2025/12/09

Breaking Bread: Personal Responsibility in a Corrupt System, Masculinity on the Left, and the Fight for Democratic…

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Breaking Bread: Personal Responsibility in a Corrupt System, Masculinity on the Left, and the Fight for Democratic Power — with Mike Nellis and Katie Phang

Breaking Bread with Mike Nellis & Katie Phang LIVE— Tuesdays @ 12pm ET

Mike Nellis and Katie Phang

Dec 10

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Hey folks,

Katie Phang and I went all in on this one. We started with my half-baked book idea about personal responsibility in a time of fraud, corruption, and broken systems, and it turned into this raw, honest conversation about masculinity, burnout, Kamala, Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico, Trump’s chaos, and what accountability actually looks like for each of us. This one’s messy, emotional, political, and very, very human.

[00:01:07] The seed of the book idea, and how personal responsibility collides with a corrupt political system and my own mental health.
[00:09:45] Masculinity, loneliness, and why the right keeps capturing angry young men while we avoid the conversation.
[00:18:30] MAGA as a “big tent,” Trump selling AI chips to China, and what a functional Congress would do instead.
[00:27:40] Jasmine Crockett vs. James Talarico, and the tension between brawlers and bridge-builders in Democratic politics.
[00:38:55] The Kamala Harris conversation: racism, misogyny, polling, and the real work of accountability.

This episode cuts right to the heart of what so many of us are feeling — stretched thin, trying to stay grounded, and still fighting for a country that aligns with our values. If conversations like this matter to you, help me keep them alive and accessible.

Become a paid subscriber to Endless Urgency today »

With urgency,

—Mike

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A guest post by

Katie Phang

Mike Nellis is a Democratic strategist and entrepreneur who has raised over $1 billion for Democratic campaigns and causes. He’s the founder of Authentic.org, an award-winning fundraising and advertising agency, and a former Senior Advisor to Vice President Kamala Harris. This Substack is where he writes with endless urgency about the issues of the day—and how we can save the Democratic Party and our democracy.

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