Join us for an engaging conversation with Michael Bedenbaugh, a respected voice in historic preservation, community development, and constitutional governance. As the former president and executive director of Preservation South Carolina and current host of "Reviving Our Republic," Michael brings a unique perspective that bridges America's founding principles with modern political challenges.

Michael's impressive background spans military service (five years in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS South Carolina), corporate leadership (former CEO of Post No Bills, Inc.), and grassroots governance (city council member and county Board of Zoning Appeals chair). His dedication to community revitalization earned him South Carolina's highest civilian honor, the Order of the Palmetto, awarded by Governor Henry McMaster.

In this thought-provoking discussion, we explore Michael's bold proposals for constitutional and electoral reform, including:

We dive deep into the tension between federal influence and state sovereignty, examining why Americans often overlook state government importance despite its closer connection to daily life. Michael challenges conventional wisdom about voting reform, government accountability, and the role of states in preserving constitutional principles.

Michael's perspective offers a fresh take on bridging political divides through constitutional originalism and community-focused governance. His approach combines historical reverence with practical solutions, making complex political theory accessible and actionable.

Connect with Michael:

Purple Political Breakdown seeks to explore diverse viewpoints and foster meaningful dialogue across the political spectrum. This episode represents Michael Bedenbaugh's perspectives and does not necessarily reflect the views of the host or network.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse FutureisFutureis. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

Get Daily News: Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed ( https://informed.now)

All Links: https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Host Radell Lewis sits down with Charley, a pioneering voice in conscious business leadership who brings a truly unique perspective to overcoming division in our polarized world.

Charley combines over 20 years of corporate leadership experience with 7 years as President of the Pay it Forward Foundation and a decade of study with an enlightened teacher. This rare combination of business acumen, non-profit leadership, and spiritual development has positioned him as one of the first Chief Consciousness Officersa revolutionary role focused on healing division within organizations.

In an era where political division infiltrates every aspect of our livesincluding our workplacesCharley offers a path forward that transcends traditional left-right thinking. His work demonstrates how integrating consciousness into business leadership isn't just idealistic thinkingit's a practical necessity for organizations that want to thrive in our divided world.

With a social media network of over 5,000 executives and leaders, Charley is at the forefront of a movement that's reshaping how we think about leadership, unity, and progress beyond political boundaries.

Join Radell and Charley for a conversation that could change how you approach leadership, collaboration, and building bridges in your own organization and community.

Before diving into the political chaos, we start with hope: 3D-printed lung tissue that could cure COPD and asthma, revolutionary IVF techniques saving babies from mitochondrial diseases, and breakthrough infant heart transplant procedures expanding donor pools by 20%. Sometimes the best news is the news that reminds us human ingenuity is solving problems we thought impossible.

The Senate passes Trump's $9 billion spending cuts in a nail-biter 51-48 vote, targeting foreign aid and public broadcasting. But the real drama? House Republicans initially blocked crypto bills during "Crypto Week" until Trump personally called holdouts to the Oval Office. We break down the GENIUS Act for stablecoin regulation, Bitcoin hitting $123K, and why regulating an industry you're profiting from might be problematic.

Elon Musk has gone full chaos mode against Trump over Jeffrey Epstein files, even announcing an "America Party" to prioritize their release. We explore how this billionaire Twitter beef is creating genuine fractures in the MAGA movement and potentially costing Republicans seats in 2026.

ICE now has access to 79 million Medicaid enrollees' personal data for deportation efforts. We examine the surge in arrests (47% without criminal charges), violent California cannabis farm raids, and the controversial "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center that Democrats and Republicans describe completely differently.

Trump's "Operation Midnight Hammer" strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, his complete flip on Russia policy with 100% tariff threats, and renewed violence in Syria. Plus, the ongoing Gaza humanitarian crisis and why a 20-year-old American was allegedly killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

We break down the most misunderstood political term in America. Spoiler alert: Those "socialist" Nordic countries? Not actually socialist. Denmark's PM had to literally tell Americans to stop calling them that. We explore real socialism's pros and cons, why Americans already live with tons of "socialist" policies, and what NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's democratic socialism experiment might mean for American politics.

