#013 The Space Between Red & Blue - Manny Coelho

 In this episode, Manny reflects on what it means to live and think in the middle — that quiet space between red and blue where real conversation still has a chance. 

After watching local elections play out across Alaska, Manny shares how social media and modern politics have made genuine dialogue harder than ever. The algorithm rewards outrage, the headlines crave reactions, and too often we arrive at every conversation already decided. But what if we started differently? 

Manny takes listeners on a thoughtful journey through the way online echo chambers shape our beliefs, the value of long-form conversations, and why empathy might be the most radical act left in today’s political climate. He draws on personal stories, Alaskan life, and even baseball rivalries to remind us that loving the “game” — our shared humanity and community — should matter more than loving any single team. 

From protecting free speech and condemning hate, to believing in environmental responsibility and economic opportunity, Manny shows that complex beliefs can coexist — and that humility, not hostility, is what leadership really looks like. 

If you’ve ever felt caught between extremes or just tired of the noise, this episode invites you to slow down, reflect before reacting, and rediscover the common ground that still exists right here in the state we call home. 

Keep North, Alaska.

Transcript

Manny (00:25)
Hello and welcome to the state I'm in where every conversation points north. Here we discuss topics that Alaskans and perhaps everyone should care about. I'm your host, Manny Quelo, a fellow Alaskan and your guide to the conversations that Alaskans want to hear from the individuals who leading the way.

Last week across Alaska, many boroughs held local elections, and because of this, my mind has been on the subject of politics.

Politics are a sore subject for me and I think for a lot of people, mostly because it can truly bring out the worst in people, and especially what they will unabashedly say online.

It's crazy to think about, in my lifetime alone, I've watched online bullying evolve into online death threats. And from watching blurred out images on the TV, from graphic content on the news to just seeing flat out murder on TikTok.

The more tech we consume, it seems the less connected we become. And a general attitude of who cares what we do or say on the internet anyway.

This isn't the way communication used to be, and I cringe at the fact that this is what it has become.

But this has led me to start thinking about where conversations truly start in real life. Because what is happening online is truly discouraging, I think, for me and for many others.

I think the starting point of where these conversations begin is so important. And unfortunately, we've lost so much.

and meaningful conversation thanks to social media.

Social media shows us that we are victims of our bias.

The almighty algorithm feeds and builds and carves your timeline day by day, hour by hour, with a proven hook to capture your attention, and then analyzes how long you stay, what you share, and crafts this whole new world around you.

This type of technology is intended to lead you deeper and deeper into whatever you let it. And if you let it, you'll find yourself in an echo chamber hard to escape.

The algorithm is always at work testing, searching, confirming on what to feed you next. Did you dwell on a thirst trap video 1.9 seconds longer than a funny cat video? Boom, you just bought yourself more thirst trap videos. Did you look up financial advice instead of watching that clip of the wildlife documentary? Boom, intro to money and finances for the rest of your feed.

God forbid, did you buy something on TikTok shop? Because congratulations, you just earned yourself a lifetime supply of amateur ads selling you gadgets, clothes, and magic potions.

You might argue and say, it just caters to my interests, right? No harm, no foul.

But what about when it comes to world events, daily news, and what's happening in politics?

Because at that point, it becomes more than just an innocent echo chamber. It starts feeding you and pushing these narratives, tilted at specific angles, to get you to some pretty far edges of certain ideologies.

See, it feeds you content that is intended to invoke a reaction and do it over and over and over again until you find yourself moved over to a side, firmly planted.

When it comes to politics, social media, and how the algorithm works and feeds you content, it thrives on reactions and I think rarely wants true reflection.

It wants to categorize you and your interests quickly. And in doing so, I think in turn we do the same thing and quickly categorize others.

You know, if you're on social media a lot, and just think about it, take a step back. We are being primed to make quick reactions, quick judgments with little to no information.

It's a world totally built on headlines and three second hooks.

And over time, if you let it lead you to the far edges of the political party left-right spectrum, you may find that you are less likely to want to listen or learn from another viewpoint. You'll find that all you want is to be right, to be validated, and to be not alone.

