Talk. If you want to support the authors, click the green button down there to purchase the book but i will let you take the screen. Thanks. Welcome. Its my pleasure to moderate tonight book talk with my two friends jordan and chris. Its a book liberal and conservative and across the country. The question at the heart of this book, union, democrat, republican and search for Common Ground. Jordan is a businessman and coworker, conservative and former marine in california. Chris is democratic speech writer and journalist from berkeley, california. We met at law school and quickly became friends. I couldnt stop argue about politics and in 2016, got worse and worse so we decided to take a road trip and visit america. And we did it again and again and again. The union and how the friendship changed and learning what it means to be in america. Then the story about hope for a Better Future and a better united states. I for a warm welcome and i will give you a moment to say hello to the audience. Thank you so much for the introduction. So fun to be here. We are excited for this. Thanks, everyone. This is exciting and thank you jordan and tony for staying up late for this. You being on the east coast and all. Happy to do it. Lets go ahead and dive right in. Imagine you have talked about this eloquently but on the surface, it possible and many would say there are so many similarities more than differences. What could two white guys in california possibly do . Some wondering if you could tell us about yourself and touch on this a little more. Perhaps, like you found yourself regularly disagreeing. Of course. Thank you for the question. Chris and i are very similar. There to straight white guys from california. I think that a deeper level, we are also very similar in their similarities and when we first met at law school, we bonded over things like our shared love for great nature and chris wanted to be a journalist and we also talked about our mothers and how they shaped our sense of values and character. All these early things brought us together in the similarities were very powerful. But also, we had very different worlds. I grew up in a republican fami family, after 9 11 my mother started a nonprofit so i grew up going overseas, i think there are differences, i think the Early Experiences worked for us. In my household, weve had dinner conversations every night about policies and things like that. I could say we had similar ways and so many facets as you have eloquently put. Face but a mom whose activist shutdown the College Campus in the 70s. I would to iraq war protest, i grew up reading black panther literature in high school. We come up with very difficult judgment different backgrounds. And yeah, in 2015, politics actually didnt seem all that prominent. We were actually able to build the friendship, like jordan set on these other things but it was not until 2016 at that like our friendship was maybe transgressive or not something that was socially acceptable. Or that we should be doing. That is when the book and the project really took flight. One quick followup on that. We talk about other things that influence our lives, i think this is like symmetry that growing up my mom was in that warped chriss moms protect and turn protecting their rapport. We actually had a chance that was exactly a year ago in the book finish. Now they are great friends. [laughter] thats really cool. I love about them bonding and you can almost say protesting the war or sending troops care packages or both of a common sense of love for that individual. And for what people deserve which is really nice thing. Lets dive in a little further. It sounds like theres some real differences as a person this any arguments on the road. What inspired the book that you spent hundreds of hours of traveling across the country. Maybe what you hope to find on these journeys and chris and i met in 2015. We are introduced by someone that was 30 minutes and it three hours but it as 2016 got closer we found your timeout politics all the time and everyone around us talked about politics. And chris and i both started kind of pulling back from those conversations. And i had to be in l. A. For my sisters wedding. Im her sitting listening to people shouting around us, only to chris and said hey man want to go on a road trip with me . And that first road trip together, i think were both nervous. Pinto for seven days. About politics is a little unnerving. Something magical about the brick and hot highways the national parks. Beauty of the car is that you are stuck there. And you dig about what its really about. Having better conversations. Said we had to 2017, versatile to your point, tony, i did cut my teeth on our arguments on everything from god to how many wins the 49ers will have next year. So thank you for preparing me for these things. So after that first road trip, we were so impressed with how powerful it is to be on the road both in terms of the conversations can have going from anger to understanding to apology to greater understanding to more than continue that cycl cycle. Also the beauty of the country paid so we decided lets do this again. But see if there is a chance to get out there and learn something it may be bring back something that would be important to say. So on that second road trip we ended up going to both we start at a rally really. I was the heart of the road to perdition deal what was happening pretty sought on my phone the day before. I sort of casually said jordan doing to go check out this trump rally . In an jordan said absolutely. What an opportunity to be at the heart of our politics. Then of course i immediately regretted the idea. We decided to do it nonetheless. We were both blown away by how we saw the same thing. Whether we were inside the rally or outside. Return to each other and whispered to hear that question makes a guys heard that. We interpreted the same way. Were both inspired by the activity outside. And thrown back from the violence inside we were amazed by the president s ability and move people there. Were both a little nervous by people at the edges of that rally. Were able to see the world to the same set of eyes that it such a fractious political moment. That made us guy think we have a voice here. I think we can stay together. But because of