It's very easy to be outraged or depressed about American politics today, and much more challenging and interesting to consider how things might be better. Instead of dismissing our political opponents or viewing them with disdain or disgust, how can we understand them better and learn from them?

That's where Braver Angels 1:1 Conversations come in. Two people from different backgrounds and beliefs use a structured list of questions. The goals are for both of them to better understand their experiences, feelings and beliefs, find out what you may have in common, and learn how to bridge divides.

In this episode, our podcast host Richard Davies has a lively and fun 40 minute 1:1 Conversation with Sue Lani Madsen about their red/blue, rural/urban differences. Along the way, they learned a lot of interesting things about each other.

Sue Lani Madsen is an architect and founding partner of a major regional architecture and interior design firm with over 40 years of experience serving public and private clients. She writes frequently on Substack, is a US Army veteran, volunteer firefighter and mother of five who lives on a ranch in rural Eastern Washington. A political conservative, Sue Lani serves as a co-chair of the Central/Eastern Washington Alliance of Braver Angels.

Richard Davies spent nearly four decades as a Correspondent and reporter at ABC News Radio. He began his career as a radio journalist in England. Richard is a liberal and is a volunteer for Braver Angels in Connecticut and New York.

"How Do We Fix It?" is committed to asking constructive questions across differences. For nine years, Richard co-hosted this podcast with his good friend, James Meigs, of The Manhattan Institute and Wall Street Journal. In recent episodes, we've reported on the people, projects, and ideas of Braver Angels, America's largest volunteer-led grassroots movement devoted to healing divides and building civic muscle.

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