Trump freezes $6 billion in education grants, threatens to strip citizenship from political opponents (spoiler: he legally can't), and escalates tariffs on 100+ countries while inflation ticks upward. We also cover the Texas flooding tragedy, church shooting in Kentucky, and why your medical debt might stay on your credit report after all.

Purple Political Breakdown cuts through partisan noise to deliver nuanced analysis of the week's biggest political stories. We explain complex policies, decode political theater, and research topics that actually matter all while maintaining our commitment to balanced, fact-based journalism that treats our audience like adults capable of forming their own opinions.

Subscribe for weekly episodes breaking down the political stories that shape America, without the partisan spin.

Welcome to Purple Political Breakdown, where we cut through the noise of partisan politics to find real solutions that work for real people. In a world drowning in red vs. blue rhetoric, we're building bridges in the purple space betweenwhere evidence matters more than ideology, and practical solutions trump political talking points.

In our most groundbreaking conversation yet, we explored a revolutionary approach to democracy with Travis Misurell, founder of the Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) and the lead architect behind a citizen-owned political system designed to bypass establishment control and return power to the people.

Rather than fighting within a rigged system, Travis is focused on replacing it, starting with how citizens see politics. His framework, Digital Politics (DP), helps people cut through the noise and see how power really works, helping them identify which politicians truly represent them, and which serve special interests. And that's where the tools under Digital Democracy (DD) come in, giving people the means to act on that clarity.

The Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) is building a citizen-owned alternative political system to bypass establishment control and reshape democracy from the ground up. Learn more at  futureis.org/join. At its core is Digital Politics (DP)a new lens that helps people see how power actually works and vote with clarity. But FiNC doesn't stop at awareness. It's building Digital Democracy (DD), a civic participation system where every citizen is heard, every candidate is seen, and independent media can rise without being buried by algorithms or gatekeepers.

Travis's work through FiNC offers more than critiqueit's a working blueprint. One that unites citizens, grassroots candidates, movements, and independent media into a shared, citizen-led ecosystem. His mission is to help America stop settling for the lesser of two evils and start building a future designed by the people themselves.

FiNC exists to provide the shared infrastructure, coordination, and visibility that today's political system has failed to deliverso citizens, candidates, movements, and media can build what comes next, together.

Travis's mission aligns with the sentiment shared by 85% of Americans who sense our system is failing them but don't quite grasp the how or why. By uniting frustrated citizens, grassroots reformers, and independent media under a shared truth, he's crafting a new way to perceive political needsa perspective-shift that's both enlightening and actionable, offering a new lens through which to view political complexities.

In this conversation, we explored why traditional left vs. right politics is a distraction, how the real struggle is people vs. power, and why fixing democracy starts with changing how we think about itnot just who we vote for. We also dove into how citizens can build a new system of representation beyond establishment gatekeepers.

We agreed that his platform could serve as a connective organization to bring all the different political solutions, third parties and different perspectives that can change and help America look beyond the current establishment. It's about creating the infrastructure where diverse voices and innovative approaches can unite under a shared vision for democratic transformation.

This represents exactly what Purple Political Breakdown is about: finding ways to move beyond the failed two-party system and build something bettertogether.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices.

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features.

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides.

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content.

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting.

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse.

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement.

Get Daily News: Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed (https://informed.now)

All Links: https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Welcome to Purple Political Breakdown, where we cut through the political chaos with nuanced analysis and deep research. This episode dives into the explosive political developments that have Washington spinning faster than a Marvel movie timeline.

Nuanced News Breakdown:

The episode explores how internal drama over the Jeffrey Epstein situation delayed these firings, and why the MAGA base - including Tucker Carlson, Elon Musk, and Steve Bannon - are calling it a cover-up. We'll break down the Trump-Rosie O'Donnell citizenship threat drama, the State Department's bureaucratic earthquake where Marco Rubio fired over 1,300 employees in a single day, and the legal battles mounting around Trump's E. Jean Carroll case and birthright citizenship executive order.

