Honorary Advisory Board Member: Dr. Frank Luntz

[Frank shows off the replica Oval Office he built in his home to the Hollywood Reporter.]

Sir David Frost called him “The Nostradamus of pollsters,” while Time magazine named him one of “50 of America’s most promising leaders aged 40 and under,” and Newsweek magazine identified him as No. 24 on their American Power Elite survey. He finished 87th in a Time magazine global poll of the “most influential people in the world.”  Yes, we’re talking about Frank Luntz, one of the most highly regarded communication professionals in America today. 

Widely considered a messaging master, Luntz is probably best known for his work conducting and analyzing focus groups, polls, surveys, and dial sessions, which he used to create his lists of “words to “use” and “words to lose” in political messaging. Thanks to his experience with the voting public, he won The Washington Post’s coveted “Crystal Ball” award for being the most accurate pundit. 

He has served as an election consultant and political pundit in more than two dozen countries, and his focus groups have become so influential that, following the PBS presidential debate, Barack Obama declared, “When Frank Luntz invites you to talk to his focus group, you talk to his focus group.” 

[Frank conducting a focus group during the 2016 Presidential election]

Media outlets routinely turn to Luntz for to understand the hopes and fears of Americans. His “instant response” focus group technique has been profiled on many shows, including 60 Minutes, and PBS’s Frontline. He has been a guest on virtually every talk show in America, including multiple appearances on Meet the Press, Nightline, The Today Show, Face the Nation, and Bill Maher. For more than a decade, Luntz was the “Focus Group Czar” for Fox News. 

One of four “Top Research Minds”...”the hottest pollster”... “pollster extraordinaire”...”the person you turn to for the truth”

Luntz is renowned for his ability to understand, explain, and communicate with the American public, particularly for his talent at developing effective talking points and messaging crafted to turn public opinion. From coining the phrase “tax relief” to emphasising positive terms like “energy efficiency’ over negative ones like “energy conservation” he has affected many political and policy issues by reframing the debate in terms that appeal to voters and the general public.

[Frank runs a focus group on 60 Minutes in 2016]

[Frank runs a socially distanced focus group, discussing the Presidential debate in 2020]

The increasingly divisive political atmosphere in recent years has inspired a change of heart in Luntz, who has moved away from partisan identification.

In 2019, he offered his messaging services to aid the cause for climate action, openly admitting that he considers his early position on climate change wrong. He promised to help the Democrats on the Senate climate committee, on the condition that they committed to nonpartisan solutions.  

“It doesn’t matter what you say, it only matters what people hear.” - Frank Luntz

[Frank runs a focus group with Muslim Americans for CBS This Morning]

Luntz earned distinction from an early age.  He was awarded the Thouron Fellowship and received his doctorate from Oxford University at the age of 25, after which he was an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He also taught courses at Harvard University and George Washington University. Since 2018, he has taught two courses a year at NYU Abu Dhabi, and in 2021 is visiting professor for USC. 

In both 2011 and 2015, Luntz was the only non-journalist invited to host a debate of the GOP presidential contenders.  He also served for five years as a news analyst for CBS News, focusing on corporate and business communications, moving to ABC News in 2017.  He was a consultant to the NBC hit show The West Wing as well as the popular CBS drama Bull.    

[Frank runs a focus group with Muslim Americans for CBS This Morning]

Luntz is the author of three New York Times best sellers. Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say it’s What People Hear, explores the art and science of language creation.  His second book, What Americans Really Want … Really, addresses the private hopes, dreams and fears of the American people; it reached No. 18 on the bestseller list.  His most recent book, WIN, discusses how to use language to succeed in different aspects of everyday life, it reached No. 3 on The New York Times Business Best Seller List in its first month in print.  He has written about the power of language for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, The Times of London, The Washington Post, and Time.  

Luntz has participated in a number of events with The Common Good and is a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter: @FrankLuntz 

Selected Media:

• Most Recent CNBC Appearance:  Pollster Frank Luntz on what the Capitol assault means for the GOP 

• PBS Frontline Interview: Frank Luntz: “Trump’s American Carnage”

• Charles Creitz, ‘Frank Luntz: Political discourse 'out of control now' in Congress’. Fox News, July 26, 2019

• Josh Siegel, ‘Daily on Energy: Republican wordsmith Frank Luntz dishes on how to talk about climate change’, The Washington Examiner, July 26, 2019

• Kate Yoder,‘ Frank Luntz, the GOP’s message master, calls for climate action’, Grist, July 25, 2019

---

Read more:

Charles Creitz, ‘Frank Luntz: Political discourse 'out of control now' in Congress’. Fox News, July 26, 2019

