>>> WELCOME BACK. WE HAVE MORE ROOM IN OUR
ELECTION HEADQUARTERS HERE IN
NEW YORK.
NEW YORK. SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE MORE
PANEL, MORE COW BELL.
IT’S NOW AN ELECTION NIGHT -- IT
CAN’T BE AN ELECTION NIGHT
WITHOUT NBC NEWS SENIOR
CORRESPONDENT TOM BROKAW SO
YOU’RE RIGHT HE’S HERE.
"TODAY" SHOW CO-ANCHOR SAVANNAH
GUTHRIE, NBC NEWS CAPITOL HILL
CORRESPONDENT, KASIE HUNT, CORY
BELCHER AND HUGH HEWITT.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE
WORD CLOUDS THAT CAME OUT OF OUR
NEW POLL BECAUSE WE ASKED A
SIMPLE MESSAGE TO VOTERS.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU WANT TO SEND
WITH YOUR VOTE IF YOU COULD SEND
THAT MESSAGE.
THAT MESSAGE. HERE’S WHAT FOLKS WHO PREFER A
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED CONGRESS
REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED CONGRESS TOLD US.
TOLD US. YOU SEE IMMIGRATION POPS UP BIG.
DO YOUR JOB, WORK TOGETHER.
AND NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THE
MESSAGE THAT THOSE THAT PREFER A
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS.
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS. GET RID OF TRUMP, STAND UP
AGAINST TRUMP.
AGAINST TRUMP. BUT DO YOUR JOB SHOWS UP THERE
TOO.
TOO. AND WORK TOGETHER SHOWS UP
THERE.
THERE. >> WE NEED A WORK TOGETHER, DO
YOUR JOB PARTY.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> THAT’S WHAT I TAKE AWAY.
THIS IS SO HAPPY.
THIS IS A BIPARTISAN RESULT
HERE.
HERE. IT’S INTERESTING.
IT’S INTERESTING. I MEAN I WAS LISTENING TO
GOVERNOR HASLAM TALKING ABOUT
IT’S NOT GOING TO BE TRUMP’S
FAULT IF, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY LOSE
IN FLORIDA.
IN FLORIDA. BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT
TRUMP IN CONTRAST TO MANY
PRESIDENTS YOU AND I HAVE
COVERED HAS ACTUALLY LITERALLY
ALMOST PUT HIM ON THE BALLOT.
A VOTE FOR MARSHA IS A VOTE FOR
ME IN TENNESSEE AND SO FORTH.
SO HE’S -- YOU HAVE TO SAY HE’S
A GAMBLING MAN.
HE’S ALL IN ON IT.
HE’S SAYING, FIRST OF ALL, HE’S
WORKING HIS TAIL OFF.
HE’S HAD 11 STOPS IN THE LAST
THREE DAYS AND HE HAS SAID IT’S
ABOUT ME.
ABOUT ME. AND MOST PRESIDENTS, EVEN WHEN
IT IS A REFERENDUM ON THEM AND
WE ALL KNOW IT WILL NEVER ACCEPT
THAT.
THAT. TRUMP IS ALL IN SAYING, YES, IT
IS ABOUT ME, SO THAT’S WHAT
TUESDAY IS GOING TO BE IN MY
OPINION.
OPINION. >> FDR IS THE LAST PRESIDENT TO
DO THIS, TOM.
>> IT HAS NOT JUST THE OPTICS
BUT THE TONE OF A PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION, AND THAT’S WHERE WE
ARE IN AMERICAN POLITICS BECAUSE
IT’S NOW 24/7 JAM PACKED.
I MUST SAY THAT IN THE LAST WEEK
OR SO WHAT HAS BEEN VERY
UNSETTLING TO ME IS TO SEE
AMERICAN SOLDIERS UNSPOOLING
WIRE ON THE BORDER WITH WEAPONS
NEARBY.
NEARBY. THIS IS HOW WE’RE DEALING WITH
WHAT IS NOT YET A THREAT OF ANY
KIND.
KIND. IF YOU HAD IMAGINATION IN THE
WHITE HOUSE, YOU’D GO TO THE
U.N. AND YOU’D GO TO THE VERY
MANY PRIVATE AGENCIES IN THIS
COUNTRY, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE
COMMUNITY, CATHOLIC CHARITIES,
AND WORK OUT A DEAL TO GET THEM
STOPPED ON THE MEXICAN BORDER.
SAY TO MEXICO IF YOU WANT AID
FROM US, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
GET INVOLVED IN THIS.
INSTEAD IT’S POINTING A GUN.
I DON’T JUST THINK THAT’S WHAT
THIS COUNTRY IS ABOUT, BUT
THAT’S ALSO WHAT’S ELEVATED THIS
TO A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
>> CAN I JUST SAY THIS, THOUGH,
CHUCK.
CHUCK. I SPENT THE LAST WEEK, FOUR
STATES, FOUR DAYS, TALKING TO
VOTERS, AND REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES. AND WHILE TOM IS RIGHT, THIS
ELECTION TO A CERTAIN EXTENT HAS
NATIONAL TONES AND I CERTAINLY
TALK TO REPUBLICANS WHO SAY
IMMIGRATION IS THEIR TOP
CONCERN, I ACTUALLY CAME AWAY
WITH A MUCH DIFFERENT PICTURE.
I WENT TO AN EVENT WITH THE
HOUSE SPEAKER AND SCOTT WALKER
WHO’S IN THE RACE OF THEIR LIFE
AND UHLICHYOU LISTEN TO THEM AND
BARELY KNOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP
WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
HE WAS BARELY MENTIONED BY NAME.
