FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Suddenly the Supreme Court is looming large in yet another presidential election.

In the 2000 contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore, the High Court ruled the recounting of votes in Florida - remember those hanging chads - must stop.

Al Gore got about 500,000 more popular votes. But the Supreme Court gave Bush the edge in Florida - and he went on to win the election.

That decision effectively handed the presidency of the United States to George W. Bush.

Flash ahead to 2012. Twice within the last four weeks, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear cases - health care and immigration - that could have huge implications for the outcome of another presidential election.

Start with Obamacare.

Court watchers say the justices seem to be leaning toward rolling back part - or all - of President Obama's hallmark legislation of his first term. The individual mandate appears to be in serious jeopardy - and with it, the whole law might go.

Then, almost without missing a beat, the Supreme Court decided to hear arguments on Arizona's tough new immigration law.

It's no secret the federal government under Presidents Obama, Bush - go back as far as you like - has made virtually no serious effort at securing our nation's borders – especially with Mexico.

Finally being fed up, Arizona took matters into its own hands.

Interestingly it looks like the Supreme Court may side with Arizona. And again the implications could be huge.

Both rulings are expected in June - just a few months before America elects its next president.

Republicans will use any decision against President Obama as ammunition.

However if the president loses either of these cases it could become a perfect way to mobilize the Democratic base, including Hispanic voters.

Here’s my question to you: What role might the Supreme Court play in the next presidential election?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

While Mitt Romney is now cruising toward the Republican nomination, he's a long way from cruising into the White House. And the two biggest reasons might be women and Hispanics.

During the primaries he was forced to the right on issues concerning both women and immigration - and he now emerges as damaged goods among those groups.

But the damage may not be permanent. One of the ways he can recover is by selecting either a woman or a Hispanic as a running mate.

Polls suggest President Obama holds a 20-point lead among women. Many women were turned off by Romney's comments about birth control and getting "rid of Planned Parenthood."

There is speculation women like New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez - also a Hispanic - and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley could be on Romney's short list. There is a limit though. It's a safe bet Sarah Palin probably isn't on that list.

As for the Hispanic vote, Romney is in even worse shape. One poll says he trails President Obama by 40 points.

Experts say Romney needs to win at least 40% of the Latino vote to win the election.

Enter Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who has suddenly been campaigning with Romney. A lot of people think Rubio would make the perfect running mate.

On the other hand, it's possible Romney's VP pick will be neither a woman nor a Hispanic.

A Politico piece titled "Vice President Vanilla" suggests Romney's best bet may be a safe and uncontroversial one. Someone like Rob Portman, Republican senator from Ohio and former Bush budget director.

He's described as "vanilla, wonky and unflappable" and the "safety school the GOP needs after the Sarah Palin experiment in 2008."

Here’s my question to you: Which V.P. candidate would benefit Mitt Romney more: a woman or a Hispanic?

Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.

And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

"A vast left-wing conspiracy."

That's how Mitt Romney describes the media's effort to sink his presidential bid.

In an interview with Breitbart TV, the likely Republican nominee was asked whether he was ready to take on the media and liberal nonprofit groups that are "working together."

Here's what Romney said in response: "There will be an effort by the vast left-wing conspiracy to work together to put out their message and to attack me. They're going to do everything they can to divert from the issue people care most about, which is a growing economy that creates more jobs and rising incomes."

Romney said that dealing with journalists is an ongoing problem for Republicans. He added that many in the media are "inclined to do the president's bidding" and described it as an uphill battle for his party.

But Romney insists he's ready for the fight, saying Democrats will try to make the race about anything but President Barack Obama's record and the economy.

Of course, Romney's attack on the media is an echo of words made famous in 1998 by Hillary Clinton. She said her husband was the victim of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" in the early days of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

And we all know how that turned out. Bill Clinton was eventually impeached before being acquitted by the Senate.

Nonetheless - between 24/7 cable news and instant reaction from pundits on the Web and social media - it seems the news media play a larger role in the political process than ever before.

Just how much does all the blather actually matter on Election Day?

Here’s my question to you: How much do the news media ultimately affect how you vote?

Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.

And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

So now what?

It’s no surprise that Rick Santorum is hanging it up. The only person who didn't acknowledge his campaign was over was Rick Santorum.

Newt Gingrich is toast. He even said over the weekend Mitt Romney is the most likely nominee. And Ron Paul doesn't have enough delegates to fill a phone booth.

