optimistic we will get through all of this.”

This was CGC’s fourth live virtual event and first this year, following a virtual forum last year with Gov. John Kasich and Sec. Julián Castro, and racial reconciliation activists Darryl Davis and Ryan Lo’Ree.

For interview requests, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@momentum-cg.com or 212-671-2086

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About Common Ground Committee
Common Ground Committee (CGC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 citizen-led organization dedicated to fostering more progress and less division in politics. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 public forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notable pairings as John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice, David Petraeus and Susan Rice, Michael Steele and Donna Brazile, and Larry Kudlow and Barney Frank, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC produces the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series, which has had over 100 thousand downloads. CGC also created the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool that scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

CGC News

Common Ground Committee Hosts Panel On Role Of Media In Political Polarization

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Chris Wallace and Jonathan Karl will discuss how the media impacts America’s views in a conversation moderated by CBS correspondent Jacqueline Adams

Wilton, CT, April 8, 2022 – Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization, announced their upcoming, free event on the role of the media in politics. CNN+ anchor Chris Wallace will be joined by Jonathan Karl, the Chief Washington Correspondent for ABC News and the co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Their conversation, about how the media impacts American attitudes, and how public trust can be restored as news outlets navigate a changing landscape, will be moderated by former CBS news correspondent and author Jacqueline Adams.

This will mark Wallace’s second appearance with CGC. He previously took part in a discussion with The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman at Columbia University in 2020.

“At a time when division is at an all-time high and with the midterm elections approaching, we are grateful that Chris and Jonathan can lend their wisdom to this conversation,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of CGC. “By the end of the evening, we hope attendees will have the tools they need to advocate for less polarized media.”

This virtual panel discussion is presented in partnership with the Bridge Alliance and will kick off the National Week of Conversation 2022 when Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs will come together at over 100 events to make a difference. To attend this free event, please sign up online here.

“We could not be more excited to partner with the Common Ground Committee to kick off the National Week of Conversation,” said Debilyn Molineaux, president and CEO of the Bridge Alliance. “Now more than ever, it’s important to combat the division plaguing our country. Having open conversations is one of the most effective ways to do so. We look forward to hearing Chris’ and Jonathan’s insights on how the media can regain public trust.”

Chris Wallace and Jonathan Karl will be available for interviews following the event. For interview requests, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@momentum-cg.com or 212-671-2086

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About Common Ground Committee
Common Ground Committee (CGC) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 citizen-led organization dedicated to fostering more progress and less division in politics. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 public forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notable pairings as John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice, David Petraeus and Susan Rice, Michael Steele and Donna Brazile, and Larry Kudlow and Barney Frank, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC produces the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series, which has had over 100 thousand downloads. CGC also created the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool that scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

polarization is poisoning America flag

Toxic polarization is poisoning America. Here’s how to stop it.

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USA Today has published a joint op-ed written by CGC’s CEO and co-founder, Bruce Bond, along with other members of the bridging movement.

In the piece, Bruce and his co-authors – Pearce Godwin, David Eisner and Kristen Hansen – write that we’ve reached an “inflection point” when it comes to political polarization. Yet despite the rising levels of division, they believe there is still time to save ourselves:

The rapidly growing bridging field has built the evidence-base that this work can consistently succeed in building understanding and increasing trust among Americans of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. These programs bridge divides every day among grassroots Americans and leaders. The situation is dire, yes, but through the efforts of the movement, significant change is underway.

The recently introduced bipartisan Building Civic Bridges Act would provide grants for community organizations working to heal toxic polarization. And over the past 18 months, there has been more media coverage of the work to find common ground than ever before.

An end to toxic polarization does not mean eliminating disagreement. Nor does it mean asking people of strong viewpoints to compromise their values in the name of civility. Given the long-term presence of polarization, it may seem that the country is impervious to change.

Read the complete op-ed piece here.

USA Today Publishes Op-Ed

CGC featured in piece on corporate response to democratic instability

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FINANCIAL TIMES, DECEMBER 22, 2021

The article by Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson explores how US business leaders mobilized to defend democracy following January 6th, but have since grown complacent before the public attacks on voting rights. CGC’s CEO and co-founder, Bruce Bond is quoted, offering an explanation of the business community’s withdrawal:

One reason, according to Bruce Bond, chief executive of the non-profit Common Ground Committee, is the backlash that companies in Georgia faced after opposing new voting restrictions. Few companies have stuck their necks out since. Other legislative priorities have shunted voting rights aside, from the $1.2tn infrastructure bill to the recently derailed Build Back Better plan with its mooted corporate tax increases.

