State of the Union: Interview With Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO)

Interview

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Well, I think it's about at the individual level.

We need to really have authentic conversations with those that we disagree with. And what does that mean? It means, don't question the motives, Republicans, Democrats, independents, or good Americans, right?

But go ahead, put the issues on the table, talk about what works, what doesn't work, use data as your guide. This initiative doesn't mean everybody needs to agree on every topic, but it means we should have conversations of disagreement at a better level, a higher level, a more effective level for the future of our country.

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Look, you start with a common ground on something like abortion choice.

Democrats don't believe that abortion is good. We believe it's bad, it should be minimized. How do you prevent unwanted pregnancies? What techniques do you use to make sure that people are empowered with the information they need to not become pregnant unless they choose? How do they get good medical care, so they don't face a difficult decision midway through their pregnancy? So there's common ground there to have a constructive discussion about how families can be healthier, about how people can be happier. And it doesn't mean that we're going to agree on every part of a very difficult and challenging issue, but at least you can have the conversation at a better level.

And it's not so much the fault of politicians that sow the seeds of rhetoric. Rather, they're reacting to a market of, unfortunately, people that are reinforcing that. And this conversation, led by governors, chief executives of states, great people to lead this conversation, is really hopefully about looking ourselves in the mirror and coming up with a better way to have civic dialogue across the country.

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