Nobody's Side

In the final episode of Season 2, I ask a simple but difficult question: how do things get better?After a season spent exploring division, distrust, and frustration, I turned to my guests to ask what a path forward might actually look like — through the anger, bitterness, and judgment that so often define our politics.Their answers were thoughtful. At times, surprising. And not always easy.The question for Season 3 is whether any of us are willing to follow through.

In this episode of Nobody's Side, I speak with Doug Chapin. Doug is a Democratic candidate for Minnesota's sixth congressional district. Doug is a lawyer, founder of electionline.org (a nonpartisan source of election policy news), and successfully lobbied for military and overseas voting reform in Congress -- he is self-described "elections geek." I speak with Doug about our divisions, challenges, and the importance of respect within our system.

Americans have traditionally been an optimistic bunch. But over the last number of years, a new American pessimism has taken hold. Fewer Americans believe the future will be brighter than the past, fewer believe the American dream is functioning. Most believe political violence is on the rise -- and will continue. Why are we experiencing this pessimism -- and do Americans even want it to get better if that means working across the aisle?

In this episode of Nobody's Side, I speak with Rebecca Mueller. Rebecca is a Democratic candidate for Oregon's second congressional district. She's a pediatrician and a first time candidate for office. I speak with her about our divisions, challenges, and how she would go about building trust across the aisle. 

Why does America feel so divided?In this episode of Nobody’s Side, guests from across the political spectrum share what they believe is driving the deep divisions in our country. Three themes come up again and again: extreme voices drowning out moderates, a media ecosystem fueled by outrage, and political leaders who amplify conflict rather than calm it.But the conversation goes deeper than politics. Many guests point to something more fundamental — the human instinct to defend our political tribes, even when it means sacrificing facts, ethics, or common ground.

Most Americans believe the “other side” doesn’t share their values. But what if that’s wrong? In this episode, I ask Republicans, Democrats, independents, and the politically homeless what matters most to them. What emerges isn’t what cable news would lead you to expect. Are we too far gone — or standing on common ground we can’t see?

In this Episode of Nobody’s Side, we talk with Sam Slade. Slade is an Austin-born actor, Democratic candidate for Texas House District 49, and longtime community voice who's worked in politics for 20+ years. He's a first time candidate. Sam shares why he’s running and his assessment of the divisions in our nation.

In this episode we meet 16 new guests from across the political spectrum -- and we hear about their values and political instincts.

How do candidates for elected office view the divisions within our nation? In this episode, I speak with Kimmie Ellison, a candidate for Texas HD-49. Kimmie is a nurse practitioner and former Peace Corps volunteer based in Austin, Texas. She’s spent almost two decades working in healthcare, focusing primarily on vulnerable populations.  She holds degrees in both government and healthcare, including a Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree. Prior to becoming a nurse, she worked for the federal government including the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and in The White House.

How do people seeking elected office understand the divisions in the United States? In this episode, I speak with Christopher Burnett, a Republican candidate for Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, about how he views political division, what he sees as causes of division, and where he believes the country could be headed. Burnett is a retired Marine Corps JAG officer who has served in advisory roles to senior government leaders on matters including operational law, policy, international diplomacy, and strategy. His career has included assignments in both combat zones and humanitarian missions. Guests’ views are their own and do not reflect endorsement by the host or the podcast.

Imagine sitting down with someone who disagrees with nearly everything you believe. You get five minutes with no interruptions, no debate—just a chance to explain where you’re coming from. In this episode, guests from across the country answer that question. Their reflections reveal how much common ground we ignore.

In this episode of Nobody’s Side, we ask a simple but revealing question: Would you rather see your political side win uninterrupted power for the next 30 years, or see both parties share power and actually work together? The answers uncover how Americans think about winning, compromise, and trust.

Americans now call the “other side” immoral, dangerous, even evil. Are we really this far gone — or can ordinary people still find their way back to each other?

Is friendship possible across political division? For most, it's -- complicated. 

In this episode, we listen as Americans from different walks of life describe how our divisions look and feel on the ground — and what they believe lies at the root of them.

The journey begins. In this episode, we meet the first eleven voices in this project — everyday Americans sharing what matters most to them, in their own words.

I’ve had a knot in my stomach about where our country is headed — about how angry and divided we’ve become.In this first episode of Nobody’s Side, I share why I started this project, what it’s about, and what I hope it can mean for all of us.

It started with a knot in my stomach — the kind you get when you know something’s wrong, but you’re not sure how to fix it.So I began talking to people. Not pundits or politicians — just Americans. One Republican and one Democrat from every state.I asked them what they see, what they believe, and whether they still think we can live together as one nation.This is Nobody’s Side — a podcast about division -- and the hope that we’re not too far gone.