piece, we cannot wait for someone to rescue us. we must do it ourselves. everyone everywhere must vote in massive numbers. >> i'll be back on monday night at 10:00 p.m. with the last word,

>> not everyone here was born into lobstering. some didn't have a choice. they just needed a paycheck. >> you used to work in a paper mill. >> i did. >> what happened to the mill. >> it got shut down. i didn't want to see it happen. you spend your whole life keeping something going, then they pull it out from under you. it doesn't make you feel very good. >> how long were you working in the paper mill? >> 40 year. >> 40 years? >> yeah. >> when did that end for you? >> december 17th, 2015. >> you remember the day? >> i remember that. >> show me this over here. what's going on over here? >> this is a buying station to buy lobsters. you can come up. >> can i bring the camera up and talk to you guys? come on up, guys. >> my name's drake. >> jacob. nice to meet you. this area they've got a congressional election coming up in november that's a pretty

tight congressional election. are you guys following that at all? >> i'm not going to discuss politics with you. i'm not that crazy. >> but i'm not asking you who you want to vote for or anything like that. do you care about it? >> of course. it affects my livelihood. i'd be foolish not to care. >> are you going to vote in it. >> i may. >> you normally vote? >> no. >> why not? >> i really don't think that our opinions matter. >> do you guys think that people in washington can understand what life is like out here? >> oh, no. you kidding me? no. >> for somebody to win a vote of a guy like you or you guys, what do they need to do or say? >> understand the business. >> this business? >> yeah, and want to help. >> i don't know. it's just crazy. here's just an example. the boat prices like somewhere around three bucks, roughly. >> what does that mean, the boat price? >> what the fisherman is getting paid per pound of lobster. >> three bucks per pound.

>> then if you go to walmart or wherever, it's like, what, 12 bucks, 15 bucks a pound. >> for lobster? >> yeah. that's crazy. that's not right. >> reporter: money in your pocket. that is what matters most down here. i headed inland to the city of b bangor, one of the district's biggest, to get a bite on a drink. >> you have a maine tattoo? >> i do. >> what do you do here? >> i'm a host. >> what's going to get you out to vote? >> raising minimum wage. >> raising minimum wage. >> actually the community matters most to us. children can play in the states. everyone has a good time. everyone knows your name here. >> what were you talking about? >> boys and girls and dating. >> that's important. that matters. >> reporter: morning in bangor started with a cup of coffee right here where the struggles to keep life so simple became clear. you live here? come on over? what's up? take a seat. >> is this going to be on tv?

>> probably. i'm jacob. so what kind of law do you practice? >> criminal defense. there are a lot of drugs in this area so we deal with drug problems all the time. >> you got a lot of opioids? >> yeah. >> fernntanyl in. >> that is prevalent. >> what are the kind of things you end up voting on? >> the news i follow most closely is the national scene. >> donald trump? what do you think about him? >> it's hard to put into words really. >> bruce pal quinn, he's a republican. would the way you feel about trump affect the way you vote for pal aquinn in november? >> i think so. >> you say you deal a lot with drug cases. is that wa people are going to vote on in this district? >> i think everyone is concerned about. it affects very many people. >> will it be the deciding issue? >> i doubt it. zbh wh . >> what do you think will decide? >> propaganda. >> that's dark. >> i'm sorry. that's how i feel. >> that criminal defense attorney told us that the opioid crisis, fentanyl is a big issue

here. there's a clinic here where they're literally trying to stop people from dying today. people are going to vote on that. >> we're hoping they are. maine certainly has been hit really hard by deindustrialization. so with the collapse of the mill economies, people are trying to escape. they're trying to escape from the stress of their everyday lives and, you know, drugs is an easy way to do. >> in a way, what that guy said to me on the porch outside of the coffee shop, that when he mentioned fentanyl use, it's not just about fentanyl use. it's about the economy here. it's about the struggles that everybody is going through on a daily basis? >> yeah. >> those struggles, the fight to stay afloat in maine's second, is in part hidden behind the state's beauty. once you leave bangor, it's nothing but trees. obviously the backbone of what used to be a massive timber industry, and it's no surprise that when that industry collapsed, a lot of people were hit very hard. we hear millinocket is a place