Josh Siegel, ‘Daily on Energy: Republican wordsmith Frank Luntz dishes on how to talk about climate change’, The Washington Examiner, July 26, 2019

Kate Yoder,‘ Frank Luntz, the GOP’s message master, calls for climate action’, Grist, July 25, 2019

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Douglas Brinkley

Douglas Brinkley is one of the most prominent historians in the U.S. — and CNN's presidential historian - having charted American history and significant figures for decades. He is also the official Presidential Historian for The New York Historical Society, an essayist, and a prolific and renowned biographer. He has published over three dozen highly acclaimed books, including many discerning biographies  and shrewdly edited collections of presidents and presidential records.  His subjects have ranged from Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon to the life of Rosa Parks, Hurricane Katrina, the space race and American Catholicism.  

Currently, Brinkley is an esteemed professor at Rice University as the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History,  He is also a member of the Century Association, Council of Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. His early teaching career included positions at the U.S. Naval Academy, Princeton, and Hofstra University. At Hofstra, he spearheaded an acclaimed American Odyssey course which took students across the country in a sleeper bus, visiting historical sites and meeting with cultural icons and is the subject of his travelogue The Majic Bus.

“America’s New Past Master” - The Chicago Tribune

During his tenure at the University of New Orleans as Professor of History and Director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies, he wrote two books with Stephen E. Ambrose: Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938 and The Mississippi and the Making of a Nation: From the Louisiana Purchase to Today. In 2005, he became a Tulane University Distinguished Professor of History and the Director of the Roosevelt Center, where he taught courses on U.S. foreign policy, published several books on American culture, and edited Jack Kerouac’s diaries. 

Brinkley is also actively involved in the environmental conservation and historic preservation communities. He has held board or leadership advisory roles in support of the American Museum of Natural History, Yellowstone Park Foundation, National Audubon Society, and the Rockefeller-Roosevelt Conservation Roundtable. In 2015 he was awarded the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks by the National Parks Conservation Association. In 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honored him with their annual Heritage Award.

Six of his books have been selected as New York Times Notable Books of the Year.His most recent book, American Moonshot:  John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race, was a New York Times bestseller. His book The Great Deluge covers more recent history, offering a careful chronicle of Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of its survivors, and received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award for writing which reflects RFK’s concern for the powerless and his struggle for even-handed justice. His two-volume annotated The Nixon Tapes won the Arthur S. Link – Warren F. Kuehl Prize. His book, Cronkite, draws upon letters, diaries, and artifacts from the Cronkite Archive to offer a personal portrait of the famed news anchor, won the Sperber Prize for outstanding biographies in the field of journalism. Brinkley has also received a Grammy Award for the Jazz ensemble album Presidential Suite, as well as seven honorary doctorates in American Studies. 

[Brinkley with actor Sean Penn (left) helping with relief work in the wake of Hurricane Katrina] 

[Brinkley, wife Anne and daughter Cassady, with John Lewis on the Edmund Pettus Bridge]

Brinkley with Author Kurt Vonnegut, 1994

A graduate of The Ohio State University and Georgetown University, Brinkley lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and three children.  

The Common Good was pleased to host him on several occasions in the past, including Assessing the Presidency with Lesley Stahl, Douglas Brinkley, Jonathan Alter and Ed Rollins on April 11th, 2013 and in 2018 alongside Roger Cohen, David Frum, Dana Perino, and Ed Rollins at the “Trump – Year One” Panel.

Brinkley currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board. 

Twitter: @ProfDBrinkley 

DouglasBrinkley.com

---

Selected Media:

• Brinkley for The New York Times: President Trump, Please Read 'Desert Solitaire' 

• Mary Frances Berry and Brinkley on PBS's Firing Line 

• Brinkley on Donald Trump's legacy for CNN 

• Articles Listed: http://douglasbrinkley.com/articles/ 

Books Published: 

• American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race, 2019

• JKF: A Vision For America, 2018

• Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America 2016 

• The Nixon Tapes : 1971-1972 and The Nixon Tapes: 1973, 2015, with coauthor Luke A. Nichter

• Cronkite, 2012

• The Quiet World: Saving Alaska’s Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960, 2011

• The Notes: Ronald Reagan's Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom, 2011

• Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938 9th edition with Stephen Ambrose, 2010

• The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, 2009

• Gerald R. Ford, The American Presidents Series, 2007

• The Ronald Reagan Diaries, Edited by Brinkley, 2007

• Kerouac: Road Novels 1957-1960, selected journals edited by Brinkley, 2007 

• The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, 2006

• Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, 2006

• Rosa Parks: A Life,  2005

• Voices of Courage: The Battle for Khe Sanh, Vietnam, with co-author Ronald Drez, 2005

