washington journal continues. host: ken stern joins us. >> ben stern is a former ceo of "national public radio" and the author of republican mike me how i left the republican bubble. good morning. you open the story, the book with the story taste in your neighborhood and it sets the stage iv what you talk about. could you tell that story and why it's important? >> i live in washington d.c. 93%

democratic wardan and it's a lovely neighborhood. we have a number of block parties and the beginning of each annual porch fest is a parade with all the kids in the end each year with the pledge. one year the pledge when all are welcome here you gay, straight, white or black everyone but a republican. he was meant as a joke but it really wasn't a joke. you know how deeply it affects us and that moment was so tavon ah-hah wake-up moment where you say listen we need to start thinking about it differently and this journey is my piece of it. >> host: you are a

self-confessed democrat. what was your reflection? >> guest: the "washington post" did what is called a work class. they asked democrats give me one word to describe republicans and for the democrats they came back the top words were all negative for democrats and republicans. it was greedy, selfish, racist and in truth if you had to characterize it. i think i had to deal with that that i thought of roughly one third of my fellow countrymen in fairly negative terms. host: so you went through a whole series of events. how did you choose them. give our viewers a flavor of what you did over that year? i went to churches. you cannot know republicans without knowing evangelicals. differento explore

parts of the country. i went to youngstown ohio. i went to kentucky. liberty university. i tried to get all sorts of different experiences. at 1.i saw a quote in the paper from the head of heritage action who said what people to know about was the awesomeness of america. and how to find it. to -- who i knew toghtly and said, i want find the awesomeness. he told me to go paid hunting in texas. i went. everything from the philosophical to meeting people in diners and out their homes. host: we are getting the experience from ken stern, the

author of "republican like me." if you want to know what he learned, republicans on (202) 748-8001. democrats, (202) 748-8000. independent callers, (202) 748-8002. how did your friends respond to what you are about to engage in? was interesting. i learned not to talk too much about it inside my house. my family, like a lot of ofocrats, have a concept what i would find. and as i came back and shared stories. they were interested but they wondered whether i was -- i don't want to say learning too much but thinking too much about the other side. host: were they right?

guest: it is a mixed message. when i went out there, i found a lot to admire. many things i disagree with and continue to disagree with. but the fact of the matter is that no one has the monopoly on who is right or wrong in our country. we are exceptionally moderate people but you don't know that when you hear that in the heated political environment. the thing i learned more than anything else is that it is easy to find common ground when you sit down with people and talk to them and understand their experiences and they listen to yours. to have aeat way to democracy. as far as i'm concerned. host: we have a few calls lined up. the first call is from henry on the democrat line. go ahead. caller: good morning. paul manafort has been indicted and also his close aide, brick

gate. in the russian scandal. i believe this indictment has something to do with the russian scandal. i'm wondering if the people that you came in contact with in your travels across america who support the republicans, it if they will take this seriously? that their president is possibly a traitor -- probably a traitor. and also, i get perturbed when i hear people call in and say that america is a country of law but when it comes to the now sessions,eneral, jeff and other trump officials, lying to congress under oath -- undergoes -- no individual american citizen would be allowed to have a do over.

yes.: i started this project before trump was a serious candidate and many opportunities were there to question the premise of the book which is the polarization of the country doesn't reflect issue polarization. we don't disagree more than we used to. i learned that in lots of conversations with trump voters. not being a trump fan myself -- i don't support him as our president -- i love the opportunity to sit down with voters and understand why he appealed to them and not to me. i found a lot of different reasons. to yoursay, to get question, about whether this indictment of former associates will change that -- i'm not sure. i think a lot of people have

gravitated towards trump because of issues or identity politics. -- as i talk to people through the course of this year, they feel he hasn't been given a full chance. and i think this will feed into the narrative. host: you write part of the book saying that there is another side of the story. trump is a man who knows his , people just want a champion who will fight their fight and build the wall. can you expand? guest: one of the reasons trump is our president is because the white working class voted for him by 39%. i explored that with people in kentucky and youngstown, the white working class is on a 30 year losing streak. income is down. life expectancy is down. --y feel like they have been

as a gross generalization, i think they feel like the current political system has and serve them well. and they were interested in something like that as much as possible. it could've have been bernie sanders. i know a lot of people who wanted bernie sanders or trump. i'm not to the establishment will change that. host: we go to shawn, good morning. caller: another thing that is up is suicide. and suicide.ion let's be clear where the polarization comes from. through the 30's and 1940's and 1950's, americans were upgraded americans were represented by the unions. let's be clear where the

polarization comes from. labor unions were destroyed when ronald reagan fired workers in 1981 or 1982 and that blue the dog whistle to employers that they could ignore labor laws and prevent unions from organizing. so let's be clear. it was conservative republicans. and by god, they will reap the whirlwind. sure who will reap the whirlwind, republicans ar .... of the reasons why the white working class is doing poorly is because of the demise of the labor unions. so there is irony in this. on the irony is lost people who are looking for a life raft in a storm. i think people are angry and