And it might be a surprise to hear me say that the echo chamber you find yourself in could be so far from the truth.

And at this point you probably have another person or political party in mind, but here's the truth.

we're all guilty.

So back to the starting point of these political conversations. If the starting point is so far left or so far right, the other side can seem like a foreign and distant land.

Your ears may already be closed to the opposing view or maybe you're interested but you're just too far away to hear them.

I, however, have always started in the middle because the middle, I think, is a place where people come to meet, to find common ground.

I think that's where listening and conversation happens.

think the middle is where there's a certain level of agreement, where there's an understanding that I'm gonna hear you out with the understanding that you're gonna hear me out.

And even though we might not see eye to eye 100 %

We might learn something from one another and we'll be able to move forward as neighbors and not bitter enemies.

and hopefully with some kind of progress that's gonna be good for both of us

Hear me when I say I'm not a true centrist and I'm not calling on you to be one. Given our current political climate, I don't think it is possible to stay dead center. I think we do need to be able to lean left and lean right in order for progress to be made that the people want. But ask yourself this. When was the last time you approached an issue undecided? Is that even possible today?

When was the last time you approached something and thought, maybe I should consider both sides, or maybe I should examine a different viewpoint. That seems far-fetched nowadays,

Because people arrive to the conversation already decided, and therein lies the problem.

You know, this conversation will go online. It'll be subject to the algorithm. And I really hope it gets shared equally on both sides. We live in a two party political system and I hope it equally goes into both news feeds because I think that's where we're gonna find unity.

So my hope is that the algorithm doesn't take this content to one side or the other, but that Unity will be found somewhere in the middle.

So today I want to focus on this middle ground and consider for a moment that perhaps reflecting before reacting could be the most radical thing we could do right now.

So you may be wondering, why am I talking about all this? Am I alluding to some deeper political conversation or goals? And I would say, yeah, I am.

You recently I was a guest on another podcast called Stories Worth Hearing and the host John Quick asked me what my motivation was behind starting The State I Am In. And if you're listening because of that episode on Stories Worth Hearing, welcome to the community. I'm glad you're here.

And what I explained to John is that I've listened to a lot of different podcasts over the years. And what I always gravitate towards are the hosts or the shows that just facilitate meaningful conversations. You know, if you've ever listened to the Lex Friedman podcast, he's, you know, a tech genius, AI guru, but he is also just a very deep and philosophical thinker. And he meets with a variety of people

but the one thing that remains constant is that he spends a lot of time with them and he always seeks the good, he always seeks the common ground, and he believes wholeheartedly that even in the worst situations, love is the answer over hate.

Lex and those like him are willing to give time and make space for curiosity, and the insight that can be gained from that is remarkable.

That idea, that mission is what I wanted to be able to offer the people of Alaska.

We lost the art of debate and disagreement and the ability to understand people a little bit deeper.

I went on to tell John that during the last election, those long form interviews with Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Robert Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, those are just a few that come to my mind. Those were really impactful for me.

Even though I may not have agreed with their politics fully or agreed with their presentation or path forward for the country 100%, just being in a position to listen, postured to learn, really went a long way for me to just either have my suspicions about them confirmed, like what I took into the conversation, or to actually learn something and come away with a little bit more respect for them as an individual.

Because after two hours of listening to someone talk, I mean, the humanity comes out. You're going to find common ground.

You know, Joe Rogan always says, can't fake who you are for two or three hours. Like the real you is going to show up after that time. And that fact is huge.

all your prepared marks, all your little notes on certain subjects, like all that goes out the window with a two or three hour mark, and it's just you, the real you, on the other side of the table.

And that fact is huge because I think that is the missing ingredient in modern media today.

Like I said before, social media is looking for the quick reaction. Mainstream media on the TV and the radio, it's the same exact thing. They don't want us to dwell on things for too long.

