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Pothole Problem Podcast
by Dr. Jack Miller
Outrage, frustration, fear, and confusion are common feelings about politics in America today. It's no fun to feel this way. The Pothole Problem Podcast features interviews with activists, public servants, and political observers discussing how they work with and make use of their outrage. The intention is to examine different ways of looking at the world in order to cultivate a relationship to politics that is less frustrating and more satisfying.
Episodes
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#048—Who Benefits From My Outrage?
In this episode, Jack interviews one of his colleagues at Portland State University, Dr. Melody Valdini, professor of political science and co-editor of the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy. Their conversation begins with Dr. Valdini’s experiences in graduate school that focused her thinking…
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#047—The Lesser of Two Evils
In this short episode, Jack editorializes on the question of voting or not voting for the candidate that’s less bad. Inspired by recent news stories about strong anti-Trump voices now saying they will vote for Trump because they think a second Biden term would be disastrous, combined with polls...
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#046—Thirty Years of Division
The mid-term election of 1994, dubbed "The Republican Revolution," ushered in a new era of national politics characterized by combativeness, polarization, and a divisive style of campaigning. Thirty years later, we're still living with the consequences of that transformative election and…
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#045—Civic Engagement
In this special episode, one of Jack’s students at Portland State University, Jorielle Livingston, interviews her former high school civics teacher, Amy Galloway, an educator in Fairbanks, Alaska, with over 25 years of teaching experience. They discuss, among other things, the importance of civic...
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#044—Follow Your Passion
Jack interviews former Portland city commissioner JoAnn Hardesty. They talk about the human experience of being a city commissioner, the early experiences that led her into public service, and some of the lessons she's learned along the way and advice she has for young people looking to make the...
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#043—Exercising Our Community Engagement Muscles
In the newest episode of the Pothole Problem Podcast, Jack talks with Wendy Willis, founding director of Oregon’s Kitchen Table, a statewide engagement program working to give every Oregonian an opportunity to participate in the political decisions that affect their lives and communities. They...
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#042—Embracing Discomfort
In this episode, Jack talks about discomfort, inclusion and exclusion, tolerance and acceptance, power dynamics, and various other things with Jessica Heilman, executive director of the Center for Women's Leadership. Jessica mentions Adam Grant's book Think Again. Here's the glossary of terms...
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#041—The Teachers Strike Show
In this episode, Jack examines the many sources of outrage surrounding the teachers strike in Portland, and strikes in general, and schools in general, and he discusses how we can navigate these hard feelings and the powerful and often conflicting feelings of others. He describes how humor…
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#040—Bread or Circuses
Jack takes seriously the idea that Washington is broken by looking at performative politics and the ways the other two branches respond to Congressional power vacuums. This episode was recorded when the U.S. House of Representatives had been 22 days without a Speaker, with no end to the impasse…
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#039—Politics is Such a Dirty Game
The guest this episode is Karen Pan, a young political activist and former student of mine who's currently taking a break from politics to see if she can recover from her outrages and disappointments. She talks about a few things that used to outrage her but no longer do and what still bothers…
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#037—Meditation Retreat
This week's episode is a solo recording by Jack describing his experience with mediation and its relationship to his state of mind, his emotions, and his participation in the tumultuous world of politics. Recorded the night before he leaves for a five-day silent meditation retreat, Jack attempts…
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#036—How Culture Divides Politicians
Jack interviews Oregon State Senator Kim Thatcher (R-District 13) about her nearly two decades of experience in the state legislature. They discuss the changes the senator has seen in state politics during this time and how social media and cultural differences between party members contribute to...
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#035—An Unsustainable Form of Government
Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps describes the unsustainable nature of his job in city government and the structural reasons why the City of Portland faces extra challenges addressing the city’s problems and simply doing its job. He and Jack also discuss the need for reforming the city...
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#034—For the Love of the Policy
Jack talks to Jesse Cornett, a longtime political activist in Oregon and national politics and Bernie Sanders’ body man in the 2020 campaign, about his commitment to a life in politics and the motivations and practices it takes to sustain that commitment.
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#033—Supreme Outrage
Jack answers a listener question about the current direction of the Supreme Court by asking us to cast our minds back half a century to try imagining what it felt like to conservatives as the Warren Court got going with its liberal revolution. He also examines the impact of anti-intellectualism…
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#032—Getting Our Voices Heard
Jack interviews Oregon state representative Tawna Sanchez (Democrat, district 43).
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#031—Yelp Ratings for Political Candidates
Zane and Jack discuss the STAR voting system, an Oregon-grown electoral reform that asks voters to rate candidates from 0 to 5 stars and awards victory to the winner of an automatic runoff between the two top-rated candidates. You can find out more on the Internet at starvoting.us, and you can...
