In this episode, Mark Talley, Executive Director of Agents for Advocacy, and Mike Nellis, CEO of AUTHENTIC, talk about their personal journeys, triumphs and their views on our current political climate.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 Welcome. I'm Erik Fleming, host of A Moment with Erik Fleming, the podcast of our time.
00:00:06 --> 00:00:08 I want to personally thank you for listening to the podcast.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 If you like what you're hearing, then I need you to do a few things.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:19 First, I need subscribers. I'm on Patreon at patreon.com slash A Moment with Erik Fleming.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:24 Your subscription allows an independent podcaster like me the freedom to speak
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 truth to power, and to expand and improve the show.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:32 Second, leave a five-star review for the podcast on the streaming service you
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 listen to it. That will help the podcast tremendously.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:41 Third, go to the website, momenteric.com. There you can subscribe to the podcast,
00:00:42 --> 00:00:47 leave reviews and comments, listen to past episodes, and even learn a little bit about your host.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:51 Lastly, don't keep this a secret like it's your own personal guilty pleasure.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:56 Tell someone else about the podcast. Encourage others to listen to the podcast
00:00:56 --> 00:01:02 and share the podcast on your social media platforms, because it is time to
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 make this moment a movement.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:10 Thanks in advance for supporting the podcast of our time. I hope you enjoy this episode as well.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:16 The following program is hosted by the NVG Podcast Network.
00:01:16 --> 00:01:55 Music.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 Thank you. Thank you.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:53 Thank you.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:02 Hello, and welcome to another Moment with Erik Fleming. I am your host, Erik Fleming.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:12 So today, I have two young men on the show, and I'm going to use the term triumphant.
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Because despite personal issues,
00:02:19 --> 00:02:30 And political or professional challenges, they have emerged as recognized,
00:02:30 --> 00:02:34 respected leaders in their communities.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:44 And, you know, I'm just really, really blessed how things work out that these
00:02:44 --> 00:02:49 two gentlemen would be on this episode at the same time.
00:02:49 --> 00:03:00 And so that's my inspiration in having this episode so that young men,
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 regardless of who you are and where you come from.
00:03:04 --> 00:03:07 That there are role models out there.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 And there are people that you can look up to.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:18 There are people that you can be mentored by, either directly or indirectly.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:23 And so I'm hoping that the
00:03:23 --> 00:03:29 young men that listen to this podcast will get some inspiration from these gentlemen
00:03:29 --> 00:03:38 and look them up and get involved in what they do and just really understand
00:03:38 --> 00:03:39 that no matter what you're going through,
00:03:40 --> 00:03:43 you can push forward. Right.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:48 So, yeah, I'm just I'm really proud of this episode.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:53 And of course, we're going to talk about some politics because both of these
00:03:53 --> 00:03:55 young men speak from the heart.
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 And so I hope you all enjoy the discussions.
00:03:59 --> 00:04:08 But before we get into that, as always, we kick it off with a moment of news with Grace G.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:17 Music.
00:04:15 --> 00:04:21 Thanks, Erik. Seven senior Justice Department officials, including Manhattan's
00:04:21 --> 00:04:25 top federal prosecutor, resigned in protest of an order to drop corruption charges
00:04:25 --> 00:04:28 against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:35 Kash Patel was narrowly confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the nation's ninth FBI director.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:40 A federal judge declined to block Elon Musk's government efficiency department
00:04:40 --> 00:04:46 from firing federal workers or accessing databases, but questioned Musk's unchecked authority.
00:04:47 --> 00:04:52 President Donald Trump and advisor Elon Musk have terminated over 9 federal
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 employees since the purging began.
00:04:55 --> 00:04:59 A U.S. appeals court upheld a nationwide block on the Trump administration's
00:04:59 --> 00:05:02 policy aimed at restricting birthright citizenship.
00:05:03 --> 00:05:07 The death toll from flooding in Kentucky increased to 11 after recent storms
00:05:07 --> 00:05:11 dumped more than 8 inches of rain in certain parts of the state.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:16 A U.S. judge rejected a bid to block Elon Musk's government efficiency team
00:05:16 --> 00:05:20 from accessing Education Department's student aid data. A U.S.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:25 Appeals court ruled Biden's student debt relief plan that expanded loan forgiveness
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 and reduced payments exceeded his legal authority.
00:05:28 --> 00:05:36 A federal judge paused the termination of 11 CIA officers tied to diversity programs for five days.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:41 African leaders elected Djibouti's foreign minister Mahmoud Ali Yusuf to chair
00:05:41 --> 00:05:43 the African Union Commission.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:49 Ugandan opposition leader Kiza Bessije was briefly hospitalized after a hunger
00:05:49 --> 00:05:52 strike prompting public outcry and calls for his release.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:58 UN officials appealed for $6 billion in aid for Sudan to address severe hunger
00:05:58 --> 00:06:00 and displacement caused by civil war.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:05 Andrew Lester, an 86-year-old Missouri man who pled guilty to second-degree
00:06:05 --> 00:06:11 assault for the 2023 shooting of black teen Ralph Yarl, died before his sentencing hearing.
00:06:12 --> 00:06:18 And rapper A$AP Rocky was acquitted of assault charges after a jury found insufficient
00:06:18 --> 00:06:20 evidence he used a real firearm.
00:06:20 --> 00:06:24 I am Grace G, and this has been a Moment of News.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:32 Music.
00:06:32 --> 00:06:40 All right. Thank you, Grace, for that moment of news. Now it is time for my guest, Mark Talley.
00:06:41 --> 00:06:47 Mark Talley is an accomplished individual who has made significant contributions to society.
00:06:47 --> 00:06:53 After experiencing a personal tragedy with the loss of his mother and a racist
00:06:53 --> 00:06:57 domestic terrorist attack, he channeled his grief into positive action.
00:06:58 --> 00:07:02 He founded a highly successful socioeconomic non-profit,
00:07:02 --> 00:07:08 Agents for Advocacy, aimed at addressing the systemic inequalities faced by
00:07:08 --> 00:07:14 marginalized communities, and authored the book 514, The Day the Devil Came to Buffalo.
00:07:15 --> 00:07:19 Through his non-profit, he has implemented various initiatives to uplift and
00:07:19 --> 00:07:23 empower individuals, fostering positive change on a large scale.
00:07:24 --> 00:07:29 In addition to their impactful work, they also authored a book that sheds light
00:07:29 --> 00:07:33 on their personal journey and serves as a source of inspiration to others.
00:07:34 --> 00:07:38 Through his resilience, determination, and commitment to social justice,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:45 Mark Talley continues to make a lasting impact in the fight against injustice and inequality.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:53 And I just want to add that, you know, Mark is really, he's really a good, good brother.
00:07:54 --> 00:07:59 His heart is in the right place. And anytime he wants to come on the podcast,
00:07:59 --> 00:08:04 I am always excited about that because I have taken a personal investment.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:09 In making sure that he's okay, right?
00:08:10 --> 00:08:20 So if you did not get that, Mark's mom, Geraldine Talley, died in the top shooting
00:08:20 --> 00:08:24 in Buffalo on 5-14-2022. too.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:32 So he reached out to me not too long after that.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:39 And we got him, I got him on the podcast and we've developed somewhat of a relationship.
00:08:39 --> 00:08:47 I mean, he's, I'm not his best friend, but I'm somebody that he can talk to
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 and, and, and he's given some trust to.
00:08:50 --> 00:08:55 So I'm honored to that and I want to see him succeed.
00:08:56 --> 00:09:01 So without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and privilege
00:09:01 --> 00:09:04 to have as a guest on this podcast, Mark.
00:09:06 --> 00:09:17 Music.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:20 All right. Mark Talley, what's going on, brother? How you doing?
00:09:21 --> 00:09:26 Pretty good, sir. Good to be in this cold, Buffalonian weather up here.
00:09:26 --> 00:09:30 Yeah, I don't envy that at all from you, brother.
00:09:30 --> 00:09:34 I was thinking about the other day, I said, you know, them black folks in Buffalo
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 are some strong folks, man.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:41 Y'all dealing with that cold, man. I just, what's the temperature today?
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 It says 15 degrees but it's about to go down
00:09:45 --> 00:09:48 to 7 by 7 p.m oh my god and
00:09:48 --> 00:09:52 it's like in the time i think it was like in the got to
00:09:52 --> 00:09:57 the upper 20s today in atlanta and folks are losing their mind they just they're
00:09:57 --> 00:10:00 just losing it so i just want y'all to understand them brothers and sisters
00:10:00 --> 00:10:06 in buffalo are some special brothers to get that hot i mean that cold oh man
00:10:06 --> 00:10:10 you know we had the snow and the ice and all that stuff about a couple of weeks ago,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:13 I was out there rescuing employees, man,
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 trying to get them to work, get them home. Yeah.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:20 Yeah. They don't do, they don't do the cold weather here too well,
00:10:20 --> 00:10:26 but you know, and you know, Chicago is cold, but Buffalo y'all, y'all at another level.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:29 So I greatly appreciate that.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:33 So look, we'll kick it off the way I normally to kick it off.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:38 I've got a quote for you I want you to express your thoughts on.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:43 It says, together we can challenge hatred, eradicate bigotry,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:49 and build a future where every person's worth is recognized and celebrated.
00:10:49 --> 00:10:51 What does that quote mean to you?
00:10:51 --> 00:10:56 It sounds like basically a new age version of meritocracy.
00:10:56 --> 00:10:59 It's like we keep saying all of this, but
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 we have yet to put it together whether
00:11:02 --> 00:11:06 as a human race or as people yeah i
00:11:06 --> 00:11:09 mean we can look we can look
00:11:09 --> 00:11:13 at the whole drake drake and kendrick
00:11:13 --> 00:11:20 lamar beef like you have different shades of black people fighting over no which
00:11:20 --> 00:11:25 one of these artists is right we have them fighting over who means more to black
00:11:25 --> 00:11:32 culture who is culture who's really black and it's like why are we both fighting And for this nonsense,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 what is true stuff we can be fighting for?
00:11:34 --> 00:11:39 And I'm a big believer. All of this was just literally for publicity.
00:11:39 --> 00:11:43 Like, they're both signed to UMG. They're both about to make,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:47 you know, tons, tons, and tons of money for it.
00:11:47 --> 00:11:52 I mean, obviously, with, you know, Kendrick Wilmire performing at the Super
00:11:52 --> 00:11:56 Bowl, obviously, he's about to get a lot of more streaming money.
00:11:56 --> 00:12:01 Drake having, I think, arguably his biggest tour yet over in Australia.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:09 And we have black folks literally discussing online, raging and screaming at
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 other black people what it means to be black.
00:12:14 --> 00:12:19 So since you brought that up, and I'll get to my other thing in a moment.
00:12:19 --> 00:12:23 But since you brought that up, I don't know if you're familiar with the guy
00:12:23 --> 00:12:30 who ran with Jill Stein for president. He was running as their vice president. His name is Butch Ware.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:36 He's a professor at one of those Michigan schools.
00:12:36 --> 00:12:42 And he got on this show and he was basically saying that he didn't understand
00:12:42 --> 00:12:47 what Kendrick was trying to do or he didn't feel that he was being revolutionary
00:12:47 --> 00:12:53 and all that stuff but my thing was I think the symbolism was pretty clear you
00:12:53 --> 00:12:56 know you had black dancers,
00:12:56 --> 00:13:01 dressed up like the American flag to symbolize the black bodies that have been
00:13:01 --> 00:13:05 sacrificed and the black bodies that have worked to make this country,
00:13:05 --> 00:13:07 to even make that flag exist.
00:13:08 --> 00:13:12 But he said he didn't get that. Did you, I get your point about the capitalism
00:13:12 --> 00:13:16 side of it, but did you understand what Kendrick was trying to,
00:13:16 --> 00:13:18 the message he was trying to convey?
00:13:18 --> 00:13:22 And do you think he did a good job with it? I understand that.
00:13:22 --> 00:13:26 I mean, I'm really not going to say it's revolutionary, but you got to know
00:13:26 --> 00:13:31 your audience, know where you're at. the majority of people at that Super Bowl
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 don't look like you and I.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:38 I mean, they could really care less about the message. I believe more what Colin
00:13:38 --> 00:13:39 Kaepernick was revolutionary.
00:13:39 --> 00:13:45 He risked his whole career and never recovered yet from it by kneeling down.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:52 Kendrick Lamar getting on there, performing, had the symbolism with the A chain,
00:13:52 --> 00:13:55 the lowercase a, had the black bodies.
00:13:55 --> 00:14:02 I mean, you know, yeah, it's nice, but it's, you know, it's the Super Bowl halftime show.
00:14:02 --> 00:14:06 Really, nobody's trying to see the symbolism there.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:11 People are probably ready on their second or third pack of Coors Light by that time.
00:14:11 --> 00:14:18 I mean, it's New Orleans. People wanted to see Lil Wayne. People wanted to see Juvenile.
00:14:18 --> 00:14:23 People wanted to see, you know, even, what's her name, Big Frida.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 You know, they had Master P come out just walking.
00:14:26 --> 00:14:31 You know, hey, he could have got on the stage to perform. I think Kendrick Lamar
00:14:31 --> 00:14:35 would have been perfect for last year, which they did have him.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:41 For this year with the symbolism, I mean, at the biggest event,
00:14:41 --> 00:14:45 you know, in the U.S., a Super Bowl halftime show on television,
00:14:45 --> 00:14:49 and you dissed another black person.
00:14:50 --> 00:14:55 I mean, I thought it definitely would have been a lot more symbolism if he would
00:14:55 --> 00:14:59 have called out Donald Trump there. That would have been revolutionary right there.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:04 Yeah, I feel you, because that was kind of the direction that Dr.
00:15:04 --> 00:15:06 Ware was going, what you were saying.
00:15:07 --> 00:15:13 I just look at it like, here's a black man who's been given this opportunity to perform.
00:15:14 --> 00:15:20 He's been very, I wouldn't say, he wasn't, he's not as militant as,
00:15:20 --> 00:15:23 you know, when I was growing up with Public Enemy and all that,
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 and the X-Clan, those kind of folks.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:30 But for his generation, he's been that kind of a voice.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:36 And, you know, he was he I felt he was authentic. I don't think he watered the show down.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 I think he did what he he intended to do.
00:15:41 --> 00:15:44 And and Donald Trump was sitting there in the audience. Now,
00:15:45 --> 00:15:48 you know, the fact that Donald Trump didn't say anything about it's kind of
00:15:48 --> 00:15:52 interesting, but he upset the right wing media enough.
00:15:52 --> 00:15:56 And that's always a good thing for me. you know, cause they,
00:15:56 --> 00:16:02 they put them out there like that, you know, but yeah, I thought that that's interesting.
00:16:02 --> 00:16:07 I'm glad, I'm glad you brought that up. Cause it was kind of bothering me the way that Dr.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:12 Ware put it, but you kind of almost, you almost said the same exact thing.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:16 He said that the issue was, it wasn't revolutionary.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:20 And, you know, I'm thinking,
00:16:21 --> 00:16:24 yeah, you probably not gonna cause a revolution
00:16:24 --> 00:16:27 if you're getting paid what so many million dollars
00:16:27 --> 00:16:30 well no i don't even think they get paid to do the
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 super bowl thing i think that's the nuance they gotta pay to
00:16:33 --> 00:16:36 do the super bowl but they definitely get a they re-up
00:16:36 --> 00:16:41 after with all the streaming sales of current and past albums yeah yeah so i
00:16:41 --> 00:16:46 mean it's it's a i mean you got the law i mean he had 133 million people see
00:16:46 --> 00:16:52 him so if you're an artist you really can't pass that up you know despite whatever
00:16:52 --> 00:16:54 awards and accolades you've gotten.
00:16:55 --> 00:17:01 You've got a captive audience of 133 million people. And he conveyed the message
00:17:01 --> 00:17:03 the best way he could. I'm not mad at him.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:08 You know, the whole thing with Drake, I mean, that's the hit song.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:12 I'm sorry that it trashes Drake.
00:17:12 --> 00:17:17 But then Drake ain't necessarily, I'm not going to lay down my sword for that
00:17:17 --> 00:17:20 black man because he ain't to lay down the sword for us. You know what I'm saying?
