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Driving around Michigan to report on the rallies of Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, you notice just how much road construction there is here. An inconvenience yes, but also a campaign promise fulfilled. “Fix the damn roads” is what then-gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer started pitching to her constituents as far back as 2018. And 26,000 lane miles and 2,000 bridges later, the termed-out governor can say it was more than a catchphrase.

Similarly, El-Sayed has a catchy slogan — money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all. It has an echo of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), but given El-Sayed’s role as a former health official in the state, there’s more weight to his healthcare critique. In addition, one aspect of the slogan “money out of politics” is already reflected on a state ballot initiative — Proposal 2. If it passes, utility companies will be prohibited from making campaign donations in state elections. It is literally sponsored by a group called Michiganders for Money Out of Politics.

In other words, El-Sayed’s platform isn’t out of touch.

And yet othering is the weapon of choice. Such as it is when one is trying to make history on the way to making a difference.

Vice President Kamala Harris, when reflecting on being the proverbial “first” back in 2019, said it was important to remember that breaking barriers involves breaking, “and when you break things, it’s painful. You get hurt. You may get cut and you may bleed. It will be worth it, but it’s not without pain.”

If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate. And trying to break that barrier has been painful. The president of the United States, the vice president of........

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