How much would Condoleezza Rice as v.p. help the Romney campaign?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Mitt Romney might have a shot at a game changer that actually works in his favor.
Speculation has been rampant for the last several days that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice might be on Romney's short list for vice president.
Unlike Sarah Palin, who all but destroyed John McCain's chances, Rice might be just what the doctor ordered for Romney.
She's smart, has foreign policy credentials that are unquestioned and would certainly make the race a lot more interesting than it is now.
Romney is getting his nose bloodied by President Obama's incessant pounding on Bain Capital and his tax returns. Unable to seize the initiative and make the race about the economy, which by any measure should make Obama unelectable, Romney needs a spark.
Rice would immediately tap into African-Americans and women, two areas where Obama holds substantial leads.
Whether she would agree to be on the ticket remains a question. She has said she is not interested. But if your country comes calling ...
Anyway, barring putting Chris Christie on the ticket, you gotta love the idea of Rice. She would erase the memory of Palin and immediately energize the race.
With the start of the Summer Olympics fast approaching, Obama and Romney are going to be hard-pressed to get media coverage.
Rice would help in that department, too.
Here’s my question to you: How much would Condoleezza Rice as v.p. help the Romney campaign?
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.
How can Republicans attract voters other than old white men?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If Mitt Romney wants to be president, he's going to need help from voters who aren't old white men.
He's got his work cut out for him.
A Politico piece headlined "Barack Obama's group therapy” describes how the re-election campaign has been reaching out to key voting groups by focusing on issues like the contraception fight, equal pay for women, gay marriage, student loans and immigration policy.
Many Republicans find the president's strategy "very crass." Hey, politics is a crass business.
One GOP pollster told Politico that Romney can win if "Republicans decide that it's OK to look outside the country club for some votes."
For his part, Romney is sticking to his message of the economy, hoping it will appeal to all voters.
The traditional Republican base of white voters is shrinking, and if Romney wants to win, he needs minorities and women.
According to the Politico piece, Republicans traditionally get 87% of their votes from whites.
The problem is, the proportion of white voters in the electorate has dropped from 88% in 1976 to 74% in 2008.
At the same time, minority groups grew from 12% to 26%.
Which explains the Obama camp's targeted voter outreach to groups like women, Hispanics, African-Americans, gays and students.
To be fair, Romney is also doing some outreach of his own.
He'll speak Thursday in Florida to NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Later this summer, he'll address the National Convention of the NAACP.
The question is how much credibility he has with these groups. Marco Rubio or Condoleezza Rice could help.
Here’s my question to you: How can Republicans attract voters other than old white men?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
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.
Why won't Newt Gingrich face reality?
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?
If you were Romney, under what circumstances would you ask Santorum to be your running mate?
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?
Is a long GOP primary good for the party?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Another Tuesday, another Republican presidential primary.
And if the candidates have their way, there could be many more to come, before it's all over.
But some GOP heavyweights don't see it that way.
They're worried this long, drawn-out, bare-knuckle blood letting may wind up hurting the party in the long run.
Karl Rove, the so-called "architect" of George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns, told Fox News the "scales have moved from the long process being a positive to being a negative."
And he thinks some of the "worst moments for the Republicans" have occurred just in recent weeks.
Senator John McCain - who knows a thing or two about how ugly it can get on the campaign trail - calls this race the "nastiest" he has ever seen.
He's stumping for Mitt Romney this time around, but that didn't stop him from telling NBC "everyday that goes by" with these candidates attacking each other is "a day that President Obama wins."
Doesn't matter. At this point there's no end in sight.
Romney won big in Puerto Rico over the weekend.
But who can forget last Tuesday's embarrassing losses not only to Rick Santorum, but Newt Gingrich as well in Mississippi and Alabama.
The pundits say Illinois is a "must-win" state for him. Aren't they all?
They said the same thing for Ohio and Michigan, the state where he grew up and his father was governor.
He won, but just barely in those two states.
Santorum, meanwhile, is banking on another big surprise tonight.
He's done it before, but if the polls are right, it might not happen this time.
Oh, and then there are Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.
Neither one apparently willing to read the writing on the wall and throw in the towel.
It may be March, but it seems like we've only just begun.
Here’s my question to you: Is a long GOP primary good for the party?
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.
Why can't Mitt Romney seal the deal?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
It was all there for the taking, but once again Mitt Romney came up a little short.
Romney's inability to score a knockout on Super Tuesday means the Republican blood bath continues - much to the delight of President Obama and the Democrats.
Romney scored a key victory over Rick Santorum in Ohio and won five other states as well, but his losses were far more telling.
For starters, the former Massachusetts governor has problems in the South, where he couldn't top 28% in any of the contested states. He lost both Georgia and Tennessee.
And as we've seen from the start, Romney has serious issues with the base. Some will never see him as a true conservative. They'd rather back Santorum, who is still fighting the culture wars - talking about birth control, religion and how JFK's stance on the separation of church and state made him want to vomit.