• The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion, 2005

• Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War, 2004

• Voices of Valor: D-Day: June 6, 1944, words and recorded voices of those who served at D-Day, edited by Brinkley, 2004

• Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress, 2003

• The Mississippi and the Making of a Nation: From the Louisiana Purchase to Today, with Stephen Ambrose, 2002 

• Fear and Loathing in America: The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, collected letters of Hunter S. Thompson, edited by Brinkley, 2000

• Witness to America: An Illustrated Documentary of the History of the United States from the Revolution to D-Day, 1999

• The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter’s Journey Beyond the White House, 1998

• American Heritage: History of the United States, 1998

• Hunter S. Thompson: The Proud Highway, Saga of a Distemperate Southern Gentleman 1955-1967, collected letters, edited by Brinkley, 1997

• FDR and the Creation of the U.N., 1997

• The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey 1993

• Dean Acheson: The Cold War Years, 1953-71 1992

• Driven Patriot: The Life and Times of James Forrestal, 1992

More can be found at http://douglasbrinkley.com/all-books/ 

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Former U.S. Representative Jane Harman

Jane Harman is an internationally recognized authority on U.S. and global security issues, foreign relations, and lawmaking. Among her many achievements, Harman is a Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita of the Wilson Center, one of the world’s most highly regarded think tanks.

Harman recently completed a decade as its first female President & CEO. Congresswoman Harman has long been a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for her distinguished service, including the Defense Department Medal for Distinguished Service, the CIA Agency Seal Medal, the CIA Director’s Award, and the Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal.

She began her political career as the staff director for Senator John Tunney, before joining the Carter White House as special counsel to the Department of Defense. 

In 1992, she was elected to represent the 36th district of California, one of the record-breaking 37 women to be elected to Congress that year - subsequently labeled the “Year of the Woman”.

She went on to become a nine-term member of Congress who served decades on all the major security committees in the House of Representatives: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. 

During her time in Congress, Harman also earned a reputation as a supporter of a diverse set of causes, from promoting information sharing across the federal government in the interest of national security, the creation of a Cabinet-level homeland security department, to a partial ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Drawing upon a career that included service as President Carter’s Secretary of the Cabinet and hundreds of diplomatic missions abroad, Harman holds posts on nearly a dozen governmental and non-governmental advisory boards and commissions.

[Cong. Jane Harman with Michael Chertoff at The Common Good]

Harman co-chairs the Homeland Security Experts Group with former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.  She serves on the board of Iridium Communication Inc, a NASDAQ traded satellite communications company, and is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference, the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission, the Presidential Debates Commission and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and an Honorary Trustee at the University of Southern California. 

Her upcoming book, Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe, offers an insider's account of America's ineffectual approach to some of the hardest defense and intelligence issues in the three decades since the Cold War ended.

Originally from Los Angeles, she is a product of California public school, as well as a graduate of Smith College and Harvard Law School. 

Harman has participated in several events at The Common Good, including Combating Misinformation with Clint Watts and Cong. Jane Harman, and the “World View: Security Challenges & Opportunities” panel alongside Ambassadors Bill Burns and Nicholas Burns, moderated by Financial Times’ Edward Luce, at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, 2019 and in the National Security Threats event alongside Michael Chertoff.

Congresswoman Harman currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Read More:

• Who is Giuliani hoping to get dirt on in a trip to Ukraine?

• Jane Harman on global politics & the Mueller Report

• Jane Harman writing for Foreign Affairs, December 2020: How Biden Can Restore Faith in US Spy Agencies

• February 2021, interview: Jane Harman Steps Down: A Look Back on a Decade of Leadership and Achievement

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Tom Rogers

A true innovator and a leader in the fields of television, news and entertainment, Tom Rogers has led a pioneering career at the nexus of media, technology, and public policy for more than three decades. He revolutionized the coverage of business news through the creation of CNBC and MSNBC during his tenure as the first President of NBC Cable, changed how we consume television as the CEO of TiVo, oversaw brands from New York magazine to the History Channel, and helped to draft many of the key laws which govern the development of today’s media industry. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Engine Media, broad based sports, esports, and news content & distribution company, as well as Chairman and CEO of TRget Media, a media investment and advisory firm.

In 1987, Rogers became the first President NBC Cable (now NBCUniversal Cable), Executive Vice President of NBC, and NBC’s chief strategist. In this role, he founded the nation’s leading business news channel CNBC and established the NBC/Microsoft joint venture, MSNBC. He was also instrumental in the establishment of many popular channels, including National Geographic Channel and Court TV (now truTV), and oversaw many more, including American Movie Classics and Bravo. He remains a contributor at CNBC today, with appearances including Squawk on the Street, Mad Money with Jim Cramer, and Fast Money.