upset and they feel they have been abandoned and i think they're looking for anyone. right or left, who would look at inks differently. , independent2 callers. (202) 748-8001 about your perception of republicans. what's with those perceptions of you going into this book? >> guest: what's actually step back for a second and say why do we have such a bad perception of each other, have the right and left gone far away from a democratic vision of america and i think the answer is nobody and large we haven't changed our views or thing about policies. what has changed is how little we know of the big sort. there was an extraordinary pull the "washington post" did in

virginia last year that asked trump voters if theyvi had closd voters and over 60% on both sides didn't know anyone on their side. it's extraordinary thinking abouth your circles and when you don't know the other side, when they go to liberal or conservative media it is easy to demonize and turn everyone on thedi other side to stick figurs so they have the same sort of demonization as democrats do of republicans. people are extraordinarily welcoming to me although for the country as a sort of odd guy from washington, d.c.. it was an extraordinary experience and it taught me a lot. i learned to love the right. it doesn't mean i learned to

agree with everything i know means it doesn't mean i grew to have the bonds of affection lincoln talks about with the people. >> host: markets in virginia on the democrats line. >> caller: i guess my comment is based on the title of the book how i learned to love republicans. i thought the left or right, up or down as americans want something different. for the most part virginia is more of a conservative state, but more inn the middle not so much extreme right. it seems to me most americans want the sameam thing. they want their kids to have more than they had and be able to save money. i just think that politics has gotten so divisive that people lose focus and everybody basically wants the same thing.

trump is used as this divisiveness but at the end of the day, most people want the same thing. i wanted to get the speaker's opinion on that as far as rights, liberty, pursuit of happiness, the american dream. aw is it that we have such divide when most people want the same thing? >> guest: you are exactly right. we actually gravitate towards the middle. one person put it that we are playing between the 45-yard line because when the user down with people they are not all that es on issues. maybe the first openly mayor of portland forged a partnership with the evangelical community and said i'm not going to agree with the other side on the gay rights or abortion but eight out of ten issues i will agree. why are we talking about the two

would we should be talking about the 80 a's and that is one of te struggles of polarization. why are we so angry when the issues haven't changed that much we think they have. there's a lot on the media environment, but i think it is part of the way the media has evolved and media exists on these issues of anger and i think the political part o is te same. they become much more in the hands of intense interest and you can see an issue like abortion. americans haven't changed theirr views on abortion and 50 years. last year thee democrats hired the most pro-life platform ever and if republicans were excited about the most profamily and pro-life platform ever. i kept saying to myself why are they so happy when people haven't changed and gravitate on

this issue. i came back a spec -- skeptic you are right on everything to borrow a phrase from the conservative top right we are right and they are wrong and it's easy on the other side, so a lot of what i heard his anger at the mediagu

>> >> but also subject to

groupthink. but look. it is important to save these to my colleagues that if you are doing something on race no matter how good the reporters are. there are lots of issues. if that is appropriate for mainstream media. and with those democratic constituencies. >> why did you leave npr?. >>e? i spent close to a decade. in with the future of digital media the internet

is a the future. >> things four waiting your on with concern.n. >> i will just go to amazon. i read a lot and listen a lot but my perception is i have a conservative views but because those arkansas and democrats are conservative but with the media i notice i was watching nbc, cbs, npr, but they were ultraliberal. why is this not fair? so i about to ask you why do you think from my perception

that i perceived npr and the others as being extremely biased. if not for fox news or radio talk shows nothing that would affirm our views or even we fair. >>guest: his point is one that i have heard lots. and people were often angry about it. so that reflects a big part of the country. may be almost a decade with public broadcasting but it is nuanced but what i said

before but to say i know the reporters try to balance. they really do but but it is very hard when you are from the same political orientation by andnd large. what stories are important, that is what editors do. they feet about the important stories of the day that is affected by a cultural or political biases. it is hard to overcome. >>host: when president trump is criticized what goes through your mind?. >> but here is the hard truth. media and president trump

talk about the feeling from "the new york times" he is driving the numbers that but that is virtually signaling to the base. it is about conflict women's pro and seconds it is destructive and it is in power i think about this but also it is destructive and when the president challenges other institutions of democracy. when he is right or wrong said to be a lot more circumspect.

>> good morning what motivates me to become a republican? from those caucasian -- caucasians in valley?. >> so is that what they say with identity politics? if you were persuaded to become a republican in that should be driving anybody not just one where the other.

>> so with my political orientation vice was a lifelong democrat from cradle in the cave a republican because as attic is finch said id "to kill a mockingbird" to understand something see them from their point of view and that is what i did from - - for one year when i came back and had a choice but i chose to become independent because they do think there is wisdom of both sides. but i have not abandoned by a prior abuse but with this political live virus bent there were not serving a the country veryry well. as i see myself now is a professionalow skeptic.

>> arab after talking to republicans did you change your views of the issues?. >> yes. was to take a few issues that i was sure that i was correct and challenge like a good control, of poverty programs, a climate change to see it as more nuanced or complicated or change my view. each of those issues so how does climate change look from a coal miner? sorghum control from a hunter? the really did begin to change my views and again control is one. i am for control but the debate misses the point. we should do what we have been doing it is with

regulation itself so i shaved my views is certainly came away with the notion that people are closer together them they think. >> the book is called republican like me and concern is the author. they sorry your crime. mings.

[inaudible conversations] good morning. i am from johns hopkins bloomberg school youalelcome to presidentident