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Common Good Conversations
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.
Episodes
50 episodes
Meet Common Good Candidate Abby Klomparens for State Representative (District 86)
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 Alleg...
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1:02:48
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"After two years of far-right rule in a Michigan county, one chance to change it" - with The Washington Post
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
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53:19
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2024 Election Guide: What Happened to my Ottawa GOP?
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 underst...
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1:59
Economics Guru Dr. Paul Isley talks about West Michigan's Economy
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 ...
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59:12
Meet Common Good Candidate Doug Zylstra running for Ottawa County Board of Commissioners in District 3 (Holland)
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. ...
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1:07:18
Live! with Common Good Candidate Chris Crothers for County Commissioner in District 4 (Zeeland)
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 even...
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33:45
Live! Sarah Leach discusses her recent firing, Ottawa Impact, and the crisis of local journalism
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 Mic...
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52:22
Live! Nick Brock and Doug Pagitt talk about their shared experience along the US-Mexico Border
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 expe...
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1:04:18
Meet Common Good Candidate Marcia Mansaray running for State Representative (85th District)
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...
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1:05:44
Educating Voters about Michigan's Election Process, with the Kent County Clerk's Office
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 elec...
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55:55
Meet Josh Brugger of Grand Haven (District 10) running to return Ottawa County to "boring, reliable and predictable" governance
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...
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1:21:01
Meet Sarah Matwiejczyk running for Ottawa County Prosecutor
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 h...
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52:55
Meet Common Good Candidate Phil Kuyers of Grand Haven Twp. (District 9) running to defeat Ottawa Impact
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 runn...
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56:42
How to Defend Democracy from its Christian Enemies, with Christian Ethicist David Gushee
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 Profes...
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1:06:12
Meet Common Good Candidate, Becky Patrick, of District 8 (Allendale Twp.) running to defeat Ottawa Impact
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 Distr...
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54:38
Satan enters the chat (again) after giving the invocation at the OCBOC meeting
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 ...
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1:01:33
Meet Jordan Jorritsma the Republican Commissioner candidate in District 2 (Holland)
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 Commissio...
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1:03:25
Is the U.S./Mexico border as dangerous and chaotic as its made out to be?
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 experien...
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50:19
Your Opinion - Ebel should participate in voter forum so constituents have all the facts
"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 dis...
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4:17
Meet Common Good Candidate Mark Northrup of District 5 running to defeat Ottawa Impact
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 6t...
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1:01:07
LIVE! with Common Good Candidate Chris Kleinjans of Holland
Check out this clip we pulled from our LIVE! event in Holland. Chris Kleinjans is a Democrat running against Ottawa Impact Commissioner Lucy Ebel during a special Recall Election occurring on Tuesday, May 7. Chris is also a Common Good Cand...
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47:58
"Your Opinion" with Mayor Mark Northrup of Hudsonville
Check out this 20-minute clip we pulled from our LIVE! event in Holland. Mayor Mark Northrup discusses why Joe Moss' leadership with Ottawa Impact has led to a train wreck in Ottawa County.
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22:42
Common Good Conversations LIVE!
Hey Everybody!Get ready for an episode packed with laughs and learning...Nick and Shawn had a great time with a live audience where they laughed about their father in-law wanting to try nasal irrigation, debating the correct way...
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1:42:35
Upcoming Event: Join Common Good Conversations LIVE in 1 week!
*This is a shortened promo from our previous promo episode -- A few years ago brothers-in-law Nick and Shawn started doing the unthinkable at family gatherings – talking about politics and faith at the dinner table. While at times tense...
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15:04