Which V.P. candidate would benefit Mitt Romney more: a woman or a Hispanic?
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.
Home prices are the lowest in a decade. How can the economy recover?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Home prices are at their lowest in a decade.
The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index of 20 cities shows an average decline of 3.5% from a year ago. That puts home prices at the lowest since November 2002. Experts say foreclosures and other distressed property sales are the main challenge.
Some of the hardest hit housing markets include Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Las Vegas and New York.
The worst is Atlanta, where prices fell more than 17% year-over-year. Home prices in Atlanta haven't been this low in 16 years.
These numbers are scary:
For many Americans, their homes are their biggest asset. It's hard to imagine how the nation can manage an economic recovery with the housing market still hurting so badly.
And things might not improve for a long time. A very long time.
Yale University Economics Professor Robert Shiller says a total recovery of the housing market may take a generation. Shiller says he worries "that we might not see a major turnaround in our lifetimes."
And it's not just home prices that are suffering. A new government report shows new home sales dropped 7.1% in March to the lowest level since last November.
There's just no rush to buy. Mortgage rates might be at record lows, but if people don't have the money to buy it doesn't matter. Add in high unemployment along with high gas prices and uncertainty about the health of the economy and the future of housing looks pretty grim.
Here’s my question to you: Home prices are the lowest in a decade. How can the economy recover?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 5pm 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.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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