thank you for joining the conversation this week on "your money." we're here every saturday at 1:00 p.m. and sunday at 3:00 p.m. be sure to check out my book, with christine romens. "how to speak money." it's a step to step guide to understanding the language of money with everything you need to know. we hope can you pick up a copy, learn from it, and tell us what you think. have a great week. hello, everyone. thanks for joining us. i'm fredricka whitfield. we're going to look at the 2012 presidential contenders in this hour. but first an update on some of today's top stories. a massive crowd packing the city of homs, syria. these are funerals for some of the people killed there in the past few days. witnesses say syrian troops shelled residential areas of homs at random, killing more

than 300 civilians. an illness sweeps through two ships belonging to the princess cruise line, leaving nearly 500 people sick. the vessels returned to port in florida. the cruise line says all the people who got sick are suffering from neurovirus, which is similar to the stomach flu. angry frustrated parents in western new york want answers. almost four months ago, more than a dozen teenagers and one adult from leroy developed uncontrollable twitching and verbal ticks. tests done by the school and health department have found no environmental link, but further testing will be done. mitt romney is celebrating a resounding victory in the nevada caucuses, making him the only republican candidate to score back-to-back wins in two states in this 2012 run for the white house. >> let me ask you -- >> just four days after winning

florida's primary, romney captured 48% of the nevada vote. newt gingrich came in a distant second with 23%. ron paul got 18%. and rick santorum came in last with 11% of the vote. so in his victory speech last night, romney didn't mention any of his gop rivals. instead, focusing his fire on president obama. >> our mission -- our mission is to increase the freedom and opportunity of the american people and our blueprint is the constitution of the united states. we're going to build an america where hope is a new job with a paycheck, not a faded word and an old bumper sticker. and i will not attempt to bribe the voters with promises of new programs and new subsidies and ever increasing checks from government. if this election is a bidding war, for who can promise the most benefits, then i'm not your

president. you have that president today. if you want to make this election about restoring american greatness, then i hope you'll join with us. if you believe the disappointments of last few years are a detour and not our destiny, then i'm asking for your vote. i'm asking -- i'm asking each of you -- i'm asking each of you to remember how special it is to be an american. i want you to remember why it was you or your ancestors, who sacrificed to come to america, and to overcome the challenges of life in a new country, why they came here. it was not for a free ticket. it was for freedom. it was not for the pursuit of government benefits. it was for the pursuit of happiness. we still believe in that

america. we still believe in the america that is a land of opportunity and a beacon of freedom. we believe in the america that challenges each of us to be bigger and better than ourselves. this election, we must fight for the america we love. we believe in america. thank you so much and god bless us all. >> romney leads in overall delegates with 97 to gingrich's 31. paul has 14 and santorum 10. six nevada delegates won't be assigned until 100% of the votes are counted. the candidates were all over the west and midwest this weekend, in fact. the next battles are just two days away with contests in colorado, missouri and minnesota. so joining us right now from washington, gop strategist ron bon jean. ron, good to see you. >> hey, great to be here. >> all right. so this victory must boost the confidence of mitt romney. but can he be too confident going into tuesday's races? >> well, it sure does boost his

confidence. his momentum is growing after florida. now a strong finniish in nevada. now he's playing in colorado, missouri and minnesota where it looks like he'll probably do very, very well in colorado. he's leading in the polls substantially. and i think he'll play well in missouri and minnesota, you know. newt gingrich isn't even on the ballot in missouri. so it is a -- there is momentum that needs to keep going here, but i think romney has it in his hand right now. >> let's talk more about nevada and this real fight for second place. it was pretty close between newt gingrich and ron paul. in some circles, winning second place is almost as important as first place. how meaningful will this be for newt gingrich? >> well, i think, you know, in terms of coming in second place, especially in nevada, gingrich -- i think he's ruined his chances in nevada and his national momentum because of his speech last night.

i think it really hurt him to come across so negative instead of just offering, he had a concise maybe couple of minutes on, you know, the future and ideas and the rest of the time is extremely negative, extremely down, you know, accusing mitt romney of negative tactics and just being very pessimistic and that really turns off voters. i think he took a second place finish and made it into a real sore loser issue. and especially he needs this momentum, especially going into other states like colorado, minnesota. and he's not even on the ballot in missouri. he's going to be out -- he's going to be without momentum, hoping to bring in southern states around super tuesday. >> okay, so he's not on the ballot in missouri because he missed the deadline. i was going to talk to a reporter from st. louis momentarily about that. and among other things in missouri. so might this be, in newt gingrich's case, just shifting gears, similar to how we saw mitt romney shift gears after south carolina. we saw a new mitt romney heading into florida.

