Behind the Vote

A visit to Reading, Pennsylvania, which the 2010 census named the poorest city in America, is interesting to say the least.

Reading is actually a pretty town that's seen better days. Yes, there are broken windows and boarded up buildings, but there are also beautiful tree-lined streets and historic homes.

Unfortunately, the owners of those historic homes will tell you personal stories of break-ins and car thefts. Things aren't going so well in Reading and residents' outlook on the future is grim.

Click through to see our exclusive video report.

I think that a city's downtown area says a lot about how its doing, and Reading is no exception. Its downtown promenade has become sort of a social center for the homeless and the down and out. They gather in clumps on the sidewalks, exchanging news and information. The downtown storefronts include adult bookshops, pawn shops, and inexpensive restaurants.

The residents of Reading, as you can see in our video, aren't very optimistic about the future of our economy. And we talked to more than a few people in Reading who were gung-ho about Obama in 2008, but not so excited about voting for him now. They simply haven't seen the changes over the last four years that they were hoping for.

What do you think about Reading? Can you relate to its residents' concerns?