Read the full Financial Times article here. You may experience a paywall if you are not a subscriber to the Financial Times.

USA Today Publishes Op-Ed

CGC mentioned in Kathryn Murdoch profile

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FINANCIAL TIMES, DECEMBER 15, 2021

Murdoch is deliberately backing “people of both parties who have principles”, including moderate conservatives, she says. This week, she and James invested in The Bulwark, a digital news outlet founded by anti-Trump Republican commentators Bill Kristol and Charlie Sykes. For all Murdoch’s efforts to advance moderates, she admits that she is swimming against a stronger partisan tide than when she The Financial Times – 12.15.2021 started. Polls show that Republican and Democratic voters’ views on climate change diverged further under Trump, and 81 per cent of voters now fear that US democracy itself is under threat, with each side blaming the other. Trump left people working on democracy reform “destroyed [and] distracted”, Murdoch says. But he also helped convince more people that there are fundamental flaws to fix in the system. Murdoch is not alone in hoping that this fear galvanises centrists. Opportunity lies in the “exhausted majority” tired of polarisation, says Bruce Bond, co-founder of reform group the Common Ground Committee, who sees “a tipping point coming” akin to the Civil Rights movement. Recommended Fund management James and Kathryn Murdoch back $250m BlackRock climate fundraising Yet the severity of the perceived risk leaves even some allies questioning whether Murdoch’s approach is enough.

Read the full Financial Times article here. You may experience a paywall if you are not a subscriber to the Financial Times.

polarization is poisoning America flag

COMMON GROUND COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS BUILDING CIVIC BRIDGES ACT

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Common Ground Committee shines a light on action taken by members of the House of Representatives to improve our polarized environment

Wilton CT, Monday, March 14, 2022. Common Ground Committee, Inc (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization devoted to healing polarization and improving public discourse in politics, today celebrates the lawmakers making a concerted effort to work across the aisle. This includes members of bipartisan caucuses such as the Problem Solvers Caucus, and the nine Republican and nine Democratic members of the House of Representatives who put forward the Building Civic Bridges Act. This bill, if passed, will support community initiatives that build relationships among Americans and bridge divisions.

Recent polling by Fox News shows that 78% of Americans are very or extremely concerned about political divisions within the country. CGC is encouraged that lawmakers are not only recognizing the need to work together, as members of the Problem Solvers caucus do, but also investing in reducing polarization in communities across America.

“Partisanship makes it difficult to find solutions to the very real issues facing our nation,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of Common Ground Committee. “By celebrating these lawmakers who are leading the way, we hope to encourage officials and other high-profile folks to move towards a more collaborative culture. Working together produces results which are better and more long-lasting than any single party could achieve alone.”

CGC has hosted some of these officials on episodes of their “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series and has produced a short video showcasing common ground being found between Representatives Derek Kilmer (D, WA-6) and William Timmons (R, SC-4) — respectively author and co-sponsor of the Building Civic Bridges Act — Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D, VA-7) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R, PA-1), and Representatives Don Bacon (R, NE-2) and Kurt Schrader (D, OR-5) four members of the problem solvers caucus.

CGC encourages Americans to reinforce these kinds of efforts by officials. Supporting change looks like sending emails or letters of gratitude and voting for common grounders. CGC also looks forward to seeing and highlighting more officials joining the groundswell of action in Congress.