Over his eleven years as Tivo’s longest serving President and CEO, Rogers led the company as it changed how consumers watched television through its invention of the DVR. Before TiVo, Rogers was Chairman and CEO of PRIMEDIA Inc., which at the time was the leading targeted media company in the United States. PRIMEDIA published over 200 magazines, and operated more than 400 websites.

Prior to entering the media industry, Rogers was Senior Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance Subcommittee where he was responsible for overseeing the Federal Communications Commission, and drafted a variety of laws which shape communications today, such as the Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act of 1984, which established a national policy for the regulation of cable television communications. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia Law School, he has been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame and has won an Emmy Award for contributions to the development of advanced television and advanced advertising. He is currently an Editor-at-Large for Newsweek. 

Rogers rings the bell at NASDAQ for TiVo

Rogers joined TCG on Wednesday October 28th, 2020 to moderate “The Election that Could Break America,”  a discussion about what to expect after the 2020 Biden-Trump election. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

DNI Director Jim Clapper, Tom Rogers, and CNN’s John Berman at the Common Good

Selected Media:

Closing Bell Interview: Netflix has pricing power: Fmr. NBC Cable President Tom Rogers

Rogers for Newsweek: Bringing Justice to Justice

 Riptide Interview Tom Rogers

Rogers on CNBC: Media mogul Tom Rogers reacts to Disney's quarterly results

Andy Serwer

Andy Serwer

American journalist

Andy Serwer is the editor in chief for Yahoo Finance, where he oversees all editorial content from breaking news to in-depth stories to original video programming. He was previously the managing editor of Fortune and worked at Time Inc. for 29 years. He has been a regular guest on MSNBC’S Morning Joe and CNBC’s Squawkbox and many other TV and radio programs.

Serwer's daily online musings have earned him a reputation as one of the sharpest and most entertaining market commentators anywhere. According to an article in the May 22, 2000, New Yorker, "Achaea had Homer, the Spanish Civil War had Hemingway, California had the Beach Boys, and now our hyperactive stock market has its own poet-singer--Andy Serwer." He was named 2000 Business Journalist of the Year by TJFR, who called him "perhaps the nation's top multimedia talent, successfully juggling the roles of serious journalist, astute commentator and occasional court jester."

Serwer has also written for Sports Illustrated, Politico, SLAM Magazine, and TIME. He has appeared on CNN’s In the Money, NBC’s The Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s American Morning, and CBS This Morning.

Serwer participated in "The Economy in Crisis -- When the Worst Is Yet to Come" event in company with Glenn Hutchins.

Glenn Hutchins

Glenn Hutchins

Businessman & Philanthropist

Hutchins has earned respect and success at the top of the business world, philanthropy, and public service. He is chairman of North Island, a co-founder of Silver Lake, and chairman of the board of both SunGard Data Systems, Inc. and Instinet, Inc. Additionally, he served as a director of Nasdaq, Inc.   Previously, Mr. Hutchins served President Clinton in the White House as a special advisor on both economic and health-care policy. 

Hutchins and his wife, Debbie, established the Hutchins Family Foundation. The foundation supports The Brookings Institution’s Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, and the Chronic Fatigue Initiative. 

Hutchins is a prolific essayist. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Financial Times, Fortune, The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Foreign Affairs. He was also a director of Harvard Management Company and co-chairman of Harvard University’s capital campaign.

Hutchins participated in The Common Good New York City Mayoral Series With Ray McGuire, on April 23, 2021.

Former Senator Jim Webb

Jim Webb

Politician

Jim Webb is the former Democratic Senator from Virginia. He wrote, introduced, and guided to passage the Post-9.11 GI Bill, the most significant veterans legislation since World War II, and co-authored legislation which exposed 60 billion dollars of waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan wartime-support contracts. A long-time advocate of fixing America’s broken criminal justice system, Mr. Webb was spotlighted in The Atlantic as one of the world’s “Brave Thinkers” for tackling prison reform and possessing “two things vanishingly rare in Congress: a conscience and a spine.” He went on to give a response to the State of the Union which has been regarded as one of the stronger State of the Union responses in recent memory. 

