After 18 months of caution, this holiday season finally offers many of us a chance to commune with family and connect with old friends. Yay? Nay? 

How do we feel about the contact? The conversations?

A lot has changed since the last time we headed over the river and through the woods. Not least is a collective intolerance for political viewpoints that don’t align with our own. 

These are deeply partisan times to be sure. That said, is it possible for divided friends and family members to foster mutual respect for all POVs, even wind up standing on common ground? 

Can we begin to reclaim civil discourse around cafe and family dining tables alike?

Josh Lewis (a lifelong Conservative) and David Blatt (a committed Liberal) are test-driving a version of this complicated idea, facilitating conversations between reasonable, rational voices from opposite sides of America’s political discourse. Those of us about to cross into enemy territory armed only with a hot side dish and a bottle of wine will find David’s and Josh’s insight helpful for maintaining healthy debate around the holiday table.

Among the topics we discuss is the enduring appeal of uncivil discourse, a tactic that’s long stood as an editorial board favorite, amplifying outrage in everything from 17th-century broadsheets to thoroughly modern cable news. 

David and Josh remind us that retracing our collective steps back to the civil middle is a marathon, not a sprint. Take heart even if a friend, colleague, or family member (or two) appears unwilling to dial down the angry rhetoric. 

And, maybe, take an extra bottle of wine along just in case.

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Full show notes, resources, opportunities, other podcasts & books mentioned... You can find them here: http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com/134.

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