Independents are another sore spot for Romney. One poll shows his unfavorable ratings 16-points higher than his favorable ratings among them.
CNN's Howard Kurtz writes in The Daily Beast that there's something distinctly unimpressive about Romney's performance against Santorum - an underfunded former U.S. Senator who lost his last re-election bid by 18-points.
Kurtz says Romney, "projects competence but does not inspire."
Romney is still the party's likely nominee, but it could take a couple more months to wrap it up.
By the way, there is no way Gingrich, Santorum or Paul is going to be the next president. So isn't it past time for them to put their party ahead of themselves and drop out? Apparently not.
Here’s my question to you: Why can't Mitt Romney seal the deal?
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.
Will Super Tuesday clarify the GOP situation or further confuse things?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Super Tuesday may finally bring some clarity to the messy Republican Primary race. Or not.
Mitt Romney could be able to wind this thing down with a strong showing in tomorrow's 10 races.
For starters, he's racking up endorsements from influential conservatives - a sign that the party is ready to rally around him.
Today - former Bush Attorney General John Ashcroft threw his support behind Romney.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn - both fiscal conservatives - are backing him too.
Romney is also sitting back on top of the national polls.
But to capitalize on all this momentum, he needs to deliver tomorrow.
The biggest prize is Ohio, where Romney is neck-in-neck with Rick Santorum after trailing him by double digits.
A Romney win in Ohio would help consolidate his support among working-class voters in the Rust Belt. However, a Santorum win could mean the race will drag on longer.
Also at play tomorrow are a couple of Southern states. If Romney manages to win in Tennessee or Georgia, it would give him a big boost.
Newt Gingrich is staking the future of his campaign on Georgia, his home state.
As for Ron Paul - he acknowledges his chances are slim but he seems to be in it for the long haul.
Meanwhile top Republicans are spreading the message that a long nomination battle could weaken their chances of defeating President Obama come November.
But as we've seen since the first contests back in January, Republican voters are capable of surprising everybody - including themselves.
Here’s my question to you: Will Super Tuesday clarify the GOP situation or further confuse things?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Can you hear the fat lady singing yet in the GOP race?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
With two more victories last night, Mitt Romney has recaptured the momentum that has been so elusive.
Headed into Super Tuesday next week, Romney should have the wind at his back, with his big win in Arizona and the more narrow victory in his home state of Michigan.
In addition, Romney has won four other primary contests: New Hampshire, Florida, Nevada and Maine. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have won five states combined. Ron Paul: Zero.
Romney is also back on top of the national polls, after briefly losing that spot to Santorum.
And perhaps Romney senses he may soon end this thing. He didn't mention Santorum at all in last night's speech, saving all his fire for President Obama and fixing the economy.
It's worth pointing out that Romney still has issues with the Republican base. Michigan exit polls showed that Santorum handily defeated Romney among voters who define themselves as "very conservative" and those who want a candidate with a strong moral character.
But even if many conservatives aren't crazy about Romney, it's becoming difficult to see a path to victory for any of his competitors.
Working in Romney's favor, he beat Santorum in Michigan among voters who care strongly about defeating the president and among those who say the economy is their top concern. He also won the Catholic vote, which is a strong rebuke of Santorum.
Meanwhile, the Republicans better get their business sorted out, and soon. CNBC reports that markets are already beginning to anticipate an Obama victory in November. Stocks are rising on growing expectations that the president will be re-elected.
Here’s my question to you: Can you hear the fat lady singing yet in the GOP race?
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.
Why can't Mitt Romney catch fire with conservatives?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Mitt Romney's not selling what conservatives want to buy.
His focus on jobs and the economy just isn't connecting with the right wing of the GOP.
Peter Beinart writes in The Daily Beast that the Republican base is more fired up about how to keep government from destroying liberty than how to use government to grow the economy.
Yes, conservatives see shrinking government and boosting the economy as related, but their focus is on greater freedom.
It helps explain the success of many of the GOP candidates who have caught fire this time around - from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and currently Rick Santorum.
All of them have described the 2012 election on some level as a struggle between government tyranny and individual freedom.
Chances are in November, more Americans will want to hear about how the next president can fix the economy and create jobs - which would play into Romney's strengths.
But for now he needs to figure out how to make conservatives like him.
And, here's a hint: His speech at the Conservative Politcal Action Conference is not the answer. In it, Romney described himself as a "severely conservative Republican governor." That's just awful.
Severely conservative?
It once again highlighted his problems on the right.
But Romney did get some good news over the weekend. After the Santorum sweep last Tuesday, Romney narrowly defeated Ron Paul to win the Maine caucuses, and he won the straw poll vote at CPAC.
And there's this: Should Romney become the nominee, conservatives could fall into line faster if they think it means defeating President Obama.
Here’s my question to you: Why can't Mitt Romney catch fire with conservatives?
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.
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