He previously served as Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan and is the recipient of the Purple Heart. Webb is also an Emmy Award winning journalist, a filmmaker, and the author of ten books. Since retiring, Webb has continued to be a prolific writer and has written for many national journals including USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

Jim Webb participated in The White Working-Class Political Revolution with David Kuhn, Charlie Cook, and Moderator Clyde Haberman on January 7, 2021. Kuhn, Webb, Cook, and Haberman discussed how the white working-class was driven away from the Democratic party and towards Republicans and how that schism continues to drive class conflict and political polarization today. The discussion also broached the Democrats inability to make inroads with this demographic and if white working-class voters support Republicans in spite of their own policy preferences.

Chris Whipple

Chris Whipple

Journalist & Filmmaker

Chris Whipple is one of the most accomplished multimedia journalists of our era: a writer, documentary filmmaker, and speaker. He is a multiple Peabody and Emmy Award–winning producer at CBS’s 60 Minutes and ABC’s Primetime. He is currently the chief executive officer of CCWHIP Productions and is a frequent guest on MSNBC and CNN. Chris served as the executive producer and writer of Showtime’s 2015 documentary film The Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, Politico, the Daily Beast, and many other publications. His last book, Gatekeepers, on White House Chiefs of Staff was a NYTimes bestseller. Whipple recently published his book “The Spymasters” which provided a remarkable, behind-the-scenes look at the world’s most powerful intelligence agency.

Friend of The Common Good and titan of TV and journalism, Tom Brokaw, described Whipple’s book, The Spymasters, this way:  “Fascinating…Whipple parts the curtains on the dark arts to show the triumphs and failures, the personalities and rivalries of those who work in the shadows of espionage.”

The Spymasters resonates with themes from today’s headlines. It is the story of how CIA directors have stood up to rogue presidents, from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump. It was Director Richard Helms’s refusal to carry out the Watergate coverup that brought down Nixon; in the scandal over President Trump’s shakedown of Ukraine’s president, it was a CIA whistleblower who brought Trump to the verge of being removed from office. Most important, in times of national crisis, including deadly pandemics, the CIA director must be the president’s, and the nation’s, honest broker of information.

Chris Whipple participated in The Spymasters: How The CIA Directors Shaped History & the Future on December 17, 2020. Whipple and Bird discussed the CIA's innerworkings, successes and failures, role in American history, and ultimately its fundamental purpose.

Kai Bird

Kai Bird

Author & Columnist

Kai Bird is an author and columnist who has written on numerous topics and won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography on Robert Oppenheimer. His books have received critical acclaim and popular success, including The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, which was a New York Times best-seller. His memoir, Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.

In January 2017 he was appointed Executive Director and Distinguished Lecturer of CUNY Graduate Center's Leon Levy Center for Biography. He is also the recipient of the McArthur Genius Grant for research and writing. 

Kai Bird participated in The Spymasters: How The CIA Directors Shaped History & the Futureon December 17, 2020. Bird and Whipple discussed the CIA's innerworkings, successes and failures, role in American history, and ultimately its fundamental purpose.

Kurt Anderson

Kurt Anderson

Writer

Kurt Andersen is a remarkable writer who is known for his work as the host of the erstwhile Peabody-winning public radio program Studio 360. He regularly appears as a commentator on MSNBC, and has delivered TED talks. He served as a summer guest Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times, and still contributes regularly to the Times. He has also been a regular columnist and critic for New York, The New Yorker and TIME.

As an editor, Kurt co-founded the transformative satirical magazine Spy and served as editor-in-chief of New York. He also co-founded Inside, a digital and print publication covering the media and entertainment industries, oversaw a relaunch of Colors magazine, co-founded the online newsletter Very Short List, and served as editor-at- large for Random House.

His writings have been praised with awards including forTurn of the Century which won the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Heyday which won the Langum Prize for the best American historical fiction.

Kurt Anderson participated in Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History on November 18, 2020. Anderson and Hagan trace where America went wrong, what exactly happened and how we can get back to a more equitable, prosperous and ultimately more sane America.

Joe Hagan

Joe Hagan

Journalist

Joe Hagan is a special correspondent for Vanity Fair. He has written for New York, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Hagan recently interviewed author Kurt Anderson where they unpack his newest book Evil Geniuses  and unravels how the right helped create a wildly inequitable society—and how Americans could hold the government accountable for overlooking their economic interests.

His work includes long-form profiles and investigative exposés of some of the most significant figures and subjects of our time, including Beto O’Rourke, Hillary Clinton (her first post–secretary of state interview), Karl Rove, the Bush family, Henry Kissinger, Dan Rather, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times, and Twitter. In 2010, he discovered the diaries of singer Nina Simone and wrote about them for The Believer magazine. He lives with his family in Tivoli, New York.

Joe Hagan participated in Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History on November 18, 2020. Hagan and Anderson trace where America went wrong, what exactly happened and how we can get back to a more equitable, prosperous and ultimately more sane America.