where there used to be a thriving paper mill, so we're heading there. we drove here to this place, which is the great northern paper mill, or at least it used to be. when we were checking it out, we were looking down here, and this is mike, who is out here fishing, i guess. right, mike? >> yeah, doing a little small-mouth fishing. >> how many people think lost their jobs when this place closed? >> oh, it's in the thousands. this is downtown millinocket. >> the district's former congressman is mike ma shadow, w machaud and he showed me around town. >> millinocket and three towns were at one point in time one of the wealth theft regions in the state because of the mill. >> when you say this was one of the most affluent areas in the whole state of maine, are you talking about even these neighborhoods right here? >> absolutely. this was a booming town, and homes up here that normally would sell for $60,000, $75,000, are going for, $10,000, $12,000.

>> homes like these? >> yeah. >> wow. whether you look at these and think america needs to be made great again or just changed, adapted to the times, there's no strong trump economy here. the paper mill closed because of competition from china and canada, and when it did, the town was never the same again. >> they were able to actually sell that paper here in the united states for $50 a ton cheaper than what it could be produced here. when i was in high school, i know that the mills in these two communities employed 4,000 people. >> 4,000 people? >> 4,000. >> these jobs are gone now. what matters to people here? >> jobs. people would love to come back here and live here, but they got to be able to support themselves. >> coming up, campaigning in the only republican-held congressional district in new york city.

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i'm on may way south to try to figure out what happens to the people who will matter most in the midterms. it is safe to say i did not think our journey would include a stop in new york city. but hidden in that big blue apple's five boroughs is a red slice represented by a republican in congress and it turns out it's not trump's birthplace, queens. nor is it his adoptive home in manhattan. out there, they call it the rock, staten island. when you get here, it feels nothing like the rest of the city. it is the only majority white borough in new york. and race is central to politics here. since it is new york, we went for pizza at denino's. meatball onion ricotta.

so good. what kind of jobs do people have? >> i have construction people in the back. >> will you introduce me, then in. >> sure. >> what kind of pizza did you get? >> garbage pie today. >> what do you get the sense that matters most? >> jobs. >> jobs? >> yeah. >> we care about business, jobs, taxes, and a voice within the five boroughs. >> what do you mean because staten island is different from the rest of the five boroughs? >> yep. this is the only borough that will put a republican in congress. >> how is the calamari? >> delicious. >> it looks really good. you guys republicans or democrats? >> republicans. all our friends, everybody we know, republicans. >> but this is new york city. why is everybody so fervently republican on staten island? >> they're trying to turn this into los angeles, into california. >> watch it. i'm from los angeles. >> shame on you. >> we're trump. we're for trump. we don't want anybody going against him, and it's a shame what they do. >> people are going to watch

this and say, you're in new york city and walking around saying i love trump. >> i would have worn my trump shirt if i knew you were coming. >> the wall between the restaurant and the kitchen isn't the one trump wants, but it represents a familiar divide between people likely to vote and those who don't. that's amazing. so what's the secret? >> well, like i say, i can't tell you because it's a secret. >> all right. one of the things it sounded like to me talking to people in denino's is more people like trump and the republicans than don't like trump. is that true? >> i think so. >> what about in your community, the mexican community? >> less people like trump. >> i think that's fair to say. you're a citizen. you're not a citizen. >> no, not yet. >> you vote? >> not yet. >> you haven't done it yet? >> yeah. >> republican congressman dan donovan is counting on his voters turning out, and he asked us to meet him at a local supermarket where he figured

