>> Major funding for Chat Box with David Cruz is provided by the members of the New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

♪ David: Hey, everybody, welcome to Chat Box.

I'm David Cruz.

Voting is underway across the country, and here in New Jersey on Tuesday the rest of us will go to the polls to elect the new president, as well as members of Congress.

A celebration of a unique system of government that has survived over two centuries has now become a nailbiting drama about the fate of democracy.

I couch it in those dramatic terms to queue up for our first guest, who has been warning us in similarly dramatic terms about the need for more civility for years now.

New Jersey's senior Senator Cory Booker joins us.

Welcome back to the show.

Sen. Booker: I was a little afraid you were having me on for Halloween.

It did not know if this would be a trick or a treat.

David: Thanks for wearing that grotesque costume.

[LAUGHTER] Sen. Booker: You could have generously said, am I the Rock?

Some celebrity look-alike.

David: No.

No one has ever said that to you.

[LAUGHTER] You have managed to sidetrack us three seconds into the show, Senator, so thanks for that.

Sen. Booker: Of course.

David: It has been on my mind lately about how elections and election night -- they used to be so much fun.

Nowadays, not so much.

Do you feel any stress, anticipation?

What are you feeling right now?

Sen. Booker: There is all that is at stake, but I think you hinted at something that is ailing our nation, the death threats against the workers that have gone up -- against polls workers that have gone up dramatically.

Many people did not do that job in swing states this year because of the threats on them and their families.

We have a lot more efforts at the federal level to protect our polling places, our poll workers, safety and security at the polls.

We have seen vandalism in other states, or drop boxes with ballots being burned.

We are at a dangerous point.

I do lay a lot of this at the rhetoric that Donald Trump has mainstreamed.

Even the mere fact that he is literally saying to people, if he does not win, it is because of cheating, almost as if he is preparing for another January 6.

His own national security people, two Secretary of Defense is, director of National Intelligence -- of defenses, director of National Intelligence, his former Attorney General, have all directly warned America that he is a danger to our democracy, that he has authoritarian leaders -- his former Marine general said he is a fascist.

This is something I thought I would never see happening.

Get out to vote.

Make sure we have a lot of big turnout across America.

Already taking measures to prepare for what the day after could bring if Donald Trump brings to bear what he did on January 6.

David: There is fear and trepidation unlike anything I've ever seen in any election I've either lived through were covered as a journalist.

You are saying we are not overreacting.

Sen. Booker: I'm definitely not.

I have access to a lot of intelligence information.

I not only see the foreign interference in our elections as the Chinese, Russians, North Koreans and Iranians and others are getting more sophisticated, but the domestic terrorism that we have seen in our nation, the hate crimes and the violence that people are threatening, it is real.

I think it is something that our law enforcement agencies seem to have a hold on in terms of preparing for problems as well as intervening before problems can happen.

But it is real.

Having lived through January 6, having seen the violence, having Brian Sicknick who died as a result of his injuries he sustained on January 6, I know how real this is.

This New Jersey family, Brian Sicknick's brother came out harshly, condemned a lot of the language that Donald Trump is doing and the pretext he's trying to create to make Americans believe the big lie, that this election was not free and fair, like it was, and like I'm confident it will be.

David: You look at the tone of things, racist jokes, misogyny, designed, it seems, to provoke as well as distract.

Are we ever going to go back to the old days of zingers like "you're no Jack Kennedy" or "here we go again"?

So quaint, those days seem.

Sen. Booker: This is why I love New Jersey.

Republic cuts, Democrats -- Republicans, Democrats and Independents in our state have always kept it civil.

I look at Andy Kim and his Republican opponent, who I've known for years.

We may disagree.

His Republican opponent is such a decent man.

Really a great person who has been a servant in his life, as well as a business person.

Andy Kim is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

Across our state, I'm proud of New Jersey and the way we conducted ourselves.

I don't want to cast a broad brush.

This is not a Republican or Democratic thing.

