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A few years ago brothers-in-law Nick Brock and Shawn Skinner started doing the unthinkable at family gatherings – talking about politics and faith at the dinner table. While at times tense and cautious those conversations were filled with curiosity, nuance, grace, and humor. Wanting to lean into that experience they decided to start a podcast. Common Good Conversations is a weekly opportunity for Nick and Shawn to talk about the politics and faith of West Michigan by being curious, nuanced, grace-filled, and humorous; perhaps they’ll learn something along the way.
50 Episodes
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Send us a text Meet an extraordinary-ordinary Michigander committed to the Common Good for West Michigan. Abby Klomparens for State Representative in District 86 includes the Greater Holland area and portions of Allegan County. In this episode you'll learn how to properly pronounce another Dutch last-name (Klomp-ar-ens), why the election of former President Trump was a catalyst for Abby's political involvement, and why she's challenging Republican incumbent Nancy DeBoer. -- Follow us on o...
Send us a text Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Washington Post reporter Patrick Marley. Patrick writes about voting issues in the Upper Midwest and wrote a series of stories covering how divisive, Trump-style politics came to Ottawa County through Ottawa Impact. In this episode you'll learn about the Washington Post's series called Democracy in America, how moderate Republicans and some Democrats mobilized against Ottawa Impact and fought back, and how eating ...
Send us a text Over the previous year I've had the privilege of being in conversation with a handful of well established Republicans in Ottawa County to help me understand the state of local politics. The central question that I wanted to answer — and understand from their point of view — was: What happened to my Ottawa GOP? Support the show Follow us on Facebook at Vote Common Good - primary
Send us a text Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Dr. Paul Isely the Associate Dean and Professor of Economics for the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. For nearly a decade Dr. Isley has become somewhat of an economics guru in West Michigan as employers have used his historically accurate economic findings to help guide their business decisions. In this episode you'll learn about the cause of recent inflation, the power of consume...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Doug Zylstra. Doug is the incumbent Ottawa County Board Commissioner representing District 3 (Holland) as a Democrat serving in his 3rd, 2-year term. In this episode you'll learn why it was important for Doug to foster dialogue with the Ottawa Impact Commissioners, what it means to have a record-breaking 2 Democrats on the Board of Commissioners, and if Doug is a "woke" Democrat or not. Show Not...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Chris Crothers. Chris is running for Ottawa County Commissioner in District 4 (Zeeland) as a Democrat. In this final segment from our live podcast event in Holland you'll learn how Chris started as a home brewer then started his own brewery, why he's running for County Commissioner, and what it means to be a Common Good Candidate in Ottawa County. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at Vot...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Sarah Leach. Sarah is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist and previously the regional editor for Gannett Media leading The Holland Sentinel and 14 other Michigan papers. During this second segment from our live podcast event in Holland you'll learn about dad-jokes, why Sarah was fired from the Holland Sentinel, the challenges of covering Ottawa Impact, and the crisis of local journalism. Support ...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Doug Pagitt the executive director of Vote Common Good. Nick and Doug both went to the US-Mexico border in Arizona and Mexico and talk about their shared experience. During this segment from our live event in Holland you'll learn about Nick and Doug's first impressions of the border wall from both sides of the wall, why families are seeking asylum and how coming to the US is a last resort, and wha...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Marcia Mansaray, the Democratic candidate running for State Representative in Michigan’s 85th District. Marcia was the Deputy Health Officer for Ottawa County’s Department of Public Health and emerged as a courageous voice for the community when she pushed back against efforts by Ottawa Impact to undermine and silence the Department of Public Health. In this episode you'll learn why Marcia no longer...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus-Lyons and Chief Deputy Clerk Robert Macomber. The two, both Republicans, have been educating voters about Michigan's new election laws and helping them overcome obstacles to election misinformation. In this episode you'll learn about the technical term for a cow's udder, Michigan's new election laws, election integrity, if Michigan's Qualified Voter File is bloated ...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Josh Brugger “the man running to fill Roger Bergman's shoes in Ottawa County. Brugger is running as a Republican for the District 10 seat on the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners after several controversial decisions were made by Ottawa Impact. Josh believes that “now is the time for those of us "in the middle" to stand up to politicians on the fringes and declare, "Enough is enough." In this e...
