Politics and Hot Topics

America's economic crisis has become a major issue in the upcoming presidential election, which Oprah says she won't discuss until after all the votes are counted. But she is encouraging all Americans to get out and make their voices heard on November 4, 2008, by voting for the candidate of their choice.

In 2004, she says more people voted for the winner of American Idol than for President George W. Bush. "That's not good, America," she says.

NBC youth correspondent Luke Russert, son of late news anchor Tim Russert, is following in his father's footsteps and reporting the latest political news. Before Tim passed away in June 2008, Luke says his father told him that this was his favorite election to date.

If Tim was still alive and hosting Meet the Press every Sunday, Luke says his dad's opinion of the presidential race might be different today. "I think that he would have been a little bit displeased that both candidates have gone so negative," he says. "One thing he did tell me was that with John McCain and Barack Obama, he really expected the talk to be about issues, to be about things that are important in people's lives, and not to be about negative campaign tactics. So if he was around, I think he would tell you that."