the street violence we saw that night, because of the anger, the vitriol, the inability to actually get beyond the veneer difference and actually talk inspired us to go out and try to find stories outside of politics. That spoke of more universal values. That spoke more that bond jordan i together maybe the country as well we were able to get our stories out. The more we turn to trying to identify values and stories that might get us there. So we spent time with veterans on eight gun range and spend time with pete a truck driver took us from las vegas to louisiana. There we did all kinds of things that we found exciting. From spending a couple days to rehearsing king lear with the group of inmates outside of detroit. All of the intent of finding stories that lead to a larger purpose. A different kind of value set. Host i love that. You started to allude to this. I was of the book is were much about your friendship. It captures that. Of this the trump diehard, theres hundreds if not more incredible people of incredible stories. Having not written a book like most of the audience has not written a book sort of wondering if you give us a little bit what made you choose this over others, what jumped out about their story . What did you hope to illuminate by sharing their stories . Guest each story was slightly different. All the stories we chose to tell spoke to both realization on jordan and eyes part as well as country. Therefore wed spend a lot time with pete the truck driver. We sort of went in intending to tell a story about bluecollar work. About what its like to be on the road as a trucker in america today. And of course we got to tell that story. But what ended up emerging in conversations with pete is really how complicated americans can be underneath the surface. So he showed up on day one wearing a make America Great again shirt. And course my first thought was so much for getting away from politics. But we actually end up being a competent thinker. The first thing he said about politics was a wish to present talk more about climate change. He talks about gods love. And thats he looked at lgbtq different than he did before. We started to see there is more to the country and on the road than meets the eye. The same time jordan and i were able to come together and talk about things like regulation, corporate control of truck driving. The importance of dignity and telling dignified stories. That was just one example. And everyone else in the book had an animated value and to kind of take away from what we take away from spending time with these people. Jordan jerry think out on that front . Sue had one thing that was very important to us about their standing for some trend. Meaning we met people on the road. Theres no intention by people it was all just lucky. What ended up happening often when we are writing were just trying to share that we want to capture that to share with others. So as with this book there are millions of people. Were excited get to share the stories. As a trump supporter and then the other. Theyre just great people. In a moment this is a statement to the audience. In a moment id love to start bringing in audience questions. Please feel free to send questions through the chat function. You will see on your screen the questions you can have about what were talking about in our general questions about the book. We will start to weave those and throughout the conversation. We will be turning out to my next question. In the book you use a third person narrative. Also representative of your respective camp. It was really interesting. I found it really illuminating may think about why these arguments are often very heated. Were not only person representing yourself you are represent in the entire movement or community. That is very difficult is very animated very quickly. A place you hope for. Im wondering if you could take a moment and talk about your version camps some the prominent voices in those camps kind of used to highlight the polarization of the country. And then wondering if maybe you could tell something you discovered on these journeys is groups within your first attempt got wrong about the side. Suffers if you are talking to aoc or the squad, does she not understand about jordan that you would like to share the spread from the other camp or the other tribe . Absolutely. I hate to out you hear jordan, but always felt like jordan and the conservatives he spends times with two actually care about progress. They may not be progressives, but they want everyone to have healthcare. They want everyone to get a good education. They dont like criminal Justice System as it is today and jordans telling, but they push you very differently. We jordan and i would talk about these issues we often fight to were blue in the face. Then sometimes we would end with soy guess we agree. In them but was about to say yes i guess we do. The idea is want the same ends coming to talk about the memes to get there. And i think that is very important for the funds big takeaways there quite a few shared values from this country that we all agree upon. We all believe in Second Chances are many of us do. So when jordan i talked about criminal justice it was very clear we just needed to figure out the way to that end. I think that something gets lost in the mix sometimes. I think on the National Scale its much harder to talk about these things. Knowing jordan quite well he is pursuing the same values in the same hopes and dreams that i am and i am thinking about quality. Lets really powerful starting point. So jordan hope youre not too mad at me for saying that. [laughter] stomach same question to you. Is to make talk to my friends are big supporters high always told them chris. [inaudible] inc. One of the perceptions on the right, especially the hard right is there is a progressive left. But in some ways they loathed america they have disdain for i it. You spend so much similar to the chris, i think what i learned about his perspective and for most of those on the left is that in fact they do love america deeply. And they love it for the values and the principles that are enshrined whether family documenting and religion. But they are generally known for they have a deep concern and empathy for those left out and continue to be left out today. And