On this episode, Giancarlo Newsome sits down with Bobby Charles, a candidate for governor whose experience spans rural hardship, military service, and federal leadership. Charles shares an unvarnished perspective on Maine’s decline in education and public well-being, connecting these outcomes to a long drift away from humility and responsibility in public life. Rather than posture or provoke, Charles turns repeatedly to his roots: a modest upbringing, reverence for service, and a clear-eyed belief that humility, not pride, ought to guide policy and leadership. The conversation remains grounded, asking whether Maine, and by extension, the broader culture, can move beyond hubris and rediscover the practical value of humility in solving what’s broken.

Key Highlights

• Bobby Charles describes his rural upbringing, reflecting on formative lessons: “All of that gives you the kind of appreciation for being close to the earth...real work is mental, but it is also manual.”
• Honest appraisal of Maine’s current challenges: rising overdose deaths (“10,000 overdoses last year”), unaffordable property taxes pushing seniors out of homes, and the slide “from the best to 50th out of 50” in educational outcomes.
• Charles’s critique of government overreach, referencing his writing on leaders “pretending to be God”—urging caution against policies that lack humility and practical accountability.
• Open discussion of faith, humility, and gratitude—“Pray without ceasing...an awareness without ceasing that we are indebted to a loving God”—as necessary correctives for both private life and public service.
• Attention to the subtle harms of technological hubris: “algorithms...are not wired to refresh and reinforce humility,” and a hopeful nod to blockchain’s promise for transparent, responsible governance.

Is Bobby the kind of humble leader politics needs? Help Bobby at BobbyforMaine.com.

Disclaimer: The views shared by the host of The Empowering Humility Podcast are his own —passionate, yes, but absolute never. Not valuing and respecting disagreement and alternate perspectives, especially political ones, would go against everything Empowering Humility stands for! So - feel free to share your thoughts - and yes, disagreement — just keep it respectful (and humble), of course!