And that's where this long format thing I think is so valuable because it's more than just a long discussion. It's more than just a conversation that has the qualities of a debate or getting past just the prepared remarks. You know, it allows people to discover the heart of the issues.

in the context of real conversation.

And in that, it's figuring out that empathy, seems to be so missing in today's culture, is found in just giving people a little bit more time and a little bit more attention.

And again, this is the heart behind what I wanted to bring to Alaska through this show.

Well, and what does that look like for Alaska? Because we face some pretty real challenges. We have some pretty real issues.

What is going to happen to the PFD and why can't our leaders ever decide on its future?

We have a wealth of natural resources and oil and gas. How do we develop that and still keep in mind sustainability in our environment?

I think of the fragile state of our fisheries, mental health, and how suicide seems to top the list of the nation every year.

You know, I think about education and how there is a disconnect between state funding and student outcomes. And yet with no definite plan moving into the future, I watch now as my wife, who is a teacher, her class sizes becoming larger, resources becoming smaller, and yet there's still a fear that the school could close because enrollment is down. Those kind of things just don't make sense to me.

These are just some of the issues that Alaskans want to hear about.

These are the issues that I think Alaskans are concerned about. And these are the exact topics that I think we could find value in discussing.

politics seems like watching rivals cut each other down instead of neighbors looking for a solution. And as public servants that we've elected, I really think it should be the latter.

best way that I can explain this is through baseball analogy just because I love baseball So I am a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and if you know anything about baseball you know our bitter rival is the Los Angeles Dodgers.

And although I hate losing to the Dodgers and absolutely love when the Giants beat them. I can't help but look at the opposing dugout and see tremendous players with incredible talent. Freddie Freeman, Mookie Pets, Shohei Otani, players that just are masters of the game.

How can I do that? Well, more than the love I have for my own team, I have a deeper love and appreciation for the game itself.

So even though this deep rivalry exists, I love the game more than I hate the rival.

I think politics looks like this bitter rivalry. Unfortunately, at times, I think we do love our team more than we love the game.

Translated, I love being a Democrat or I love being a Republican more than I love being an Alaskan or an American. And unfortunately, I think that's why we're seeing the division that we are today.

Just recently I listened to a podcast with Matthew Bradford. was a former Marine and he was talking about on the Jocko podcast that

When you're going door to door and

when you're in the thick of it, kicking down doors, in the firefights day after day, you're not thinking about your country. You're not thinking about why you're doing what you're doing. You're literally doing it for your brother and sister next to you. You're doing it for the culture.

And I think that can apply to our politics as well. To a certain point, are you really doing what you're doing because it's what you believe is right? Or are you doing it because it's part of the culture that you've aligned yourself with?

I think people can be so dug into their positions politically because if things are not going their way, they think that eventually someone's gonna come along that's gonna have all the answers, be able to fix everything, and that I will finally be validated. And if you're drinking that Kool-Aid, I'm telling you right now, that is a great way to ruin your life.

Because when you live with this tension day after day and are just dwelling on all the negatives and feel like nobody's ever going to come and save you, of course you're gonna wake up with a heart full of hate someday.

The truth is nobody is going to be able to fix it all. Not one person has all the answers.

And what I wish people would see is that when you're being intentionally divisive, you're not gaining political ground for your party. You're just openly dealing with your hurt.

So instead, do I think we should just all be singing kumbaya and never disagree and just get along and live happily ever after? Of course not, we're gonna disagree. But when debate turns into attacking someone's values, their faith, their family, I think that is the surefire sign to know that you have definitely crossed a line and that you've lost sight of what matters.

Recently, I noticed perhaps in an attempt to limit the amount of divisiveness going on in our communities, the Fairbanks Daily News Miner, which is a newspaper in Fairbanks, closed down the comment section on their Facebook. So they share articles like normal, but you can like and share them. No ability to comment whatsoever. And I thought about that. I'm like, is that a form of censorship? I guess so. But you're still able to read the article. You just can't.

give you two cents and I was like, huh, go figure. People have to read the newspaper like they used to and just talk about it with one another in person.