Rick Wilson

Rick Wilson is a longtime Republican political strategist, infamous negative ad-maker, and commentator. He has successfully worked for numerous GOP campaigns including, presidential, senate, mayoral and gubernatorial. Since 2015, he's been a leading conservative critic of Donald Trump. He went on to co-found The Lincoln Project, a group of Republican and conservative leaders who are critical and oppose Donald Trump. 

A pioneer of and leader in the Never-Trump movement, Wilson released the best-selling Everything Trump Touches Dies in August 2018. In the book, Wilson brings his dark humor and biting analysis to confront the absurdity of American politics in the Age of Trump. He mercilessly takes down Trump and exposes the damage Trump has done to the country, to the Republican Party Wilson served for decades, and to the conservative movement that has abandoned its principles for the worst president in American history.

Wilson writes several opinions and columns for newspapers like The Daily Beast, Politico, and The Federalist. 

Rick Wilson participated in the 2020 Post-Election Roundup with Charlie Cook, Jonathan Capehart and Al Franken. After approximately two years, $14 billion and countless hours of attention, the 2020 campaign has finally come to a close. Rick Wilson was a part of the historic panel to discuss Joe Biden winning the presidency and President Trump is still contesting the results.

Al Franken

Al Franken

Politician & Comedian

Al Franken is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota. He gained notoriety for his work on Saturday Night Live.

After leaving SNL, Franken went on to become a political activist including hosting a radio show, offering commentary and insights and writing several books. He supported military members and often worked on entertaining soldiers. He decided to run for the Senate and win. While in the Senate he supported same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and gun control. In addition, Franken was active in health care reform and fought to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. 

After leaving the Senate, he now hosts his own radio program The Al Franken Show on SeriousXM which covers global affairs, politics, the 2020 presidential election, and entertainment. 

Al Franken participated in the 2020 Post-Election Roundup with Charlie Cook, Jonathan Capehart and Rick Wilson. After approximately two years, $14 billion and countless hours of attention, the 2020 campaign has finally come to a close. Al Franken was a part of the historic panel to discuss Joe Biden winning the presidency and President Trump is still contesting the results.

Barton Gellman

Barton Gellman is a highly respected and much-honored author and journalist, a staff writer at The Atlantic, and Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation in New York. His awards include the Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy for documentary filmmaking, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

His recent articles from The Atlantic have been widely praised for the cogent look at the turmoil and chaos that could erupt from the 2020 election. 

Gellman is responsible for many important stories. He led The Washington Post's coverage of the U.S. National Security Agency, which was based in large measure on top-secret documents provided to him by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden. He published a book for Penguin Press on the rise of the surveillance-industrial state in May 2020.

Gellman joined TCG on Wednesday October 28th, 2020 for “The Election that Could Break America”, a discussion about what to expect after the 2020 Biden-Trump election. The event was moderated by Tom Rogers, the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor. 

Hilary Rosen

Hilary Rosen

Strategist

Hilary Rosen is a well-known strategist who effectively navigates the worlds of media, communications, business and politics. She is Vice Chair of the award-winning public affairs agency SKDKnickerbocker and an on-air CNN analyst.

Hilary formerly served as chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the leading trade association of America’s record companies. She became the first Washington editor-at-large and political director of The Huffington Post.

Throughout her career, Hilary has regularly been featured on power lists in a variety of sectors, including The New York Post’s Ladies Who Launch Entertainment Trends, Entertainment Weekly’s Annual Power List, The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 50 Women, The Washington Post’s Power 20 and National Journal’s Power Women in Washington. Hilary previously worked as Chief of Staff for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, as an assistant to New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne has been an advisor to many elected officials over the years.

Hilary Rosen participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Rosen was joined by Greenberg, Setmayer and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Tara Setmayer

Tara Setmayer

Political Commentator

Tara Setmayer is a CNN Political Commentator, Contributor to ABC News and former GOP Communications Director on Capitol Hill. She is currently the host of the "Honestly Speaking with Tara" podcast. Tara regularly appears on CNN's prime time programs and contributes to ABC's The View, Good Morning America, and Nightline.

In 2017, Tara was named as a Board Director for Stand Up Republic, a non profit organization formed in the wake of the 2016 election of Donald Trump to unite Americans behind the defense of democratic norms, ideals and institutions.

During her time as a senior congressional staffer, Tara successfully led the national effort to free unjustly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean through a presidential commutation issued by President George W. Bush on his last working day in office.  In addition to her communications duties, Setmayer handled policy issues on immigration and federal law enforcement.