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#030—The Pothole Problem Two Years Later
In this kickoff to Year 3, co-hosts Zane and Jack reboot the Pothole Problem Podcast after a pandemic hiatus by revisiting the meaning of the pothole problem after all that's gone down in the past two years.
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#029—That's Not Fair!
Zane interviews Jack about democratic theory and some of the reasons why people so often feel like political outcomes aren't fair. This episode also features a rap battle between Pat and Kyle, recorded in the White Tiger Studio on February 16th, 2019.
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#028—Just Want to Serve the Public
This week’s guest is Sonia Montalbano, a lawyer and political activist running against several other candidates for Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge in the kind of judicial election that is rarely contested. Sonia discusses her lifelong political commitments and talks about the issues of...
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#027—Storytelling for Civic Engagement
This week’s guest is Alison McCaffree, author of Politics of the Possible, a book about her grandmother, Mary Ellen McCaffree, a pioneering female legislator in Washington State. She is also the founder and executive director of Politics of the Possible in Action, a non-profit organization...
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#026—Fortitude and Perseverance
This week’s guest is Esperanza Tervalon-Garrett, campaign manager for We Count Oregon and the founder and CEO of Dancing Hearts Consulting, a progressive political consulting firm committed to challenging the status quo. Esperanza describes her earliest experiences as an organizer and activist…
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#025—Pandemics and the Pothole Problem
Zane interviews Jack about how COVID-19 is impacting perceptions of politics in the present and how it might change the future. Jack discusses how the pandemic response has the potential to push back against the standard negativity bias that underlies the pothole problem and bring greater balance...
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#024—Some Stuff You Just Can’t Change
This week’s guest is Peter Toll, campaign coordinator for the Clackamas County Democratic Party and a long-time political organizer and party activist. Peter discusses what it takes to energize people in local- and state-level politics and the new and old barriers to success in Democratic…
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#023—Maintain Your Integrity
This week’s guest is Liz Darby, a former government researcher, policymaker, and lobbyist working in the field of healthcare. Liz discusses how her own view of politics changed from her conservative upbringing to her embrace of liberalism in the 1970s, what her professional life was like, and the...
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#022—Fighting for Common Ground
This week’s guest is Amy Rathfelder, policy advisor to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and campaign manager for his 2020 re-election campaign. Amy examines her youthful outrage at the idea of compromising on her principles and shares what she’s learned about compromise from working in politics for...
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#021—The Problem-Having/Problem-Solving Animal
This week’s episode features a talk that Jack gave at the Lake Oswego Public Library as part of the Lake Oswego Reads program, an annual month-long event with speakers discussing the issues connected to a single piece of writing. This year’s book was Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore...
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#020—The Shiny Object
This week’s guest is John Horvich, a pollster at DHM Research and a former president of the City Club of Portland. After discussing his own journey through political outrage, John takes us behind the scenes to provide an insider’s perspective on polling – how the data he gathers is used, why it’s...
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#019—If You Don't Do Politics, Politics Does You
This week’s guest is Candalynn Johnson, Campaign Coordinator for the League of Women Voters of Oregon and Deputy Campaign Manager for People Not Politicians, a campaign to bring an independent redistricting commission to Oregon. Candalynn discusses how her outrage over identity politics led her…
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#018—Take It Seriously, Not Personally
To commemorate President’s Day, this week’s guest is Tom Hughes, former President of the Metro Council (2011-2019). Tom discusses his forty-plus years of experience in public office, from the virtually powerless but high-visibility position of Mayor of Hillsboro, Oregon (2001-2009) to the...
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#017—I (Have Not) Voted!
In this episode, Zane interviews Jack about the reasons why so many people don't vote, what that means for our democratic system, and how we ought to view the people who don’t vote. See turnout rates from 1789 through 2018: http://www.electproject.org/national-1789-present. This episode features,...
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#016—Democratic and Undemocratic at the Same Time
To mark the beginning of the 2020 Democratic nominating contest, Jack explains how a caucus works and examines the ways it's both very democratic and very undemocratic at the same time. Watch a short video of Jack explaining the caucus with chalkboard drawings (1m34s). Subscribe to this Instagram...
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#015—Incivility, Anger, and Hostility
This week's guest is Jack Hoffman, former mayor of Lake Oswego, OR (2009-2013). Jack discusses his tumultuous experience working in local government, and with the perspective afforded by years of reflection and hindsight, he examines the sources of conflict and the reasons for the rising levels…
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#014—Celebrate the Victories
This week's guest is Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson (D-District 3). She discusses the concerns that got her to enter politics in the first place and the ones that continue to keep her energized, how she's learned to deal with the frustrations of the political process, and how...
