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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

“There is no district that is safe for Republican candidates,” according to the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Representative Chris Van Hollen. He tells the Washington Post that “no one could have imagined the tsunami that just crashed on Republicans in Mississippi.”

That’s where a Democrat won a Republican-held congressional seat in the northern part of the state yesterday. This is a district where President Bush won by 25 points in the 2004 election, and the former Republican congressman won reelection with 66% of the vote in 2006.

It’s the third special election the GOP has lost this spring, including a House race in Louisiana that had been Republican for more than three decades and the seat of former House speaker Dennis Hastert in Illinois.

Seems to have set off some warning bells. The head of the National Republican Congressional Committee is calling on all GOP candidates to “take stock of their campaigns” and get ready for “challenging” races in the fall.

Democrats say these races are a sign of what’s to come in November. They say they’re going after the Republicans’ strategy of tying Democrats to Barack Obama, a strategy that has failed twice now in the Deep South.

Meanwhile, a new Gallup poll shows Congress’ approval rating has dipped below 20% for only the fourth time in 34 years. Only 18% of Americans approve of the job Congress is doing. That ties a record for this survey.

Add in the fact that 82% of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction, and it’s no wonder so many incumbents in Congress are opting not to run for reelection.

Here’s my question to you: Was yesterday’s race in Mississippi a sign that congressional Republicans should start packing their bags?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Clinton after her win in West Virginia.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Hillary Clinton is sort of starting to look like the last guest at a dinner party who doesn’t recognize that it’s time to go.

Her win in West Virginia is being called “large but largely symbolic.” That’s because the numbers just don’t add up. In West Virginia she won 20 delegates. Barack Obama won 8, a net gain of only 12 for her.

In fact, Obama’s lead over Clinton has actually increased in the last week despite her big West Virginia win. He picked up two more superdelegates today, a sign that the Democratic leaders know exactly where this thing is headed. The Associated Press reports Obama has picked up an additional 30 superdelegates in the past week. He now leads Clinton by 11; she once led him by more than 100.

One of these new Obama superdelegates is Roy Romer, former Democratic Party chairman, who told reporters, “This race, I believe, is over.” He says only Clinton can decide when to withdraw, but that it’s time to focus on the general election.

Obama is also being endorsed by three former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission, one of whom was appointed by Hillary’s husband, former President Bill Clinton.

Rubbing salt in the wound, this afternoon Obama received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a leading abortion rights group which has supported Hillary Clinton throughout her entire political career.

All this seems to beg the question: What part of “go away” doesn’t Hillary Clinton understand?

Here’s my question to you: If you could interview Senator Hillary Clinton, what would you ask her?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Americans are a gloomy bunch these days.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 82% of us think this country is headed in the wrong direction. That’s the highest percentage of people who feel that way in more than 15 years.

President Bush’s job approval rating is at another all-time record low. It’s been below 50% for 38 consecutive months – more than 3 years. People overwhelmingly say they trust Democrats over Republicans – 53% to 32% – to do a better job with the many problems facing the U.S.

This is a pretty dire picture for John McCain – a Republican and President Bush’s buddy. But so far, McCain has found a way to escape some of the anger facing his party. In a hypothetical match-up with Barack Obama, McCain remains competitive, trailing him 51% to 44%.

But you can bet Obama and the Democrats will do everything they can to exploit the discontent felt by many Americans. In fact, Obama runs more than 20 points ahead of McCain among those 82% in the poll who think the country is headed in the wrong direction. And about 7 in 10 of those who disapprove of President Bush say whey would back Obama over McCain.

Obama also holds double-digit leads over McCain on issues like health care, gas prices and the economy, while McCain has a 21-point lead on handling terrorism. Surprisingly, the two run almost even on the Iraq war and on immigration.

Here’s my question to you: Considering 82% of Americans think the country is on the wrong track and 66% disapprove of President Bush, what are the chances John McCain wins in November?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Click the play button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Barack Obama has generated an excitement and hope not seen in American politics in years, perhaps even decades. But behind the scenes, some of his field workers and volunteers are coming face-to-face with something very different: racism.