For interview requests, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@momentum-cg.com or 212-671-2086

About Common Ground Committee
Common Ground Committee (CGC) (commongroundcommittee.org) is a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization that inspires action on polarizing issues by bringing prominent leaders with opposing views together in public forums to find common ground. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 public forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notables as David Petraeus, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Steele, Donna Brazile and Larry Kudlow, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC produces the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series, which has had over 100 thousand downloads. CGC also created the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool that scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

Common Ground Ranking Update

Scorecard Updates Rankings of Politicians’ Success Seeking Common Ground on Issues That Matter to Voters

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Common Ground Committee updates their voter assistance tool, which scores politicians on working across the aisle

Wilton, CT, October 28, 2021 – Common Ground Committee, Inc (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization devoted to improving public discourse in politics, recently updated its Common Ground Scorecard. The average score for members of the House, Senate, and State governors increased to 29/110 from 26/110. Common Ground Committee designed the Scorecard as a tool for Americans. It is designed to show which lawmakers are most committed to working across the aisle in solving the issues that matter to their constituents. They can see how those representatives have performed on finding common ground and making bipartisan progress.

“Legislation requires cooperation just to get out of committees in Congress and be considered for a vote. That means partisanship gets in the way of solutions to the very real issues facing our nation,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of Common Ground Committee. “We are delighted that since we launched the Scorecard in 2020, the average score has gone up by 3 points. This small increase is a sign we are moving in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go. Our hope is that Americans will use the Scorecard to assess their lawmakers’ performance on seeking common ground when deciding for whom to vote, and will push their representatives to continue moving towards a more collaborative culture.”

The highest-profile politicians have been scored, including the President and Vice President, Members of the United States Congress and state governors have been scored. Notable scores are as follows:

Key Political Figures:

●      President Joe Biden, 41/110 (down from 43/110)
●      Vice President Kamala Harris, 20/110 (no change since 2020)
●      House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 0/110 (down from 29/110)
●      House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, 37/110 (up from 36/110)
●      Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, 30/110 (up from 29/110)
●      Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 32/110 (up from 29/110)

Highest Scores Nationwide:

●      Representative Don Bacon (NE-2), 108/110
●      Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), 100/110
●      Governor Spencer Cox (UT), 95/110
●      Representative Fred Upton (MI-6), 94/110
●      Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19), 94/110
●      Representative Elaine Luria (VA-2), 93/110
●      Representative Dean Phillips (MN-3), 90/110
●      Representative Abigail Spanberger (VA-7          H), 90/110
●      Representative John Katko (NY-24), 90/110
●      Representative David Trone (MD-6), 90/110

Largest Improvement since October 2020:

●      Up 67: Representative David Trone (MD-6) 90/110
●      Up 64: Representative Ed Case (HI-1),  88/110
●      Up 59: Representative Kim Young (CA-39), 59/110
●      Up 55: Representative Antonio Delgado (NY-19),  94/110
●      Up 51: Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2),  80/110
●      Up 50: Governor Spencer Cox (UT) 95/110
●      Up 41: Representative Dean Phillips (MN-3),  90/110
●      Up 39: Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux (GA-7), 39/110
●      Up 36: Senator Todd Young (IN),  69/110
●      Up 35: Representative Kim Schrier (WA-8) 38/110
●      Up 33: Representative Dusty Johnson (SD-0),  70/110
●      Up 30: Senator Mitt Romney (UT), 55/110
●      Up 30: Representative Cindy Axne (IA-3), 39/110
●      Up 28: Representative Van Taylor (TX-3), 75/110
●      Up 27: Representative Jared Golden (ME-2), 56/110
●      Up 26: Senator Maggie Hassan (NH),  79/110
●      Up 25: Representative Tom Malinowski (NJ-7),  51/110
●      Up 25: Representative Angie Craig (MN-2), 64/110
●      Up 24: Senator Kevin Cramer (ND),  42/110
●      Up 24: Representative David McKinley (WV-1),  75/110
●      Up 23: Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-8),  63/110
●      Up 22: Representative Scott Peters (CA-52),  79/110
●      Up 21: Representative David Cicilline (RI-1),  50/110
●      Up 21: Senator Joni Ernst (IA), 35/110
●      Up 20: Representative Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), 46/110
●      Up 20: Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6),  44/110
●      Up 19: Representative Val Butler Demings (FL-10), 30/110
●      Up 19: Representative Don Bacon (NE-2),  108/110
●      Up 19: Representative John Curtis (UT-3),  58/110
●      Up 18: Senator Bill Cassidy (LA),  78/110
●      Up 18: Senator Ed Markey (MA), 41/110
●      Up 17: Governor Gretchen Whitmer (MI), 42/110
●      Up 17: Senator Chris Coons (DE),  64/110
●      Up 17: Representative Susan Wild (PA-7), 41/110
●      Up 17: Representative Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14), 25/110
●      Up 16: Representative Joe Neguse (CO-2), 41/110
●      Up 16: Senator Jerry Moran (KS),  77/110
●      Up 16: Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-0),  71/110
●      Up 16: Representative Stephanie Murphy (FL-7),  74/110
●      Up 16: Representative Conor Lamb (PA-17), 50/110
●      UP: 16: Representative Jack Bergman (MI-1), 42/110
●      Up 15: Representative Lucy McBath (GA-6),  39/110
●      Up 15: Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), 54/110

