Forum: Bridging America’s Great Divide

It is hard to imagine a more contentious time in modern American politics — illustrated in visceral clarity by the President and the Speaker of House at the 2020 State of the Union Address.

It has gotten so bad that a PBS Frontline documentary pointed to "The Divided States of America,” and one analyst summed up the state of civic like by saying "loathing motivates voters more than loyalty."

But does fear and loathing have to drive our politics? Two Idaho leaders say it doesn’t have to be that way. Republican former Gov. Butch Otter and former Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick are co-chairs of an Idaho group working to demonstrate that people can cooperate even when they come from opposing perspectives. Otter’s involvement is a case in point: He joined the cause at the request of Keith Allred, Otter’s challenger in the 2010 gubernatorial race, who now runs the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

Join Otter and Minnick and the City Club of Boise for a conversation about how we can move beyond the vitriol and the animosity to rekindle a true American discourse. They will share why they signed on with this national effort and answer questions about their experiences at the state and national governments and what that tells us about the future of our democracy.

When: Tuesday, March 17th 11:45 am – 1:15 pm

Where: The Grove Hotel, 245 S Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702

Ballroom 2nd floor

PRICING:

$24 City Club Member price

$34 Non-member price

$5 Pre-registration Listen Only price

$10 Day-of Listen Only price

$350 per Table of ten ppl

Registration link

Panelists:

Walt Minnick

Former U.S. Representative

Walter Clifford Minnick is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

Butch Otter

Former Governor of Idaho

Clement Leroy "Butch" Otter is an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Idaho from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected in 2006, and reelected in 2010, and 2014.

City Club thanks our Premier Sponsor, Northwest Nazarene University and the NNU School of Business and our Annual sponsor, St. Luke's Treasure Valley Health Systems. The 2020 Forum Series is sponsored by the contributions made by AARP of Idaho, Bank of Idaho, Concordia University School of Law, Echelon Group, and Micron. We are pleased to welcome university students to attend our events thanks to our University partners, Boise State University, Northwest Nazarene University, and University of Idaho. Our media partners include Boise State Public Radio, 670 KBOI, and Idaho Public Television, and Idaho Statesman.

Chair:Greg Hahn

Moderator:Jane Suggs