Which means - ready? The general election game is on.

Romney and Barack Obama have already started taking shots at each other. But now, and for the next seven months, it turns into a blood sport.

Unlimited PAC money for vicious attack ads. Saturation bombing of the airwaves, especially in swing states, as the parties to try to persuade the electorate that theirs is the better path.

I think if I lived in Ohio I would be inclined to move - just until after the election.

The truth will be stretched and distorted and manipulated until it's no longer recognizable.

And all this will happen while Romney and Obama look us straight in the eye and solemnly swear that if we just elect them, all our problems will be solved.

The truth is, neither one of them can begin to solve our problems. The problems are too big and the mechanism for solving them - the federal government - is too badly broken.

But it won't matter. They'll both promise us anything if we will just vote for them.

Here’s my question to you: How ready are you for the general election campaign to start?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Women may very well hold the key to the next election - and at least for now, President Obama is in the driver's seat.

In a dozen crucial swing states, the president holds a whopping 18-point lead among women over Mitt Romney. And Democrats are using every chance they can to accuse the GOP of waging a "war on women."

President Obama hosted a forum on women's issues at the White House - touting his administration's achievements on equal pay and workplace flexibility, saying "Women are not an interest group. You shouldn't be treated that way."

Republicans have traditionally faced a gender gap when it comes to women voters, but it looks like Romney faces a particularly steep uphill battle.

The Obama campaign says Romney's promise to "end planned parenthood" and his stance on contraception in employer health care plans will hurt him in the general election.

Some say Romney missed a golden opportunity to sway women voters by not taking a stand when Rush Limbaugh called a Georgetown law student a "slut" for her position on birth control.

Republicans insist the gender gap will disappear once the contentious GOP Primary ends. one of the ways Romney might ease the gender gap is by naming a woman as his running mate.

Meanwhile, the battle over women comes as the debate rages on over the refusal of the Augusta National Golf Club to admit them. First President Obama - and then Romney - called on Augusta to accept women.

Maureen Dowd writes that Augusta should "stop emulating the Saudis;" and "You know you're in trouble when Rick Santorum is urging you to be more progressive on women."

Here’s my question to you: How can Mitt Romney overcome his huge deficit among women?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

For a conservative Christian, Rick Santorum is rapidly becoming a candidate without a prayer.

In fact, there is so much handwriting, you can hardly see the wall.

Pennsylvania, his home state and the place he said he was counting on to get the second half of his campaign off to a rousing start, is the same Pennsylvania that voted him out of the United States Senate by a margin of 18 points.

Well, guess what? Apparently the feelings of the voters in that state haven't changed much when it comes to Rick Santorum.

Mitt Romney is now surging in the polls in the Keystone State. And Santorum - who once led there by double-digits - is rapidly losing ground.

Santorum is going from serious candidate for president of the United States to the butt of jokes.

CNN political contributor James Carville says Santorum is like "a chicken with his head chopped off. The chicken is dead. The only person that doesn't know it is the chicken."

Senator John McCain is calling Santorum "irrelevant" and a growing number of Republicans say he should go.

Now we find out Santorum is taking four days off from campaigning. Wonder what that's about. Do you suppose a little soul-searching is in order?

There is absolutely no way Rick Santorum is going to be the Republican presidential nominee. You know it, I know it, the voters know it, and on some level Rick Santorum knows it, too.

So why stay too long at the dance and see what little credibility you might have left ripped to shreds as folks watch you refuse to accept reality?

Here’s my question to you: Rick Santorum for president? Seriously?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

There are a couple ways to drop out of a political race.

A candidate can withdraw gracefully.

Or there's Newt Gingrich.

The guy just can't take a hint. And at this point he's likely hurting not only the Republican Party, but his own political legacy.

As Politico describes it, "the former House Speaker has decided to cap off a historic career by spending the final weeks of the campaign in a sort of political purgatory."

But that won't stop Newt. He's pledging to stay in the race all the way to the convention in Tampa. He's hoping against hope for some extraordinary situation where Mitt Romney can't get enough delegates and Rick Santorum is seen as unelectable.

The problem is he's out of money. His big Super PAC donor Sheldon Adelson - who has donated more than $15 million - says Gingrich is "at the end of his line."

There are no debates left to boost Gingrich, he can't afford to travel, he's fired much of his staff and even the media attention is dwindling.