The Washington Post reports about what it calls “raw racism and hostility that have gone largely unnoticed – and unreported” in this election. Obama volunteers have had doors slammed in their faces, and have been called racially derogatory names. Some Americans apparently can’t deal with the idea that Obama might become our first African-American president.

One volunteer reports being chased by dogs while canvassing in Indiana. Another woman in Pennsylvania gave up on phone-bank duty after one night… because of the negative responses from voters in her county, which is 98% white. Drivers yelled out racial slurs as they passed a group of black high school students holding up Obama signs in Indiana.

The campaign says these are isolated incidents and that most volunteers and staffers have had positive experiences. It says the election has reinforced Obama’s view that “this country is not as divided as our politics.” As for the candidate himself, he doesn’t talk much about race.

He doesn’t have to. Obama has won 30 of the 50 contests so far, including 5 of 12 primaries where blacks made up less than 10% of the voters. He also won in caucus states that are overwhelmingly white – places like Iowa, Idaho and Wyoming.

Here’s my question to you: Now that it looks like it will be Barack Obama against John McCain, how big an issue will race become?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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George W. Bush may do as much damage to John McCain’s chances of being elected as Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama’s, according to results of a recent USA Today/Gallup poll. Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say.(PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Turns out President Bush might do more damage to John McCain’s campaign than the Reverend Jeremiah Wright does to Barack Obama’s.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds 38% of likely voters say McCain’s ties to the president make them less likely to vote for the presumptive nominee in November. 33% says Obama’s relationship with Wright has the same effect.

However, there is more of an upside when it comes to the relationship with President Bush, with 7% of those surveyed saying they’re more likely to vote for McCain because of his association with Mr. Bush. That’s compared to only 1% who say they’re more likely to vote for Obama because of Wright.

The pollsters say it’s also important to look at how these personal associations affect the candidates among their bases. If you do that, it looks like Wright may do more harm to Obama. That’s because 19% of Democrats say they’re less likely to vote for Obama because of his ties to Wright, while just 10% of Republicans say they’re less likely to vote for McCain because of his ties to President Bush.

However, among the general electorate, the two appear to do the same amount of damage. In particular, President Bush may hurt McCain’s ability to attract Democrats and independents.

Here’s my question to you: Which is more damaging to the campaigns: President Bush’s relationship with John McCain or Reverend Wright’s association with Barack Obama?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Money talks in presidential elections… and it may be causing John McCain some heartburn or sleepless nights at this early stage of the game.

That’s because the presumptive Republican nominee is struggling to get money from many of the same industries that helped fund President Bush’s campaigns.

Bloomberg News reports that many people who work for securities and investment firms, construction companies, the pharmaceutical and energy industries have been turned off by McCain’s record, and are giving more money to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The two Democrats each raised about $11 million from these four industries through the end of March, compared with only $6 million for John McCain. Back in 2004, President Bush raised three times more money from these places than John Kerry did.

Meanwhile, here’s another sign of potential money trouble: the Houston Chronicle reports Texas has been slow to warm to McCain. Almost three months after sewing up the nomination, McCain has yet to get money from most of President Bush’s top Texas donors. In fact, McCain has raised less in Texas than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

One political analyst puts it: “If a Republican isn’t outraising a Democrat in Texas, where are they going to outraise a Democrat? Vermont?” One Texas fundraiser says it’s been easier to raise money for a Democrat in the Lone Star State this year. The reason? “Bush fatigue.”

Here’s my question to you: Why is John McCain having problems raising money?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Hillary Clinton is expected to win big tomorrow in West Virginia. A new poll there shows her leading Barack Obama by 34 points. Clinton remains strong among working-class whites, women and older voters – and those demographics should play to her advantage in West Virginia as well as next week in Kentucky.

But, how much does it really matter? Obama seems to have this thing pretty much in the bag. He leads Clinton in overall delegates, states won, popular vote… and now for the first time, in superdelegates. You may remember, at the beginning of the year, Clinton led the superdelegate race by more than 100.