The behavior from Donald Trump is so unusual, so stunning at times, and the rally that he had at Madison Square Garden, I hope people know that all those speakers were vetted.

They looked at their past statements and past humor, I put that".

Yet they still allow them in a political rally to be representative of Donald Trump.

It's no accident that those demeaning and divisive things happened.

It is stunning.

I am looking forward to, as Kamala Harris says, it is time to turn a page in America, to get back to the real work.

And more indivisible into this one nation under God.

David: I will take your word on that one, Booker.

Momentum-wise, Harris seems to me to have lost some of that postconvention buzz.

You have been campaigning for her.

After this you will be headed back out to Pennsylvania.

Tell me it is not true that some of that momentum is lost.

Sen. Booker: I have never seen an election where the candidate, as soon she got in, she told the truth.

This will be an uphill climb.

Her running mate said we are a field goal behind.

Everyday we have to earn this.

She said it.

It has proven out true, this will be no easy election.

She has a very short one way -- short runway to get into the White House.

I love that they put the work in.

I have been to swing states and more.

I was in Texas for: Already -- for Colin Alred.

We have seen from Bush V Gore where it came down to 527 votes in one state, to Hillary Clinton, and she told the fact that it was one vote per voting machine in Wisconsin that could have turned that entire state.

We know this will be razor thin.

That is why it is so important.

For New Jerseyans, we should know we will have a lot of close races.

Sue Altman, God bless her.

I've never seen a first-time congressional candidate put that level of effort and work that she's putting in.

I think that race has now been turned to a tossup that she could win.

Up and down the ballot in New Jersey, from our county races, your vote matters, just because a lot of people presume it will be a Harris state.

We could determine who controls Congress as well as a lot of County operations that are depending on people turning out for commissioners and Sheriff and the like.

David: We keep hearing about Blackman defect -- about Black men defecting from the party, as well as Latino men.

Is that a real phenomenon?

Is it fiction?

Sen. Booker: I don't know why it has become a fascination.

The reality is seven to eight out of every 10 black men that vote will vote for Kamala Harris .

Is there a to satisfaction throughout the electric -- there a dissatisfaction throughout the electorate?

Absolutely.

There are a lot of people in this country that are understandably frustrated with what we are seeing.

The inflation rate is a global phenomenon.

The things that the Biden-Harrison ministry should have done is made inflation here better than it is for European allies or other countries from Australia to Asia.

It is understandable he- -- it is understandably a tough period.

It is understandable you will have to work harder to earn people's votes.

That is why I'm grateful for the outreach to black and Latino people in general.

David: Let me let you go on this one.

What is your worst-case scenario for Wednesday and the days thereafter?

What is your best case scenario for Wednesday and the darys thereafter?

I'm not talking about who wins.

How does this process resolve itself?

Sen. Booker: I'm grateful for you saying that.

Your listeners know I will fight to make sure we can troll -- we remain in control of the Senate and White House.

My heart first and foremost will always be as an American.

I think too many Americans don't realize how fragile of the thing democracy is.

There has been democratic backsliding all over the globe, more authoritarian leaders in democracies have suspended civil liberties, suspended the basic rights and freedoms, made their nations more sectarian, doubled down on religious differences.

Those things are possible here.

My biggest worry, my worst-case scenario is that we see a major uptick in violence and controversy that pushes us into some kind of constitutional crisis.

I hope that my friends on the other side of the aisle, that you hear responsible voices after this election, helping us to avoid that danger and really, no matter what the results, that we can make sure institutions and our democracy endures.

David: There but for the grace of democracy go we all.

Senator Cory Booker, always great to talk to you.

Thanks for a few minutes today.

Sen. Booker: I will just say to you, in past times of constitutional crisis or conflict, media has played an incredible rule.

As much as people denounced the media, you guys are trusted.

As much as it pains me to say this, and I hope I never see this clip again, you are one of those voices that I think New Jersey trusts.

No matter what, I hope the day after you are on the air talking about the truth despite a time of a lot of misinformation, especially with foreign nations who are waiting until after the election to start a lot of their craziness, to create disinformation.