00:17:21 --> 00:17:24 Drake will not be in that picture that you got in the background.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:27 By the way, he's got the classic picture of Malcolm X looking out the window.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 Yeah, Drake ain't going to be in that picture. So I'm just saying,
00:17:31 --> 00:17:33 you know, unless he's trying to sell an album cover, right?
00:17:33 --> 00:17:38 So I, he, you know, I don't have anything personal against him,
00:17:38 --> 00:17:43 but you know, I don't know, since you in Buffalo, you know, Drake's from Canada,
00:17:43 --> 00:17:45 maybe I'll kind of like him a little bit. I don't know.
00:17:46 --> 00:17:49 I've always, I just like playing as devil advocate. I really,
00:17:49 --> 00:17:54 I like both, but then you got to get people saying, oh yeah, Drake, he's loss.
00:17:55 --> 00:18:01 He lost on wax. He ain't got it. It's like, he's still the number one most streaming artist in 2024.
00:18:02 --> 00:18:08 And I forgot who said this. I think I saw it online or some other rapper said it.
00:18:08 --> 00:18:15 It's like LeBron can go to five straight more finals and lose and still be LeBron James.
00:18:15 --> 00:18:17 He'll still be number one face of the league.
00:18:18 --> 00:18:23 Jay-Z lost to Nas. He still came back stronger, better than ever.
00:18:23 --> 00:18:27 You get at a certain I mean, Michael Jordan's son just got done sniffing cocaine.
00:18:29 --> 00:18:32 People still, Michael Jordan is still on top.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:38 That's true. Once you get a certain, I mean, you know, even looking at Donald
00:18:38 --> 00:18:44 Trump, I mean, grabbing the women by, you know what, all the stuff he's done
00:18:44 --> 00:18:48 and said that we can literally verify that.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:57 I mean, people don't care once you get past a certain level, and that's Drake.
00:18:57 --> 00:19:04 And plus, you know, both Kendrick Moore openly has done stuff for Black culture, Black community.
00:19:04 --> 00:19:09 Drake Moore behind the scenes has given money to Black Lives Matters,
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 to other organizations.
00:19:11 --> 00:19:15 But I just think, why are we as a people?
00:19:15 --> 00:19:18 Why are we as a culture? who cares about
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 Drake and Kendrick like they this whole
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 this whole thing has made them tons
00:19:24 --> 00:19:26 tons of money I think it would have
00:19:26 --> 00:19:31 been revolutionary if he right there would have called out Donald Trump that
00:19:31 --> 00:19:36 would have been that would have been our version of you know how Kanye was before
00:19:36 --> 00:19:41 he lost his mind national TV just literally called out George Bush right there
00:19:41 --> 00:19:46 yeah that would have been a moment that That definitely would have been a moment.
00:19:46 --> 00:19:54 All right. So let's get back on somewhat of a track. I want you to give me a number between 1 and 20.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:59 Let's go with 11. All right. Number 11.
00:19:59 --> 00:20:01 All right. So this is your next
00:20:01 --> 00:20:07 question. Where do you go to check a fact that you see, hear, or read?
00:20:08 --> 00:20:11 All right. First place I go is Wikipedia.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:17 Because people say don't use Wikipedia. It's not. It is cited. People just lazy.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:20 You scroll all the way down at the end. You see the citations.
00:20:20 --> 00:20:24 So see if what you're looking at Wikipedia, if you see that it's cited,
00:20:24 --> 00:20:26 you can go to that article.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:31 Hopefully it's a .edu, a .org, at worse, a .com.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:35 If I see it's going to a blog or a magazine article, that's when I kind of forget
00:20:35 --> 00:20:37 it. Then I'll try to double check that.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:41 No, I'll put in what I looked up or what
00:20:41 --> 00:20:45 i heard see if it's true see where it leads me and now
00:20:45 --> 00:20:47 my third the third thing i'm doing which is
00:20:47 --> 00:20:50 quickly becoming number one with how fast it's growing is
00:20:50 --> 00:20:54 you know searching some of these ai engines yeah yeah
00:20:54 --> 00:20:57 especially this new thing this deep seek that everybody keeps
00:20:57 --> 00:21:00 talking about the only thing kind
00:21:00 --> 00:21:04 of unique about deep seek is that excuse
00:21:04 --> 00:21:07 me is that it it acts like it's trying to
00:21:07 --> 00:21:10 have a conversation with you it's like you tell to
00:21:10 --> 00:21:13 do something and then it it's like it's thinking out loud
00:21:13 --> 00:21:20 as opposed to the other ones that just process but yeah and then that the ai
00:21:20 --> 00:21:26 is only as intelligent as the information has been given excuse me so yeah but
00:21:26 --> 00:21:32 i agree with you yeah but i agree with you on the wikipedia because they'll tell you,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:36 You know, they'll put a disclaimer in there It's like we might need some more
00:21:36 --> 00:21:39 citations on this But this is the information we have.
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 And it's a non-profit,
00:21:43 --> 00:21:46 A lot of people don't understand that a Wikipedia is not connected to Google
00:21:46 --> 00:21:51 or any of these other big tech companies. It's it's a nonprofit.
00:21:51 --> 00:21:56 And, you know, they're doing the research, excuse me, and they're relying on
00:21:56 --> 00:22:00 they're relying on people like you and me, you know, that read it.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:05 If if not only to donate, but if you have some information to add to the article,
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 they'd greatly appreciate it.
00:22:07 --> 00:22:10 So yeah i i'm with you i like wikipedia
00:22:10 --> 00:22:13 i like you know i use i try
00:22:13 --> 00:22:17 to find news services like reuters or the
00:22:17 --> 00:22:22 bbc because they actually will do stories about places we're not going to see
00:22:22 --> 00:22:26 on the news every day like like what's going on in africa because that was the
00:22:26 --> 00:22:31 other thing you know that's not getting a lot of attention about the halftime
00:22:31 --> 00:22:34 show that you had a brother out there i think he I know he had a Sudanese flag.
00:22:35 --> 00:22:39 I couldn't remember if he had a. Oh, yeah. He ran out protesting for the like
00:22:39 --> 00:22:42 in support of Israel, I think, or against.
00:22:42 --> 00:22:46 Well, I'm trying to remember. I know he had a Sudanese flag because he wanted
00:22:46 --> 00:22:50 to highlight the fact that they about the Civil War over there.
00:22:50 --> 00:22:55 But I couldn't remember if he had a Palestinian flag or the Israeli.
00:22:55 --> 00:22:59 I think he had a Palestinian flag because it seemed like the only images I saw
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 was red, black and green.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:05 So I think he he had a Palestinian flag and, you know, but that's why I say
00:23:05 --> 00:23:09 I like those kind of news sources, because,
00:23:10 --> 00:23:14 you know, not unless the United States has a direct involvement in it,
00:23:14 --> 00:23:18 you're not going to see it on CNN or MSNBC or Fox or anywhere like that.
00:23:19 --> 00:23:23 It's like, well, if you see it on CNN, you've got to stay up like till two,
00:23:23 --> 00:23:25 three o'clock in the morning against the international show. Right.
00:23:27 --> 00:23:31 Outside of that, it's like, you know, it's you're not going to get it and especially
00:23:31 --> 00:23:33 black folks not going to get it.
00:23:33 --> 00:23:38 So those are the kind of news sources that I try to find something that's going
00:23:38 --> 00:23:45 to cover the whole globe instead of just, you know, what what we see here in the United States. So.
00:23:47 --> 00:23:52 It sounds like you're doing good. How have you, you know, and we'll get into
00:23:52 --> 00:23:55 details about the nonprofit, all that, but, but,
00:23:55 --> 00:24:00 you know, I haven't seen you since, since you came to Atlanta that time and
00:24:00 --> 00:24:03 you were, and you were doing some good things at that point,
00:24:03 --> 00:24:09 but how have you been adjusting personally and emotionally, you know,
00:24:09 --> 00:24:11 you know, through this whole thing?
00:24:11 --> 00:24:14 Cause I know my mom passed away in
00:24:14 --> 00:24:17 2013 and ironically you mentioned
00:24:17 --> 00:24:22 Colin Kaepernick it was right around that that Super Bowl when him and and we
00:24:22 --> 00:24:29 went to 49ers they lost to Baltimore I just you know and even though it's been
00:24:29 --> 00:24:35 that long I still miss her you know I'm saying I still deal with that so So you're,
00:24:35 --> 00:24:42 you're unfortunately relatively new to this process. So how you been doing?
00:24:42 --> 00:24:45 How, how have you been processing and all that?
00:24:46 --> 00:24:50 You know, as you said, you know, I still know, that's every day,
00:24:50 --> 00:24:55 you know, you know, I had some of her clothes that, you know,
00:24:55 --> 00:24:59 that was the first stop I went a couple of days later to her house,
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 you know, for the first time.
00:25:01 --> 00:25:08 And it was just, you know, a very emotional, you know, over overcoming of my body.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:14 And, you know, I just took a few clothes out of room just to just to have her
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 scent on it. Just something something to smell.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:21 And, you know, going on close to three years, you know, that scent is starting
00:25:21 --> 00:25:24 to fade away. It's not it's not smelling like her no more.
00:25:24 --> 00:25:29 I really didn't have any any videos, you know, of her voice.
00:25:29 --> 00:25:31 So it's the little things you start noticing.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:36 I'm forgetting what she's sounding like, forgetting what she smelled like.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:40 Tons of pictures. So I'm definitely grateful for that.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:43 But it's the, you know, just the little things, things that you,
00:25:43 --> 00:25:49 you hated, you know, her constantly just calling me just to say, hi, what am I doing?
00:25:50 --> 00:25:55 Okay. And hanging up. And, you know, I wish, no, I would, I would just do anything
00:25:55 --> 00:25:59 right now to just have her call, scream at me and just, just to be reminded of her.
00:25:59 --> 00:26:02 Again so it's mainly the little
00:26:02 --> 00:26:05 things you start missing the most instead of the big things my
00:26:05 --> 00:26:08 mother she knew i was a very
00:26:08 --> 00:26:16 low emotional person really wasn't a big family person family reunions none
00:26:16 --> 00:26:21 of that you know i constantly told my mother you know once your funeral happens
00:26:21 --> 00:26:25 that's pretty much probably the only funeral i'll be going to and last time
00:26:25 --> 00:26:27 i'll talk to anybody in this family.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:34 And, you know, unfortunately, that prediction has come true.
00:26:34 --> 00:26:38 And that's costing a lot of, you know, her side of the family,
00:26:38 --> 00:26:42 you know, to kind of be angry at me.
00:26:42 --> 00:26:44 But that's another thing. I
00:26:44 --> 00:26:48 don't see how people are angry at you that you don't want to talk to them.
00:26:49 --> 00:26:54 Yeah. But I wish I could do anything just to bring her back.
00:26:54 --> 00:27:00 But, you know, I would say the faster you accept something that you can't control,
00:27:00 --> 00:27:02 the easier it'll be for yourself.
00:27:02 --> 00:27:08 Amen to that, brother. I understand. Like I said, it's just,
00:27:08 --> 00:27:14 you know, it's a tough thing. So I commend you.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:19 And one of the things that you have been doing is that, you know,
00:27:19 --> 00:27:24 when we had talked the last time the nonprofit was getting off the ground,
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 you had done a few events.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:31 I'm trying to think, had you written a book by the time we had seen each other?
00:27:31 --> 00:27:34 You were still working on the book. I think I'm trying to think when.
00:27:35 --> 00:27:38 It was i want to say it was like in 23 so
00:27:38 --> 00:27:41 it might have been right around when the book was coming out or
00:27:41 --> 00:27:48 something but yeah it was in 23 when you came 23 yeah yeah because i released
00:27:48 --> 00:27:52 so that was probably before i released the book on the one year anniversary
00:27:52 --> 00:27:59 yeah yeah okay yeah so i just so but you've been working on a non-profit talk
00:27:59 --> 00:28:01 talk to the audience about the non-profit.
00:28:02 --> 00:28:05 You know, what you've been doing, because you started off, you know,
00:28:05 --> 00:28:11 you had like a food drive, I think was the first thing that you did before you
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 even started a non-profit.
00:28:12 --> 00:28:17 You just felt you had to do something, and you had like a cookout and a food
00:28:17 --> 00:28:20 drive and all that, and then I think once you started a non-profit,
00:28:20 --> 00:28:23 the first thing you did was like a back-to-school day thing.
00:28:23 --> 00:28:27 So talk about how the non-profit has evolved and.
00:28:28 --> 00:28:35 You know, what kind of impact do you see the nonprofit doing in the area you're working in?
00:28:36 --> 00:28:39 It's definitely got bigger and bigger, larger and better.
00:28:39 --> 00:28:43 I remember that first event, you know, I had nobody who I could call,
00:28:43 --> 00:28:46 nobody to assist me, nobody to help me.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:53 Now, I'm fortunate enough, you know, I could call anybody right now and I can
00:28:53 --> 00:28:57 call our current new senator here in April, April Baskin.
00:28:58 --> 00:29:02 And it's a lot of a lot of political connections have been made a lot of,
00:29:03 --> 00:29:06 you know, some of the heads of the biggest, biggest, you know,
00:29:06 --> 00:29:10 companies and organizations was a for profit or nonprofit has been made.
00:29:10 --> 00:29:15 And I'm definitely thankful, thankful for this, even though it came from an
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 unfortunate situation.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:20 But, you know, this has caused me to do a lot of a lot of good here in the city,
00:29:21 --> 00:29:27 predominantly on the east side of Buffalo was a relating to our food drives, posing drives.
00:29:28 --> 00:29:32 We're partnering with another organization in which we're kind of going to take
00:29:32 --> 00:29:38 them under our umbrella in our mommy village, in which this is a maternal health
00:29:38 --> 00:29:41 organization headed by a doula,
00:29:41 --> 00:29:45 Shana Broughton, in which we assist mothers on their maternal health journey.
00:29:46 --> 00:29:49 And you know being around you know
00:29:49 --> 00:29:51 all those women are the doulas you know you
00:29:51 --> 00:29:55 hear you hear the constant discrimination and
00:29:55 --> 00:30:00 systemic racist practices that's you know causing deaths in a lot of black women
00:30:00 --> 00:30:05 one of the major you know statistics commonly told is you know a black mother
00:30:05 --> 00:30:10 going into a hospital pregnant is close to it's an 80 percent more chance she's
00:30:10 --> 00:30:14 more likely to die compared to her white counterparts.
00:30:14 --> 00:30:23 So I'm trying to have my hand in every aspect of the socioeconomic pie chart, as you can say,
00:30:23 --> 00:30:31 to assist those who unfortunately fail through the social safety net or those that nobody care about.
00:30:31 --> 00:30:35 Yeah. And you mentioned Senator Baskin.
00:30:36 --> 00:30:41 I've talked with her office. I think she's going to come on at some time, probably –.
00:30:43 --> 00:30:48 I know it's going to be after the session, and I got to get with her folks to
00:30:48 --> 00:30:53 make sure that they get a date because my dates are filling up as far as getting booked.
00:30:54 --> 00:30:59 And there's a sister here in Atlanta that's a doula that's agreed to come on the show.
00:30:59 --> 00:31:06 So I'm glad that you are taking an interest, and I keep up with Jillian.
00:31:06 --> 00:31:09 Do you and Jillian work together on anything?
00:31:10 --> 00:31:14 Oh, we work together here and there. we kind of run into two different,
00:31:14 --> 00:31:17 you know, things. She's more into the arts and media.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:21 I'm more into the behind the scenes stuff. But yeah, we're definitely close.
00:31:22 --> 00:31:26 You know, we, we message play each other, you know, with each other all the
00:31:26 --> 00:31:31 time to, you know, we constantly let, let each other know how proud we are of them.
00:31:31 --> 00:31:35 We did have an event together highlighting local black authors.
00:31:36 --> 00:31:40 Basically promoting our books and other friends of ours books as well.
00:31:41 --> 00:31:43 But we're definitely close now what was the
00:31:43 --> 00:31:46 lady's name was her name it starts with
00:31:46 --> 00:31:49 a z is it maxwell her last
00:31:49 --> 00:31:52 name they got uh she got elected to
00:31:52 --> 00:31:57 something oh zanetta everhart everhart i don't know where i got maxwell from
00:31:57 --> 00:32:03 yeah because her son was wounded tops so and she how she's doing good and and
00:32:03 --> 00:32:09 the son's doing good oh yeah both both are doing tremendously well obviously you You know,
00:32:09 --> 00:32:13 I really can't speak that much for a son, but, you know, if you're.