we'd run into some of it. >> this is where you find out what's really on people's minds when they're shopping. this is a reflection of the economy. this is a reflection of jobs. they will tell you what they're thinking. they're not shy, the people in the district. >> your congressman brought me here because he said this is where you go to find out what matters to people here. what will be the things that are on your mind the most? >> supporting my president. >> supporting your president. >> same thing. i love donald trump. he's late. >> a lot of democrats out here feel the same way you do. >> especially after the kavanaugh thing. so many women that work here were outraged by that. >> really? >> yes. the way he was treated. just the treatment. >> what can the congressman do for you? >> help the traffic. >> why traffic first? >> because it impacts me more right now. >> impacts you every day. >> mm-hmm. >> are you a republican or democrat? >> that's a hell of a question. >> a lot of democrats out here ended up voting for the republican. did you see yourself voting for a republican? >> i have to think about it. my wife, she doesn't vote at

all. she says it doesn't matter. >> what does it say there? stand for the flag, kneel for the cross. >> absolutely. if you don't like it, go to venezuela. it's the truth. get out of here. >> what's your name? >> i'm sorry? >> what's your name? >> jenny. >> i'm jacob. >> hi, jacob. my real name is jovanina. >> i've got an italian wife. >> democrat challenger max rose thinks winning the staten islanders who spend their days off the island will be critical. >> how are you doing? max rose. >> he hugged. you how many people do you actually know versus know you? >> i know everybody. i don't just hug random people. that would be weird. >> i do. >> you do? that's your shtick? >> so 7:45 is the next ferry.

you recognized him? >> yes. >> what matters to you that you thought max was the candidate for new. >> traffic issues. the north shore needs rapid transit. >> are you interested in voting for him because he's a democrat or he said something different? >> he says something different. i don't like the democrat or republican thing. i don't feel either one is good for us. >> all they see about politics right now is it's a joke. it's democrats trying to kill republicans, republicans trying to kill democrats, and no disrespect to your -- >> it happens every day. >> msnbc and fox news just watching it like this is a ufc fight. we've got to turn the page on this era of politics. >> what matters to you out here on staten island? >> what matters? the traffic, the congestion. >> are you a republican or democrat? >> i am a republican. >> you think you might vote for a democrat? >> i might if he does the right thing. every four years i get disappointed. >> you think he has a shot at changing things around here. get on your ferry. go, go, go. is he going to make it?

>> he made it through. i would have felt really bad about that. >> turnout is always critical and usually low in these midterm races, which is why what really matters particularly here is voter registration, especially in non-white communities. and we found one registration drive across new york harbor, in a tiny corner of the 11th, benson hurst, brooklyn. >> what's up, guys? future voters. so they're too young for you to register. >> oh, of course. you have to be 18 years old. >> that's what you're doing out here? >> yes, trying to get more chinese residents to vote. >> so is it hard to stop people on the street to try to get them to register? >> yes. >> hi, i'm jacob. real quick, real quick, what's your name? what's your name? okay. bye. >> she already registered. >> wait. i want to ask you a question. their job is a lot like my job, chasing random people on the

street and trying to get them to talk to you. he has to go a step further and actually register people to vote. >> there's a bunch of chinese penal over there. >> let's go. are you going to register to vote? >> he said what is that? >> what about in your life? what is important to you? what are the problems that you face? [ speaking foreign language ] >> so he said when he wants to purchase anything, he doesn't have money too. >> it's too expensive? >> too expensive, and he wants them to help him. >> so if you care about that and you want things to be less expensive or you want to have more money or you want to have a better quality of life, why don't you vote? [ speaking foreign language ] >> he said he wants to register now. >> you're going to register? >> so this is going good? >> yeah, this is good. >> after the break, we head out in the southeastern-most congressional district in the united states. is that how most republicans

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we're still heading south to find out what matters in a place that always seems to matter in american elections, florida. all the way south is florida's 26th congressional district, the southernmost in the continental u.s., and residents from these miami suburbs all the way down to where you can almost see cuba could hold the key to who controls congress. but you don't have to go that far for a good cuban coffee. >> these cuban coffee counters are a big deal in miami. if you want to find out what the mood is, what people are thinking, what's on their minds, this is where you come. >> what do you get? >> just cuban coffee, no sugar. so really it's espresso, but we call it cuban coffee. [ speaking foreign language ] >> she says it's time to vote for me. >> is that what she said? >> that's a good sign. >> you could be translating, i would have no idea.

