Brusenite closed out our conversations with a return to where we started.

Asking ourselves, what will it take to restore faith in America's promise?

How to tell a new, unifying story about the country that is true to our highest ideals

while at the same time doing an honest accounting of where we fall short?

It's not an easy thing to do in these cynical times, especially when we've got a thousand

different media outlets and internet platforms that have figured out you can make lots of money

fanning people's anger and resentment.

Somehow though, some kind of way, we both believe that such a story is still there to be

told and that folks across the country are hungry for it.

We are convinced that for all our disagreements, most of us long for a more just and compassionate

America, an America where everybody belongs.

We started exploring that spirit with the tale of an unlikely gift that a stranger gave

to me on the campaign trail, and with Brusen explaining the story behind one of his most

popular and misunderstood songs.

Tell me what, when did you think you first might have won, might want to run for president?

I mean, what was your ambition?

What made you want to do that?

Somebody must have dropped me on my head.

It traces back to everything we've been talking about.

This idea of bringing America into alignment with its ideals, and that had been my work,

that had been my purpose.

If you're doing it right, running for president is not actually about you.

...