This video provides a short walkthrough of the Scorecard and how to use it. A summary of the highest and lowest scorers can be found here.

Common Ground Committee does not endorse political candidates. The organization’s only goal in providing the Common Ground Scorecard is to provide Americans with an objective, up-to-date and easy-to-understand tool to discover how likely their elected officials or candidates for public office are to work with the opposite party to find common ground.

Using the Common Ground Scorecard, Americans can search for public officials by name, state, or office held. They can also search using their own zip code to get a list of all the officials that represent them. The scorecard is the first-ever model to assess the degree to which elected public officials and candidates for office seek points of agreement on social and political issues through listening and productive conversation, ranking politicians up to a maximum of 110 points, using aggregated data from many sources including the Lugar Index, GovTrack, the Bipartisan Policy Center and others. Additional points can be earned via commitments to finding common ground going forward, which 23 lawmakers have made, or deducted for personal demonizing.

For interview requests, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@momentum-cg.com or 212-671-2086

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About Common Ground Committee
Common Ground Committee (CGC) (commongroundcommittee.org) is a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization that inspires action on polarizing issues by bringing prominent leaders with opposing views together in public forums to find common ground. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 public forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notables as David Petraeus, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Steele, Donna Brazile and Larry Kudlow, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC is also responsible for the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast series and the Common Ground Scorecard, a voting tool which scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

Common Ground Committee Honors Bipartisan Group of Senators Behind the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

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The Five Democrats and Republicans are Recognized as Part of CGC’s New “Spotlight on Common Ground” Initiative

Today Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization, announces its Spotlight on Common Ground initiative to highlight instances of bipartisan cooperation across the nation, and the individuals who made them possible. This first iteration recognizes the 10 U.S. senators who helped craft the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in the Senate 69-30.

After months of negotiations this bipartisan group of senators — composed of five Democrats and Republicans — helped shepherd through a bill that could easily have been derailed given ideological differences and the forces driving the nation’s divided politics. These legislators were among those included in CGC’s Common Ground Scorecard, which ranks candidates for office and elected officials on their likelihood to work with the opposite party. The 10 senators have an average score of 49/110, higher than the average score of 31/110 for all current U.S. senators. Their individual scores are as follows:

  • Susan Collins (R-ME): 60/110
  • Rob Portman (R-OH): 50/110
  • Mitt Romney (R-UT): 25/110
  • Lisa Murkowski (R-AK): 50/110
  • Bill Cassidy (R-LA): 59/110
  • Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ): 57/110
  • Joe Manchin (D-WV): 75/110 (15th highest in the country)
  • Mark Warner (D-VA): 47/110
  • Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): 34/110
  • Jon Tester (D-MT): 42/110

“Too often, politicians are more focused on scoring political points than finding real solutions for the American people,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of CGC. “These 10 senators reminded Americans what good can look like in the legislative process. We’re hopeful the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can be a foundation for future cooperation between the two parties.”

Common Ground Committee Hosts Panel With Black Race Reconciliator and Former White Supremacist

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Daryl Davis and Ryan Lo’Ree will discuss how to reduce tensions in a conversation moderated by NYT columnist David Brooks

Wilton, CT, May 27, 2021- Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led nonprofit dedicated to reducing polarization, announced their upcoming, free event that answers the question: “What does it take to combat hate?” Daryl Davis, an award-winning Black musician, race reconciliator and renowned lecturer, has used the power of human connection to convince hundreds of people to leave white supremacist groups. He is joined by Ryan Lo’Ree, a former white supremacist, now working to deradicalize people who have been lured into extremism and white supremacy. Their conversation will be moderated by NYT columnist David Brooks.