>> reporter: carlos curbelo is the republican congressman here in a tight race where cuban-americans are key to republicans' grip on power. >> let's go talk to folks, is that all right? >> sure. >> what are you voting on? what do you guys care about the most? >> very simple. republicans. >> republicans? >> republicans, republicans, republicans. >> do you get the sense the rest of the people in washington understand what life is like here? >> i don't think so. i'm a believer that we should allow a lot of immigrants to come in because i'm an immigrant. but do it the right way, legally like i had to do it. >> so when you saw them separating those kids, what did you think? >> it had to be done. >> i think a lot of people would think this is a heavily immigrant district. but just because it's a district full of immigrants doesn't mean you're going to hate that policy. >> it's not that i like it because you're separating family, and that would hurt if you're a family man like me.

i don't know what i would do if they would separate me from my kids. but as a parent, i would never have put my kids in that position. >> most people here republicans or democrats? >> here? >> majority in this sector is republicans. >> what are you guys? >> i sit independently. >> i do too. >> she's my mother, and she came to this country. >> so when you watch what's happening with immigration now playing out, like they brought some of those separated kids here, what do you think about that? >> i couldn't bear the thought of being separated from my kids. i mean look at me. i'm with him today, and he's an adult. >> cuba's -- >> from haiti. >> and my wife from jay m ma ca >> he's asian. you're jamaican. this place is your baby. that

what's life like in homestead? >> it's growing and getting more expensive. the price of bread went up. >> when did you notice that? >> today. >> when you were at the supermarket? >> yes, today. >> what do you want from your political leaders? >> i would like the leaders to help the economy grow for people to have more money in their pockets. >> no matter which way you look down here, there's one thing that ties what we keep hearing, the economy, standard of living and prosperity together. and that is this state's most appreciate precious resource, the water. >> what's the kind of stuff that concerns you guys day to day? >> i think conservation is really important. we're in the water all the time, and just taking care of our underwater resources is very important for us. >> do you guys vote here? >> yes. it's pretty important. the country is going in an interesting direction. >> for you it's what's happens in the water. for you it's what happens in washington, d.c.

>> um, i think what happens in washington, d.c. is what's going to happen in the water, yeah. it's a very national thing. >> conservation issues are front and center here because so many jobs depend on the tourist economy. you're out here almost every day? >> i'm almost on the water more often than i am on land. it's not just taking people out and catching fish. for me it's about being a steward of the sea, showing them egrets and manatee and stingray. i tell people you're selling your self short if you're going out on a fishing trip hoping you're just going to catch a bunch of fish. that's sort of the icing on the cake. i wanted to show you an example of an area that has some clean water, beautiful seagrass. you can see that shark in the water right there. >> oh, yeah, there's a shark. not far away is steve's worst nightmare where 40,000 acres of sea grass died off. something he tells us is directly tied to manmade causes. >> i'd say that this is off-colored kind of muddy water,

not really green but just muddied up, dirty water. >> is your way of life here as you know it over, or is this something that can be solved? >> it's reversible. we have to elect the right people that have the political will to help the environment. >> you guys both sound like bleeding heart liberals. are you? >> i'm not. i'm a moderate at best republican. >> republican? >> yes. >> is that how most republicans talk around here? >> those that are connected to the sea, yeah, absolutely. >> look, this isn't about red or blue. this is about water. >> one thing about this district is that it is not very high above sea level. this is big pine key, and this neighborhood is called the avenues, and it's been a year since hurricane irma, but they're really not back on their feet here by any stretch of the imagination. the entire neighborhood is for the most part still obliterated. at the end of this road and this district, there's no turn. only more water.