They want there to be conflict in America.

As a further testimony that democracy is not the best form of government.

I encourage you and this network, which is so trusted in New Jersey, to speak to the truth, to the ideals of our First Amendment, and to the best virtues of who we are as the state of New Jersey and as a nation.

David: How is it looking from the other side of the aisle?

On the weekend before election day.

Bill is a member of the Republican National Committee and a longtime observer of state and national politics.

He joins us as we try to prepare for the next week and weeks after that.

Welcome back to the show.

Bill: Thank you, David.

Thanks for having me.

David: I got to tell you, when I was younger, elections and election night were a lot of fun.

Something I always looked forward to, even as a kid.

Now I just hope that we survived it -- survive it.

You have been around a while.

Is it still fun to you?

Bill: It is not as much fun as it was.

Long story, but my dad was not involved in politics but an interested observer.

I remember clearly being in his car in 1968, being 10 years old, and listening to Nixon and Humphrey.

It was a tight race, so it was exciting.

It is an exciting and important residential election.

The only come around once every four years.

Rare opportunity to be involved and participate.

It's when most people go out and vote.

It is less fun because it becomes so mean.

The language has become so coarse.

David: you teed me up perfectly.

Let's get the Donald Trump thing out of the way at the top.

Your relationship is, as I imagine it is for a lot of New Jersey Republicans, complicated.

Where it -- Where is it now?

Bill: The focus in New Jersey is to win for Bashaw and keep our three congressional seats, and maybe add some more.

It has been very difficult.

Bashaw in particular has done a good job navigating those waters and trying to tell Trump voters that he would be a good ally in the U.S. Senate, but at the same time he would speak up for New Jersey when he disagrees.

David: We will get to Curtis Bashaw in a minute.

I have to get this top of the ticket thing clarified.

People are generally fretting over the possibility of another Trump presidency.

Should they be?

Bill: Sure.

His rhetoric has been difficult to watch, talking about the enemy from within.

Always hard to figure out what is the hyperbole and what is the negotiating and what is real.

I think we will have to wait and see.

I think it is legitimate for people to have those concerns.

I have those concerns.

New Jersey is a very blue state.

You saw a couple polls this week, Trump will not win in New Jersey.

We are not those other key states that are tossup's.

David: There has been, as you referenced, a kind of de-evolution to our politics.

For all the science we think we have brought to it, this is now an office, the presidency, where anything goes as far as what you can do or say while you're running for it, no?

Bill: That is true.

Things you thought people could never say or never get away with, both parties and both sides say it.

There is bad conduct on both sides.

It was always terrible.

You go back to any race that you want in the 1800s or 1900s or last two centuries.

Look at Abraham Lincoln, what they called him.

And even things before that, the tough races between Adams and Jefferson if you want to go all the way back.

It has gotten difficult.

We will have to see about turnout.

In the past we have seen that type of conduct and rhetoric turned off people and people stayed home.

I suspect we are going to see near record turnout.

We had 72% four years ago in New Jersey.

Even though we are not a battleground state.

I suspect here that we will see numbers north of that.

David: You want to tell us who you are voting for at the top?

Bill: As an RNC member, I am obligated to say I support the ticket, but I have said all along my job in New Jersey is elect Republicans.

My focus is to help Curtis and Tom Kean Jr. in our most vulnerable seat to win.

That has been my focus, is winning those seats in New Jersey.

David: Let's talk about those races.

You talked a bit about Curtis Bashaw.

You think he really has been able to make a race out of it?

Bill: The only evidence is the early vote numbers.

Very encouraging.

Republicans are winning the EV, the early vote, statewide.

Curtis has done a good job trying to differentiate himself.

A different kind of Republican, pretty behind country, put country first -- party behind country, put country first.

Two Monmouth polls were not encouraging.

That is why I want to talk about the numbers.

The early vote numbers and VBM numbers is lots of information we typically don't have in years past.

