Rich and Kevin head to New York and take a detour from their usual political breakdowns to embrace a more cultural moment—catching Denzel Washington live in Othello. From stage brilliance to campaign basics, they unpack the power of storytelling, the decline of true organizing, and how the Democratic Party needs to stop depending on data and start depending on people. Oh, and they definitely got smoke for modern organizers and media consultants. This one’s for the political junkies and the cinephiles.

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📍 01:00 – Denzel in Othello & What Makes a Real Actor
The gentlemen break down their live theater experience and Denzel’s stage presence. Spoiler: it’s different when you’re breathing the same air as greatness.

📍 06:14 – Top 5 Denzel Performances & Oscar Robberies
Favorite Denzel flicks—Malcolm X, Training Day, The Hurricane—and wonder how the Academy keeps getting it wrong.

📍 11:06 – Movie Star vs. Actor
Rich and Kevin debate who’s acting and who’s just cashing checks. Is Whoopi underrated? Is The Rock even acting?

📍 21:53 – Rallies Ain’t Organizing & Digital Ain’t Strategy
They challenge the lazy campaign tactics of today. Spoiler alert: a viral post isn’t a voter contact.

📍 30:06 – When Data Becomes a Crutch Instead of a Tool
The duo explains how over-reliance on data and underinvestment in community organizing leads to political failure. our turn.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Denzel Washington – For his unmatched consistency, craft, and commitment to excellence. From stage to screen, he’s still setting the bar.
🐍 Whoopi Goldberg – A true EGOT and trailblazer whose impact transcends entertainment.
🐍 The OG Organizers – Those who knocked doors with clipboards, phone books, and heart. Respect.
Black Broadway Excellence – From Denzel to Viola to Samuel L., they continue to carry the torch of unapologetic storytelling.

Rich and Kevin go deep on the cost of courage in politics. From Congressman Al Green’s unapologetic stand against Trump to Rich’s powerful testimony at the Georgia State Capitol about his personal battle with kidney failure, this one’s a gut punch. They expose how weak party leadership, bad strategy, and cowardice are failing the people—especially in the South. The duo pulls no punches talking about Medicaid, healthcare hypocrisy, and why the Democratic Party needs new blood, new tactics, and a serious backbone.

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📍 02:35 – Al Green Stands Alone when courage looks like shaking your cane. Congressman Al Green becomes the only member of Congress to call out Trump during his address—and gets censured while 10 Democrats side with the GOP.

📍 10:56 – Losing the Narrative: How Democrats Keep Fumbling the Bag
Town halls > bingo cards. Kevin and Rich explain how the Democratic Party missed a huge opportunity to connect with real voters during Trump’s speech.

📍 15:05 – Personal Becomes Political: Rich’s Kidney Journey
Testimony from the trenches. Rich shares how his personal battle with kidney failure turned him into an unexpected advocate for Medigap insurance coverage in Georgia.

📍 23:27 – Health Care Hypocrisy: Pro-Life but Not Pro-Care
They fight to birth them, then cut the funding. The hosts expose the contradiction of right-wing politics when it comes to healthcare, Medicaid, and kids.

📍 34:09 – Time for New Blood: The Party Needs a Trade
Where’s the coach? Who’s the LeBron? A fiery conversation about stale leadership in the South, rising stars like Jasmine Crockett, and why it's time to stop waiting our turn.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Congressman Al Green – For standing 10 toes down, refusing to be silenced, and carrying the torch of Southern Black resistance.
🐍 Rich McDaniel – For turning pain into purpose and testifying on behalf of 45,000+ dialysis patients who need real healthcare solutions.
🐍 American Kidney Fund – For stepping up where the government hasn’t, helping people cover lifesaving treatments without red tape.
🐍 All HBCUs – For shaping underdogs into leaders, holding students accountable with love, and building generational excellence.
🐍 The Southern Black Political Tradition – For being the last line of defense and the loudest voice of truth, even when the party stays quiet.

In this episode of Maroon Bison Presents: The Southern Comfort Podcast, Rich and Kevin break down the intersection of culture, politics, and influence—who’s using their platform for change and who’s just collecting checks. From Outkast’s long-overdue Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination to the legacy of Barack Obama, the duo explores the power of entertainers, athletes, and institutions like HBCUs in shaping Black political engagement. Plus, Rich shares a deeply personal story about how a chance encounter and a little tough love got him into Morehouse.

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📍 03:12 – Outkast & The Politics of Celebrity Influence:
Does every Black artist have to be an activist, or is it enough just to make great art?

📍 09:52 – Do Celebrity Endorsements Still Move the Needle?
John Legend, Dave Chappelle, and why some artists actually show up for the people.

📍 19:55 – Michael, Kobe, LeBron: The Evolution of Athlete Activism
From "Republicans buy sneakers too" to More Than A Vote—how sports stars got political.