we have driven about 155 miles from the very top of the 26th congressional district all the way to the very southern tip. it's also the southernmost tip of the continental united states. key west, florida. >> you're good. >> with the congressional election coming up, what do you think the people in key west are going to be voting on? >> the biggest one will probably be the environment. >> what about the stuff we hear on tv all the time, trump, russia investigation, scandals? >> those are sometimes distractors. i think they're important, but i like to stay focused on who's supporting what i'm supporting. >> so what do you care about most? >> water quality. >> and a polluted key west means what? >> means less tourism, less, you know, bliss when you're in the water. >> and what you're looking for is bliss? >> yes, always. >> when we come back, we're going to the congressional district that has a third of the entire u.s.-mexico border. we're on the mexico side of the border wall but still in the u.s., it's no man's land.

if you hit the ball far enough, it goes into mexico. let her rip, frank. not quite to mexico, but not bad. place, the xfinity xfi gateway.

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simple. easy. awesome. click or visit a retail store today. i'm dara brown with top stories. president trump continues to make his final push ahead of the midterms with events in montana and florida on saturday. trump focusing on immigration and the economy in his closing argument. he'll be in tennessee and georgia on sunday. both candidates in the georgia governor's race are condemning a robocall from a white supremacist group aimed at stacey abrams and filled with racist and anti-semitic statements. now back to "what matters" with jacob soboroff. we're headed back west to where i spent months this year, along the border. they could be the ones who decide who controls the house on election day. this is texas, where even the

congressional districts are bigger. the 23rd stretches from suburban san antonio to the outskirts of el paso, so far away it's in a different time zone. and with separations and caravans and walls literally on the horizon here, the 70% of voters in the district who are latino have an opportunity to decide what matters most. this is a cucumber. it's covered in chili. it's delicious. this is a flea market on the south side of the san antonio. we came here with gina ortiz jones who is running for congress to find out what matters to people here. why did you want to meet me here? >> well, look, we're on the south side, right? this is one of the fastest growing parts of san antonio. this is a part of the community that has traditionally been underserved, underrepresented. >> that might also mean people that may not tra desditionally ? >> that's true. >> what do people want around here? >> it's everything, right? it's everything from a bike. we just passed some delicious churros. >> yeah.

>> everything, i mean, clothing, backpacks. look at these boots. >> these are nice. my wife asked me about my sun boots. oh, these are awesome. how is it going? >> gina. >> what matters most to you, other than child-size cowboy boots? >> my community, you know. >> do you normally vote in elections? >> not always. >> that's the thing around here. i heard not many people vote. >> it's just business and kids. it gets pretty hectic. >> what would be the thing to get you fired up enough to vote? >> to help make a difference, especially for the people in the lower income bracket and so forth and our people, you know. >> when you say our people? >> hispanics. >> this district is largely latino. >> 70% hispanic. >> everyone here talks about community. it's about how we take care of one another, how we look after one another and how we invest in the future. >> we are on our way from one of the most populated parts of this district, that little corner of it by san antonio where 70% of the voters live, to one of the most remote parts, crystal city.

we're going to meet the district's congressman, will hurd. >> the 23rd district of texas is larger than 26 states, roughly the size of the state of georgia. >> he's doing 38 stops, 32 different town halls, 14 of which are dairy queens. do you have a preferred dairy queen order by any chance? >> when on my own, it's a medium dip cone. >> me too. >> but i'm a purist. >> come join us, please. >> everybody always thinks that i'm going to lose in this district. everybody was shocked that a black dude represents a latino district, right? but the reason is because i try to talk about the things that people care about down here. that's why i come in here and talk to people. >> we're one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. i think you know that. >> yeah. >> my concern is the streets. >> potholes? >> a major problem is good education for our kids. >> why did nobody as the first issue bring up what's going on with the supreme court this week, or nobody brought up russia? >> i think that the issues that are being brought up are not