00:32:14 --> 00:32:18 No, if you got bullet fragments in you, you know, in shrap metal for the rest
00:32:18 --> 00:32:19 of your life after running,
00:32:19 --> 00:32:24 running from almost, you know, being assassinated by, you know,
00:32:24 --> 00:32:29 a racist, I'm pretty sure you're going to have some, some type of psychological
00:32:29 --> 00:32:32 trauma or issues, which, you know,
00:32:32 --> 00:32:35 I can never understand what that'll be like.
00:32:35 --> 00:32:38 So to my best to the
00:32:38 --> 00:32:41 best of my ability in which times i've hung out with
00:32:41 --> 00:32:44 him he you know he's definitely seen upbeat
00:32:44 --> 00:32:50 seen seen engaging but like you know all of us when he goes to his dark places
00:32:50 --> 00:32:54 when he's by himself you know i really can't can speak on what's in his mind
00:32:54 --> 00:33:01 with zanetta i definitely consider you know no me zanetta as zanetta told me
00:33:01 --> 00:33:03 i am one of one of her inner circle people,
00:33:04 --> 00:33:06 me and her, we have a great relationship.
00:33:06 --> 00:33:11 I consider her like a big sister, you know, slash mentor, you know,
00:33:11 --> 00:33:14 no, she has tried, you know, as well as the other victim,
00:33:15 --> 00:33:21 one of the victim's sons in there, Ruth Whitfield, which is the mother of Garnell Whitfield.
00:33:22 --> 00:33:26 Who's the former Buffalo police fire commissioner currently running for mayor
00:33:26 --> 00:33:27 here in the city of Buffalo,
00:33:27 --> 00:33:31 and I definitely consider them both mentors that I'm looking to,
00:33:31 --> 00:33:37 you know, try to tip, you know, tip my foot into the political atmosphere, see what I can do.
00:33:37 --> 00:33:44 Yeah, yeah, and I feel you about Zanetta's son, because,
00:33:44 --> 00:33:48 you know, like you said, you can't really know what's going on with anybody
00:33:48 --> 00:33:54 internally, but I'm glad to know that when you've seen him, he's been in a good way.
00:33:55 --> 00:34:01 So talk to me about, you know, we just rattling off individuals and stuff and
00:34:01 --> 00:34:02 you know them a lot more than I do.
00:34:03 --> 00:34:09 But how about the whole East Side? Because one of the issues that that you and
00:34:09 --> 00:34:15 Jillian had brought up about, you know, the struggles that were going on prior to the shooting.
00:34:17 --> 00:34:24 So what what impact what kind of progress has been made?
00:34:24 --> 00:34:30 Has there really been anything significant outside of what you're trying to
00:34:30 --> 00:34:34 do with your organization and, you know, the individuals we just mentioned,
00:34:34 --> 00:34:35 they're doing their part.
00:34:37 --> 00:34:42 But what's still going on? What's the challenges? Just kind of give me an update
00:34:42 --> 00:34:44 about what's going on in the Eastside.
00:34:45 --> 00:34:49 Same thing. To me, nothing has changed. We still, once again,
00:34:49 --> 00:34:50 have the highest cancer rates.
00:34:50 --> 00:34:56 We have the highest rates of preventable and critical diseases or illness,
00:34:56 --> 00:34:58 the highest rates of STDs,
00:34:59 --> 00:35:04 highest rates of black men with no type of high school diploma,
00:35:04 --> 00:35:07 no GED, worse educational rates.
00:35:08 --> 00:35:09 No, it's still the same.
00:35:10 --> 00:35:16 You know, I'm currently in the process of writing my new book titled,
00:35:16 --> 00:35:18 you know, Dreams from a Son.
00:35:18 --> 00:35:26 And I plan on the very first page I'm putting in how 514 arguably was the greatest
00:35:26 --> 00:35:32 thing to happen to the city of Buffalo because that is making a lot of people
00:35:32 --> 00:35:34 are eating and feeding their families from it.
00:35:35 --> 00:35:41 You know, every every gala you go to, every company organization, you go on their website.
00:35:42 --> 00:35:46 You know, this is what we've done, what we're doing because of 514.
00:35:46 --> 00:35:49 This is how we're helping the community because of 514.
00:35:50 --> 00:35:54 You have, you know, the Buffalo Bills here.
00:35:55 --> 00:35:58 I believe they're one of the biggest frauds and perpetrators here in the city.
00:35:59 --> 00:36:03 You know, they're selling these Stop Hate and Racism Choose Love shirts.
00:36:03 --> 00:36:08 They're selling these shirts to the community that was affected by somebody
00:36:08 --> 00:36:11 not in the community choosing Kate.
00:36:11 --> 00:36:20 Those shirts probably have generated, I'll say probably upwards to at least the six, seven figures.
00:36:20 --> 00:36:25 None of that money has really been reinvested onto the east side of Buffalo.
00:36:25 --> 00:36:30 You have a lot of, just a lot of companies getting grant money,
00:36:30 --> 00:36:35 you know, from Governor Kathy Hochul to invest on the east side of the Buffalo.
00:36:36 --> 00:36:41 But, you know, they're holding this money and they're giving out very, very sporadically.
00:36:41 --> 00:36:46 And I just find it ironic how you have, you know, some of these nonprofits here
00:36:46 --> 00:36:51 getting money, you know, from the state, from the county,
00:36:51 --> 00:36:57 money based off of the tragedy of 514 to help in the east side of Buffalo.
00:36:57 --> 00:37:02 Meanwhile, you have somebody directly affected from that event, from that tragedy.
00:37:03 --> 00:37:07 Who can't get any of this to help in a community he was born and raised.
00:37:07 --> 00:37:10 You have a lot of these at risk, you know,
00:37:11 --> 00:37:15 youth nonprofits to help people in these community that once again,
00:37:15 --> 00:37:16 don't look like you and I,
00:37:16 --> 00:37:21 the majority of these organizations are either spearheaded by,
00:37:21 --> 00:37:27 by white people or spearheaded by African Americans who aren't even from here.
00:37:27 --> 00:37:32 So what I was going to say was, I didn't mean to cut you off,
00:37:32 --> 00:37:36 but, But why do you why do you think that is?
00:37:36 --> 00:37:43 Because I know the people that we were talking about individually have said the same thing.
00:37:43 --> 00:37:47 And a couple of them are in positions where they they they are.
00:37:47 --> 00:37:53 They're in the institutions to try to shake some things up and guide some resources.
00:37:53 --> 00:37:58 But why do you think that these companies,
00:37:58 --> 00:38:05 you know, because like you mentioned, the bills, they make that a big deal anytime, you know,
00:38:05 --> 00:38:10 the team is mentioned, even if you follow hockey, even with the Sabres,
00:38:10 --> 00:38:16 they mentioned how they've invested in the community and even more so after 514.
00:38:18 --> 00:38:25 But, you know, you're on the ground working and you're not getting any of that benefit.
00:38:25 --> 00:38:29 Why do you think that is? Where do you think, who do you think the gatekeeper
00:38:29 --> 00:38:30 is, is basically what I'm asking.
00:38:31 --> 00:38:34 All right, quick story about the Sabres. The Sabres definitely have been keeping
00:38:34 --> 00:38:36 their word with everything.
00:38:36 --> 00:38:40 They've kept me in the loop regarding everything they do. They even asked for
00:38:40 --> 00:38:44 my assistance on the east side of Buffalo, and they've definitely sponsored
00:38:44 --> 00:38:47 and donated to me with stuff I've had.
00:38:47 --> 00:38:51 With the Buffalo Bills, they kicked me off the field at the home opener after
00:38:51 --> 00:38:57 5-14 because I wouldn't wear the shirts in which they was having a tribute to
00:38:57 --> 00:39:00 honor those lost during 5-14. Yeah, I remember that.
00:39:01 --> 00:39:04 But regarding the gatekeepers in the city, it's...
00:39:05 --> 00:39:10 I just say it's either the older people that don't want to, you know,
00:39:10 --> 00:39:15 pass the baton back or it's people that, you know, they have the money.
00:39:16 --> 00:39:20 You know, if I'm worth, if my organization is worth, you know,
00:39:20 --> 00:39:24 $10 million, $15 million, $20 million, you know, why should I give you any?
00:39:24 --> 00:39:29 They want to keep, you know, helping out their shareholders,
00:39:30 --> 00:39:31 keep helping out their board members.
00:39:31 --> 00:39:35 That's why people really didn't feel feel
00:39:35 --> 00:39:38 that sorry for the you know the gentleman who was
00:39:38 --> 00:39:42 assassinated the united united health care worker who was assassinated is definitely
00:39:42 --> 00:39:48 an unfortunate situation that his family has to go through with this but people
00:39:48 --> 00:39:53 are just getting tired you start finding out the things you know that came to
00:39:53 --> 00:39:57 light and on record from what they did and what our other insurance companies are doing.
00:39:57 --> 00:40:03 People are just getting tired of being tired and feeling tired when you have,
00:40:04 --> 00:40:07 you know, just look how Donald Trump became the pregnant, became president.
00:40:08 --> 00:40:13 He was just a rich white man who woke up one day, said, I feel like running for president.
00:40:13 --> 00:40:18 You have Elon Musk, no, no political career whatsoever.
00:40:19 --> 00:40:22 Now he's the de facto head person of
00:40:22 --> 00:40:27 a department that he created yeah so
00:40:27 --> 00:40:30 do you think do you think the a lot
00:40:30 --> 00:40:33 of this stuff because some of the a lot of this stuff was happening before
00:40:33 --> 00:40:38 514 you and others have mentioned that but do you think the current state of
00:40:38 --> 00:40:44 politics has made it worse is it going to be harder for you to get the money
00:40:44 --> 00:40:52 is it going to be harder for you to to to utilize people like senator Baskin and, and others to, to,
00:40:53 --> 00:40:57 to get the help that the East side needs.
00:40:57 --> 00:41:01 I mean, it's kind of, you know, you, you're, you're a very straightforward brother.
00:41:02 --> 00:41:07 So you don't, you know, you know when to turn on the charm when you got to do it.
00:41:07 --> 00:41:11 But when it comes to telling how you really feel, you, you, you lay it out there.
00:41:12 --> 00:41:17 So just kind of tell me what, what do you think is happening now in the current
00:41:17 --> 00:41:21 state of politics that is going to be a problem for you to do what you need
00:41:21 --> 00:41:23 to do to help your people.
00:41:24 --> 00:41:25 I mean, I don't like.
00:41:27 --> 00:41:30 I don't want to say chucking and jiving because it's not that,
00:41:30 --> 00:41:36 but I don't want to be caught in this political, you know, facade,
00:41:36 --> 00:41:41 you know, having to be around people who I know they're not going to do nothing.
00:41:41 --> 00:41:45 They're not going to be able to assist me. Fortunately, I know personally,
00:41:46 --> 00:41:48 April Baskin isn't one of those people.
00:41:48 --> 00:41:53 But at the end of the day, you know, the city of Buffalo, I believe,
00:41:53 --> 00:41:59 you know, we're negative 50 or 60 million dollars in debt for this for this
00:41:59 --> 00:42:02 fiscal year based off reports for last fiscal year.
00:42:03 --> 00:42:07 And you obviously got, you know, the current administration and presidency trying
00:42:07 --> 00:42:11 to even slash, you know, the federal budget even more.
00:42:12 --> 00:42:15 So it's how. You know, there.
00:42:15 --> 00:42:20 Oh, it's hard to sell me. I can make lemon juice when you give me some,
00:42:20 --> 00:42:22 you know, some dried out lemons.
00:42:23 --> 00:42:29 If they give you any lemons at all. Exactly. Even if I get them. Yeah, I feel.
00:42:29 --> 00:42:39 Well, I know you enough where I know you're going to make the best out of that situation.
00:42:40 --> 00:42:44 I know because it's not going to be easy anywhere.
00:42:45 --> 00:42:52 You know, but I just, you know, it's like there are people that you root for. Right.
00:42:52 --> 00:42:59 And in my life, you're one of those folks because I was rooting from you afar
00:42:59 --> 00:43:02 when you reached out to me and said, hey, brother, I want to come on your show.
00:43:04 --> 00:43:07 And, you know, I was really humbled by that,
00:43:08 --> 00:43:16 you know, and then to get to talk to you and meet you in person and understand
00:43:16 --> 00:43:21 what, you know, some of the things that drive you, it's hard not to root for you.
00:43:22 --> 00:43:26 So I want people to feel the same way I do about you.
00:43:27 --> 00:43:32 I want them to get behind you and the work that you're doing and to not forget.
00:43:32 --> 00:43:38 It's one thing to always, because we live in a society where we always are attracted
00:43:38 --> 00:43:40 to the shiny thing in front of us.
00:43:40 --> 00:43:46 And that's why I was trying to do something different instead of waiting until
00:43:46 --> 00:43:50 May to get you on like everybody else is going to try to do.
00:43:50 --> 00:43:55 I wanted to get you on whenever you wanted to come on and just kind of give
00:43:55 --> 00:44:00 a real update about what's happening. And so as always with any guest I have.
00:44:02 --> 00:44:07 I give them a moment to promote what they're doing, but especially with you,
00:44:07 --> 00:44:11 I want the listeners to do what they can to help you out.
00:44:11 --> 00:44:17 So tell the folks again about Agents for Advocacy, give the whole spiel,
00:44:17 --> 00:44:20 how people can reach you, how people can donate, all that stuff.
00:44:21 --> 00:44:26 Absolutely. Right here, if you want to go donate, you can go on our website,
00:44:26 --> 00:44:29 agentsforadvocacy.org and donate via PayPal.
00:44:29 --> 00:44:35 Now, our organization, we're committed to trying to spread awareness on socioeconomic
00:44:35 --> 00:44:40 inequality, along with systemic racism, and basically showcase that,
00:44:40 --> 00:44:42 you know, no matter where you're from,
00:44:42 --> 00:44:47 no matter your environment, you should be entitled to the same resources as,
00:44:47 --> 00:44:51 like, same resources as currently bearing Trump right now.
00:44:51 --> 00:44:55 And unfortunately, we live in a day and age where, you know,
00:44:55 --> 00:45:03 the idea of meritocracy is just that it's an idea sold to people at the bottom
00:45:03 --> 00:45:05 to keep working hard to get to the top,
00:45:05 --> 00:45:10 although the people at the top will cut them off by the time they get to the middle.
00:45:11 --> 00:45:14 So what I'm basically doing right now is trying to help everybody,
00:45:15 --> 00:45:20 you know, not necessarily under me, but, you know, people who come from where
00:45:20 --> 00:45:24 I come from, people who are in the same situation as me.
00:45:24 --> 00:45:27 So I'm trying to help a lot of at-risk youth.
00:45:27 --> 00:45:32 I'm definitely fortunate. And then I just got a position as a justice juvenile
00:45:32 --> 00:45:39 director in which I'm trying to help, you know, the bottom of the bottom at risk.
00:45:39 --> 00:45:45 Those who already have no charges pending probation, those who know they're
00:45:45 --> 00:45:52 there as a false step away from being locked up in county jail or prison for a long, long time.
00:45:53 --> 00:45:57 These are the people I'm trying to help. I'm trying to help the 17-year-old
00:45:57 --> 00:46:03 maternal woman who unfortunately had sex one time, got pregnant,
00:46:03 --> 00:46:05 and the father just skipped town.
00:46:05 --> 00:46:11 I'm trying to help these people. Unfortunately, society deems that you should
00:46:11 --> 00:46:14 just forget about them and move on.
00:46:14 --> 00:46:22 And you have a lot of nonprofits like this doing the work that the government should do.
00:46:22 --> 00:46:27 So, you know, it was just on the news how a woman's kids froze to death in Detroit
00:46:27 --> 00:46:33 because the mobile response team didn't get back to her in time when she was
00:46:33 --> 00:46:35 calling for two straight days.
00:46:36 --> 00:46:42 So, unfortunately, you see a lot of stuff like this and you hear a lot of stuff
00:46:42 --> 00:46:45 like this when you're out doing all the work in the community.