Tara Setmayer participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Setmayer was joined by Greenberg, Rosen and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Stanley Greenberg

Stanley Greenberg

Political Strategist

Stanley Greenberg is a New York Times best-selling author and polling adviser to presidents, prime ministers and CEOs globally and right now, is conducting deep research in multiple countries. He was the senior pollster for President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and President Nelson Mandela. Greenberg's corporate clients include Boeing, BP, Microsoft, and other global companies.

He has been described as "the father of modern polling techniques," "the De Niro of all political consultants," and "an unrivaled international 'guru.'" Esquire Magazine named him one of the most important people of the 21st century. Republican pollster Frank Luntz says, "Stan Greenberg scares the hell out of me. He doesn't just have a finger on the people's pulse; he's got an IV injected into it. He's the best."

Greenger participated in the Post Vice Presidential Debate Panel on October 8, 2020. Greenberg was joined by Setmayer, Rosen and Percio to have an incredible conversation and to analyze the historic evening.

Ret. Colonel Christopher Kolenda

Christopher Kolenda

Retired Army Colonel

Ret. Colonel Christopher Kolenda recently served as the Senior Advisor on Afghanistan and Pakistan to Under Secretary of Defense Michèle Flournoy, and three 4* Generals in Afghanistan. He was decorated with the Department of Defense’s highest civilian award for his work on strategy. In 2007-08, he commanded an 800-soldier task force in Kunar and Nuristan provinces where he pioneered an innovative approach to counterinsurgency in one of the most violent areas of the country. His unit is the only one in the history of the war to have motivated a large insurgent group to stop fighting and join the government. His advice has been adopted by three Secretaries of Defense and the President of the United States. He was selected to be the Secretary of Defense’s representative in exploratory talks with the Taliban from 2010-2013. He is the only American to have fought the Taliban in combat and engaged them in high-level diplomacy.

He is the founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, which helps nonprofits and small businesses maximize their impact by developing their Leadership, Culture, and Strategy. He is the editor and coauthor of Leadership: The Warrior's Art, which has appeared on the professional reading lists of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. His most recent book, The Counterinsurgency Challenge, maps the journey of a leader in a difficult and dangerous conflict.

On September 16, 2020 Ret. Colonel Christopher Koldenda participated in “Longest War - How Do We End It? Koldenda and Johnson discuss the impact of the war, how it can be ended, and recent events with our military that have made headlines.

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Jeh Johnson

Secretary Jen Johnson

Jeh Johnson’s distinguished career has included both private corporate law practice and top-level public service for two Presidents.  

In his public career, he has served in President Obama’s Cabinet as Secretary of Homeland Security, and in senior positions in the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and the US Attorney’s office.  Johnson was drawn to public service by his belief in government as a source of good, by his faith in the character and people of the nation, and by his family’s strong history of community leadership. 

In the private sector, Johnson is a trial lawyer who has tried some of the highest stakes commercial cases of recent decades. He is a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. He is also a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers.

“A straightforward, plain-speaking man of great integrity” - Robert Gates

President Barack Obama and Secretary Jeh Johnson 

Johnson was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by President Obama in 2013 and served through 2017. In this role, he led one of the largest and most complex agencies in the U.S. government with a workforce of over 200,000 employees and responsibilities including counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, border, aviation, port, and maritime security, the protection of national leaders and critical infrastructure, national response to disasters, and the detection of chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the United States. 

Johnson speaks at his Alma Mater, Morehouse College

He is credited with management reform of the Department which brought a centralized approach to decision making, and for raising employee morale across the agency.  During his tenure Johnson oversaw the DHS response to such challenges as the Ebola crisis in West Africa; the huge influx of immigrants and asylum seekers from Central America; and the Obama Administration's executive actions affecting undocumented individuals living in the U.S.

When Johnson testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security in 2014, he did so in the same room on Capitol Hill where his grandfather was called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1949. Accused of being a member of the Communist party, the prominent black sociologist Dr. Charles Johnson told Congress “wanting the elimination of inequalities and racial discrimination is not wanting to subvert the government.” 

Prior to his appointment to the DHS, Johnson served as General Counsel of the Department of Defense from 2009 to 2012, where he was the legal architect for the military’s counterterrorism efforts in the Obama Administration and was responsible for the legal approval for every military operation authorized by the President and the Secretary of Defense.  He was also heavily involved in the reform of military commissions, and shaped the administration’s polices on the detention of terrorism suspects. 

In 2010, he co-authored a 250-page report that paved the way for the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law which had prevented members of the LGBT+ community from serving openly in the military. In 2012, he delivered an internationally acclaimed address at the Oxford Union, entitled “How Will the War Against al Qaeda End?”, in which he looked ahead to a moment when the terrorist organization was so diminished that the United States could relax its military posture.