“Daryl and Ryan embody Common Ground Committee’s values, by bringing people together through positive conversations and mutual understanding. We are so pleased that they are joining David and CGC for this conversation,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of Common Ground Committee. “Our podcast with Daryl last year remains one of our most sought-out of our ‘Let’s Find Common Ground’ series. At a time where division is at an all-time high, in the midst of national racial strife, we are grateful that they are willing to share their expertise, explain strategies that work to combat hate and show us how we can all play a part.”

This virtual panel discussion is presented in partnership with the Bridge Alliance and will kick off the National Week of Conversation 2021.

“We could not be more excited to partner with the Common Ground Committee to host this crucial conversation and kick off the National Week of Conversation,” said Debilyn Molineaux, president and CEO of the Bridge Alliance. “Now more than ever, it’s important to combat the division plaguing our country. Having open conversations is one of the most effective ways to do so. We look forward to hearing from Daryl and Ryan who showcase how conversations can heal divides and how we can learn to listen to each other.”

To attend this free event, please sign up online here.

For interview requests, please contact Emily Cooper at ecooper@momentum-cg.com or 212-671-2086.

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About Common Ground Committee

Common Ground Committee (CGC) (commongroundcommittee.org) is a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization that inspires action on polarizing issues by bringing prominent leaders with opposing views together in public forums to find common ground. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notables as David Petraeus, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Steele, Donna Brazile and Larry Kudlow, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC is also responsible for the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast and the Common Ground Scorecard, which scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

About Bridge Alliance

The Bridge Alliance is a coalition of over 90 organizations dedicated to U.S. revitalization. With each organization focusing on a different sector of the movement, our members represent a combined three million supporters in the burgeoning field of civic reform and civil discourse. In addition, more than one billion dollars has been invested towards improving government effectiveness nationwide. We act as a hub of information and connectivity for over 90 civic action organizations. We provide the infrastructure for our members to expand individually, collaborate on shared goals, and inform others that are invested in democracy revitalization. This generates a collective impact greater than any one group could make alone.

 

About National Conversation Project

National Week of Conversation 2021 (June 14-20), the fourth annual, is powered by the #ListenFirst Coalition (listenfirstcoalition.org) of 300+ organizations and invites Americans of all stripes to listen, extend grace, and discover common interests. Another courageous step following America Talks, we hope you’ll join this hopeful mission to defeat toxic polarization and heal America by transforming division and contempt into connection and understanding.

 

 

 

John Kasich, Julián Castro Find Common Ground on the New Economy

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JOHN KASICH, JULIÁN CASTRO FIND COMMON GROUND ON THE NEW ECONOMY

Former Governor of Ohio and Obama HUD Secretary discuss government’s role in the economic recovery, job market for college graduates and more at University of Notre Dame

South Bend, IN April 15, 2021- On Wednesday night, Common Ground Committee (CGC), a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization devoted to reducing political polarization in the US, hosted its 14th public forum, which brought together former Ohio Governor  John Kasich and former HUD Sec. Julián Castro. The forum, titled Finding Common Ground on the New Economy, was held at the University of Notre Dame in front of a limited capacity audience. The forum was also broadcast virtually via Zoom and live-streamed on CGC’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The event was presented in partnership with the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy and BridgeND, the Notre Dame chapter of BridgeUSA.

Over the course of the evening, Gov. Kasich and Sec. Castro discussed the job market and the government’s role in setting the stage for an economic recovery amidst a rapidly changing landscape shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The nation longs for a return to normalcy, but that goal is harder to realize when we choose partisanship over progress,” said Bruce Bond, co-founder and CEO of CGC. “Last night, Gov. Kasich and Sec. Castro showed our audience and our leaders that real solutions can be attained if we make the commitment to put politics aside and find common ground.”

During the event, Gov. Kasich and Sec. Castro found points of common ground on a number of issues, including:

  • Infrastructure is a critical need in this country and Democrats and Republicans should be able to get behind the idea of investing in housing, roads, and bridges and technology needs.
  • The government should take a renewed look at Opportunity Zones so that there is greater capital investment in lower-income areas. But it should also look at eliminating ineffective corporate loopholes and subsidies.
  • High school students should be given the chance to earn college credits to help them get a leg-up in getting into their desired universities, and education institutions need to work on becoming more efficient. Programs that provide education and training opportunities that can be created through public/private partnerships should be encouraged.
  • Wealth inequality is a serious problem, but any program, including Universal Basic Income that would help people escape from economic hardship must thread the needle so that people are encouraged to work.