Send us a text Hey Everybody! Nick had the privilege of being in conversation with Sarah Matwiejczyk. Sarah is Ottawa County’s Chief Assistant Prosecutor and is running for Ottawa County Prosecutor as a Republican. In this episode you'll learn how to pronounce Sarah's last name (Ma-toy-sic!), her opinion on what's happened with the Ottawa GOP, what it means to be a "vetted" Republican juxtaposed against Ottawa Impact, and why she want's to represent all people - no matter political affiliat...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick had the privilege of being in conversation with Phil Kuyers the former Ottawa County Commissioner who was first elected to the commission in 2000 and served as board chair for three years. Phil, a Republican, is running again for the District 9 seat (Grand Haven Twp.), which he represented for more than two decades before losing to Ottawa Impact Republican Roger Belknap in 2022 who is also running for re-election in the August 6th primary election. ...
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick had the privilege of being in conversation with David Gushee the author of a new book called Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies. The Rev. Prof. Dr. David Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University and is one of America's leading Christian ethicists. In this episode you'll learn why Christians should support democracy, why so many are open to authoritarian and reactionary political trends that threaten...
Send us a text Hey, West Michigan! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Becky Patrick of Allendale Twp. Becky is running to defeat Ottawa Commissioner / Vice-Chairperson and co-founder of Ottawa Impact, Sylvia Rhodea, in District 8 during the August 6th primary. In this episode you'll learn why Becky was one one of the most civically engaged citizens in Ottawa County in 2023, why she wants a return to reason, fiscal responsibility and good governance to the Ottawa...
Send us a text Hey, West Michigan! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with lifelong resident of Ottawa County Reverend Luis Cypher, a minister of Satan and co-head of the Satanic Temple of West Michigan. Reverend Cypher gave the invocation at the April 23rd Ottawa County Board of Commissioners meeting. In this episode we learn that the Satanic Temple of West Michigan does not worship Satan (nor promote evil), how Ottawa County Commissioner Rebekah Curran protested the...
Send us a text Hey, West Michigan! Shawn and I had the privilege of being in conversation with Jordan Jorritsma the Republican candidate running for Ottawa County Commissioner in District 2 (Holland). Jordan is running to defeat Ottawa Impact Commissioner Lucy Ebel in the August primary election if she wins her May 7th Recall Election. In this episode we'll lean into our theme of What Happened to my Ottawa GOP?, why Jordan signed on as a co-plaintiff for a lawsuit against Secretary of Stat...
Send us a text Hey, West Michigan! Shawn and I had the privilege of being in conversation with Doug Pagitt, Executive Director of Vote Common Good. In 2021 Doug traveled 3,000 miles along the U.S./Mexico border with his bicycle and experienced first-hand that the border was not as dangerous nor chaotic as its made out to be. Wanting people to experience this for themselves he is encouraging people to join him at border towns on foot and talk with the people who actually live there. In...
Send us a text "On May 7, voters in District 2 will have the opportunity to vote in the special recall election for their county commissioner. I am running against Ottawa Impact-affiliated commissioner Lucy Ebel. Recently, Commissioner Ebel distributed literature within the district containing several false claims and misrepresentations." - read by Common Good Candidate, Chris Kleinjans Support the show Follow us on Facebook at Vote Common Good - primary
Send us a text Hey, Everybody! Nick and Shawn had the privilege of being in conversation with Mayor Mark Northrup of Hudsonville. Mark is running to defeat Commissioner Board Chair and leader of Ottawa Impact Joe Moss in District 5 during the August 6th primary. And if you know anything about Ottawa County politics the primary election is where more often than not local elections are decided. In this episode you'll learn about the finer things in life such as bourbon, cigars, and cru...
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