Johnson speaking at the Islamic Society of North America convention in Chicago in September 2016

Johnson began his public career as the Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted public corruption cases. He tried 12 cases and argued 11 appeals in three years. President Clinton appointed Johnson to be General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force in 1998, where his tenure coincided with Operation Allied Force, NATO’s air strikes during the Kosovo War. He was awarded the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service for his efforts, one of three medals awarded to him by the Department of Defense.

Johnson with two members of the TSA

In private practice, Johnson is a partner in the Litigation Department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, having become the firm’s first African American partner in 1994. Johnson previously chaired the Judiciary Committee of the New York City Bar Association, which rates and approves federal, state, and local judges in New York City. In 2020, New York State’s Chief Judge appointed Johnson to assess equal justice in the state court system; Johnson issued a 100-page public report on the issue, with the Chief Judge adopting all of his proposed changes.

Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College, and his law degree from Columbia Law School.  He has received eleven honorary degrees.  

He is a member of the board of directors of Lockheed Martin and U.S. Steel, a trustee of Columbia University, member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Law Institute.

Johnson is a regular commentator on national issues on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS, FOX, and numerous other outlets. His op-eds have been published in op-eds the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and the Hill.  Since leaving government, he has also been called to testify before Congress five times on the subjects of cybersecurity, homeland security and national security

Johnson in his high school yearbook

TCG is thrilled to have been able to show Johnson’s terrific campaign bumper sticker collection on our Zooms. We’re hoping to catch a glimpse of his extensive train set collection.

Johnson, John Kerry, and TCG’s Patricia Duff at The Common Good Forum 2017

Johnson participated at The Common Good Forum 2017 on May 12, 2017, speaking on “Homeland Security in the Trump Years”. He also spoke alongside Representative Adam Schiff in The Russia Investigation with Congressman Adam Schiff and Secretary Jeh Johnson, and moderated a conversation at The Common Good with Michael Morell in 2018: Special Discussion with Michael Morell - March 1, 2018.

On September 16, 2020 Secretary Jeh Johnson participated in “Longest War - How Do We End It? Chris Kolenda and Johnson discuss the impact of the war, how it can be ended, and recent events with our military that have made headlines.

Johnson currently serves as a member ofThe Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Selected Media:

• Letter From Former Senior National Security, Military, and Elected Officials Calling On Congress To Create A Bipartisan 1/6 Commission

• Johnson for The Hill Stop the political blame game, so we can solve our crisis first 

• Johnson for The Hill Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was one of many warnings — but are we listening now? 

• New York Times on Johnson’s 2020 report: ‘Vile, Racist Postings’ by N.Y. Court Officers Included Obama in a Noose

• Johnson for The Washington Post: Trump-era politics are drowning out consensus on immigration. It’s time for some straight talk.

• Johnson for The Washington Post: Trump’s ‘zero-tolerance’ border policy is immoral, un-American — and ineffective

• My American Story: Secretary Jeh Johnson — The Common Good

• A Conversation with Jeh Johnson (2019 NPR interview)

• The Frontline Interview: Jeh Johnson 2018 interview on Frontline

Future of Risk: Jeh Johnson - Podcast on the Future of Risk with Johnson

Johnson with Representative Adam Schiff and Patricia Duff at The Common Good, 

Johnson with former Deputy Director of the CIA, Michael J. Morell at The Common Good

Tom Frieden

Tom Frieden

Infectious Disease Expert & Public Health Physician

Dr. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH served as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Commissioner of the New York City Health Department.

As Director, he led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) work that ended the Ebola epidemic, launched initiative that will prevent 500,000 heart attacks and strokes, sounded the alarm and accelerated progress addressing the epidemic of opioid use, and increased effective action on the front lines to find and fight winnable battles and protect and improve health in the United States and around the world. 

As Health Commissioner, he led health transformation in New York City which increased life expectancy by 3 years. He created plans to combat HIV and increased tobacco control resulting in the saving of countless lives.

He currently serves as President and CEO of Resolve To Save Lives which aims to prevent epidemics and save 100 million people from cardiovascular disease. 

Frieden participated in the event COVID-19: Then, Now and What’s To Come moderated by HHS Deputy Asst Secretary for Health Rear Admiral (ret) Susan Blumenthal, MD on Oct. 14, 2020.

Articles by Frieden:

How to Defeat Trump's Plan to Overturn the Election

Amid Trump's Post-Election Chaos, Hold Lawyers to Account

How Trump Could Lose the Election — And Still Remain President