There is some encouraging numbers for Republicans out there.

EV vote is good for Republicans.

They are leading.

The number of VBMs favors the Democrats, but not as much as in the past.

We will have to see if either party is cannibalizing their election day vote.

But the trend right now is favoring the Republicans.

That is why I hold out hope for Curtis.

David: Curtis Bashaw's abutment Andy Kim -- opponent Andy Kim helped flip the state's political landscape in the past year.

What do you think the impact will be on there being no party line?

Are we going to start seeing celebrity candidates, Queen Latifah, Bruce Springsteen, Mike "the situation"?

The viability of a candidacy of someone with strong name recognition is much more viable, right, now?

Bill: It is more viable.

I would not get carried away.

There will still be party organizations.

There will still be party endorsements.

We will see what the legislature comes up with.

I would hope that there is still an ability to have candidates bracket together, use the same slogan, and identify to voters that we are running together.

We never got a chance -- I always thought we would win this at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Those constitutional rights, you and I wanted to run together for local office.

We have the right to communicate with our rights that you and I are running together as a ticket.

We have the same slogan.

I think that will still be there.

Yes, the line goes away, but I still think there will be a way to indicate that there is -- who the endorsed party candidates are.

Next year's primary will be the first indication of that.

You saw comments by the speaker this week to tell his caucus to raise money and get ready for what comes next.

David: I want to talk about Sue Altman versus Tom Kean Jr., but more so in the context -- I assume you are a Kean guy -- moreso in the context of the Kean strategy of not talking to the press.

It seemed to have worked for him last time there it do use of that strategy and do you think it is working for him now?

Bill: Sure.

Yes and yes.

I do support that strategy.

There are so many issues in that race that you could talk about.

You and your colleagues in the media, that is what you often talk about.

I for a long time have been the Congressman's election law attorney.

He is my neighbor.

He is my Congressman.

I grew up working for his dad.

He is rightfully and smartly has been out there, meeting with voters and real people and real organizations day after day, talking about the bills he has sponsored and passed in Congress.

And all you want to talk about is why he won't talk to you guys .

David: That is all we are left to talk about absent a candidate talking to us.

Strategy is strategy.

politics is what it is.

He has no responsibility to speak to the press as a candidate, but as a congressman, do you think he has a responsibility to speak to the press regardless of what the press wants to ask him about?

Bill: He does have the responsibility and he does fulfill that at the appropriate time and appropriate way, not to be sandbagged in an elevator in the halls of Congress.

By the way, on the day after, one of his bills got enacted.

Tom has clearly done interviews many times with many media outlets, but he's not going to do it in a place where he can be sabotaged or snuck up on by Democrats and progressives -- David: Well, I have to interrupt you because we have given him plenty of invites to come here and sit in an air-conditioned studio with makeup and everything to talk to us.

I have run out of time.

I wanted to ask quickly if you think we have seen all the Republican gubernatorial candidates declare.

Bill: I suspect there might be one or two more, but no, I think the field is generally set for the moment.

There always may be a surprise, but they have a big head start because they started a whole year earlier and they have all raised a lot of money.

There could be another candidate, but they would be very late to the party.

David: Interesting days ahead.

Bill Palatucci, good to see you, man.

Good luck to you, to all of us.

Bill: Exactly, yes sir.

Good to talk to us.

David: A programming note.

Be with us on election night, Tuesday.

NJ decides 2024, election night coverage.

We are live starting 8:00 p.m. with the whole team on call across the state, at campaign headquarters, and in studio with Colleen O'Day, Michael Rasmussen , and me.

That is on Tuesday on NJ PBS and all of our streaming platforms.

That is Chat Box this week.

You can follow me on X.

If you like this content, we thank you for sharing it.

Subscribe to the YouTube channel to find out more great stuff from our journalists.

Thanks for watching.

We will see you on Tuesday.

>> Major funding for Chat Box with David Cruz is provided by the members of the New Jersey education Association, making public schools great for every child.

♪