Clay sits down with Academy Award winning filmmaker Alex Gibney , the mastermind behind HBO’s upcoming Crime of the Century, a two part special taking on the opioid epidemic and the forces behind it, along with many other movies . Does the profit motive drive people and corporations to slowly deceive themselves about what they are truly doing? Is Congress on our side, or on that of those who would profit off our human needs? And is the race to the top what’s pushing aside our humanity and abilit...
Apr 30, 2021•59 min•Ep. 61
In an emotional week for the nation, Clay welcomes journalist, author and political maven Jonathan Allen to discuss the political forces that brought us to our current moment and where they might take us. With justice done after the Chauvin trial, and President Biden’s approval rating sitting near 60%, there are some reasons to hope that we might be getting closer to getting along than we’ve been in years. But are the trends we’re seeing the result of luck, or is a new majority coalescing around...
Apr 23, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 60
Clay welcomes business maven, author, and former Seal Team 2 Commander Mike Hayes to find out what our leadership needs to face the challenges of the 21st century. Do our politicians have what it takes? And more importantly, do we? With optimism, focus, and the belief that we all have a contribution to make, we can unite around a bright future if we work for it. But can we put aside our differences, embrace an ethic of service, and step up to lead our families, friends, and neighbors to our shar...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 59
Clay is joined by journalist, businessman, and author Richard Lui to discuss the state of the nation in 2021 and how we can begin to come together as one people. Is apolitical selfishness or making the effort to reach out and sit down to talk with those who disagree with us the answer? It’s a difficult question, but with small steps, intention and good will, we might be able to take the advice of Richard and find the way forward for us, our communities, and our country-- no matter which side of ...
Apr 09, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 58
Clay welcomes White House Correspondent under 5 administrations April Ryan to hear what she’s learned pushing our leaders to answer tough questions, and how things have changed under President Biden. Will he be able to help bridge the urban/rural divide, get infrastructure done, and unite us as a country? April lets us know she thinks there's a decent chance-- if we can get everyone to understand the issues that are truly at stake. Can we? Guest: April Ryan White House Correspondent April Ryan h...
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 57
While we wait for vaccines to stem the tide of the Covid onslaught, Clay brings on author and health care expert Jonathan Cohn to take a look at the state of healthcare in our country. Why aren’t all of us covered in the pandemic era? And isn’t there an incentive for business to turn over employee coverage to the government? The devil is in the details, but many recent plans have the potential to take us past the goal line of universal coverage-- something that could have saved thousands of live...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 56
With a year passed since HTH last met in the studio, Clay welcomes University of Puget Sound History Department Chair Nancy Bristow , author of American Pandemic, to look at how the COVID era compares to the country during the influenza of 1918. You’d be surprised by how many similarities there are, but there are still a lot of important lessons we can learn to help us reach a new and better normal when things fully open. Their lives went on eventually-- can we hope for another roaring 20s? Gues...
Mar 19, 2021•50 min•Ep. 55
2021 has ushered in a new era in politics, but has it done the same for our race relations? Effective solutions have been hard to come by, even when our country is more desperate for them than ever. So Clay speaks with Board Chair of Color of Change, Heather McGhee about her book, “The Sum of Us” to find out if her plans will give us the benefits of a solidarity dividend from being united as one people. If done right-- it could be how we finally get along! Guest: Heather McGhee Heather designs a...
Mar 11, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 54
With the Senate held by only a razor thin margin and important legislation being debated, Clay brings on Senator Harry Reid’s former deputy Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson to find out what we can expect from them. Is the institution irreparable broken? The people seem to think so, but is the filibuster to blame? Or are their other solutions that can get us back to compromise, action and good governance? Guest: Adam Jentleson Adam Jentleson is the Executive Director of Battle Born Collective and a ...