People are using words like "laughingstock" and "delusional" to describe the former Speaker of the House. Sad really.

For his part, Gingrich insists he's staying in the race to shape the political conversation. And talk about his ideas like $2.50 a gallon gas. But no one is listening anymore.

CNN estimates Gingrich has 134 delegates compared to Romney's 559 and Santorum's 262.

A CNN/ORC Poll shows 6 out of 10 Republicans say Gingrich should drop out of the race. Also, a majority of Republicans say their party's nomination should be determined by the primaries - not the convention.

Here’s my question to you: Why won't Newt Gingrich face reality?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

If the Supreme Court rules the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional this summer, it would be a huge embarrassment for President Barack Obama.

Health care reform has been the president's signature issue. He spent his first two years in office - and a whole lot of political capital - getting this thing through Congress.

And now - two years later - the health care law's not looking so healthy.

CNN's Jeffrey Toobin says he thinks the law will be struck down, describing the Supreme Court hearings as a "train wreck" for the Obama administration.

Some would argue it's been a train wreck from the start. Remember Congress crafted this 2,700-page monstrosity behind closed doors. No transparency for the public but plenty of access for the lobbyists. Few lawmakers even read it. Then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats, "We have to pass the bill so that you can find what's in it." Real statesmanship.

Not everyone agrees that a Supreme Court rejection would hurt the president politically.

CNN's James Carville says it would be "the best thing that has ever happened to the Democratic Party." Carville says Democrats would be able to show they tried, and when health care costs keep rising, they could lay the blame on the GOP's shoulders.

Some say if the Supreme Court rules against it, Republicans will lose a top election issue - the repeal of what they call “Obamacare.”

Others suggest the health care law won't be a major election issue if Mitt Romney is the GOP nominee because he created similar legislation when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Here’s my question to you: How will the Supreme Court decision on Obamacare affect the president's chances for re-election?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Rick Santorum says he's not ruling out the idea of becoming Mitt Romney's running mate. Nobody's asked him, but he's serious. No B.S.

When asked by the Christian Broadcasting Network if he would consider a vice presidential offer by Romney, Santorum replied, "Of course."

Santorum says this race is "the most important race in our country's history" and he'll do everything he can to help his country.

When he was asked a second time if he's "keeping his options open" for a VP spot, Santorum didn't shoot down the idea.

Maybe he's finally facing the fact that he's not going to win the Republican nomination. It’s about time.

This idea is the perfect illustration of the phrase, "Politics makes strange bedfellows." Santorum has been vicious in his attacks against Romney.

He called Romney the "worst Republican" to nominate against President Barack Obama when it comes to the health care issue.

And Santorum had to walk back his comment that Americans would be better off with Obama winning a second term than Romney being elected.

With friends like this. …

Romney has already suggested he won't pick Santorum as his running mate because he's not conservative enough.

So whom might Romney pick if he wins the nomination?

Some of the names out there include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.

It's still early. Remember John McCain didn't find Sarah Palin until just before the convention. And what a find that was.

Here’s my question to you: If you were Mitt Romney, under what circumstances would you ask Rick Santorum to be your running mate?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

FULL POST

FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

It's just about over.

While Mitt Romney didn't score a knockout in Illinois, to borrow a boxing metaphor, but he landed enough blows that his opponents may soon be unable to answer the bell for the next round.

And it's a bit ironic that the Republican primary fight may have been decided in the Democratic president's home state.

Romney's win was impressive – double digits and, in just about every exit poll category that was measured, save evangelicals and very conservative voters.

Rick Santorum's showing was far from impressive. He got little support from beyond his base. But more importantly, he showed again he is incapable of winning a large midwestern state. And there simply are not enough Louisianas, Alabamas and Mississippis to get him to the nomination.

Newt Gingrich finished dead last. He has now gone from contender to curiosity to nobody cares. He's toast.

Ron Paul, who may have the best set of ideas for solving some of our big problems, has just not been able to connect with enough voters to make a difference.

Finally, if Romney goes on to win the nomination, the Republican voters will have settled for the moderate in the middle. Sort of what the vast majority of this country has always been about. And his victory will be a slap in the face to the Tea Party.

Romney's now looking past these tune-up fights toward the big title bout in November, and the rest of the country is starting to do the same.

Here’s my question to you: Was Illinois the turning point in the Republican race?

Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.

And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.