only important issues, but they affect us immediately here. these are the things that we know are going to make a difference tomorrow. >> what most elected officials and what the media try to cover are not the same conversations you have down here. >> nobody brought up the border either, even though residents along hundreds of miles of this district are literally living side by side with mexico. to find out why, we're heading to a spot on the border that i've never been before, eagle pass. we're on the mexico side of the border wall but still in the u.s. it's no man's land. we just met frank, who works construction but has time off, and he's out here playing golf down on the border. that's mexico right there. that's the rio grande. if you hit the ball hard enough, it goes into mexico. let her rip, frank. not quite to mexico, but not bad. >> yeah. >> so what are some of the big challenges of being a small business guy? >> things right now are a little slow. i got people i got to pay. i got material i got to pay. >> you guys need a strong economy in order for your business to be doing well.

>> to be thriving, exactly. >> this is the rio grande right here? >> yeah. >> when you're out here golfing, are you thinking about, you know, all the politics people talk about with the border? >> no. >> what do you think about? >> just go to work. and what time is tee time, go golf. >> you know, there's a lot of places along the border, but i've never been to a place like this. look at these houses that are actually so close. in fact, they live on the border wall. this is the border wall of mexico right here. i met these guys, whose backyard literally is the wall. but their front line is an entirely different one. so when you vote, it's not about the border. it's about -- >> jobs. >> jobs. >> jobs. there's a lot of people that come out of school, can't even get a job here. they've got to move out. >> are your kids still in eagle pass? >> no. >> we went less than a mile to downtown eagle pass, where even those who are staying know that

life outside might offer more. hi. >> hi. >> i'm jacob. >> nadia. >> can i come in? >> sure. >> really, with these guys? what do you care about when you wake up in the morning? what matters to you. >> to me? my dogs. >> your dogs. what else? >> secure jobs. people leave from town to go work. >> so people that are from here leave eagle pass? >> yes. >> how come? >> better jobs. >> better pay. >> yeah. >> if you work here, it's like maybe, you know, you get a job at heb, walmart, whatever. but you go out, and there's the oil fields, oil rigs and all that stuff. >> oil fields and oil rigs? >> yeah. >> oil. you don't have to go far in the small town of dilly to find out that's what matters to people here. in fact, all you have to do is stop for gas. what's on people's minds? >> eagleford shale. you're talking about one of the most productive oil regions in

the whole world. >> right, what we're standing on basically. >> right now on top of this gas station? >> yes, sir. >> what do you do? >> i'm in the fracking industry. >> obviously. but i mean what kind of stuff do you do? we frack, exactly. you know, we work -- >> so you work in production? >> yes, sir. >> tell me what it's like to work in this business. >> as of right now, it's booming, so might as well take advantage of it, save as much as possible. >> it was pretty slow here a couple years ago? >> yeah, about two, three years ago was pretty slow. >> did you ever have to leave to find work? >> yeah, i went to work for ibc bank as a marketing director. >> you were working in marketing and now you're working in oilfield production. so what job paid better. >> oil field better. >> better than a big global bank? >> yeah. >> do you think most people that are your age care about politics? >> not really. the millennial generation, no. >> and you vote? >> yeah, i do, you know, here and there. >> not every time? >> yeah. >> this summer my colleagues and i broke the story of the trump administration's plan to open a tent city in the texas desert,

all because of the overflow of migrant kids its separation policy called. it's in the 23rd, and on this trip i went there for my first time. out this way is the tornillo 10 camp. it's the facility for the separated kids that the trump administration set up. it's almost as many people as the population of the nearby town of tornillo. living side by side with it, the obvious question is whether it is what matters most to the residents here. and frankly that wasn't so easy to find out. i stood around looking for someone, anybody, until this guy showed up. what does this say? it says. >> pomegranates. >> pomegranates? >> can we go see it this. >> yes, sir. >> i just met mars lee know, who is currently driving us backwards down his street to his pomegranate orchard. he said it's got 800 trees. it's the first pomegranate orchard in all of el paso county. here it is. when you go and vote, what do you care about? >> the main thing is about the