00:46:46 --> 00:46:51 And I know myself, I know Jillian, I know there's plenty of young people.
00:46:52 --> 00:46:56 I don't think we can call ourselves young no more. I saw on Facebook,
00:46:56 --> 00:46:57 they say, well, she's 35.
00:46:58 --> 00:47:02 Once you're 35, you graduated to big bro slash um. So I can't be,
00:47:03 --> 00:47:06 I don't think I'm considered young no more.
00:47:06 --> 00:47:10 But we're trying to help those people forget about. Yeah.
00:47:11 --> 00:47:15 Yeah, well, Mark Talley, I know you're going to do it. Thank you.
00:47:16 --> 00:47:20 I know your heart's in the right place. You've been very, very transparent.
00:47:21 --> 00:47:25 Even before you wrote your book, when you first wrote your biography,
00:47:25 --> 00:47:27 they kind of get it out there.
00:47:27 --> 00:47:31 I mean, you were you you were very transparent, even in that bio.
00:47:32 --> 00:47:37 So, you know, I know where your heart is. I just want you to keep fighting.
00:47:38 --> 00:47:41 You know, it's not going to be easy. It never has been.
00:47:42 --> 00:47:45 I just turned 60. and you
00:47:45 --> 00:47:48 see that my hair didn't gave up on the fight but I haven't so
00:47:48 --> 00:47:52 you know just just keep doing what you're doing brother anytime you want to
00:47:52 --> 00:47:57 come on and and use me as a platform you're more than welcome to do that and
00:47:57 --> 00:48:02 I keep praying one day God's gonna give me my wish that I'm gonna get out there
00:48:02 --> 00:48:07 and actually get on the ground myself and see what's going on in Buffalo but,
00:48:07 --> 00:48:13 until then you stand guard and do what you gotta do and and keep doing the work
00:48:13 --> 00:48:14 brother it's always good to talk to you.
00:48:15 --> 00:48:19 Likewise, sir. Thank you so much. Definitely appreciate having me on your platform.
00:48:19 --> 00:48:37 All right, guys. We're going to catch y'all on the other side. We'll be right back.
00:48:21 --> 00:48:41 Music.
00:48:41 --> 00:48:47 All right, and we are back. So now it is time for my next guest, Mike Nellis.
00:48:47 --> 00:48:52 Mike Nellis is an entrepreneur and marketing expert who has raised over a billion
00:48:52 --> 00:48:58 dollars in low-dollar online donations for political campaigns and social impact organizations.
00:48:59 --> 00:49:04 He owns Authentic, an award-winning marketing agency that specializes in online
00:49:04 --> 00:49:07 fundraising, paid media, and creative design.
00:49:07 --> 00:49:15 Last year, he founded Quiller.ai, a new tech startup that is using generative
00:49:15 --> 00:49:20 AI to revolutionize online fundraising for social impact causes.
00:49:20 --> 00:49:27 Quiller.ai was named Startup of the Year by Campaign Tech and AI Efficiency
00:49:27 --> 00:49:30 of the Year by Adweek in 2023.
00:49:30 --> 00:49:37 Mike was named Strategist of the Year by the Shorty Impact Awards in 2024.
00:49:37 --> 00:49:42 Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to have as a guest
00:49:42 --> 00:49:46 on this podcast, Mike Nellis.
00:49:47 --> 00:49:58 Music.
00:49:58 --> 00:50:02 Mike Nellis. How are you doing, sir? You doing good? I'm good. How are you, Eric?
00:50:02 --> 00:50:08 Well, I am honored to have you on, man. You have been a hot commodity during
00:50:08 --> 00:50:13 the election, previous election, and immediately afterwards.
00:50:13 --> 00:50:18 So when you agreed to come on, I was really, really humbled and honored that you would do that.
00:50:19 --> 00:50:22 Well, I appreciate that. And I just kind of, well, yes, sir.
00:50:22 --> 00:50:26 And I just wanted to kind of pick your brain a little bit about where we are
00:50:26 --> 00:50:29 and more and more about you.
00:50:30 --> 00:50:36 Because the interviews I've seen of you, people just pick your brain, right?
00:50:36 --> 00:50:40 And kind of get you fired up about stuff. But I want people,
00:50:40 --> 00:50:43 the audience to kind of know a little bit about who you are, right?
00:50:44 --> 00:50:51 And, you know, as we go through, you know, you can let people know your knowledge and all that stuff.
00:50:51 --> 00:50:58 So I like to, you know, So I'm a consultant teacher by heart.
00:50:58 --> 00:51:04 And so I like to do icebreakers and stuff. Okay. So my first icebreaker is a quote.
00:51:04 --> 00:51:08 And I want you to respond to this quote. It is all on you.
00:51:09 --> 00:51:13 No one is coming to save you. No one will fix your problems.
00:51:13 --> 00:51:15 No one will change your mindsets.
00:51:15 --> 00:51:20 No one will hand you the things you want in life. It's just you. It's all on you.
00:51:21 --> 00:51:24 There's a power in that. What does that quote mean to you?
00:51:25 --> 00:51:27 I mean, I think that's a great, great quote. I say it all the time.
00:51:28 --> 00:51:31 So I really, I do truly believe no one is coming to save you.
00:51:31 --> 00:51:37 And I think that a lot of people are waiting for someone to make their life happen for them.
00:51:37 --> 00:51:41 And I think I fell into that trap for the first part of my adult life where
00:51:41 --> 00:51:42 I kind of waited for people to fix my problems.
00:51:42 --> 00:51:46 I mean, if nobody knows anything about me, I used to weigh like 600 pounds.
00:51:46 --> 00:51:49 I used to struggle with depression and anxiety, some suicidal ideation.
00:51:49 --> 00:51:52 And I kind of like put those things past me. And a big part of it was sort of
00:51:52 --> 00:51:56 learning the difference between fault and responsibility.
00:51:56 --> 00:51:59 And in the first half of my career, I spent a lot of time blaming everybody
00:51:59 --> 00:52:01 and everything for every problem that I had in my life.
00:52:01 --> 00:52:05 And then I sort of realized through help and therapy and support from my friends
00:52:05 --> 00:52:08 and my wife that I'm responsible for everything that happens in my life.
00:52:08 --> 00:52:11 And so I kind of take radical responsibility for everything.
00:52:11 --> 00:52:15 And I think in this climate that we're in with everything that's going on in
00:52:15 --> 00:52:18 Washington, where things are deeply uncomfortable for a lot of people and a
00:52:18 --> 00:52:18 lot of people are getting hurt.
00:52:19 --> 00:52:22 People are looking for one big idea
00:52:22 --> 00:52:25 or one big personality or one democratic politician to
00:52:25 --> 00:52:27 step up and save us and nobody's coming to save any
00:52:27 --> 00:52:30 of us like it's going to be a million little acts of
00:52:30 --> 00:52:34 resistance that get us through the next four years and it's going to be stuff
00:52:34 --> 00:52:37 that gets remembered and stuff that doesn't it's going to be big moments on
00:52:37 --> 00:52:40 tv it's going to be things that are completely forgotten in your community and
00:52:40 --> 00:52:44 i think we need everybody to step up in their little corner of the world and
00:52:44 --> 00:52:47 i think that plays out in every aspect of my life and i imagine for yours too
00:52:47 --> 00:52:50 eric if you're bringing up that quote. Yeah.
00:52:51 --> 00:52:55 So my last, well, my next little icebreaker is I want you to give me a number
00:52:55 --> 00:52:59 between one and 20. All right, 10.
00:53:00 --> 00:53:02 All right. Here's your question. All right.
00:53:03 --> 00:53:09 What one fact do you wish people who voted differently than you in the last election knew?
00:53:09 --> 00:53:14 Either about how you vote, about the current state of the world, about anything.
00:53:14 --> 00:53:18 That an individual voter was bringing to the polling booth. Yeah.
00:53:18 --> 00:53:21 That's what you want to know? A little confused question. Okay.
00:53:23 --> 00:53:29 I mean, I'm someone who's very lucky to have worked closely with Kamala Harris in the past.
00:53:29 --> 00:53:32 I didn't work on this last presidential election, but I worked for her for five
00:53:32 --> 00:53:35 years before that and was a senior advisor to her for a while.
00:53:35 --> 00:53:41 I wish people just knew what a great person that she was, that she was in this for the right reasons.
00:53:41 --> 00:53:46 And I mean, look, I'm an old, I'm now, I mean, I'm not old, I'm 37,
00:53:46 --> 00:53:48 but I'm an old Paul Wellstone Democrat.
00:53:48 --> 00:53:52 Like I really believe that politics should be about the betterment of people's
00:53:52 --> 00:53:55 lives and that every action we take should be about putting a little bit more
00:53:55 --> 00:53:58 money in people's pockets, helping them retire, helping them live their lives.
00:53:59 --> 00:54:03 And we've gotten so far away from that in every aspect of our politics, whether it's Trump.
00:54:04 --> 00:54:05 And I also think the Democratic Party has gotten away from that,
00:54:05 --> 00:54:07 too. I think we have a lot of soul searching that we have to do.
00:54:08 --> 00:54:11 But Kamala, I think, was always in it for the right reasons.
00:54:11 --> 00:54:14 Like when she woke up in the morning, she was trying to help people.
00:54:14 --> 00:54:18 She was trying to do it the right way. And maybe she wasn't the right candidate for the right moment.
00:54:18 --> 00:54:21 Certainly the American people didn't feel that way because we lost the popular
00:54:21 --> 00:54:22 vote in the electoral college.
00:54:22 --> 00:54:25 But I wish people knew that she was a genuinely decent person that was trying
00:54:25 --> 00:54:27 to do the right thing for everybody every single day.
00:54:28 --> 00:54:32 And I also wish they knew that Donald Trump doesn't give two shits about them
00:54:32 --> 00:54:33 because he only cares about himself.
00:54:33 --> 00:54:38 And the fact that a lot of people don't know that in this country irks me to this day.
00:54:39 --> 00:54:47 So how did you get started in politics? I was 18 and wanted to change the world.
00:54:48 --> 00:54:51 And I was in college. And frankly, I was struggling in college because I didn't
00:54:51 --> 00:54:53 really understand the value of anything that I was learning.
00:54:53 --> 00:54:56 I literally flunked out of a music appreciation class.
00:54:57 --> 00:55:01 And on the day that it was actually a year ago last week, or excuse me, was it?
00:55:01 --> 00:55:05 It was 20 years ago last week. Excuse me. I saw Barack Obama's announcement
00:55:05 --> 00:55:08 speech on the state on the steps of the state capitol in Illinois when he was running for president.
00:55:09 --> 00:55:11 And he said something like, I'm heading off to Iowa. We're going to win the
00:55:11 --> 00:55:13 Iowa caucus and I hope to see you there.
00:55:13 --> 00:55:17 And I got in my red Ford pickup truck and I drove all the way out to,
00:55:17 --> 00:55:21 I want to say it was Morningside Community College, but I'm not 100% sure that
00:55:21 --> 00:55:22 was actually where it was.
00:55:23 --> 00:55:25 First, first rally. And I showed up like a couple hours early and I said,
00:55:25 --> 00:55:28 I want to, I want to help. Can I be helpful?
00:55:28 --> 00:55:31 And the staff there were overwhelmed and didn't have enough people to help.
00:55:31 --> 00:55:35 So they gave me stuff to do. I think I was setting up folding chairs and putting
00:55:35 --> 00:55:38 media credentials together and stuff like that. And basically for the last 20
00:55:38 --> 00:55:39 years, people have been giving me stuff to do.
00:55:40 --> 00:55:45 And my motivations for that were pretty simple. Like one, I really oppose the Iraq war.
00:55:45 --> 00:55:47 I think at the heart of everything that I care about, you know,
00:55:47 --> 00:55:49 I just, I don't, I don't want the government doing stupid stuff.
00:55:50 --> 00:55:54 And I, it's really simple, but I don't want the government doing stupid wars
00:55:54 --> 00:55:57 in the Middle East and getting people killed, you know, both at home and abroad
00:55:57 --> 00:55:59 that don't deserve it. I think government should work for the people.
00:56:00 --> 00:56:03 And I didn't think the economy was set up in a very big way.
00:56:03 --> 00:56:06 I mean, at the time, Republicans had been trying to cut Social Security and Medicare.
00:56:06 --> 00:56:09 And had failed. They're trying to do that again now because it's what they always
00:56:09 --> 00:56:12 do when they take power. And I don't think that's in the best interest of the American people.
00:56:13 --> 00:56:15 And, you know, those were the things I really, I really cared about then.
00:56:15 --> 00:56:19 And I saw that in Barack Obama and I thought we had a chance to do something special. And we did.
00:56:20 --> 00:56:22 I got to be part of something, a very small part of something really special.
00:56:22 --> 00:56:30 Yeah well you were you you had it easy i i would say because you were you were
00:56:30 --> 00:56:36 you were on staff i was actually on the ballot in 08 so i was i was running
00:56:36 --> 00:56:39 for the u.s senate in mississippi.
00:56:39 --> 00:56:44 But i felt the same way about the enthusiasm and all that and even though i
00:56:44 --> 00:56:50 didn't win the fact that he won was a magical moment and and i'll never forget
00:56:50 --> 00:56:51 that experience as long as i Yeah.
00:56:52 --> 00:56:56 And listen, I don't know anything about your run, but I thank you for running
00:56:56 --> 00:57:00 because we don't have enough people that are willing to step up and put their name on a ballot.
00:57:00 --> 00:57:04 And that's a hard thing to do. Like I worked for Mike Espy when he ran for Senate
00:57:04 --> 00:57:08 in Mississippi. And I think the world of Mike and wish that he had he had won.
00:57:08 --> 00:57:11 But it's hard to get up there. And I'm sure that there are other people down
00:57:11 --> 00:57:15 ballot that won because of you and the investments that you made.
00:57:15 --> 00:57:18 And like, that's a lot of time and effort and energy. So you should you should
00:57:18 --> 00:57:19 be proud of that. I hope you are.
00:57:20 --> 00:57:24 Yeah So just to kind of show the age difference,
00:57:25 --> 00:57:33 Mike Espy first ran for Congress in 1986, and I was a senior in college.
00:57:35 --> 00:57:37 And I had not been born yet.
00:57:40 --> 00:57:46 Just so you understand the generational thing. But why did you choose fundraising
00:57:46 --> 00:57:48 as the best use of your talents in the political arena?
00:57:49 --> 00:57:54 You know, it's honestly by accident. But I so I was never actually on staff
00:57:54 --> 00:57:58 on Obama. I was like an unpaid volunteer. I think they called me like a fellow or something.
00:57:58 --> 00:58:01 So kudos to them for getting me to work for free for a really long time.
00:58:01 --> 00:58:06 My first paying job was on a Senate race in Nebraska, which is where I was from. I grew up in Omaha.
00:58:07 --> 00:58:11 And I remember being in the room and somebody was like, hey,
00:58:11 --> 00:58:13 the Obama campaign raises a lot of money online.
00:58:13 --> 00:58:17 I wonder if you can raise money online and for the Senate campaign.
00:58:17 --> 00:58:19 And they were like, does anybody want to figure it out? And I was a finance assistant.
00:58:19 --> 00:58:22 My job was, and I love the candidate. His name was Scott Klebb.
00:58:22 --> 00:58:23 He was an awesome candidate. it.
00:58:23 --> 00:58:27 My job was like to make sure that he made his phone calls and then I could give
00:58:27 --> 00:58:28 him his like chew because he loved chewing tobacco.
00:58:29 --> 00:58:32 And I hated the job. I was really bad at it. I didn't want to do it.
00:58:32 --> 00:58:35 And so I raised my hand. I was like, I couldn't have been more than 19.
00:58:35 --> 00:58:37 I was like 19, 20 raised my hand. I was like, I'll figure it out.
00:58:37 --> 00:58:38 I'll figure out how to raise money online.
00:58:38 --> 00:58:44 And we raised what then was a lot of money. It was like $300 or $400 or something like that.
00:58:44 --> 00:58:49 And people were blown away by the work that I did. And now I've had days where
00:58:49 --> 00:58:50 I've raised millions of dollars now.
00:58:50 --> 00:58:53 So it's just such a weird whiplash when I think about it.