📍 26:39 – Malcolm vs. Martin, Obama vs. The System:
Good cop, bad cop, or just two necessary sides of the same fight for justice?

📍 46:34 – How a Random Conversation Got Rich Into Morehouse:
A lesson in faith, fate, and the power of just showing up.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Awards Go To…

🐍 Barack & Michelle Obama (and the whole damn family, including Bo & Sunny) – For redefining Black excellence on the world stage with intelligence, class, and an unshakable sense of purpose.

🐍 HBCUs Everywhere – For taking in kids the world overlooked and molding them into leaders who change the game.

🐍 The Educators Who See Potential Before You See It in Yourself – Special shoutout to Ms. Portia Potts, William Murray, Michael Hodge, Andre Patillo, and the countless Black teachers shaping futures every day.

🐍 Outkast – For showing the world that being unapologetically Southern, weird, and Black is a damn superpower.

🐍 Dave Chappelle & John Legend – For understanding that showing up for the people matters more than just saying the right things.

In this raw and unfiltered follow-up, Christian Dior Wise Smith returns to break down the dark side of politics—backroom deals, party betrayals, and what really goes down when you challenge the establishment. From a Mexican restaurant campaign headquarters to leading protest marches through Bankhead, Christian shares how he ran (and got blocked) in the fight for real justice. Plus, Rich and Kevin pull back the curtain on how the Democratic Party keeps losing Black men and young voters. Oh, and there's a wild story about how a leap of faith led Christian to the Black Godfather.

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📍 03:12 – The Humbling Experience of Fundraising:

You want to change the world? First, you gotta call up strangers and beg for money.

📍 9:02 – Hitting the Streets vs. Playing It Safe:

Why Christian defied his campaign advisors to march with protesters after George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks.

📍 24:16 – Why Prosecutors Won’t Hold Cops Accountable:

It ain’t about justice—it’s about money and keeping the right people happy.

📍 36:42 – The Machine vs. The Movement:

The system told donors not to give to a Black DA candidate. Meanwhile, his opponent wouldn’t even debate.

📍 49:24 – Meeting a Legend—Clarence Avant, The Black Godfather:

Christian took a leap of faith, bought a ticket to LA… and ended up sitting with one of the most powerful men in entertainment.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Christian Wise Smith for proving that you can fight the system, lose, and still come back stronger.

🐍 The Hip Hop Community in Atlanta for standing up when politicians sat down, and rallying behind a real one.

🐍 Rich McDaniel & Kevin Harris (and their wives) for exposing the game, building campaigns from the ground up, and refusing to sell out.

🐍 The Collective PAC for being the only major org that defied orders and backed a real candidate.

🐍 Clarence Avant, The Black Godfather - The ultimate blueprint for betting on Black talent and playing the long game.

What happens when a former skeptic of politics becomes the prosecutor making life-changing decisions? In this episode, Rich and Kev welcome their first guest, Christian Wise Smith, a man with a name fit for greatness and a story built for a movie. From dodging AR-15s in his first hours in Atlanta to battling the justice system from the inside, Christian shares how his unconventional path led him to the courtroom—not as a defendant, but as a prosecutor fighting to keep Black men out of prison. This one’s got Pepsi vs. Coke beef, political war stories, and a firsthand look at what it means to play chess in a system designed for checkers. Buckle up—this is a Wise Up moment you don’t want to miss.

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📍 01:02 – The Great Southern Soda Controversy:

Kevin commits Georgia blasphemy by drinking Pepsi. Rich explains why Coca-Cola is the South’s holy water (and why Kevin’s basically a heretic).

📍 10:24 – Jump First, The Net Will Appear:

Christian breaks down how blind faith and a cold call got him a top campaign strategist—for free—the real cost of political dreams and why most people never even try.

📍 26:10 – The Day Atlanta Introduced Christian to AR-15s:

Lands in ATL, gets guns in his face within hours—why? Turns a racial profiling nightmare into a courtroom revolution.

📍 39:14 – When a Prosecutor Breaks the Rules for Justice:

The unwritten power of prosecutors: to ruin lives or change them. How one decision stopped a Black kid from going to prison and sent him to the NFL.

📍 50:37 – Running for DA During a Pandemic… with No Blueprint:

Death threats, lost friendships, and political sabotage—what running for DA really looks like. The real reason Black men don’t trust politics (and why they should care anyway).

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Christian Wise Smith for betting on himself, changing lives from the inside, and proving that real justice is personal, not political.

🐍 All the "Christians" Out There for every Black prosecutor, public servant, and changemaker who shows up, stands firm, and refuses to let the system break them — because the system only changes when the right people are in the room.

🐍 Rich McDaniel & Kevin Harris (and their wives) for turning high-level political chops into service for the culture, building campaigns with heart (and zero invoices), and for the wives who hold it all down so the dream can breathe.