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 53
Clay has run for congress in North Carolina and almost unseated the Republican incumbent-- and he remains engaged in the state’s politics to this day. So for this special 52nd episode, Clay marks 1 year of podcasting by welcoming his hometown representative, Congressman David Price to discuss the future of bi-partisanship, the Democratic majority, what it takes to get and stay elected, and how to best represent your constituents. Guest: Rep. David Price Representative David Price represents Nort...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 52
Clay welcomes former Rep. David Jolly of Florida to discuss the unraveling of our political culture, the changes our Congress needs and whether The SAM Party can move us forward. Has the need for cold hard cash irreparably corrupted the two dominant parties in our country? Can centrism be the solution, or must we first make the changes that take power away from those that divide us? Guest: Rep. David Jolly Former Congressman David Jolly served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 – 201...
Feb 19, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 51
Clay welcomes Alex Wagner and Mark McKinnon of Showtime’s The Circus to get the inside scoop on the current state of the two parties. In the quest to get along, talking to anyone and speaking with the people who make a difference are key to understanding what’s next for us-- and Alex and Mark share the many insights they’ve gained from dedicating their careers to understanding the electorate. After impeachment, will the Republican party coalesce around a less controversial leader? Can Joe Biden ...
Feb 12, 2021•57 min•Ep. 50
Despite the inauguration of President Biden, the legacy of the Trump administration and the bitter feelings about the election still hang in the air-- especially after the events of January 6th-- and it’s anybody’s guess about how we can move the country forward. With that in mind, Clay is joined by legal expert and member of Politicon’s #SistersInLaw podcast, Kimberly Atkins , to discuss the latest developments in the impeachment trial, the possible censure of Rep. Marjorie Greene, and whether ...
Feb 05, 2021•58 min•Ep. 49
With California opening up but almost nothing feeling like it’s back to normal, Clay has on Dr. Jonathan Metzl of Vanderbilt University on the podcast to examine what ails our country. And from race relations, to our isolation, the pandemic, and the tendency of voters to cut off our noses to spite our face, there is a lot that ails us. But in spite of the many ills we face, they both find hope in the possibility of our politics to stop otherizing and return to coalition building and charm offens...
Jan 29, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 48
With Joe Biden newly inaugurated, Clay has on Bill Clinton’s White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart to discuss the promises and perils of our new president and if a new administration is what it takes for us to get along again. Does President Biden have a good chance of getting us out of the mess we started with in 2021? Or are the parties going to split apart, with a whole new political landscape nearly upon us? No matter which way things go, at the moment we can appreciate that (for the mome...
Jan 21, 2021•46 min•Ep. 47
In the days after the Capitol raid (or protests depending on who you ask) Clay welcomes Sally Kohn to the podcast to see if the arc of progress is still bending towards justice, or if some drastic change is needed. With the Biden Administration kicking off next week, there might just be that chance, but in the meantime they try and break down the factors that got our country to this point, what we need next, and how we can live, let go, and maybe not hate each other. Guest: Sally Kohn is one of ...
Jan 15, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 46
In the aftermath of protests that saw the Capitol building overrun with almost the entire government inside, Clay is joined by US Intellligence expert and anti-terrorism mastermind Malcolm Nance to discuss how it got to this point, and what our government should be doing as we approach the transition of power. Will the halls of government be secured? Or will a combination of ineptness and ill will continue to leave us at risk of terror or worse? And with democracy in retreat across the globe, wh...
Jan 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 45
In this end of the year special, Clay shares what it’s been like becoming a podcaster after a successful music career and a not so successful run for Congress. Then he shares with us some of his favorite segments from the conversations he’s had trying to Find Out How The Heck We’re Gonna Get Along! in 2020, and plays us some of the more fiery and passionate moments we heard on the show. Will 2021 be a better year for the country and the time we finally learn how to get along? We hope so, but no ...
Jan 01, 2021•53 min•Ep. 44
Clay is joined by Lauren Chen of BlazeTV to discuss the latest in the wars over tech censorship and free speech. How should media organizations and big tech companies cover allegations or evidence of election fraud? Is there a gatekeeper for the gatekeepers, or do we have to rely on questionable Section 230 protections? No matter where you fall on the specifics, speech is part of the answer to how we get along. Can Clay and Lauren bring the country together in time for 2021? Guest: Lauren Chen i...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 43
Clay is joined by Dr. Michael Eric Dyson to discuss the revolutionary character of 2020 and what it means for our politics, our race relations and how we're all going to get along. The verdict is that we have a lot of work to do, but between the First Step Act, the Black Lives Matter protests, and the new allies that they both brought to the cause, there are powerful reasons for hope on both sides of the aisle. Can we stay focused on the big picture? Or will the momentum of the past beckon us ba...