00:58:53 --> 00:58:57 And then just sort of parlayed that into getting a job at a consulting firm
00:58:57 --> 00:59:00 in the next election that wanted me to build out their digital fundraising apparatus.
00:59:00 --> 00:59:04 And I worked for my very first actual client was a woman named Elaine Marshall,
00:59:04 --> 00:59:07 who's still the Secretary of State in North Carolina.
00:59:07 --> 00:59:10 And she ran for Senate and we raised.
00:59:10 --> 00:59:14 Like one or two, 1.2 or $1.4 million or something like that,
00:59:14 --> 00:59:16 which was at the time the most money that had ever been raised for a Senate campaign.
00:59:16 --> 00:59:20 And it was just an incredible ride. And so I've just continued to kind of be
00:59:20 --> 00:59:23 one of the folks who've been trying to pioneer digital fundraising.
00:59:23 --> 00:59:26 And what's kind of sad about the industry to me is, you know,
00:59:26 --> 00:59:31 I run a firm, it's called Authentic, and we try to run programs that treat people
00:59:31 --> 00:59:35 with respect and, you know, sort of find the thing that
00:59:35 --> 00:59:38 makes our clients different and helps them resonate with people,
00:59:38 --> 00:59:41 whether it be like how they talk, what their personality traits are, what they care about.
00:59:42 --> 00:59:45 And we spend a lot of time trying to build programs that we can be proud of.
00:59:45 --> 00:59:48 And as everybody who's listening to this has seen, like digital fundraising
00:59:48 --> 00:59:52 in both parties and in the nonprofit space, completely out of control.
00:59:52 --> 00:59:55 And so there's a lot of people doing very shady things. There's a ton of scam
00:59:55 --> 00:59:58 packs that are out there trying to basically steal money from elderly people.
00:59:59 --> 01:00:04 And to me, it's super sad. But I'm kind of proud that I get to be part of an
01:00:04 --> 01:00:06 apparatus that raises a lot of money and helps to win a lot of,
01:00:06 --> 01:00:08 helps to win a lot of elections, but we do it the right way,
01:00:09 --> 01:00:10 in my opinion, at least more often than not.
01:00:11 --> 01:00:18 Yeah. So give me your, you, you kind of talked about Vice President Harris as
01:00:18 --> 01:00:24 a person, kind of give me your assessment about this last campaign.
01:00:24 --> 01:00:30 Yeah. I know you said that you weren't on the staff per se, but you were raising
01:00:30 --> 01:00:32 money for her and other folks.
01:00:33 --> 01:00:39 And you, you know, you've been in enough campaigns where you can kind of give a educated critique.
01:00:40 --> 01:00:43 What, what was, what's your assessment about what happened?
01:00:44 --> 01:00:47 Yeah. These are, these are the conversations that usually get me in trouble
01:00:47 --> 01:00:49 because I'm going to be really honest about what I think happened in this last
01:00:49 --> 01:00:52 election and why we lost the first thing.
01:00:52 --> 01:00:55 And to me, it's the, it's the original sin of this election.
01:00:55 --> 01:00:58 And it needs to be said, Joe Biden should never have run for reelection.
01:00:58 --> 01:01:02 He just should not have. And I think it was a strategic mistake by him and the
01:01:02 --> 01:01:04 people around him to pursue running for re-election.
01:01:04 --> 01:01:08 And I can't imagine how hard it is to walk away from being president of the United States.
01:01:08 --> 01:01:12 And I really do believe that Joe Biden was a good president and is an American
01:01:12 --> 01:01:15 patriot, but it was a strategic mistake.
01:01:15 --> 01:01:21 And because of that, we did not have a year, year and a half to fully vet and
01:01:21 --> 01:01:24 identify a nominee for that.
01:01:24 --> 01:01:26 And I believe that had we done that, Kamala Harris would have been the nominee,
01:01:26 --> 01:01:29 most likely, but we would have had a full field and there would have been an
01:01:29 --> 01:01:30 opportunity for growth.
01:01:30 --> 01:01:34 And a lot of Democratic strategists are afraid of primaries because you have
01:01:34 --> 01:01:36 to spend a bunch of money and you have to spend a bunch of time.
01:01:36 --> 01:01:41 But I think that primaries forge better candidates. And I think they give the
01:01:41 --> 01:01:43 people an opportunity to lift up a candidate that they want.
01:01:43 --> 01:01:46 And if you look at the two times we lost to Donald Trump.
01:01:46 --> 01:01:49 We didn't really have very serious full fields of candidates.
01:01:50 --> 01:01:53 We just didn't. The last time we really had one, obviously we had one in 2020,
01:01:53 --> 01:01:54 which elevated Joe Biden.
01:01:55 --> 01:01:58 And any critique of the 2020 presidential election, like Joe Biden won that primary.
01:01:58 --> 01:02:01 There's no, like Bernie Sanders lost it. I know a lot of people get frustrated
01:02:01 --> 01:02:03 with Bernie and I love Bernie. I worked for him in 16.
01:02:04 --> 01:02:08 But the last time we had like a full field one in the way we're going to have
01:02:08 --> 01:02:13 in two years was 2007, 2008, where we elevated Barack Obama and gave people
01:02:13 --> 01:02:14 like a full opportunity to do that.
01:02:14 --> 01:02:18 So we need to do that again, because I think when we don't do that and we do
01:02:18 --> 01:02:19 a disservice to the party,
01:02:19 --> 01:02:22 because not only do the candidates get better by going through that process,
01:02:22 --> 01:02:26 the campaigns get better and the operatives and the technology and the strategies
01:02:26 --> 01:02:31 that we use get better, too, because now you have 20 people out there with relatively
01:02:31 --> 01:02:33 large budgets going out there and innovating.
01:02:33 --> 01:02:36 And we didn't have that this last time. So there was a lot less innovation than
01:02:36 --> 01:02:39 you would expect, a lot less tech innovation in particular. And I think that's a mistake.
01:02:40 --> 01:02:44 Now, once you get to the moment that Joe Biden drops out and Kamala Harris has
01:02:44 --> 01:02:48 100 days to field an entire presidential election, I don't think it was a perfect
01:02:48 --> 01:02:51 campaign. And I think I see people out there that are like, it was perfect. It was flawless.
01:02:51 --> 01:02:54 It wasn't. There's no such thing as a perfect campaign, but it was it was pretty damn good.
01:02:55 --> 01:02:59 And if you looked at the at the polling information before Kamala became the
01:02:59 --> 01:03:01 nominee, we were on track to get killed.
01:03:02 --> 01:03:05 Especially after the debate. But even before that, we were in trouble and we
01:03:05 --> 01:03:08 were on track to lose states like New Mexico and New Jersey.
01:03:08 --> 01:03:13 New York was on a razor's edge because people were really upset about inflation
01:03:13 --> 01:03:16 and the border and some other issues that are lingering out there.
01:03:16 --> 01:03:19 And I think what the Harris campaign was able to do in a very short period of
01:03:19 --> 01:03:21 time was make the race incredibly competitive.
01:03:22 --> 01:03:26 And I'm a little bit tired of listening to Donald Trump, and he was tweeting
01:03:26 --> 01:03:29 about it today, saying he won in a landslide. He did not win in a landslide.
01:03:30 --> 01:03:33 180 people vote differently in three states and Kamala Harris is the nominee right now.
01:03:33 --> 01:03:37 We were actually shockingly close, in my opinion, to Kamala Harris winning the
01:03:37 --> 01:03:40 electoral college and losing the popular vote, which I think would have been
01:03:40 --> 01:03:44 very destabilizing for the country because the right would not have accepted that result.
01:03:45 --> 01:03:48 But it was really close. Now, he won all the battleground states,
01:03:48 --> 01:03:50 but also he lost all the battleground states four years ago.
01:03:51 --> 01:03:54 And nobody said that Joe Biden won in a landslide four years ago because it was also really close.
01:03:54 --> 01:03:58 So I just don't, I don't think they like fumble. I could sort of sit here and
01:03:58 --> 01:04:01 go, I would have done this differently with hindsight, or I could play Monday morning quarterback.
01:04:02 --> 01:04:05 Like for instance, one of the, one of the people that you hear say that,
01:04:05 --> 01:04:08 you know, Connell here should have gone on Joe Rogan. I do really believe that.
01:04:08 --> 01:04:09 I think she should have done that.
01:04:09 --> 01:04:12 I think they should have done more alternative media like that, but they didn't.
01:04:13 --> 01:04:14 I don't know that it would have made a difference, but again,
01:04:14 --> 01:04:17 it was close. So you don't know what would have made the difference or wouldn't
01:04:17 --> 01:04:19 have made the difference, but I thought it was a good campaign overall,
01:04:20 --> 01:04:20 given the circumstances.
01:04:21 --> 01:04:25 Yeah. Yeah, and that's my assessment, too. Given the time frame,
01:04:25 --> 01:04:30 she did a lot of stuff that nobody else could have done.
01:04:30 --> 01:04:36 I can't imagine anybody else raising a billion dollars in 100-some days to run
01:04:36 --> 01:04:37 for President of the United States.
01:04:38 --> 01:04:45 I mean, those are the kind of numbers that you do after 18 months of campaigning
01:04:45 --> 01:04:48 and working hard and building a base.
01:04:48 --> 01:04:52 And like you say, building a profile where people are comfortable in saying,
01:04:52 --> 01:04:55 OK, these are the two options that we have. Right.
01:04:56 --> 01:05:00 I do think that Biden. Sorry, go ahead, Eric.
01:05:00 --> 01:05:03 No, you were going to say what? I mean, I think it's I think it's possible we
01:05:03 --> 01:05:04 could have fielded another candidate.
01:05:04 --> 01:05:06 I don't know that the campaign would have been as strong, but it would have
01:05:06 --> 01:05:08 been riskier, I think, to do that.
01:05:08 --> 01:05:11 And I mean, it was worth having that conversation, you know,
01:05:11 --> 01:05:14 six months ago when it happened. But at this point, it's just sort of it's sort
01:05:14 --> 01:05:16 of over. But the actual original sin was the Joe.
01:05:16 --> 01:05:19 And again, God love him, just should not have run for reelection,
01:05:19 --> 01:05:21 just not in the state that he was in. And that's that's a mistake.
01:05:22 --> 01:05:26 Well, I mean, and that goes back to the old saying, pride comes before the fall, right?
01:05:26 --> 01:05:34 100%. Because he will go to his grave saying, I'm the only person that could
01:05:34 --> 01:05:37 have beat Donald Trump, and I'm the only person that beat Donald Trump.
01:05:37 --> 01:05:41 And so that was always in his mindset.
01:05:41 --> 01:05:45 And it's just somebody who has wanted to be president as long as he wanted to
01:05:45 --> 01:05:47 be, and he finally got it.
01:05:48 --> 01:05:53 It was kind of hard to shake that from him. And if it wasn't for that debate
01:05:53 --> 01:06:01 performance, which if I was the president, I would have canceled because he wasn't feeling well.
01:06:01 --> 01:06:04 He had just come back from a major diplomatic trip in Europe.
01:06:05 --> 01:06:07 He had every reason to say, you know what?
01:06:07 --> 01:06:12 Yeah, I'm not going to do it because I'm the incumbent. I don't have to debate you.
01:06:13 --> 01:06:16 Everybody knows who you are. Everybody knows who I am. And we just keep it moving.
01:06:16 --> 01:06:19 But he could have played that card and maybe.
01:06:20 --> 01:06:24 But then, like you said, you know, it would have been a I think it would have
01:06:24 --> 01:06:26 been a worse result, too, as far as the numbers go. Yeah.
01:06:27 --> 01:06:31 But anyway. But the reverse side of that, though, is that the fundamentals of
01:06:31 --> 01:06:34 the election were so negative against Democrats because inflation had been such
01:06:34 --> 01:06:35 a crisis for the last four years.
01:06:36 --> 01:06:38 We actually overperformed in the election that we should have,
01:06:38 --> 01:06:41 which is a testament to how bad of a candidate Donald Trump is.
01:06:41 --> 01:06:45 And I can't say this enough, like there are so many people that act like he
01:06:45 --> 01:06:51 has some mythical quality to being a candidate. But like, I'll tell you in this
01:06:51 --> 01:06:54 election and in 2016, we lost.
01:06:54 --> 01:06:58 He didn't win. And I feel pretty strongly about that. Like we made strategic
01:06:58 --> 01:07:02 decisions and we put up, you know, like, again, like I like Hillary Clinton
01:07:02 --> 01:07:04 and I respect her service to the American people. I don't think she was the
01:07:04 --> 01:07:05 right candidate for the moment.
01:07:05 --> 01:07:08 Candidate alignment matters a great deal in that. You know, Kamala,
01:07:08 --> 01:07:09 I think, was dealt a really shitty hand.
01:07:10 --> 01:07:14 But we made a lot of mistakes that let him go. But if they had nominated Nikki
01:07:14 --> 01:07:17 Haley in this election, she would have won 48 states. I'm convinced of that.
01:07:17 --> 01:07:22 Even against Kamala, I think it would have been just a wash because people are tired of the chaos.
01:07:22 --> 01:07:26 They want normal politicians, you know, but they were really mad at the Democrats over inflation.
01:07:27 --> 01:07:29 And I just think they would have washed over us. And so, like,
01:07:29 --> 01:07:31 they made a huge strategic error by nominating him again.
01:07:31 --> 01:07:33 And they're proving that now because they have no idea why they won.
01:07:33 --> 01:07:36 They've spent the last month in Washington doing a bunch of really weird,
01:07:36 --> 01:07:39 strange stuff that is turning the American people off and he's not doing anything
01:07:39 --> 01:07:42 about the central issue he was elected on which is lowering grocery prices and
01:07:42 --> 01:07:44 making housing more formal. So, yeah.
01:07:45 --> 01:07:50 Yeah. And, you know, I've I've been listening to some of the polls.
01:07:50 --> 01:07:55 Well, listen, reading some of the polls and it was like CBS did a poll about
01:07:55 --> 01:08:00 a couple of weeks ago and 70 percent of the people polled said,
01:08:01 --> 01:08:05 hey, well, he's he's pretty much doing what we thought he was going to do.
01:08:05 --> 01:08:12 And then I think I think we just did a poll and then 62 percent of people are
01:08:12 --> 01:08:15 like, yeah, he's not doing anything on the prices. We thought he was going to
01:08:15 --> 01:08:17 do something about the prices that he's not doing it.
01:08:18 --> 01:08:22 So the American people, I think, are really, really confused about what they're seeing.
01:08:22 --> 01:08:27 You know, you got Elon Musk at CPAC with the chainsaw. It's like,
01:08:28 --> 01:08:29 you know, what are we doing?
01:08:29 --> 01:08:34 And then Rich McCormick, I don't know if you saw that as we're recording this.
01:08:34 --> 01:08:41 Rich had, and he was, he's my congressman, unfortunately. But Rich had a town
01:08:41 --> 01:08:42 hall meeting in Roswell.
01:08:43 --> 01:08:48 And the people were not happy with what was going on and he won that,
01:08:48 --> 01:08:54 he got like, he won that decision with like 30 something points and he beat
01:08:54 --> 01:08:56 that man to death but it's like,
01:08:57 --> 01:09:01 You know, he was trying to say, well, you know, this is the way we do this and
01:09:01 --> 01:09:03 da, da, da, da. And the people were like, no, it's not.
01:09:03 --> 01:09:06 That's not how they work. You're supposed to be doing your job.
01:09:07 --> 01:09:11 He ain't supposed to be dealing with the money. You're supposed to be dealing with the money.
01:09:11 --> 01:09:15 And the one thing that, you know, people are saying, well, he shouldn't,
01:09:15 --> 01:09:22 you know, fire and all this stuff. It's like if Elon Musk was had his own was
01:09:22 --> 01:09:24 was in the private sector, right.
01:09:25 --> 01:09:28 You know, trying to do this.
01:09:29 --> 01:09:33 And, you know, he came in as a CEO instead of the owner of the company. Right.
01:09:33 --> 01:09:37 And he said, well, OK, we're going to cut. We're going to fire all these people.
01:09:37 --> 01:09:43 It's going to be like, but our budget says that we can afford to to have these people.