Clinton is vowing to stay in the race until someone gets enough delegates to clinch the nomination. Her campaign is also pushing the idea that she’s “within striking distance” of winning the popular vote, which should make her the nominee – even though the rules are clear – the nomination is won with delegates, not the popular vote. It’s clear that Clinton has a steep road to climb for any chance at the nomination. Her campaign is also confirming that she is now $20 million in debt.

For its part, the Obama camp seems to have its sights set on November already. Instead of waiting for election night results in West Virginia tomorrow, Barack Obama will travel to Missouri, a swing state in the general election. Next week, he’s headed to Florida. It’s also worth noting that the tone of introductory speeches at his events has turned much more partisan, focusing in on John McCain.

Here’s my question to you: Is it possible for a landslide victory in West Virginia to put Hillary Clinton back in the race?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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Click the Play Button to see what Jack and our viewers had to say. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)

FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

For all those like Mitt Romney who said, when talking about Barack Obama, “The presidency of the United States is not an internship,” consider this.

The young guy with not nearly as much political experience is on the verge of toppling one of the most powerful political names of the last 50 years, Hillary Clinton. For all her claims of having more experience, the relative newcomer proved to have a lot more moxie.

She said “experience.” He said “change.” Voters bought change. He planned beyond Super Tuesday and paid attention to the caucuses. She pretty much ignored the caucuses and assumed she would be the nominee the day after Super Tuesday.

When she wasn’t, she was in trouble. Poor planning on the ground and a shortage of money immediately put her at a disadvantage for the rest of the way. She relied on friends and people who were loyal to her. In time, as things began to sour, there was friction and key people left. Her husband hurt her – some say a lot.

As things got worse, she grew more desperate. The kitchen sink strategy appeared. So did demands to count the elections in Michigan and Florida – elections that are invalid. So did false claims about things like her trip to Bosnia.

And all along, she failed to recognize the overriding theme of this election year. The people in this country are sick and tired of their government. They want “change.” How could someone with so much “experience” not see that?

Here’s my question to you: How will history view the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

Conservatives are happier than liberals.

A study published in the journal “Psychological Science” says it’s because conservatives are better at rationalizing inequalities.

Regardless of someone’s income, marital status or church attendance, people with right-wing ideologies report greater satisfaction with their lives than those with left-wing beliefs. Researchers found that conservatives also score highest when it comes to the ability to justify inequalities.

For example, a conservative might support the idea of a meritocracy – that if you work hard and perform well, you’ll move up the economic ladder… and if you don’t, you probably won’t. But the study shows liberals tend to be troubled by this. Inequalities take a greater psychological toll on liberals, apparently because they can’t rationalize away the gaps in society and thus end up more frustrated by them.

The study goes on to say that this research can be applied to areas other than economic inequalities. One example is that feminists may not be as happy in their marriages as more traditional women because they’re frustrated with the division of domestic chores.

These latest results go along with a Pew poll from 2006. It found 47% of conservative Republicans described themselves as “very happy”, compared to only 28% of liberal Democrats who felt that way.

This, then, is our burnt offering for a rainy Friday.

Here’s my question to you: A new study says conservatives are happier than liberals. Why?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN’s Jack Cafferty:

The worsening economy is forcing half of Americans to cut back on spending.

A new Gallup poll shows 51% of those surveyed say they and their family have had to make significant cuts, while 49% say they haven’t – yet.

It comes as no surprise that those being squeezed the most are lower income families. 70% of those who live in households earning less than $35,000 a year say they’ve trimmed their spending. That’s compared to 51% of people who make between $35,000 and $75,000 dollars. Only 36% of those making more than $75,000 a year have cut back.

The top way for people to save money is by driving less, or buying less or cheaper gas – no surprise here with the national average now at $3.67 a gallon. Next, people say they’re cutting back on travel and vacations, followed by food and groceries. Other ways Americans are saving include spending less on entertainment, eating out less frequently or buying only necessities.

Meanwhile, a separate USA Today-Gallup poll just out shows that record high gas prices are forcing Americans to drive less for the first time in almost three decades. People are making major changes in their driving habits – things like running fewer errands, taking steps to boost gas mileage, or seriously considering getting a more fuel-efficient car.

Here’s my question to you: Is the economy forcing you to cut back on spending?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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