What does it mean if nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion.
A new Gallup Poll shows only 34% of those surveyed correctly say that Obama is a Christian.
11% say he's a Muslim.
8% say Mr. Obama doesn't have a religious affiliation.
And a stunning 44% say they don't know what he is.
Where have these people been living?
President Obama has been in office for three and a half years and went through a grueling campaign to get there. A campaign during which his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and his controversial sermons played a key role.
It's just one more example of how uninformed many of us are.
Of course people who don't like the president continue to raise questions about both his religion and his birth place. And it seems that their efforts could be convincing – or at least confusing – some Americans.
The Gallup Poll also found a partisan gap here: Democrats are more likely than Republicans to correctly name the president's religion. In fact, 18% of Republicans say the president is a Muslim. That's nearly 1 in 5 Republicans.
The poll shows Independents are closer to Republicans than to Democrats when it comes to their knowledge of Obama's religion. That might not help the president in November.
Interestingly Americans are more likely to correctly name Mitt Romney's religion. Romney is a Mormon. Only 33% say they don't know that.
Some of that increased awareness when it comes to Romney is no doubt because he ran for president four years ago. A great deal was made of his being a Mormon back then.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean if nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How much does Mitt Romney's v.p. pick matter?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
While Mitt Romney intensifies his search for a running mate, it remains to be seen how much his #2 pick will even matter.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio kept mum on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday about whether Romney will choose him.
Rubio previously said he's not interested in being vice president; but now he says he's not talking about it anymore.
Romney has said Rubio is definitely in the mix of possibilities, pushing back against a report last week that Rubio wasn't being vetted.
Meanwhile another report suggests the Romney campaign is also vetting Wisconsin Congressman and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.
Some Republican kingmakers told The Hill newspaper who they think Romney should pick.
Several of them mention Rubio as their top choice. Other names include: Republican Senators Rob Portman and Rand Paul, Congressman Ryan, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez.
Not on that list: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who over the weekend said he thinks he can best help Romney as a "volunteer and surrogate speaker."
There's also New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who would bring a little Tabasco Sauce to an otherwise pretty bland omelet.
Candidates usually name their running mate right around the Convention; but some believe Romney might jump early and name his number two before the Republican National Convention in Tampa in late August.
It's a way to rev up the base, generate more buzz, increase media attention and bring in fundraising dollars earlier in the campaign.
VP candidates sometimes help win their home state but others say the most important quality is to "do no harm." See Sarah Palin in 2008.
Here’s my question to you: How much does Mitt Romney's v.p. pick matter?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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