Abdul El-Sayed — A college kid from New Jersey flew out to Michigan just to ask me this question

How are you doing? >> Uh, my name is James. >> Hey, James. >> I'm from the great state of New Jersey, so I flew all the way out here to ask you this question. I'm very excited. >> Wait a second. Wait a second. Now, there's a whole story. So, what brings you to Michigan? >> I'm a student out in DC, and I'm excited to meet you. I I have friends out here, and I'm just I'm truly passionate about this campaign, so. >> You know, wait, wait, wait, wait. You came all the way here to be a part of this campaign? >> To meet you in person. I've seen you on social media so much. I'm just >> Can we give him a round OF APPLAUSE? >> [cheering] >> JAMES, THANKS SO MUCH. LET ME >> [applause] >> JAMES, IT IS WONDERFUL to meet you. I'm so grateful that you're a part of this. All right. What can we help with? >> So, I have a really important question. So, I'm I'm as I mentioned a student, I'm a young person, so I'm trying to get more involved in politics. Um, and a lot of young people are feeling the cynicism. It seems like the system is not really working for the average Joe. It's not working and it's really plaguing our our average voter, I feel like. Um, and I know I'm very excited. I'm so glad that you are standing up against corporate PAC money and organizations like United. But, it feels like the Senate, the Supreme Court, the House, it's quite corrupt. So, I'm curious, what systemic change will you fight for, and what will you do to change this? >> You're you're you're you're probably 20-something? Early 20-something? >> 19. >> 19. >> [cheering] [applause] >> This world is yours for the making, man. There are a lot of folks your age who wouldn't be caught dead at a political rally. And I understand the nihilism. Like, you got to you got to understand, for those of you who are older than James, if you're 19 years old, that means you were born in what, 2007? That was the year I graduated college. Thank you for making me feel instantly way older. >> [laughter] >> But, but that means that you were born in a time when the iPhone was ubiquitous. When high-speed internet was everywhere. You were a year old when you or your family or a neighbor lost their home in the worst financial catastrophe in modern history. You were born into two wars. You watched Donald Trump descend that escalator when you were what, seven? And he's been a fixture in our political reality since your childhood. And meanwhile, huge internet companies have figured out how to harvest your attention through your eyeballs and your eardrums your whole life. And your social experiences are halfway transacted through a screen because that's how they wanted it to be because at least then they could serve you ads for you probably didn't need to buy. So, to not be nihilistic is an act of hope. And I appreciate you doing that. But I also think there's some reality that we all have to check in ourselves. Which is when you talk down to young people or you tell them what they really ought to do when they don't see answers to the big questions they're asking in a movement, do not be surprised when they don't become part of that movement. It's just rational behavior. And to your point, when there's so much to be nihilistic about, a few tweaks around the edges aren't going to cut it. Because the whole system feels broken. So, there's a reason that my message isn't Medicare for all, money in your pocket, money out of politics. There's a reason I say money out of politics first. Because the central corrupting feature of our politics right now is the power of money to buy politicians so that government is captured by them, not for