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#013—Balancing Toughness and Openness
This week's guest is Oregon State Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-District 15), a freshman member of the Oregon House of Representatives serving in her first elected position. Rep. Boshart Davis discusses how she manages her expectations and seeks to have an impact beyond her single vote…
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#012— We've Got To Become Adults
This week's guest is Oregon State Senator Lew Frederick (D-District 22). The senator discusses how he's come to terms with the frustratingly slow pace of change, the changes in America he's seen and is yet to see, and why he remains cautiously optimistic about future progress. He also discusses…
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#011—Fall Finale
In this wrap-up to the Fall season, Zane interviews Jack and asks him to recount his favorite guests and most memorable moments and ideas. Jack has a chance to reflect on the first season of the podcast and discuss the ways it impacted his own thinking about outrage. Zane also asked him to talk...
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#010—Calling Us To Our Better Angels
Our guest for this episode is Pat McCormick, co-founder, along with his daughter Allison, of AM:PM PR (ampmpr.com), a Portland public affairs and strategic communications firm. Pat has over 40 years of experience in Oregon politics and public affairs, working for an Oregon legislator and 18-year...
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#009—The World Is... What It Is
Our guest for this episode is Mischa Webley, Communications Manager for the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (necoalition.org). Mischa talks about some relatively unknown things that are going on in what we might consider "hyper-local" government, discusses how he views the big things that…
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#008—Self-Righteous Disdain
Our guest for this episode is Anita Ramachandran, Executive Director of MicroMentor at Mercy Corps. Anita discusses her on-going journey away from what she describes as self-righteous disdain. Books mentioned by Anita: Reboot by Jerry Colonna, When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chondron, Grit by…
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#007—The Sausage Factory
Our guest for this episode is Amanda Manjarrez, Director of Advocacy for the Latino Network and Vice Chair of the City Club of Portland committee tasked with rethinking the city's commission system (learn about the committee here and read its report here). Amanda discusses the evolution of her…
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#006—The Endless Campaign
Jack examines outrage over the length of the presidential campaign and provides a perspective on why a lengthy presidential campaign might be considered a good thing despite the fatigue and annoyance it often produces in the American public. This episode features music by the Madison HS marching...
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#005—Everyone Else Is Traffic
Our guest for this episode is Darren Golden, (find him on Instagram and Twitter), a 26 year-old with political ambitions and a concrete plan for his future. He examines his experiences as a young black man that have galvanized his political commitment and helped him channel his outrage rather…
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#004—Cowboys v. Redskins
Our guest for this episode, Rebecca Tweed, is the President of Tweed Strategies, Executive Director of Grow Oregon, and serves on the City Club of Portland Board of Governors. Rebecca gives her perspective on politics from fourteen years inside political campaigns all over the state. She examines...
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#003—I Hated Taxes
Our guest for this episode is Tyler Wilkins, co-founder and co-director of Participatory Budgeting Oregon (pboregon.org), an organization promoting the adoption of participatory budgeting in Portland and throughout Oregon. Tyler explains what participatory budgeting is and how it can promote…
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#002—Obstacles to Seeking Public Office
Our guest for this episode is Jillian Schoene, Executive Director of Emerge Oregon (emergeor.org), an organization that recruits, trains, and supports female Democrats seeking elected office at all levels. Jillian discusses her relationship to political outrage and the obstacles in the way of...
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#001—The Pothole Problem
In the pilot episode, the host explains the concept of the pothole problem and the intention of the podcast, and his teenage son interviews him about the evolution of his own political outrage. This episode features "Stickin' It to the Man,” an original song by Greg Weinger.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Outrage, frustration, fear, and confusion are common feelings about politics in America today. It's no fun to feel this way. The Pothole Problem Podcast features interviews with activists, public servants, and political observers discussing how they work with and make use of their outrage. The intention is to examine different ways of looking at the world in order to cultivate a relationship to politics that is less frustrating and more satisfying.
HOSTED BY
Dr. Jack Miller
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Pothole Problem Podcast have?
Pothole Problem Podcast currently has 48 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Pothole Problem Podcast about?
Outrage, frustration, fear, and confusion are common feelings about politics in America today. It's no fun to feel this way. The Pothole Problem Podcast features interviews with activists, public servants, and political observers discussing how they work with and make use of their outrage. The...
How often does Pothole Problem Podcast release new episodes?
Pothole Problem Podcast has 48 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Pothole Problem Podcast?
You can listen to Pothole Problem Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Pothole Problem Podcast?
Pothole Problem Podcast is created and hosted by Dr. Jack Miller.
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