The Truth About Political Division You’ve Never Heard w/Shannon Watson

Welcome to Compassiviste Dialogues. I'm Ali, your host, and my mission with this podcast is to shed light on critical social and environmental issues worldwide, exploring avenues for positive change.

Today I’m joined by Shannon Watson, founder and Executive Director of Majority in the Middle. With over 20 years of experience in bipartisan politics, Shannon challenges us to rethink how we engage with politics beyond partisan extremes.

ABOUT GUEST:

Shannon Watson is the Founder and Executive Director of Majority in the Middle.

Shannon has also worked in policy and public affairs roles for Casper Corcoran, Medical Alley Association, St. Paul Area Chamber, U.S. Bank, the Minnesota Senate, and the National Conference of State Legislatures. She has 20+ years of experience in electoral politics, advising candidates and working on campaigns on both sides of the aisle in Kansas, Colorado, and Minnesota. 

Shannon is a frequent op-ed writer and speaker, presenting on topics like "Why we're divided and what you can do about it" and "How to make your advocacy bipartisan (and why you should)." She was a member of the MYALP cohort in 2022 and a Humphrey Policy Fellow 2020-2021. In recognition of her work, Shannon has been named an #MNCivicLeader by the Citizens League and awarded a MinneInno 50 On Fire.

Shannon holds a bachelor's degree in English, Theatre, and Psychology from Wichita State University and a master's degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She lives in Minneapolis.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Intro  

03:31 - What are politics at their core? 

09:12 - Why are we choosing extremes? 

16:00 - Privilege, Poverty, and Political Paralysis 

21:02 - Does state power really matter? 

25:38 - A hard look at freedom, choice, and power in the U.S. 

30:15 - Does U.S. politics maintain power through controlled collapse 

38:01 - Why local politics matters more than the Presidency 

44:57 - How do people get involved in local politics? 

47:02 - Did the recession fuel disinformation? 

54:40 - Is political compromise necessary or a hindrance? 

59:38 - What makes a good compromise? 

01:07:03 - What role does trust play in compromise? 

01:12:22 - How can people reach Shannon? 

01:14:13 - If you had the power, what would you change? 

01:17:49 - Outro 

THINGS MENTIONED IN THE PODCAST:

Website: www.majoritymiddle.org

X: https://x.com/shannonkwatson

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwatson

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The Truth About Political Division You’ve Never Heard with Shannon Watson 

In this episode, Shannon Watson discusses how money in politics can be used to create a  racial divide and perpetuate division. She also touches on the impact of campaign finance on human relationships. Watson emphasizes the difference between big P politics and little p politics.