Who ranks higher on the charisma scale, Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
They looked like two peas in a pod.
When Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan as his running mate Saturday morning, some people thought they were seeing double.
Writing for the Daily Beast, Robin Givhan suggests Ryan could easily be mistaken for one of Romney's five sons.
She says that the Republican running mates - in their matching white shirts and black pants - lacked dazzle or texture.
She describes them as "two white guys defined by political expedience, professional uniforms and perfectly pomaded hair."
And it's not just their appearances that are similar.
Politico suggests Ryan could just be "Mitt squared." The writers say it's easy to see why Romney - the 65-year-old "numbers nerd" - wanted Ryan - the 42-year-old "budget wonk" - on the ticket with him.
Like Romney, Ryan isn't the most exciting speaker. It's possible Romney was looking more for a youthful double of himself than for someone to balance the ticket.
Speaking of doubles, consider these two back in high school.
In his Janesville, Wisconsin, high school, Ryan was voted "biggest brown noser" by his senior year classmates.
He was also the prom king and junior class president, not to mention an athlete and in the Latin club - a pretty well-rounded guy.
As for Romney, he attended a boys' prep school in Michigan, the state where his father was governor.
According to one classmate, Romney was in the glee club and the pep club and was chairman of the homecoming committee.
What he didn't do was play middle linebacker on the football team.
Here's my question to you: Who ranks higher on the charisma scale, Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan?
Tune in to "The Situation Room" at 5 p.m. ET to see if Jack reads your answer on the air.
And we'd love to know where you're writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
How often do you think about the presidential election?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Sixty-four percent of Americans say they've given "quite a lot" of thought to the upcoming presidential election.
How can you not think about it? It's impossible to escape it.
According to a USA Today/Gallup Poll, 64% is down from the previous two presidential races, but higher than Americans' engagement in the 2000 election.
These numbers suggest voter turnout will be lower this year than in 2008 or 2004.
Republicans are more revved up than Democrats, with 74% of Republicans saying they think about the election "quite a lot," compared to only 61% of Democrats.
This 13-point GOP advantage is the highest this poll has measured in recent presidential elections.
It's possible that Democrats just haven't tuned in yet and that Republicans are more engaged because of the primaries.
Typically Americans start thinking more about the election as it gets closer - once the conventions, debates, etc. start happening. And interest traditionally really starts to rev up after Labor Day.
If the higher GOP interest keeps up, it could mean higher turnout for the Republicans come November.
It's clear Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan over the weekend has jump-started the party's base.
The crowds at Romney's events have grown larger - perhaps as high as 15,000 at one North Carolina rally - and they've also grown more energetic.
Reminds you a little bit of President Obama's crowds back in 2008. But he's not drawing those kinds of crowds this time around.
Here's my question to you: How often do you think about the presidential election?
Tune in to "The Situation Room" at 4 p.m. ET to see if Jack reads your answer on the air.
And we'd love to know where you're writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
Recent Comments