How To!: Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 1
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Slate
3.9 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 25 October 2022
⏱️ 40 minutes
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Summary
Jenn and Todd Brandel have a close, loving relationship with their father, Bruce. But one thing makes their blood boil: his political chain emails. The messages are often forwarded commentary written in a provocative tone, and are an unwelcome reminder of just how far apart the family is politically. On this episode of How To!, we're joined by Mónica Guzmán, senior fellow for public practice at Braver Angels and author of I Never Thought Of It That Way: How To Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times. In the first of a special two-part episode on talking politics with our parents, Mónica teaches Jenn and Todd how to aim for understanding with their dad, not agreement. Next week, Jenn, Todd, and their dad Bruce will put these tips into practice—on mic—around the kitchen table, as Mónica provides post-game analysis. We'll dive into what worked, what got a little messy, and how to keep making progress.
If you liked this episode, check out: "How To Embrace Your Anti-Vax Family This Holiday Season" and "How To Talk Politics Without Wrecking Relationships."
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Transcript
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| 0:29.0 | You know, there's a desire to connect, and we do have opinions and want to talk about the world, |
| 0:36.0 | and yet we can't do it in a way that doesn't end up with yelling, hanging up, |
| 0:41.0 | you know, swearing the other person off, or overall just feeling crappy and feeling... |
| 0:47.0 | I mean, angry is one thing, but also just sad. |
| 0:50.0 | I think disappointed that we can't find a way to talk about this. |
| 0:54.0 | Welcome to How To. I'm Amanda Ripley. |
| 0:59.0 | I don't know about the rest of you, but sometimes I get pretty annoying when I get added to a big group chat |
| 1:04.0 | or email chain and my phone just start blowing up with memes and forwards and jokes. |
| 1:09.0 | Before I guess this week, that sound fills them with an extra dose of dread. |
| 1:15.0 | I have a family situation, a pickle you might say, |
| 1:19.0 | that I'm hoping y'all can help us out with today, that deals with political emails and fathers. |
| 1:26.0 | That's Jen Brandell. She's a friend of mine who I've worked with on a couple different projects, |
| 1:31.0 | and she's also a journalist from Chicago who co-founded Harkin, a company that helps organizations |
... |
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