I’ve heard it before and I’ll probably hear it again today: “Ed, why are you giving these right-wingers air time? Their crazy views get enough coverage already.”

I invite Republicans on my show because dialogue is important. Critical, in fact, if we are to find a way out of the divisions rending our country.

Some may recall that, in 2021, I interviewed 13 Iowans who voted for Donald Trump. The most important truth to come out of those conversations is that all of us, regardless of political affiliation, share a lot more in common than we have differences.

For sure, there are crazies in the Republican Party. In fact, the loudest voices on the right tend to be the craziest. Unfortunately, they have some pretty powerful microphones at their disposal.

One Republican I’ve had on my program is Pat Bertroche (April 2, 2021). Pat and I may disagree on some (but not all) issues, but he’s not crazy. In fact, especially on Ukraine (check out our conversation at the 20-minute mark) Pat’s quite well-informed. Continue Reading →