production of food for us. don't forgot one thing. i'm a farmer. >> so what you're saying is when you go to vote, the first thing you're thinking about is all this? >> yes, sir. >> i thought you were going to say the tents over there with all the kids in them. you know, that's number one because it's in your face. >> well, we need to feeding that kids too. we need to produce. >> basically the most important thing you want to hear from your politicians in washington is about this, right? >> that's right. help the farmers. >> next, our journey ends in my home state, california, where the orange curtain might fall. is anybody going to vote in the congressional election in november? what do people care about around here? ♪ a moment of joy. a source of inspiration. an act of kindness. an old friend.

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after crisscrossing the country for months on a quest to find out what matters most to the americans who could tear down donald trump's hold on washington, i didn't mind that our last stop was my home state. just south of my house in los angeles, the republicans hold four contiguous seats in orange county. hillary clinton won them, and the democrats want them to tip the balance of power in washington. it used to be that when you're going from l.a. to orange county, you cross through what i guess political pundits would call the orange curtain because you'd go from a democratic area in a republican area. but the democrats are hoping that's changing. if you watch the news, all you hear about is brett kavanaugh? >> yes. >> what are the things you'd rather be thinking about?

>> traffic and pollution. >> we hopped off the train in the city of irvine in the 45th district to link up with the rest of our team. like good californians, carpool. the democrats first strategy for winning here hinges on turning out people of color and young voters. so we headed to the local university of california campus. this is in-n-out burger, legendary california institution. what do people care about in irvine? >> myself and a lot of my friends are like minority so we're into minority rights and stuff. >> are there enough of you to flip the district? >> i hope so. >> he's motivated but democrats need him to be the rule, not the exception. up the street we noticed a group of students, so we started walking. bus stop at uc irvine. i think there are 26,000 kids that go to school here, and if the democrats can get all of them to vote for them, then maybe republicans will be in trouble in this district. but i don't know. sorry, not to be annoying, but we're with nbc news, and i'm

just trying to figure out anybody here going to vote in the election on november 6th? anybody? anybody? nobody's going to vote? is anybody going to vote in the congressional election in november? you are. thank you, sir. what do you care about? >> what i care about? >> yeah. >> school. >> school. >> school. >> what about you? i'll walk you to the bus stop. if you were going to vote, what is the thing that's going to get your vote? >> probably school. >> you're not talking about the issues that people talk about on the news all the time. the russia investigation, the supreme court. >> i don't want that stuff. >> are you registered to vote? >> not yet. >> how old are you? >> 18. >> so this could be your first election? >> yeah. >> ultimately you could decide whether or not the house of representatives is in democratic or republican control. are you thinking about all that? >> not currently. maybe if i took more time to like get informed about like what's going on right now in politics.

i assume that the people voting have at least some idea of who they're voting for. >> what do you think about him saying he's going to let other people decide? that means he's going to let you vote. >> that's okay. i got higher grades in school. >> are you going to vote? >> i should. we're like the most unreliable voter demographic, so i should vote to increase those numbers, you know? >> that's what the democrats want, but they can't count on you guys necessarily? >> no. slowly. you keep asking us these questions. the rest of the people our age are going to keep doing it. better vote. all the old people are telling us to vote. >> am i old? >> older, sorry. >> strategy two for flipping this critical district, capitalize on dislike of the president. but that assumes college-educated republicans actually dislike the president. in the 48th district, we took our shoes off to find out. as we go across the country, people continue to say they're struggling economically, but we made it here to the pacific