01:09:43 --> 01:09:49 And so if you don't have next year's budget, you don't want to have these positions,
01:09:49 --> 01:09:54 that's fine. But this year we budgeted these people in, so we need them.
01:09:54 --> 01:09:56 And nobody's having that discussion.
01:09:56 --> 01:10:00 It's like Congress said, this is what these agencies need to have.
01:10:01 --> 01:10:04 This is the money. These are the positions that we need to have.
01:10:04 --> 01:10:08 All the state legislatures, they are budget the same way.
01:10:08 --> 01:10:14 So it's like to fire people in the middle of or during a fiscal year,
01:10:14 --> 01:10:18 it's like you're not saving any money at that point.
01:10:18 --> 01:10:23 Well, technically you are, but it's like you've already set that money aside.
01:10:23 --> 01:10:29 So if you want to start saving for down the road, then you just eliminate those
01:10:29 --> 01:10:30 positions in the next budget.
01:10:30 --> 01:10:34 You don't fire people right now
01:10:34 --> 01:10:36 but right that you know nobody's really talking
01:10:36 --> 01:10:40 about like that and i guess being a former legislator that's that was kind of
01:10:40 --> 01:10:46 my mindset as to why isn't anybody's just saying that it's like we're we we've
01:10:46 --> 01:10:51 got the money to pay for these people this year now next year and the fiscal
01:10:51 --> 01:10:56 year is down the road let's have that debate but let's have it in congress not have elon musk with a.
01:10:57 --> 01:11:01 Chainsaw running up in buildings with a bunch of 25 year old tech bros saying,
01:11:01 --> 01:11:03 you know, y'all need to leave.
01:11:03 --> 01:11:07 I mean, well, Eric, look, look, you know, one, I think if you're if you're Donald
01:11:07 --> 01:11:11 Trump, you know, if you get elected to deal with grocery prices and housing
01:11:11 --> 01:11:15 prices and you spend the first month pardoning cop beaters and doing weird stuff
01:11:15 --> 01:11:17 with shady billionaires, people are going to get mad.
01:11:18 --> 01:11:21 And every day that we go that he isn't doing anything about it,
01:11:21 --> 01:11:26 people are going to get more pissed. And I think it's the same problem that the left had last year.
01:11:26 --> 01:11:30 Like we were not doing enough to deal with inflation to make people feel hurt.
01:11:30 --> 01:11:31 And he's not doing anything.
01:11:31 --> 01:11:34 We were at least trying, maybe not the right way, but we were trying.
01:11:34 --> 01:11:37 So that's a problem. But then let's, let's get into the government spending thing for a second.
01:11:37 --> 01:11:42 Like I actually agree broadly with the critique of the government that Donald
01:11:42 --> 01:11:46 Trump has, which is that it's too slow and it doesn't work and it's holding back progress.
01:11:46 --> 01:11:49 I agree with that. Now he doesn't say it that way. No, he says it in like horrible ways.
01:11:49 --> 01:11:52 Like the deep state is trying to kill me ways, but the fundamental critique
01:11:52 --> 01:11:56 is right. Most Americans don't believe the government works or functions, thinks it's too big.
01:11:56 --> 01:11:59 And I do think there's a lot of waste and fraud and abuse, but there's a right
01:11:59 --> 01:12:01 way to go about it. And there's a wrong way to go about it.
01:12:02 --> 01:12:04 The right way to do it would be to bring in professional auditors who know what
01:12:04 --> 01:12:07 they're doing, put a lot of sunlight on it and transparency for somebody in
01:12:07 --> 01:12:11 Congress to hold public hearings and for us to aggressively cut that money very,
01:12:11 --> 01:12:14 very quickly by shining a light on the way that the federal government is wasting your money.
01:12:15 --> 01:12:18 The wrong way to do it is letting an unelected South African billionaire and
01:12:18 --> 01:12:21 a bunch of weird tech kids come in and do it.
01:12:21 --> 01:12:24 And that's how you end up with things like Meals on Wheels getting cut or cancer
01:12:24 --> 01:12:28 research for kids getting cut or them accidentally firing all of the people
01:12:28 --> 01:12:33 who are responsible for protecting our nuclear arsenal and then having to panic and bring them back.
01:12:33 --> 01:12:37 So, like, it's almost like, like, look, if I had a tumor and I hired a surgeon.
01:12:37 --> 01:12:41 Like, I want the surgeon, I want an experienced surgeon to come in with a scalpel
01:12:41 --> 01:12:43 and take the tumor out and do it the right way.
01:12:43 --> 01:12:46 I don't want somebody with a chainsaw who doesn't know what they're doing.
01:12:46 --> 01:12:47 I start hacking away my organs.
01:12:47 --> 01:12:51 That's how people die. And when you do it, when you're a big businessman,
01:12:51 --> 01:12:55 when you're buying Twitter and you start rooting around and breaking shit,
01:12:55 --> 01:12:57 the worst thing you get is a bunch of customers who are mad.
01:12:57 --> 01:13:01 When you do it to the federal government, people die because people rely on
01:13:01 --> 01:13:02 the federal government to keep them safe.
01:13:02 --> 01:13:05 And we're having a lot of plane crashes and we're having people who are like
01:13:05 --> 01:13:09 not getting the cancer medications that they need because of the stuff that's going on right now.
01:13:09 --> 01:13:13 And it has consequences and he's treating it like like numbers and not people.
01:13:13 --> 01:13:14 And that's that's a mistake.
01:13:15 --> 01:13:20 So I want to double back on Kamala Harris just real quick.
01:13:20 --> 01:13:23 Do you think she's going to run for governor of California or you think she's
01:13:23 --> 01:13:28 going to chill out with Doug and say, thank you all for playing. I'm going to stay.
01:13:28 --> 01:13:31 I have no idea what she does. I hope she runs for governor of California because
01:13:31 --> 01:13:34 I think she'd be a great governor, but I don't know what she's going to do.
01:13:34 --> 01:13:37 And she has every right to kind of make the best choice for her and Doug and
01:13:37 --> 01:13:41 the rest of their family to decide, you know, am I going to continue with public service?
01:13:41 --> 01:13:44 Do I want to go make a little bit of money and enjoy my life?
01:13:44 --> 01:13:48 Like she served her country greatly, you know, her entire life since she was
01:13:48 --> 01:13:51 fresh out of college. She's been serving and it's really up to her.
01:13:51 --> 01:13:55 I think no matter what she does, even if she, you know, takes a step back or
01:13:55 --> 01:13:57 goes to a law firm or whatever she does, she will still be in the fight somewhere,
01:13:58 --> 01:13:59 improving people's lives.
01:13:59 --> 01:14:02 And you see that when she goes out, you know, she's been at a she's been shown
01:14:02 --> 01:14:04 a couple of concerts and I've seen her out at like a basketball game.
01:14:04 --> 01:14:07 Like she's still taking the time to talk to people and counsel them.
01:14:07 --> 01:14:11 And the one thing she's great at is she'll she's she'll pull people aside and
01:14:11 --> 01:14:14 like give them that little boost of energy that they need. So I'm certain that
01:14:14 --> 01:14:17 she's still engaged in the fight. It just might not look the same way that it did before.
01:14:18 --> 01:14:20 And the most powerful moments that I ever had with her were one-on-one,
01:14:20 --> 01:14:24 were at least in small group settings, where she pushed me to be a better strategist,
01:14:24 --> 01:14:26 pushed me to be a better business owner when I started my company.
01:14:26 --> 01:14:30 So she's going to keep doing stuff like that. She is somebody who makes everyone
01:14:30 --> 01:14:36 around them better. Yeah, yeah, I agree totally with that assessment altogether.
01:14:36 --> 01:14:42 So let me ask you this question. There was criticism that the campaign depended
01:14:42 --> 01:14:46 on the white consultant class too much and not enough on traditional black outreach.
01:14:47 --> 01:14:53 You being a consultant, how do you take that kind of criticism?
01:14:54 --> 01:14:57 I mean, it may be fair. It may not be fair, right? Like I wasn't engaged in
01:14:57 --> 01:15:02 it, but I tend to think the bigger divide that exists in the consultancy and
01:15:02 --> 01:15:05 the staffing world, which is a broader problem.
01:15:05 --> 01:15:08 Across the entirety of the Democratic Party and really our politics writ large,
01:15:08 --> 01:15:12 is age and class more than race beyond anything.
01:15:12 --> 01:15:19 I think we have way too many politicians and consultants and party elders that
01:15:19 --> 01:15:21 probably need to take a step back and give others the opportunity to lead.
01:15:22 --> 01:15:23 And I think we're starting to see that now.
01:15:23 --> 01:15:27 Tina Smith, who's the senator from Minnesota, she's one of my clients who's really proud of her.
01:15:27 --> 01:15:30 She's retiring at what's a pretty young age for a United States senator,
01:15:30 --> 01:15:32 still like well in her 60s.
01:15:32 --> 01:15:35 But like she could probably keep going for two more terms if she really wanted to.
01:15:35 --> 01:15:38 But she's retiring and giving the younger leaders in her state an opportunity
01:15:38 --> 01:15:42 to lead. And that's a good thing. And we need more of that in the Democratic Party.
01:15:42 --> 01:15:45 But it's wholesale generational change all the way on down.
01:15:45 --> 01:15:50 And then I think there's a class divide, right? Like there are a lot of very
01:15:50 --> 01:15:54 highly educated people that are working on these campaigns.
01:15:54 --> 01:15:56 And we don't have enough people that are coming from different backgrounds.
01:15:57 --> 01:15:59 And some of that will play into race for sure, no doubt about it.
01:15:59 --> 01:16:02 But like, I think I'm kind of an anomaly in the Democratic Party a little bit
01:16:02 --> 01:16:06 in the sense of like, I went to college in my first year, I dropped out and
01:16:06 --> 01:16:09 really I flunked out because I wasn't going to class, but I dropped out and
01:16:09 --> 01:16:10 I went to go work on campaigns.
01:16:10 --> 01:16:13 So I was not really educated in the same way that all the people around me were.
01:16:13 --> 01:16:17 And then I went back later in my thirties and in my late twenties and finished
01:16:17 --> 01:16:20 my, like my, my degree and then got a master's from Notre Dame.
01:16:20 --> 01:16:24 And so now I'm kind of educated, but I, I still think I mostly act like a non-educated
01:16:24 --> 01:16:26 person. I think I talk like a regular person.
01:16:27 --> 01:16:29 And I think a lot of the problem with the democratic party is like,
01:16:29 --> 01:16:30 we just don't talk like regular people.
01:16:30 --> 01:16:34 Like we're trying to keep a huge coalition of people happy and not use words
01:16:34 --> 01:16:37 that we're scared of and like be totally afraid to make a mistake. And.
01:16:38 --> 01:16:40 Whatever. Like I think people just need to bring their whole selves.
01:16:40 --> 01:16:44 And I talk a lot about like my company's name is authentic, but I think perceived
01:16:44 --> 01:16:46 authenticity is the number one way to win an election.
01:16:47 --> 01:16:51 And Donald Trump, I think is completely full of shit. But if he was a video
01:16:51 --> 01:16:54 game character, his perceived authenticity bar is the highest it could be.
01:16:54 --> 01:16:57 Like people believe they're getting the real Donald Trump.
01:16:57 --> 01:17:01 And I don't really think they are, but that perceived authenticity matters.
01:17:01 --> 01:17:03 And I think we need more of that at every level of the campaign.
01:17:03 --> 01:17:07 But when we're engaging with like specific communities, like we need people
01:17:07 --> 01:17:10 who understand those communities. Like I'm a white dude from Omaha.
01:17:10 --> 01:17:13 I'm probably not the best person to put together a campaign in like Harlem or
01:17:13 --> 01:17:15 Oakland or something like that. Right. And I recognize that.
01:17:15 --> 01:17:18 So part of it's like my responsibility is to build a team of people around me
01:17:18 --> 01:17:19 who can help see the things that I can.
01:17:19 --> 01:17:23 Like I wrote, I wrote or signed off on every fundraising email or social media
01:17:23 --> 01:17:26 post for Kamala Harris, who was the second black woman ever elected to the United
01:17:26 --> 01:17:28 States Senate in the history of the United States. Right.
01:17:29 --> 01:17:32 I didn't do that without a lot of help. And a lot of people that help me see
01:17:32 --> 01:17:35 the things that I couldn't see. And I think that's an important part of team
01:17:35 --> 01:17:36 building and campaign building.
01:17:37 --> 01:17:40 Do you think that's the key to help the Democrats rebound?
01:17:41 --> 01:17:48 Or is there more to, or is that just internal and there's some external things that the party has to do?
01:17:49 --> 01:17:52 I mean, we could spend all day talking about the things I think the Democrat Party needs to do.
01:17:52 --> 01:17:57 I mean, I have kind of boiled the problem down into like three major buckets.
01:17:57 --> 01:17:59 The first one I already talked about, which is the generational change that
01:17:59 --> 01:18:05 needs to happen in the party. The second one is stop treating people like statistics
01:18:05 --> 01:18:07 and start treating them like fully realized human beings.
01:18:08 --> 01:18:10 And I think some of that involves the like talking like regular people,
01:18:11 --> 01:18:14 bringing your whole self to the conversation, being able to go into these different spaces.
01:18:15 --> 01:18:16 And then there's just like a whole...
01:18:17 --> 01:18:20 Batch of like we're running we're running campaigns the
01:18:20 --> 01:18:23 same way that they've always been and we kind of have to change the way we're running campaigns
01:18:23 --> 01:18:26 we spend way too much money on tv ads we don't invest enough in digital we're
01:18:26 --> 01:18:30 we're running candidates that are i talk about candidate alignment a lot i probably
01:18:30 --> 01:18:33 already mentioned it a few times but candidate alignment to me is when when
01:18:33 --> 01:18:37 you are the right candidate for the moment because you conform to the way that
01:18:37 --> 01:18:40 people are communicating in the media and like the best example this is barack
01:18:40 --> 01:18:44 obama barack obama 2008 is the most aligned candidate i've ever seen in my life
01:18:44 --> 01:18:45 jfk is probably like the other example,
01:18:45 --> 01:18:48 JFK was perfectly aligned for TV as TV rose.
01:18:49 --> 01:18:53 And Nixon, who by all means, Nixon probably on paper would have been a better
01:18:53 --> 01:18:58 president than Kennedy in 1960, but he was terrible on TV and got killed because
01:18:58 --> 01:19:01 he didn't play the part the way you needed him to.
01:19:01 --> 01:19:04 And maybe to a certain degree, that was part of the problem with Hillary Clinton
01:19:04 --> 01:19:07 and Donald Trump, which is Trump understood how to manipulate the media.
01:19:07 --> 01:19:11 And maybe in this last election, J.D. Vance helped Trump understand how to manipulate
01:19:11 --> 01:19:15 the alternative podcast media. And so we need to do a better job of creating that alignment.
01:19:15 --> 01:19:18 And that starts with like, again, generational change so that people actually
01:19:18 --> 01:19:21 like, I shouldn't have to be explained how TikTok works to a political candidate anymore.
01:19:21 --> 01:19:23 They should have their own TikTok and they should understand it.
01:19:23 --> 01:19:25 Then we got to talk like regular people and stop trying to please everybody.
01:19:25 --> 01:19:27 And then we have to modernize the way we run our campaigns.
01:19:29 --> 01:19:35 Yeah. All right. So this is my final question is kind of going back to how you
01:19:35 --> 01:19:38 responded to the original quote I gave you.
01:19:38 --> 01:19:42 During the campaign, you responded to personal attacks on social media.
01:19:43 --> 01:19:48 You said being a man isn't about looking like a roided out buff freak.
01:19:48 --> 01:19:53 It's about being real with yourself and others, leading with empathy and heart
01:19:53 --> 01:19:55 and facing challenges head on with vulnerability.
01:19:56 --> 01:20:02 We need more empathetic conversations as we're losing too many young people
01:20:02 --> 01:20:07 to drug addiction, abuse and suicidal ideation.
01:20:07 --> 01:20:10 Kind of kind of talk about about that
01:20:10 --> 01:20:14 because as you stated before you you
01:20:14 --> 01:20:17 were a big guy and you know if i
01:20:17 --> 01:20:21 had played football i would have loved to have you blocking for me then i would
01:20:21 --> 01:20:25 i'd have a lot more money and been doing something else but in all seriousness
01:20:25 --> 01:20:30 though you you this is a personal challenge you've had to deal with and in this
01:20:30 --> 01:20:34 environment of social media where everybody can hide behind their phone or their
01:20:34 --> 01:20:37 computer and just spew out stuff.