Dec 17, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 42
Clay Aiken is joined by Bill Kristol of The Bulwark, Defending Democracy Together, constitutionalgovt.org , and Conversations with Bill Kristol, to take on the aftermath of the Trump administration and examine how our country can come together after the elections. How do we restore the imperatives of our constitutional government? Is Biden the vehicle that will allow us all to come together? And does the future of our country lie with MAGA or on turning over a new page? Guest: Bill Kristol has b...
Dec 09, 2020•57 min•Ep. 41
Clay is joined by Albert Hunt, veteran journalist of Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, and currently, co-host of Politicon’s Politics War Room with James Carville. After taking a look at the current prospects for each party in the Georgia Senate races, they examine how the country has changed and the best way for a Biden administration to bring our country back together. Al thinks that with what he sees as the competent and middle of the road picks for his cabinet so far, Joe Biden might be th...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 40
In this special holiday episode, Clay Aiken answers a round up of some of the best questions sent in for him since the launch of the podcast. Hear his thoughts on the election, the guests so far, his run for Congress, what it takes to live in the public eye, and his hopes and expectations for the country. There’s no holding back! Host: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. Follow Clay Aiken further on: Twitter:...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 39
Clay Aiken is joined by one of HTH’s first guests, John Iadarola of The Young Turks and The Damage Report, to take a look at where the country’s gone since the early episodes and what to look for going into 2021. Is Biden the great progressive hope now that it looks like Trump is headed out of office, or will the left be let down again? More important, after a divisive election, how do we bring the opposing poles of our politics closer together? Guest: John Iadarola is the host of The Damage Rep...
Nov 20, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 38
Clay is joined by Anna Paulina Luna to talk about the experience of running for Congress, what to expect from her and the Republican Party, the state of the election results and whether 2021 will be the year when we finally start to get along. But first we’ll have to collectively decide on a winner. Can we? Host: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. Guest: Anna Paulina Luna ran for election to the U.S. House t...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 37
With Joe Biden only 6 electoral votes away from the presidency as of taping, Clay is joined by Democratic master strategist Bob Shrum to breakdown what happened on November 3rd, why things are going the way they are, what to expect from a Biden Presidency should he be elected, expectations of a Trump run in 2024, and keen insights into how the heck we’re going to get along after the election. Don’t miss this 2020 election special! Moderator: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New Y...
Nov 06, 2020•57 min•Ep. 36
Clay is Joined by Clare Malone of FiveThirtyEight to go over the polling with only one week left in the race. Millions of ballots have already been cast and Biden appears to be ahead, but are the polls really any more accurate than they were in 2016? It already looks like an election season unlike any other! Listen and find out what to expect on November 3rd... Moderator: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. P...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 35
Clay is joined by Kate Kenski and Chris Cooper, experts on electoral politics in swing states Arizona and North Carolina, to discuss the state of the races, the changing political dynamics over the last few cycles, and what we can expect on election day. It might surprise you! Moderator: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. Panelist: Chris Cooper is Madison Distinguished Professor and Department Head in The De...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 34
Clay is joined by Jessica Taylor, the Cook Report’s expert on Senate and Governor’s races to take a deep dive into 2020’s toss-ups, the methodology behind their calls, and how things look in the battleground states. Key takeaway: it doesn’t look good for Lindsay Graham...but when the news cycle moves this fast, anything can happen! Moderator: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. Panelist: Jessica Taylor is the...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 33
Clay is joined by Fox Nation’s Tomi Lahren for a vigorous conversation about the continuation of lockdowns, the state of our cities, the threat of voter fraud, and what purse best suits Joe Biden. You might be surprised where they both agree! Moderator: Clay Aiken has sold 6 million albums, authored a New York Times bestseller, and ran for Congress in North Carolina in 2014. Panelist: Tomi Lahren is FoxNews contributor and host on the digital streaming platform FoxNation. She is also the author ...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 32