Kasich served as the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011-2019, and helped spur the creation of 500,000 new jobs in the state during his tenure. He is also a Senior Political Commentator for CNN, where he appears across a variety of programs. During the event, he discussed President Biden’s infrastructure plan noting that while there are aspects of the plan both sides can get behind, it shouldn’t be “rammed through the United States Senate on party line vote.” He also lamented the state of today’s politics.

“If Sec. Castro and I sat down together, we could come to agreement on issues like housing,” said Gov. Kasich. “The problem in politics today is everyone is in this to bang each other around. We’re not in that anymore so we can be pals.”

Prior to serving as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama from 2014-2017, Castro was Mayor of San Antonio. Under his leadership, America’s seventh largest city became a leader in the 21st century economy. Last night he spoke about the need to revamp the U.S. tax system in a way that benefits middle and lower-income communities — a point where he found agreement from Gov. Kasich in the form of Opportunity Zones. He also agreed with Gov. Kasich that the culture of our country needs to change.

Responding to Gov. Kasich’s call for the nation to shift away from a culture of “I” to one of “we”, Sec. Castro responded, “I think where we can find common ground is that we need to change that culture and find more unity in our country. We can tackle things like redistricting reform and ending Citizens United.”

The forum was moderated by Kelly Evans, host of CNBC’s The Exchange and co-host of Power Lunch. She joined the network in February 2012 as an on-air correspondent, reporting across CNBC’s Business Day programming.

This was CGC’s second live virtual forum following a discussion last year about the documentary Stars and Strife with David Brooks, Leon Panetta, Hawk Newsome, Katherine Gehl and David Smick. CGC previously partnered with Notre Dame and the Rooney Center in 2019 for a forum featuring Secretaries of State John Kerry and Condoleezza Rice. By demonstrating how people of differing views can find agreement without compromising core values, CGC aims to inspire the public, political leaders and the media to seek common ground, increase civic engagement and reduce polarization.

For interview requests, please contact Zachary Halper at zhalper@momentum-cg.com or 862-224-3233

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About Common Ground Committee

Common Ground Committee (CGC) (commongroundcommittee.org) is a nonpartisan, citizen-led organization that inspires action on polarizing issues by bringing prominent leaders with opposing views together in public forums to find common ground. Since its founding in 2009, CGC has held 14 forums featuring panelists who have reached over 200 points of consensus. Panelists have included such notables as David Petraeus, Susan Rice, John Kerry, Condoleezza Rice, Michael Steele, Donna Brazile and Larry Kudlow, exploring issues ranging from race and income inequality to foreign policy. CGC is also responsible for the “Let’s Find Common Ground” podcast and the Common Ground Scorecard, which scores politicians and candidates for public office on their likelihood to find common ground with the opposite party. Free of political agenda and financial influence, CGC has a singular focus on bringing light, not heat, to public discourse.

Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy

The mission of the Francis and Kathleen Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy is to examine politics and policy making in the United States—leaving Notre Dame’s distinctive imprint on the study of American democracy. With a grounding in Notre Dame’s Catholic mission, the Center facilitates research on the critical issues facing America’s democratic system, and encourages Notre Dame’s students to be engaged in both civic and political life.

 

BridgeUSA

BridgeUSA believes good governance starts with constructive political discussion. The organization works with America’s future leaders on college campuses to foster spaces wherein a diverse range of ideas can engage one another through the practice of responsible discourse. BridgeUSA has chapters at colleges across the country, including University of Notre Dame.

 

 

The University of Notre Dame

Founded in 1842, the University of Notre Dame is a private, nonprofit Catholic university. One of America’s leading undergraduate teaching institutions, Notre Dame also has been at the forefront in research and scholarship. The aerodynamics of glider flight, the transmission of wireless messages, and the formulae for synthetic rubber were pioneered at the University. Today researchers are achieving breakthroughs in astrophysics, radiation chemistry, environmental sciences, tropical disease transmission, peace studies, cancer, robotics, and nanoelectronics.