Reality Check: Are Democrats Actually Winning the Government Shutdown? – with Mike Nellis and Dan Pfeiffer

Endless Urgency is free to read, but we’re hustling to launch our new content studio and pay our new Community Manager a living wage. Paid subscribers make it all possible—just $8/month if you’re down to support:

Hey folks,

I just wrapped a must-watch live session with Dan Pfeiffer from MessageBox. We dove deep into the shutdown, the messaging failures of Democratic leadership, and why it’s time to stop treating economic anxiety and authoritarian threats like separate issues. If you’re wondering how we break through the noise in 2025, this one’s worth the watch.

• [00:01:02] Dan explains why he thinks Trump—not Democrats—is losing the shutdown battle, and how polling backs it up.

• [00:03:18] We rate how Dems are handling the messaging war—and why there’s still a AAA team stuck behind the bench.

• [00:10:42] Dan outlines two possible endgames to the shutdown—and how Trump’s polling panic could flip the whole script.

• [00:13:00] Why Marjorie Taylor Greene breaking with House Republicans might be a turning point—and how personal politics shapes public outcomes.

• [00:27:00] We talk about why Americans feel like Democrats fight for “someone else,” and how the party’s age gap worsens the disconnect.

Don’t miss this conversation if you care about the future of progressive media, the pitfalls of Democratic strategy, or just want clarity on what the hell is happening in Washington.

Endless Urgency is here to cut through the noise—and we need your support to keep doing it. Become a paid subscriber today to help us build something bolder.

With urgency,

—Mike