You know, it was a bold move and something I'd never seen before. And I don't know if I want that trend to catch on, but, you know, at a minimum, I think it is a step in refusing to feed the division.

You know, what's funny is that I just mentioned that I started this whole podcast because of those long-form conversations with politicians and how I thought that there could be some good if applied to our state and yet I'm rambling on about all these different political ideas that I have and yet I haven't talked about politics one time in the 12 episodes that I've done and not that I haven't reached out to politicians to come and talk but...

It has been a non-issue on the show, so why am I talking about it now?

Well, first, I don't want this to be a political podcast. There's actually some already in the state and I don't need to go down that road. What I did want to do is to introduce Alaskans from all walks of life, from all backgrounds and likely very different political associations or backgrounds and introduce the idea that perhaps you can listen to someone and find common ground on an issue or a topic that you're unfamiliar with. And so the first 12 episodes, I've kind of primed that

culture into the show.

I wanted to show that meaningful conversations could happen before there was any political labels attached.

to give you little bit deeper insight into where I'm coming from in this conversation

I started this conversation talking about how we usually begin on one side or the other and rarely do these political conversations start at a place in the middle. Rarely is it a place to truly listen.

I think this has been so obvious to me because I've always identified with the independent or nonpartisan voter.

talking about this concept of the middle ground just makes sense and always has for me.

Saying I'm an independent might make people hit unsubscribe right now, but just stick with me for a little bit longer, okay?

It's no secret that the two-party system thrives on division, but real conversation happens in the middle.

Some would argue that the middle ground doesn't exist anymore and that trying to operate from that position is foolish.

However, I could not find a more satisfying position to place my politics.

It might blow people's minds to hear that you can want to protect your gun rights and also want to protect the environment. That you could support local law enforcement but also believe that justice reform needs to happen.

or that you could fight to protect free speech and still condemn violence and hate, or that you could be a Christian and still value scientific progress.

That you could be a capitalist and still be actively working to find solutions for the poor in your community.

contrary to what a true red or true blue party would tell you, these beliefs can coexist. They are not a contradiction.

I think they are a sign of political maturity and honestly just being fed up with having to choose between blue no matter who and MAGA face tattoos.

So you might be thinking, how do I cut back on the red and blue Kool-Aid that I've been going so hard at for so long? How do I find the middle again?

Well, you might have to do something that some would call political suicide. And that's admit you were wrong.

Maybe one of the most mature and radical things that you could do in politics is admit that you were wrong.

we have built a culture on doubling down on our mistakes or our positions instead of just admitting maybe we got a little off track or we were headed in the wrong direction or we just totally missed it.

and the humility that is required for that, I believe is a key ingredient in what is missing in our political climate today.

Because humility isn't a weakness, it's a strength, it's leadership, and it's exactly what we're missing.

So call me naive, but I still think there's more that unites us than divides us if we come to the table and talk long enough to find it.

What happens in Washington or Juneau matters, but I think what happens between neighbors matters just as much, if not more.

And to our elected leaders, I would love to sit across the table from you and have a conversation about politics, about life, about you, and just long enough to find some humanity, some common ground, and a path forward that all of us could get on board with.

I think if we could all learn to start with just a little curiosity, to truly listen, and to reflect before we just react, we would find that the middle ground isn't as empty as people say it is.

It's just been quiet for a little while, waiting for people willing to be there.

As for me, I'll start here in my home, in my community, and in the state I am in. And I hope you will too.

Manny (19:09)
If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to support the show by following and sharing it on social media, subscribing on YouTube and leaving a review wherever you get your podcast, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, wherever. It really helps more Alaskans and people everywhere join in on these conversations.

As I prepare to apply and begin graduate school next year, you may notice fewer episodes each month. I know it's kind of a bummer, but I hope you'll bear with me through this transition, because now more than ever, I believe sharing the voices of our fellow Alaskans matters. And I will continue to do this work for as long as there are people willing to sit down and share meaningful conversations.

Keep North Alaska, and thank you for joining me on The State I'm In.