is chris and i talked often responded to epitomize the challenges that people face. Especially marginalized communities today. As a deep passion for the communities and they have a rightful place in the american. Once that came to be and how deep that much love, now we are talking about shared values and shared grounds, those who might have different languages for it thats an easy thing for us to engage on. Okay thats great. Maybe sticking with this theme. Im interested and maybe also with you jordan. Im wondering if you could be sort of honest, what is a criticism you hear from the left that slob toward your camp that you agree with something we ought to work on as a party or political ideology . I want to assess same question of chris. What is one of those things, i know especially in this day and age is pretty hard to admit there many ways he forgets life and death struggle to gain ground on anything. Its a sign of weakness i cant do that. Internally going to do better job of that. We should be better on the issu issue. I think their specific policy areas that i wish they would take a different stance. But it Republican Party and the movement has a really hard time articulating. Theyve a really hard time saying we went all americans of healthcare. Or we want everyone to have the best quality education possible or we want society which everybody has a minimum standard of living was essentially another way. I think the reason they cant articulate and in doing so they admit an aversion to doing it. Every conservative i know doesnt care about those things. Yet it makes them come off it makes the conservatives to come off, you cant say things like of course every american should have great healthcare. Because thats actually were reduced share a lot of that there is a ton of overlap there. I think it would be easier you might not agree they are in the middle. Chris same question liberal camp might want to do a little searching around. Yes one that comes in mind largely because jordan and i talked at length about it is a really powerful of the trip we really need to embrace. Course deep flaws in that system we do a lot of riding in union your lot of elements in our history its really important to hold onto. Even while we cant let go of where weve come from and a lot of senses. I think also i was primed to hear this message from jordan especially of the last three years pretty consider myself an obama liberal. I was listening again to his eulogy for john lewis. And he talks about these things pretty talks about redeeming the american idea. Talks about living up to the american creed in our original founding claims are important ideas we dont want to lose track of. I think more important than losing to talk about the amazing parts of this country alongside the difficult parts. The first questions are a member of the audience that encourages dissenting Great Questions and share that. One of the questions we have from alexis ibo open the question a little more broadly. Or ask if there are lessons you wish youd shared with the National Leaders or members of congress . Many ways the book talks about the role the media plays. I wonder if you have a place for National Leaders in a place they play in helping to maintain political polarization, amplify the polarization that are helpful for the national dialogue. Think we may have found that its easier to raise money instead of finding ways to afford i find it very stressing cant get to shared compromise over bills to help americans. I think the two lessons i would offer to accomplish is first that the time together really matters. Were having amazing conversations because there is the deep foundation of trust. When might have questioned in the earlier relationship might have wondered about values. With so much built up trust. And that he in turn would not judge me. And it took time to get there. Once we did we did have alignment. And we often found that much smaller to be finished its the way our party talks about it that drives us apart. But really. [inaudible] means getting a group together so weak build the bond the second thing i would offer everything we went their desire for Common Ground spread for better method. Chris and i actually found a study conducted by those asking questions about the publics perception on how telling various issues. As just one question after another. Last trust in the aspects of the institution. If you take the last page do you want a leader 96 said so. The country actually one step. We have the entire message about bringing people together, finding Common Ground, solving our biggest issues. That would resonate. Chris bybees more questions customer any lessons or advice you have for a National Leaders or members of congress . Absolutely. First thing i would say is that the union is our effort to collect stories. So we went out and talk to people in new orleans, portland, south dakota, and not so much a d. C. I think that actually gives us some sort of insight into maybe how d. C. Can change. And i only have one wrinkle to something jordan said pretty otherwise a completely concur with him. And that is just to say that on top of spending more time together, i think its really important that we spend different time together. I think the context is very important. I often think about pete, the truck driver. Think of a madam at the trump rally probably would not of been able to talk whatsoever. We wouldve been yelling or not given each other any notice. Just would not have been conducive to conversation. But when it is 9 00 p. M. , suns gone down, maybe jordan snoozing at the back 90s not. The two of us are talking were far more able to talk about human things. We serve naturally in that context to find that connected tissue that makes you, between the same species. I think theres something colorful about that. I think at least my time in d. C. I didnt spend any kind that intimate time with the other side so to speak. Im but the hill, National Leaders, state leaders, there needs to be quiet vulnerable intimate settings for talks over whether its a beer or cut each others houses. I know that doesnt seemed like a grand change flights that changes and affix our politics politics overnight. I think losing that is a very detrimental to our ability to communicate makes it that much ea