If TV Wants to Bring America Together, It Needs to Show Bipartisan Empathy

Understand Every Character You Write and Avoid “Preachiness and Condescension”

“Can television bring America together?” asked writer John Bowman, the moderator of a panel posing that question. He immediately answered his own query with, “God knows I’ve tried.” And so began a lively and engaged conversation between Bowman and several other writers and creators of television shows that have challenged traditional cultural and social boundaries.

The discussion, before a full house at a Smithsonian/Zócalo “What It Means to Be American” event at the Landmark Theaters in Los Angeles, explored both the opportunities and the obstacles in trying to bridge seemingly …

California’s Self-Esteem Commission Was Not a Joke

The Task Force Created by Late State Legislator John Vasconcellos Was a True Bipartisan Effort to Solve Big Problems

Last week, former California state legislator John Vasconcellos passed away at the age of 82. Obituaries described him as a “colorful Democrat” and a “champion of self-esteem.”

The latter is a …

Bipartisanship Shouldn’t Just Be Nuclear

Five Cold Warriors Have Shown Us That a Healthier Political Culture Is Possible

In this era of rancor in Washington, it’s hard to imagine a time when two of the most partisan men in the nation–Republican President Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, the …