Southern Democrats are an endangered species—so what happened? In this episode, Rich and Kevin take a deep dive into the disappearance of white Democratic leadership in the South, the struggle for Black candidates to break into statewide office, and the game-changing impact of moderate Black leadership. They also explore the lessons from Obama and Clinton’s presidencies, why national Democrats keep fumbling the South, and what it takes to actually win in these battleground states. Plus, they hand out this week's Mamba Mentality Awards to two relentless leaders who embody the grind both on and off the court.

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📍06:46 - The $2 Million What-If:
Did lack of funding cost Democrats the Maryland governor’s race? Kevin explains why just $2 million could have flipped the outcome

📍15:39 - The Vanishing White Southern Democrat:
Where did they go? Rich and Kevin break down how the Democratic Party lost its grip on white voters in the South—and why Black moderates might be the key to winning them back.

📍36:12 - Why It’s Harder for Black Mayors to Go Statewide:
Mayors are often seen as prime candidates for governor—unless they’re Black. The guys discuss why urban leadership doesn’t always translate to state-wide success.

📍41:08 - The Primary vs. General Election Trap:
Winning the Democratic primary doesn’t mean you can win the general. How do candidates get caught in this cycle—and how can they break free?

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Senator Raphael Warnock for staying relentless in the fight, breaking down DEI attacks with biblical precision, and refusing to back down.

🐍 Basketball legend Maya Moore for dominating on the court and then walking away to fight for justice, proving the Mamba Mentality isn’t just for the game.

The resistance was loud in 2016, but where is it now? In this episode of The Southern Comfort Podcast, Kevin and Rich examine whether the political energy sparked by Trump’s first presidency has truly lasted—or if it fizzled out when it mattered most. From the lessons of Doug Jones’ shocking Senate win in Alabama to the struggles of Black candidates like Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum, they break down what worked, what didn’t, and why the Democratic Party still isn’t learning its lessons. Plus, why Georgia should be treated like a battleground and the future of Kamala Harris after 2024. And of course, the Mamba Mentality Award goes to those who fought against the odds and still changed history.

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📍 04:39 – "How Trump Accidentally Helped My Love Life"
Rich explains how Trump's presidency set off a chain reaction that led him to meet his wife.

📍 08:47 – "Fried Fish and the Formula for Winning in the South"
How old-school community organizing, church halls, and fish fries helped Doug Jones pull off an impossible win.

📍 17:56 – "Could Ben Jealous and Andrew Gillum Have Won?"
The guys analyze whether strategy, timing, or just bad luck kept these groundbreaking Black candidates from victory.

📍 25:36 – "The Kamala Factor: Why Black Women Felt Betrayed"
The Democratic Party has an engagement problem—and Black women might be done showing up just because they’re expected to.

📍 31:31 – "Can Florida Be Saved? Or Is It a Lost Cause?"
What it will actually take to rebuild the Democratic infrastructure in Florida (hint: it’s more than just hoping for better candidates).

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Vice President Kamala Harris – For stepping into the fight with no time to prepare and handling an impossible situation with grace and tenacity.

🐍 The Tuskegee Airmen & WWII Service Women Pilots – For their courage, discipline, and excellence—despite an America that tried to erase their contributions.

What happens when you’ve poured everything into a campaign, only to watch it all fall apart? In this episode of The Southern Comfort Podcast, Kevin and Rich take a brutally honest look at the 2016 election, the strategic missteps that cost Hillary Clinton the presidency, and why Black voters (especially Black men) still feel politically homeless. From Obama-era campaign lessons to the future of the Democratic Party, they unpack what went wrong—and what needs to change before 2024. Plus, the Mamba Mentality Award goes to a political powerhouse who’s taken more hits than most and keeps showing up.

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📍 03:42 – "They Don't Know What the Hell They're Talking About"
Obama’s surprising take on high-powered political rooms—and why HBCUs prepare you to own the table.

📍 06:54 – "Iowa Is a Scam (And Always Was)"
The guys debate whether the Corn State ever really mattered—and why South Carolina is finally getting its due.

📍 22:25 – "The South Was Winnable. So Why Did They Ignore It?"
The night Bill Clinton himself pulled Rich aside to vent about the campaign’s biggest mistake.

📍 27:52 – "Black Voters: Taken for Granted or Just Left Behind?"
How campaigns misread Black political engagement—and why economic survival trumps everything, even racism.

📍 35:45 – "Losing to Trump Twice Hits Different"
Kevin reflects on working three anti-Trump campaigns, and why both times the Democrats lost, a woman was on the ballot.

🏆 Mamba Mentality Award Goes To…

🐍 Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) – For resilience, consistency, and getting back up no matter how many times she’s knocked down. Love her or hate her, she never stopped fighting.

🐍 Honorable Mention: President Obama’s Shade – Because realizing that half the people in power have no idea what they’re doing is the real political awakening.