01:20:37 --> 01:20:44 To date myself, the way you did that on the internet was you said you were anonymous, right?
01:20:44 --> 01:20:53 And I used to get more comments as anonymous against me from anonymous than actual real people.
01:20:54 --> 01:20:58 But now social media has evolved where people feel they have this kind of courage.
01:21:00 --> 01:21:03 And I really appreciated the way that you addressed that. So just kind of talk
01:21:03 --> 01:21:07 to the audience about why you felt motivated to just say, you know what,
01:21:07 --> 01:21:11 let me just put y'all in y'all place and tell you how I really feel.
01:21:12 --> 01:21:15 Well, you know, I spent a lot of time thinking about this because it's something
01:21:15 --> 01:21:20 that's really important to me because I think there's an epidemic of loneliness
01:21:20 --> 01:21:24 in American society. There's an epidemic of drug use and suicidal ideation.
01:21:24 --> 01:21:28 And I think it permeates every part of American culture, but young men in particular
01:21:28 --> 01:21:30 are hit really, really hard.
01:21:30 --> 01:21:34 And I might get the statistic a little bit wrong, but young men are four times,
01:21:34 --> 01:21:37 young white men, I think in particular, are four times more likely to commit
01:21:37 --> 01:21:39 suicide than any other group of people in the United States.
01:21:40 --> 01:21:42 And I don't hear anybody talking about that. Donald Trump's not talking about
01:21:42 --> 01:21:43 it. Conal Harris wasn't talking about it.
01:21:43 --> 01:21:47 And that's a huge mistake because there are a lot of white men in this country
01:21:47 --> 01:21:49 and, you know, they're not voting the way that I want them to,
01:21:49 --> 01:21:52 but they're, they're still my brothers and I want them to be mentally well.
01:21:52 --> 01:21:57 And unfortunately, we have a lot of really poor role models in the country.
01:21:57 --> 01:22:00 And, and like, you know, yesterday as we're recording this, you know,
01:22:00 --> 01:22:03 Elon Musk is wielding a chainsaw and like throwing it around his head and looking
01:22:03 --> 01:22:04 like an absolute doofus.
01:22:04 --> 01:22:10 And like, that is not what, what real men are. And I think we were in this transition
01:22:10 --> 01:22:13 period where, you know, we haven't made enough progress for women,
01:22:13 --> 01:22:16 for sure, and neither for, you know, black or round people either.
01:22:17 --> 01:22:21 But this transitionary period is hard on, you know, I think white men in particular,
01:22:21 --> 01:22:23 but all men, I think more than anything, because we're struggling to figure
01:22:23 --> 01:22:25 out what masculinity actually looks like.
01:22:25 --> 01:22:29 And so you have a lot of people that are clinging to, you know,
01:22:29 --> 01:22:33 to me, like boring wrote, you know, traditional 1950s masculinity.
01:22:33 --> 01:22:36 Let me be a tough guy. Let me be a bully. And like that, that's ridiculous.
01:22:36 --> 01:22:39 Like to me, like real men protect and provide.
01:22:40 --> 01:22:43 That's what they do. We protect the people in our lives. We provide for them.
01:22:43 --> 01:22:46 We do what we need to do. And that's the kind of thing where like I say that
01:22:46 --> 01:22:47 sometimes in more liberal circles and
01:22:47 --> 01:22:50 people get uneasy because you're not supposed to kind of talk that way.
01:22:50 --> 01:22:54 But like, I do feel that like I have a responsibility to protect my wife and
01:22:54 --> 01:22:58 my son. I have a responsibility to provide for them. And I think more men need to say that.
01:22:58 --> 01:23:02 And part of the reason that we have so many young men that have absolutely nothing
01:23:02 --> 01:23:04 to provide a significant other
01:23:04 --> 01:23:06 is because they don't know that they're supposed to provide for another.
01:23:07 --> 01:23:09 Because they didn't have anybody in their life who showed them that,
01:23:09 --> 01:23:11 because they didn't have anybody in their life who taught them that,
01:23:11 --> 01:23:15 or because they have a role model like Elon Musk, who has 13 kids with eight
01:23:15 --> 01:23:19 different women, women who are actively tweeting at him to try to get him to
01:23:19 --> 01:23:21 engage in the life of their kids.
01:23:21 --> 01:23:24 And this is what I'm supposed to believe modern masculinity looks like.
01:23:25 --> 01:23:29 It's not. And I don't want the future of masculinity to be defined by guys like
01:23:29 --> 01:23:30 Donald Trump and Elon Musk and J.D.
01:23:31 --> 01:23:34 Vance, who have no respect for women, who have no respect for themselves who
01:23:34 --> 01:23:37 have no respect for just common decency and empathy in life.
01:23:38 --> 01:23:41 And so I think more men need to step up and talk about their,
01:23:41 --> 01:23:42 their, their challenges and the things they're going through.
01:23:43 --> 01:23:46 It's why I'm, I'm pretty honest about, like, I, I almost hurt myself pretty
01:23:46 --> 01:23:48 seriously in the middle of 2020.
01:23:48 --> 01:23:51 It's why I talk about my weight loss, having lost over 200 pounds.
01:23:51 --> 01:23:54 That's why I talk about my anxiety and depression. It's why I talk about my
01:23:54 --> 01:23:55 struggles of being a parent.
01:23:55 --> 01:23:58 Like I'm a, I'm a, I'm a, being a parent is impossible.
01:23:58 --> 01:24:01 I have a little five-year-old boy. He is he is like a little me clone.
01:24:02 --> 01:24:05 And I'm like, I'm up against the ropes every day trying to trying to deal with him.
01:24:06 --> 01:24:09 And we need more men. We're going to talk like that. And I think we need men
01:24:09 --> 01:24:13 to support one another because we're so afraid of saying how we feel about one
01:24:13 --> 01:24:14 another and how we feel to each other.
01:24:15 --> 01:24:19 And, you know, I think it can be done. And I think every time somebody shares
01:24:19 --> 01:24:22 a little bit more about themselves, the world becomes a little bit more of an interesting place.
01:24:22 --> 01:24:25 And we don't have to let Andrew Tate define the future. We don't have to let
01:24:25 --> 01:24:27 Elon Musk define the future because, like, screw these guys.
01:24:27 --> 01:24:28 Like, they're loose. They're losers.
01:24:29 --> 01:24:33 They're, they're losers and I'm not going to, I'm not going to sealed my,
01:24:33 --> 01:24:34 I'm not going to seal my space to it.
01:24:34 --> 01:24:37 I'm going to do the best I can to raise my son. And I'm going to be the best
01:24:37 --> 01:24:38 I can to be an example to other people.
01:24:38 --> 01:24:42 And I'm not perfect. I make a ton of mistakes. I'm a huge flood individuals.
01:24:42 --> 01:24:44 We all are, but I don't know. I'm not, I'm not seeding this fight to them.
01:24:45 --> 01:24:45 Like, like screw these guys.
01:24:46 --> 01:24:49 Yeah. Well, I'm trying, I'm trying not to drop an F bomb, Eric.
01:24:49 --> 01:24:50 I'm coming close though.
01:24:50 --> 01:24:54 But you, but you did good. You did good. So look, and I'm just here to tell
01:24:54 --> 01:24:57 you, it's like, If you think five is amazing.
01:24:57 --> 01:25:01 10 years from now when your mini me is 15 oh
01:25:01 --> 01:25:04 baby yeah i'm terrified of
01:25:04 --> 01:25:06 having a teenager i'm completely terrified of it i want nothing
01:25:06 --> 01:25:09 to do with it but you know boy
01:25:09 --> 01:25:12 i mean i'm a little biased you know because i'm
01:25:12 --> 01:25:15 a i'm a boy dad but you know a father
01:25:15 --> 01:25:18 a father of a son is a
01:25:18 --> 01:25:22 lot easier than being a father of a daughter i didn't just you
01:25:22 --> 01:25:24 know i'm just letting you know so just be grateful
01:25:24 --> 01:25:27 and you know that
01:25:27 --> 01:25:32 it's gonna be okay i'll just i'll give you one more example if i if i still
01:25:32 --> 01:25:36 have time to kind of get he's like you know my son right now like he's a he's
01:25:36 --> 01:25:39 a young overactive five-year-old boy with it with a with a big brain and and
01:25:39 --> 01:25:43 a lot to say and when he goes to school right now he's probably the most disruptive
01:25:43 --> 01:25:45 member of his class because he's,
01:25:45 --> 01:25:49 really smart and because he's born and he probably has a little bit of adhd
01:25:49 --> 01:25:52 like his father and he's struggling to keep his hands to himself and like a
01:25:52 --> 01:25:54 lot of the stuff that he's going through are just like normal things that men
01:25:54 --> 01:25:55 go through when they're like young.
01:25:56 --> 01:26:00 And we're trying to create a society where, you know, like girls and women have
01:26:00 --> 01:26:01 the same opportunities as everyone else.
01:26:01 --> 01:26:03 And that's the right thing to do. We should keep doing that.
01:26:03 --> 01:26:07 But we also have to create space for, and I hate to say it like this, but men to be met.
01:26:07 --> 01:26:10 Right. And it doesn't, I'm not saying it let boys be boys in the like locker
01:26:10 --> 01:26:12 room way, but like they're different.
01:26:12 --> 01:26:15 Like little boys and little girls are different and everybody individually is
01:26:15 --> 01:26:16 different. And we have to give them lanes to kind of be that.
01:26:17 --> 01:26:18 And so I'm trying to like work with my son to be like, Like,
01:26:19 --> 01:26:23 how do I get you to keep people safe and tell the truth without squashing that
01:26:23 --> 01:26:26 creative side and making him feel comfortable in his own shoes?
01:26:26 --> 01:26:30 Because I saw this quote recently, and it's the loudest kid in the room is the
01:26:30 --> 01:26:32 kid that's the most comfortable in their own shoes.
01:26:33 --> 01:26:37 And the way society is set up right now, it's kind of designed to make you be quiet.
01:26:38 --> 01:26:40 And I think that's a lot of how you get anxiety and depression.
01:26:40 --> 01:26:42 And it just layers over time.
01:26:42 --> 01:26:45 Like any negative thought that's ever been put in my head was put in there by
01:26:45 --> 01:26:47 somebody else. I didn't have that when I was born.
01:26:48 --> 01:26:51 Somebody else put that in there. And then it's my responsibility to unwind it.
01:26:51 --> 01:26:55 But my responsibility right now is to help my son get through that while also
01:26:55 --> 01:26:57 keeping everybody else safe at school because he's like, you know,
01:26:57 --> 01:27:00 throwing crayons when he gets frustrated and he loses a game of school.
01:27:00 --> 01:27:02 So which is like normal kid shit. So.
01:27:02 --> 01:27:08 Yeah. Yeah, well, yeah, we'll have to compare notes and hopefully I can give
01:27:08 --> 01:27:11 you some pointers down the road. But look. We'll write a parent book together, Eric.
01:27:14 --> 01:27:16 So, Mike, tell folks, what are
01:27:16 --> 01:27:20 you doing? How can people get in touch with you and all that good stuff?
01:27:20 --> 01:27:24 Yeah, so you can find me on most major social media platforms,
01:27:24 --> 01:27:28 but I'm most active on Blue Sky and I cross post on X. So if you're still on
01:27:28 --> 01:27:30 X, you can find me. I'm on TikTok as well.
01:27:30 --> 01:27:34 You just search Mike Nellis, N-E-L-L-I-S. I'm super easy to find. I'm also on LinkedIn.
01:27:34 --> 01:27:37 I post a lot on LinkedIn, usually longer form thoughts on LinkedIn.
01:27:37 --> 01:27:40 If you are interested in working with me, if you're a congressional candidate
01:27:40 --> 01:27:43 out there, I tend to work with federal or statewide candidates more than anybody,
01:27:43 --> 01:27:44 but I'll talk to anybody.
01:27:45 --> 01:27:48 My website is Authentic.org. You can just find me. I'm super, super easy to find.
01:27:49 --> 01:27:53 Well, Mike Nellis, it's been an honor and a privilege to talk to you, my man.
01:27:53 --> 01:27:56 Good luck on the political side. Good luck on the parenting side.
01:27:57 --> 01:28:00 And you have an open invitation to come back anytime you want to,
01:28:00 --> 01:28:03 my friend. Thank you so much for this. Thank you, Eric. This was great.
01:28:04 --> 01:28:06 All right, guys. And we're going to catch y'all on the other side.
01:28:07 --> 01:28:17 Music.
01:28:17 --> 01:28:30 All right. And we are back. So I want to thank Mark Talley and Mike Nellis for being on the show.
01:28:31 --> 01:28:37 I greatly appreciate them taking the time out of their schedules to come on.
01:28:37 --> 01:28:47 And I'm looking forward to watching them continue to ascend and continue to
01:28:47 --> 01:28:56 triumph and continue to be true American success stories in their own right.
01:28:58 --> 01:29:07 And again, you know, this vehicle gives me an opportunity to meet some really, really cool people.
01:29:08 --> 01:29:13 And even if I just admired them from afar, to reach out to them,
01:29:13 --> 01:29:20 to have the conversations with them on and off the air is really, really special.
01:29:21 --> 01:29:24 And it's a blessing to me to get to know them.
01:29:26 --> 01:29:30 And I always tell people that this podcast is therapy for me,
01:29:31 --> 01:29:37 not just in the fact that it allows me to vent and allows me to express myself,
01:29:37 --> 01:29:40 but it gives me hope, right?
01:29:41 --> 01:29:43 Because as you meet people.
01:29:45 --> 01:29:52 You know, and you get to know people and know what they're doing and the stories behind it.
01:29:52 --> 01:29:57 It just gives me hope that we're going to be okay despite the foolishness that
01:29:57 --> 01:30:00 we're watching, right, that we're being engaged in.
01:30:01 --> 01:30:05 So, you know, I just wanted to say that.
01:30:07 --> 01:30:13 But before I go, I do want people to understand that this is foolishness that
01:30:13 --> 01:30:14 we are dealing with, right?
01:30:16 --> 01:30:22 You know, but the amazing thing is, is that the majority of us are going to
01:30:22 --> 01:30:25 live our lives and try to live them the best way possible.
01:30:26 --> 01:30:32 And usually when government is doing good, it means that they're not trying
01:30:32 --> 01:30:34 to do anything to mess that up. Right.
01:30:35 --> 01:30:39 Yeah, there's going to be debates about which direction the country should go
01:30:39 --> 01:30:44 and what policies we should embrace and all that stuff. And we're supposed to
01:30:44 --> 01:30:46 be engaged enough to understand what's happening.
01:30:46 --> 01:30:52 But we don't want government to totally alter our lives, right?
01:30:53 --> 01:30:59 We want to be able to go to a movie, smoke a cigar, have a drink,
01:31:00 --> 01:31:06 go on a date, go to dinner, go to an amusement park, go to a national park.
01:31:06 --> 01:31:08 Just do whatever you want to do.
01:31:09 --> 01:31:16 And, you know, we shouldn't have to worry about, is this going to exist?
01:31:17 --> 01:31:19 Am I going to be able to afford it?
01:31:20 --> 01:31:29 Will I be allowed to read certain books or watch certain movies or listen to certain music?
01:31:30 --> 01:31:34 When government is doing the right thing, especially the U.S.
01:31:34 --> 01:31:38 Government, we tend to not have those kind of questions.
01:31:39 --> 01:31:42 Sometimes we do it in spite of that.
01:31:43 --> 01:31:49 As we're in Black History Month, I'm just, and I may have said this last episode,
01:31:49 --> 01:31:54 I'm just reminded of how we found our way around governments,
01:31:55 --> 01:31:58 state governments trying to oppress us, right?
01:31:58 --> 01:32:02 And even a federal government to an extent, a big extent.
01:32:02 --> 01:32:06 But we found our way around that, right?
01:32:06 --> 01:32:11 And then we were able to fix government
01:32:11 --> 01:32:19 enough where some of those restrictions were wiped away and we could have more
01:32:19 --> 01:32:28 fun and we could have more joy and we could live fuller lives with greater opportunities. Right.