Plus, we cover immigration enforcement controversies, Supreme Court cases on transgender athlete bans, and why FBI Director Kash Patel is reportedly considering leaving the administration.

Research Deep Dive:

We examine key figures like Alexander Acosta (who gave Epstein the controversial 2008 plea deal and later became Trump's Labor Secretary) and Pam Bondi's complicated history with the case as Florida's Attorney General. The episode breaks down the campaign promises made by Trump's inner circle about releasing Epstein files and exposing client lists, contrasted with the anticlimactic July 2025 Justice Department memo that found "no incriminating client list."

The research culminates with Elon Musk's explosive June 2025 Twitter accusation that Trump is in the Epstein files and that's why they haven't been made public - turning a former alliance into a political nuclear bomb that has Congressional Democrats demanding answers and Trump's base questioning everything they were promised.

This episode perfectly captures how decades-old relationships can become current political crises, and how the promise of transparency can itself become a source of explosive controversy.

Standard Resource Links & Recommendations

The following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation:

PODCAST NETWORK

ALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/

CONVERSATION PLATFORMS

HeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/

Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/

BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATION

OtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/

VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACY

Equal Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/star

Future is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse FutureisFutureis. Link: https://futureis.org/

POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT

Independent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/

Get Daily News: Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed ( https://informed.now)

All Links: https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdown

The Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."

Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle!

Welcome to another episode where we break down the news that's giving off major reality TV vibes - and not in a good way!

Trade Wars & Economic Drama - Trump's "take it or leave it" tariff ultimatums to 12 countries, with rates hitting up to 70%. Plus, his economic whack-a-mole game with BRICS nations that's making the Dow drop faster than your favorite team blowing a 20-point lead.

Government "Efficiency" Gone Wild - The Supreme Court green-lights mass federal workforce cuts through DOGE, with 75,000 employees already taking deferred resignation. It's like watching someone try to lose weight by cutting off limbs - technically effective, but probably not the healthiest approach.

Immigration Enforcement Theater - From militarized operations at MacArthur Park (complete with 90 National Guard troops and soldiers on horseback) to the deportation of world champion boxer Julio Cesar Chvez Jr. - we're breaking down enforcement that feels more like spectacle than strategy.

MAGA Civil War - Elon Musk vs. Steve Bannon in the messiest billionaire feud since... well, ever. Complete with deportation threats, prison predictions, and calls to nationalize SpaceX. It's like watching two people argue over Netflix passwords, except they're both billionaires with massive political influence.

Health Crisis Reality Check - Record-breaking measles outbreak with 1,277 cases across 38 states, plus Switzerland's breakthrough malaria treatment for newborns. Because apparently we can't have nice things without someone finding a way to mess them up.

Natural Disaster Politics - Devastating Texas floods that killed 104 people, including 28 children at a summer camp, and how it's become another political football in debates over federal preparedness.

AI & Tech Chaos - From OpenAI's $10 million education investment to Musk's AI chatbot going full antisemitic. Plus, why experts say the 2030s will be "radically different" and half of entry-level white-collar jobs could disappear in five years.

International Relations Mess - Trump meets Netanyahu (complete with Nobel Peace Prize nomination), Ukraine gets some weapons (but not as many as promised), and why getting a Patriot missile "isn't like going to Walmart."

This isn't just political theater - it's real policy affecting real people's lives. We're watching a government that's moving fast and breaking things, except the things being broken are institutions, international relationships, and people's livelihoods.

Whether you think this is necessary disruption or dangerous chaos probably depends on your perspective, but either way, it's definitely not boring. Join us as we make sense of the news that feels more like a reality show that's been renewed for too many seasons.

Perfect for your commute, workout, or whenever you need to understand what's really happening behind the headlines.