Election Briefing: "Why I'm Voting For...." Philippa Hughes and John Pudner

Let's Find Common Ground

USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future

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5.0 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 29 October 2020

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

With just days to go before the 2020 election, we invited a Trump supporter and a Biden backer to join us in the same (virtual) room, and share the personal reasons behind their vote. We have a lively, spontaneous and surprisingly friendly discussion about the President's controversial personality, the final debate, and big policy and leadership differences between the two candidates. John Pudner is voting for Donald Trump. He is Executive Director of Take Back Our Republic, a non-profit group and a member of Bridge Alliance. John spent three decades managing Republican political campaigns, and was the eldest of 9 children growing up in a 3 bedroom house in inner city Richmond, VA where he attended a conservative, Catholic high school whose alumni included Steve Bannon. Now John is the father of 9 children. Philippa P.B. Hughes is voting for Joe Biden. She produces and creates art projects, and is CEO, Chief Creative Strategist and Social Sculptor at CuriosityConnects.us, a non-profit organization that designs pop-up galleries and physical spaces that bring people together who might not normally engage in dialogue and thoughtful interaction. Philippa is the daughter of a conservative Vietnamese mother and a white father who was a lifelong union member. She also grew up in Richmond, but until our podcast conversation had never met John.

Transcript

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0:00.0	With just days to go before the election, we invited a Trump supporter and a Biden
0:05.4	backer to join us and share the reasons for why they made their choice.
0:09.8	One aim of this episode is to help us understand each other,
0:13.1	whatever our views or political identity.
0:21.2	This is Let's Find Common Ground. I'm Ashley Muntite.
0:25.2	And I'm Richard Davies. In our last episode, we spoke with two members of
0:29.6	Congress, one Democrat, the other Republican. This time, it's two voters. Get ready for a
0:36.0	lively, spontaneous conversation between two people of very different views.
0:42.6	John Padner is voting for Donald Trump. John is executive director of Take Backer Republic,
0:48.6	a nonprofit group that's a member of Bridge Alliance, an organization that aims to bridge
0:53.3	the divides that separate us and help fix our political system. John spent three decades managing
0:59.0	Republican political campaigns. Philippa Hughes is voting for Joe Biden. She heads up Curiosity
1:05.9	Connectsus, which designs pop-up art galleries and physical spaces that bring people together who
1:12.6	might not normally engage in dialogue and thoughtful interaction. Philippa is the daughter of a
1:18.8	conservative Vietnamese mother and an American dad who was a lifelong union member.
1:26.0	We recorded this interview the day after the final Trump Biden presidential debate.
1:31.9	You're both from Richmond, Virginia. Is that coincidence?
1:34.7	Oh my gosh. I didn't know we both were. I knew I was.
1:39.9	I went to Metabruc High School, which is in touch with you actually.
1:44.6	I went to Benedictine. Mom still lives right by the Virginia Museum. I love Richmond.
1:51.6	John, you're the eldest of nine children and you had a paper round growing up. So did I.
2:01.0	Tell us a bit about how you grew up and how that upbringing influenced your politics.
	...

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