01:32:29 --> 01:32:36 And it opened the door for other groups in this country to enjoy those same benefits.
01:32:38 --> 01:32:45 But there are people who don't want that for everybody.
01:32:45 --> 01:32:51 They just want it for a select few and they will tear everything down rather
01:32:51 --> 01:32:56 than accept the fact that everybody's entitled to the same rights they have.
01:32:57 --> 01:33:01 And I'm listening to people who are being laid off for their jobs.
01:33:01 --> 01:33:08 And, you know, it's like, it's almost like there's a disconnect between what
01:33:08 --> 01:33:16 folks are trying to do with their agenda and their reality show mentality and
01:33:16 --> 01:33:18 the real impact that it's having.
01:33:18 --> 01:33:26 Right? Because when you tell nearly 7 IRS employees you don't have a job anymore.
01:33:28 --> 01:33:33 Well, that's nearly 7 people that, one, have to find another job.
01:33:33 --> 01:33:37 Two, they've got to figure out a way to pay bills until they find a job.
01:33:37 --> 01:33:40 I mean, just all sorts of stuff, right?
01:33:41 --> 01:33:50 And the one thing that these folks playing this game with Doge or Doggie or
01:33:50 --> 01:33:52 however you're supposed to pronounce it,
01:33:53 --> 01:33:58 you're creating an incredible burden on all of these states.
01:34:00 --> 01:34:08 What do you mean, Eric? An incredible burden. So if you have ever had the misfortune
01:34:08 --> 01:34:11 of being laid off of a job, right.
01:34:13 --> 01:34:20 You go to your state unemployment office and try to get some money to carry
01:34:20 --> 01:34:22 you over until you get another job.
01:34:22 --> 01:34:26 Now, most of those agencies want you to be applying for jobs while you're getting the money.
01:34:28 --> 01:34:35 And it's only for time certain, but it's designed, that's what the unemployment
01:34:35 --> 01:34:41 insurance is there for, that your company pays into, your former company in the case.
01:34:42 --> 01:34:47 They pay into that to make sure that, you know, you've got money to take care
01:34:47 --> 01:34:54 of what you need, food, shelter, utilities, transportation.
01:34:55 --> 01:34:58 So until you get another job, right?
01:34:59 --> 01:35:06 So, you know, and if you're terminated, you usually don't qualify for unemployment, right?
01:35:07 --> 01:35:17 Well, in this case, in probably all of the states, people that are being laid
01:35:17 --> 01:35:20 off of the federal government are going to qualify for unemployment.
01:35:21 --> 01:35:28 So now the money that you say that you or you think that you're saving, right,
01:35:28 --> 01:35:34 by letting these people go, if these folks reach out for unemployment,
01:35:35 --> 01:35:37 that money is going to be spent again.
01:35:38 --> 01:35:40 But instead of that money being
01:35:40 --> 01:35:43 directly paid to them, it has to go to the states where they live in.
01:35:43 --> 01:35:49 And then that state's going to have to compensate them until they can find another
01:35:49 --> 01:35:53 job or until their time of getting benefits runs up.
01:35:54 --> 01:35:59 Right. That could be one month, two months and three months.
01:35:59 --> 01:36:04 All depends on how the state operates or somewhere in between that time period. Right.
01:36:06 --> 01:36:12 So now instead of it just being a federal payroll, now it's like each state
01:36:12 --> 01:36:19 is going to have to cover that until the federal government reimburses them. Right.
01:36:19 --> 01:36:23 Because federal employees qualify for unemployment if they are laid off.
01:36:24 --> 01:36:32 Are. So, you know, nobody's talking about that, right?
01:36:33 --> 01:36:40 You know, so that's just, again, that's why there's a process in how we do things.
01:36:41 --> 01:36:51 And, you know, I just look at Elon Musk and Donald Trump is like those guys, you know,
01:36:52 --> 01:37:00 where, you know, you're growing up a black person and it seems like I've mentioned
01:37:00 --> 01:37:04 this before, but I'm putting it in a different context now.
01:37:04 --> 01:37:06 So it's like, you know, those black kids that grow up and you say,
01:37:07 --> 01:37:12 man, if I was if I was back in the day of slavery, I wouldn't have been a slave.
01:37:12 --> 01:37:16 I would have done, you know, this or that or whatever, you know,
01:37:16 --> 01:37:23 or I wish I was grown and then I would do this, that and all that.
01:37:23 --> 01:37:27 You know, I wouldn't treat my kids where my parents treat me.
01:37:27 --> 01:37:36 You know, everybody has their fantasy of being in a spot and doing something different.
01:37:39 --> 01:37:46 So these guys, especially Elon, it's like, if I had my hands on that federal
01:37:46 --> 01:37:52 budget, I would just, you know, we just got too big of a government.
01:37:52 --> 01:37:55 We'll just cut all these jobs. Just get rid of all these people.
01:37:56 --> 01:38:00 Just fire them like I would do at X or at Tesla or whatever. Right?
01:38:01 --> 01:38:04 Okay. But there's a budget, right?
01:38:05 --> 01:38:12 If for some reason you budgeted the money, then that means that the money is there.
01:38:12 --> 01:38:16 And you kind of heard me fumble through that with my interview with Mr.
01:38:16 --> 01:38:24 Nellis, but I'm like, you got the money to let these people finish out that
01:38:24 --> 01:38:28 year. And then And if you don't think you're going to have the revenue the next
01:38:28 --> 01:38:31 year, then you make the cut.
01:38:32 --> 01:38:38 But that will give people time to know, hey, you know, I'm possibly going to be laid off.
01:38:39 --> 01:38:42 You know, or terminated.
01:38:43 --> 01:38:46 So I got time to look for stuff. Right.
01:38:47 --> 01:38:55 But to just show up one day and then have your polo shirt security guards with
01:38:55 --> 01:38:57 the band-aid, the flower band-aids on their neck,
01:38:58 --> 01:39:05 telling folks they can't come in because we're doing some maintenance work or
01:39:05 --> 01:39:07 whatever you call yourself doing.
01:39:08 --> 01:39:14 And then summarily just firing people without even having a concept of what these people do.
01:39:15 --> 01:39:20 Right? You can even walk through and just see all of the departments,
01:39:21 --> 01:39:25 physically look at these people and see, well, what do they do and why do we
01:39:25 --> 01:39:29 need this and all that stuff, then come back.
01:39:30 --> 01:39:36 Because the way it was sold, again, was that there was going to be a review
01:39:36 --> 01:39:40 by this Department of Government Efficiency.
01:39:41 --> 01:39:48 And then on the 4th of July in 2026, they were going to make a report with recommendations.
01:39:48 --> 01:39:52 This is where we need to cut the government. Right.
01:39:53 --> 01:39:56 That was what was sold to the American people.
01:39:57 --> 01:40:02 There was nothing in the conversation about Elon Musk grabbing 25 people from
01:40:02 --> 01:40:07 his different companies, I guess his all-star team or wherever it is,
01:40:07 --> 01:40:14 and basically walking in offices, asking for access to computers, and kicking people out.
01:40:15 --> 01:40:21 Nothing in that conversation at all. That was not what was conveyed to the voters.
01:40:23 --> 01:40:26 So, you know, but that's okay.
01:40:26 --> 01:40:35 In a sense, because it proves what always happens with folks with this mindset,
01:40:36 --> 01:40:38 that they overplay their hand.
01:40:38 --> 01:40:44 They always overplay their hand. Always.
01:40:44 --> 01:40:52 Because that lust for power, that lust for supremacy, that lust for total domination
01:40:52 --> 01:40:55 and control wipes out all reason.
01:40:56 --> 01:40:59 Wipes out all logic. Wipes out all discipline.
01:41:00 --> 01:41:07 And they overplay their hand. And the American people reward them by booting them out. It's a reboot.
01:41:08 --> 01:41:14 Every time they get to that point, the American electorate hits reset.
01:41:14 --> 01:41:17 And they're not the party in control anymore.
01:41:19 --> 01:41:23 They haven't learned their lesson yet. And I don't think they ever will.
01:41:23 --> 01:41:25 Maybe generations down the road,
01:41:26 --> 01:41:31 but when you have a certain mindset like that, you just act that way.
01:41:33 --> 01:41:38 And we try to tell people, don't ever give them the chance, no matter how slick
01:41:38 --> 01:41:40 they repackage themselves.
01:41:40 --> 01:41:43 Don't ever give them the chance to come back. But yet we do.
01:41:44 --> 01:41:47 And then we have to hit reset. Right.
01:41:48 --> 01:41:55 So, you know, I hope that you all pay attention to what's going on,
01:41:55 --> 01:41:58 even if it doesn't impact you directly.
01:41:59 --> 01:42:03 I want you to pay attention and I want you to act accordingly.
01:42:04 --> 01:42:05 I want you to get involved.
01:42:06 --> 01:42:10 I want you to engage with these elected officials like people are doing at these
01:42:10 --> 01:42:17 town hall meetings that congressmen, some congressmen and congresswomen are bravely having.
01:42:18 --> 01:42:23 And let people know. Elon Musk was not on the ballot.
01:42:24 --> 01:42:29 But you were. And we voted for you. So we need you to do your job.
01:42:29 --> 01:42:31 We need you to tell the president.
01:42:32 --> 01:42:38 Put Elon back in his leash. He's had his fun. We greatly appreciate his participation,
01:42:38 --> 01:42:39 but now it's time to govern.
01:42:40 --> 01:42:46 When it comes to the budget, comes the money, we, the U.S. Congress, that's our job.
01:42:47 --> 01:42:52 We appreciate any suggestions he might want to make, but we're not taking any action.
01:42:53 --> 01:43:00 Now, if we ask the president, hey, we need you to lay off these people because
01:43:00 --> 01:43:03 we don't have the money to keep the budget that you've asked for.
01:43:04 --> 01:43:11 We expect you to act that way but if we budgeted the money then not unless those
01:43:11 --> 01:43:13 people did something egregious,
01:43:14 --> 01:43:18 And you shouldn't be firing them because we've got the money to pay them.
01:43:20 --> 01:43:27 That's how that's supposed to work. Right. But, you know, I want y'all to pay
01:43:27 --> 01:43:29 attention to all that. And I want you to be engaged.
01:43:29 --> 01:43:35 I want y'all to demand that your Congress person does their job.
01:43:35 --> 01:43:37 Doesn't matter if they're Democrat, Republican, Independent.
01:43:37 --> 01:43:39 Independent, remind them.
01:43:39 --> 01:43:45 Because there's some that's like, well, I don't know how I can do, bro.
01:43:46 --> 01:43:52 You're in one of those 535 seats, 435 on the House side, 100 on the Senate side.
01:43:53 --> 01:43:56 You have a direct line to the president of the United States,
01:43:57 --> 01:43:58 regardless of what party you're in.
01:43:59 --> 01:44:01 And you can ask a president to stop.
01:44:02 --> 01:44:05 Just stop this. I need you to focus.
01:44:06 --> 01:44:12 Don't let this guy play you. I need you to focus. Right? It's real simple.
01:44:13 --> 01:44:19 But the people who hired all these 535 folks, y'all need to remind them that
01:44:19 --> 01:44:20 they need to do their job.
01:44:20 --> 01:44:25 If the United States Congress says, Mr. President, you need to stop, he's going to stop.
01:44:26 --> 01:44:31 Because even if the Supreme Court says he has quote-unquote immunity.
01:44:33 --> 01:44:38 They're not encouraging him to break the law, right?
01:44:39 --> 01:44:42 You might have given him temptation, but you didn't encourage him.
01:44:43 --> 01:44:48 And I promise you, if the U.S. Congress in unison says stop that,
01:44:48 --> 01:44:55 he's going to have to stop it because then there's other steps that take place if he doesn't, right?
01:44:56 --> 01:45:00 We're lacking a lot of courage. I've stated that before.
01:45:00 --> 01:45:04 We're lacking a lot of American leaders. I've stated that before.
01:45:05 --> 01:45:10 So now is the time for us to do what we need to do.
01:45:11 --> 01:45:16 If you are a citizen of the United States of America, you have power, period.
01:45:16 --> 01:45:23 You have rights, you have a voice. And when time comes for an election, you have a vote.
01:45:24 --> 01:45:27 So I'm just asking y'all to get more engaged.
01:45:28 --> 01:45:34 Don't wait till somebody calls you in a poll and asks you how you feel about it. Pick up a phone.
01:45:35 --> 01:45:39 You got your phone with you all the time. Just call your congressperson.
01:45:40 --> 01:45:45 Take five minutes out your day and just let them know, hey, I need you to do your job.
01:45:48 --> 01:45:56 And I promise you, if the overwhelming majority of Americans do that,
01:45:56 --> 01:46:02 then all of this, the madness will stop and folks will start focusing.
01:46:03 --> 01:46:05 Because see, here's what's really getting ready to happen.
01:46:06 --> 01:46:13 We're going to have all this chaos, all this mess, and the government will probably
01:46:13 --> 01:46:15 be shut down by March the 14th.
01:46:16 --> 01:46:22 March the 14th it's right around the corner so now we got this chaos going on
01:46:22 --> 01:46:26 people leaving and the government might just actually shut down because they're
01:46:26 --> 01:46:27 not going to be able to reach an agreement,
01:46:29 --> 01:46:35 and the political party is going to posture the Democrats are going to say we're
01:46:35 --> 01:46:39 not supporting anything else till y'all stop this foolishness the Republicans
01:46:39 --> 01:46:42 are going to be like well we got to do this,
01:46:43 --> 01:46:46 you know because our fearless leaders said do it.
01:46:46 --> 01:46:51 And then on March 15th, the Ides of March, the government of the United States
01:46:51 --> 01:46:52 of America would be shut down.
01:46:55 --> 01:47:00 That's why you need courageous folks. That's why you need real leaders, real American leaders.
01:47:01 --> 01:47:07 This is why. Because we shouldn't be in that kind of a crisis.
01:47:07 --> 01:47:10 A crisis should be 9-11, right?
01:47:11 --> 01:47:14 Pearl Harbor. Those are crisis moments.
01:47:15 --> 01:47:21 Not this. All this is is people with a lack of commitment and a lack of courage.
01:47:21 --> 01:47:26 They need to find it so our government can function. That's all.
01:47:27 --> 01:47:30 You know, just stand up to the bully.
01:47:31 --> 01:47:34 You did it when you were in elementary school. You did it when you were in high
01:47:34 --> 01:47:38 school. You've grown now. Stand up to the bully. Shut it down.
01:47:39 --> 01:47:41 So the government won't shut down.
01:47:42 --> 01:47:46 Shut the bully down so the government won't shut down, right?
01:47:47 --> 01:47:51 That's all I got, y'all. I appreciate y'all tuning in.
01:47:52 --> 01:47:57 Continue to support the podcast through Patreon. You can give donations directly
01:47:57 --> 01:47:59 on GoFundMe, whatever, you know.
01:47:59 --> 01:48:03 Listen to all the other shows on the MBG Podcast Network.
01:48:05 --> 01:48:09 And as always, thank you for listening. Until next time.
01:48:12 --> 01:48:12 .
01:48:13 --> 01:48:57 Music.
Related Episodes
Fall If You Will, But Rise You Must Featuring Samuel Ashworth and Dr. Ted Williams III
In this episode, Samuel Ashworth, Professor of Creative Writing at George Washington University, talks about his new book, The Death and Life of August Sweeney, in an innovative way. Then, Dr. Ted Williams III, a Chicago educator, actor, and activist, discusses the importance of the arts in activism...
A Quiet Life & How To Raise A Citizen Featuring Will Cooper, Michael McKinley and Lindsey Cormack
In this episode, friend of the podcast Will Cooper appears with his collaborator Michael McKinley to talk about the new cyber thriller book they co-authored, A Quiet Life. Then author and political science professor Lindsey Cormack discusses the importance of raising informed citizens in our democra...
The 6888th & Title IX Featuring Kevin Hymel and Kristin Couch
In this episode, Military Historian Kevin Hymel talks about how his article on the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion became a Tyler Perry-directed motion picture. Then Kristin Couch, Associate Director for Title IX & Compliance at Spelman College, explains the importance of Title IX prog...