ocean, newport beach, california. by the looks of these houses, doesn't seem to be the problem here. jacob. >> paul. >> nice to meet you. what are you doing out here? >> just enjoying the day. >> back wa, democrats are targeting this district as one that could swing from republican to democrat. are you surprised this is a swing district? >> no, i'm not. i think the current government, the trump government, trump himself has really pissed a lot of people off. >> not everybody evidently. we met this guy on the other side of all those fancy beach houses. what matters to people in peninsula point? >> what matters to them is their portfolio. >> what does that mean? >> money. >> are they voting on the kind of stuff that we talk about on the news or the stuff you hear about in washington, like the supreme court confirmation process? >> it's all of that, but that again speaks to president trump. and most people here are satisfied with the job he's doing. >> we just got on the car ferry here to drive across from --

what's the name of that place we just drove across from? >> that's balboa peninsula. >> to where? >> balboa island. >> what do people care about around here? >> this. >> we're here? that's the shortest ferry ride i've ever been on. would you guys be willing to do an interview in. >> sure. >> amazing. you think the democrats have a chance to flip this place? you're already laughing. how does it feel to live in one of the most contested swing congressional districts in the country? >> i'm loving it. >> do you? >> i'm on the wrong side, though. >> what does that mean? >> i'm not on the l.a. side. let's put it that way. >> so you're a republican? >> i am. >> what about the stuff we hear about back in washington, the supreme court nomination and -- >> well, i think we probably are a little more open-minded about that than, you know, i don't believe everything i -- no offense, but i don't believe everything i see in the media and read. >> what are you guys doing here?

>> we're getting hippo cookies. >> amazing. does it occur to you you're in a really important swing congressional district? is it something you think about? >> it is not something i think about. i think about that i'm in a very conservative area, and i don't happen to be very conservative. >> what are the issues that matter most to you? >> when i wake up in the morning, they're yelling at me, so quite honestly, i don't watch much tv. i think about the me too campaign. i have a daughter. i think about, oh, god, is kavanaugh going to be appointed? that really worries me, things like that. i mean that's probably taking up most of my brain space, the small brain space i have available. >> in 2014, the last midterm election, less than a third of eligible voters in orange county actually showed up. but now that these districts actually might be flippable, the thinking here is that might be different. we made our way to westminster, home to little saigon and a lot of people say having grown up in southern california, there are no real community gathering places around here. but i will tell you where people gather, and it it is at the car

wash. wow. let me see if any of these guys will chat. i'm here because there's a big election coming up in november for congress. are you guys thinking about voting? >> no. >> what's life like in westminster, huntington beach? >> terrific. we live in california. >> nice out here, huh? >> yeah. >> a lot of people say this is a conservative area, and the democrats are going to try to flip it. >> well, good luck. >> what are the issues that are going to be most important to you that you're going to vote on? >> i think just a lot of the racial issues that's going on. so that's a big thing, especially now with trump. >> are you a voter? do you vote here? >> not yet. >> so you're not a citizen yet? >> i'm working on it. >> working on it? >> yeah. >> are you planning on voting? >> no. >> you're not? >> no. >> not at all? >> not at all. >> you're laughing. >> i've actually never voted. >> in your life? >> yeah. >> how come? >> it's not my thing. if i just voted, you know, it would just be like a scan tron, you know, just a, b, c, d.

>> you just fill in the bubbles? >> exactly. >> that's what i did on tests in high school. >> i would care if i knew more about it, but i just don't have the time. >> what do you do? >> real estate. >> has anybody ever said to you there's so much on the line, the supreme court, all kinds of things? >> if you denon't know anything how are you supposed to know? you go do research. i don't have the time for that. >> does washington, d.c. and what happens there feel relevant to your life here? >> no, not in my world. >> honestly it was hard to keep up with what unfolded back at headquarters and in washington as i traveled the thousands of miles across the country to understand what matters most to americans. and while the anger and passions stirred this fall have mobilized angry and passionate partisans, what matters most to the voters i met wasn't what we normally hear about on tv. i heard about jobs, money, drug addiction, climate change,

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