THEY WANT TO TALK ABOUT JOBS AND
THE ECONOMY.
THE ECONOMY. EVERY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE I
TALKED TO, I SPOKE WITH DAVID
YOUNG IN IOWA, HE SAID THE SAME
THING WHEN YOU PUSHED HIM ON
THESE QUESTIONS.
THESE QUESTIONS. THEY DO NOT -- THE REPUBLICANS
IN TOUGH RACES, THEY DO NOT WANT
TO BE ON THE TERRAIN THE
PRESIDENT IS ON.
NOW, THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEY NEED
EXCITEMENT FROM THEIR BASE, THE
PRESIDENT IS TRYING TO DO THAT,
BUT IN MANY WAYS I THINK HE’S
BEEN A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN HELP
FOR A LOT OF THESE GUYS.
>> I’LL GO BACK TO THE POINT MR.
BROKAW WAS MAKING, HE’S BEING
PRACTICAL.
PRACTICAL. BUT LOOK AT THAT WORD CLOUD.
FOR THOSE WHO WANT REPUBLICANS
IN CONTROL, IMMIGRATION IS THE
BIG THING IN THE WORD CLOUD.
I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS DRIVING
THIS BECAUSE THEY THINK -- THEY
THINK MIDTERM ELECTIONS ARE
ABOUT BASE TURNOUT.
THEY ALWAYS HAVE AND DEMOCRATS
HAVE TONDONE A POOR JOB OF TURNI
OUT THEIR BASE.
SO LOOKING AT THE "WALL STREET
JOURNAL’S" NUMBER, THE VOTE IS
HIGHER RIGHT NOW THAN IT WAS FOR
GEORGE BUSH IN ’06 OR BARACK
OBAMA IN 2014.
SO THE PRESIDENT’S JOB
DISAPPROVAL RIGHT NOW REALLY
MEANS SOMETHING.
MEANS SOMETHING. >> HUGH, I HAD A RIPEPUBLICAN
POLLSTER SAID IF RICK SCOTT
DOESN’T WIN, IT’S NOT RICK
SCOTT’S FAULT, IT’S DONALD
TRUMP’S FAULT.
TRUMP’S FAULT. >> WHEN I LISTENED TO CHRIS VAN
HOLLEN, A HEARD LESS THAN AN
ENTHUSIASTIC GUY.
ENTHUSIASTIC GUY. WHEN I GOT THE POLL THIS
MORNING, I WENT TO THE ONE
NUMBER, ARE YOU VERY SATISFIED
OR SOMEWHAT UNSATISFIED.
74%, PEOPLE THINK THEIR OWN
PERSONAL ECONOMICS ARE GOOD.
THAT IS A REMARKABLE THING FOR A
NATIONAL THING.
NATIONAL THING. >> BUT THEN YOU PUT THAT
SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH THE WRONG
TRACK NUMBER.
TRACK NUMBER. IT’S LIKE WE’RE NOT IN A
ECONOMIC RECESSION, WE’RE IN A
POLITICAL RECESSION.
POLITICAL RECESSION. >> BUT YOU’RE IN ARIZONA AND
YOU’VE GOT TO PICK MARTHA
McSALLY, WHO DID THE
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER LAST NIGHT
AT THE ASU GAME, DO YOU VOTE TO
KEEP THE ECONOMY HUMMING OR VOTE
AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP?
>> I’VE GOT TO SHOW YOU WHAT
DONALD TRUMP TALKING ABOUT THE
ECONOMY, THOUGH.
ECONOMY, THOUGH. IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
TAKE A LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID
ABOUT WHY HE DOESN’T TALK ABOUT
THE ECONOMY, HUGH.
>> HE’S GOT THE GREATEST
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. WHY IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE
BORDER.
BORDER. WELL, YOU CAN ONLY SAY SO MANY
TIMES THAT WE JUST CREATED
250,000 JOBS LAST MONTH, RIGHT?
THEY ALL SAY SPEAK ABOUT THE
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. BUT SOMETIMES IT’S NOT AS
EXCITING TO TALK ABOUT THE
ECONOMY, RIGHT?
ECONOMY, RIGHT? >> BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER
IS, HUGH IS RIGHT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY PEOPLE
HAVE THE BEST JOB CREATION
ECONOMY WE’VE HAD SINCE THE
1960s.
1960s. IN THE INDUSTRIAL MIDWEST WHERE
TRUMP DID SO WELL IN THE LAST
ELECTION, IT’S BOOMING OUT
THERE.
THERE. THE ECONOMY IS HUMMING.
YOU CANNOT, YOU CANNOT
OVERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF
THE ECONOMY WHEN PEOPLE WALK
INTO THAT BOOTH.
>> REALLY QUICKLY, BUT HERE’S
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH
THAT.
THAT. THESE COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN IN
THE SUBURBS WHO ARE LEADING THE
CHARGE OF RESISTANCE GOING ON,
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE ECONOMY FOR
THEM.
THEM. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON,
THE DISRESPECT, IT IS NOT --
IT’S DISCONNECTED FROM THE
ECONOMY FOR SO MANY OF THESE
SUBURBAN WOMEN.
SUBURBAN WOMEN. >> THIS IS WHERE HEALTH CARE
PLAYS IN.
PLAYS IN. HEALTH CARE PLAYS INTO THIS
BECAUSE IT’S AS MUCH AN ECONOMIC
ISSUE AS IT IS A PERSONAL ISSUE
IN THIS ELECTION.
PREMIUMS ARE SO HIGH PEOPLE ARE
WORRIED ABOUT BANKRUPTCY AND
IT’S CONTRADICTING THE OTHER