is this newt gingrich's way of saying i'm going to change my strategy, not going to have a concession speech, i'm going to have a press conference and i'm going to lay it all out there. >> man, i'll tell you it tough to say what his strategy is. going into his press conference, his people are saying he was going to be positive and he came out like a flame thrower. going into -- i think the positive momentum is in rick santorum's camp right now. he's playing very well in these other states. he looks like the happy warrior. and he is -- he could be turning out to be mitt romney's biggest threat. i think newt gingrich is taking himself off the table through his negative tactics. >> all right, now, these states coming up couldn't be more different. what are the challenges for these candidates trying to prioritize their messages? everyone, all of these states, missouri, minnesota, colorado, all talk about the economy being top on the list. there are other things that appeal to the electorate. how do these candidates appeal to those voters? >> you have to be very careful

with this. i think newt gingrich learned his lesson in florida where he tried to appeal to the space coast residents in florida, talking about putting a space colony on the moon. and that really back fired. i think what romney is doing is very smart. he's not really diving into local issues. he's keeping a national message in the economy. many of these states, just like nevada, have extremely high unemployment and as you mentioned, the economy is the number one issue. so i think it is important for them to focus on it. rick santorum does emphasize social issues. that's been part of his campaign. and in places like colorado, and in missouri, that plays pretty well. >> all right, ron bon jean, thanks so much. we'll see you later on in this hour as well. >> thank you. the other three candidates in their own words on their next steps, but first jay leno gets in on a little action. >> mitt romney's campaign will start getting secret service protection this week. that's just to protect him from newt gingrich. i'm robert shapiro.

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all right, welcome back to this special hour of the "cnn newsroom." we're taking this time out every sunday to let you hear from the 2012 presidential contenders in their words out on the campaign trail. mitt romney was the big winner last night and newt gingrich held a news conference instead of a concession speech. he is vowing not to quit. gingrich told reporters romney is, quote, dishonest. >> i was surprised. go back and look at the second debate. i've never had a person stand next to me in a civil engagement and be as substantially dishonest as he was. look at what he said. you had larry sabato in the

middle of the debate tweeting that romney was being factually false. i didn't have any good mechanisms. i will by the next debate, i didn't have any good mechanisms to turn to somebody who was being blatantly dishonest to the entire country as a candidate for president. if you can't tell the truth as candidate for truth, a charge made by mccain, by fred thompson, by huckabee, if you can't tell the truth as a candidate for president, how can the country possibly expect you to lead as president? and i frankly was stunned. i make no bones about this. in the second florida debate, i had nothing to say because i had never before seen a person who i thought was a serious candidate for president be that fundamentally dishonest and it was blatant and deliberate and he knew he was doing it. >> republican presidential candidate ron paul came in third in nevada. he and newt gingrich tied with four delegates each, but paul has yet to get a win, though six

nevada delegates are still unallocated. today, paul told abc that he's not worried that the candidate attacks might hurt the republican party in the fall. >> i don't worry about a lot of things. i don't worry about that. i worry about myself. i worry about the message. i worry about the country. i worry about the wars going on. i worry about the economy in the real sense of what it is like to have runaway inflation. those are things i worry about and that's what energizes my supporters and that's why we have these thousands of people coming out. so i don't worry about some of these details because i don't see a lot of difference among our other candidates or the two parties. it is all big government spending, nobody wants to cut anything, nobody wants to stop the wars, so that's what i worry about, getting the country on the right track and i get energized because i know there is a large number of people looking for another option and in some ways i agree with gingrich about saying that romney doesn't satisfy a lot of people. let me tell you, there say lot of people not satisfied with any of the candidates out there and

that's why in many ways we're seeing a lower turnout right now and that should, if party -- building a party is their only goal they ought to wonder why they haven't offered something else and that's what i'm trying to change and offer them some real changes. >> candidate rick santorum came in last in nevada. he is also the back of the pack in delegate count. but the former pennsylvania senator says he's not getting out. he says he's growing as a candidate. >> we still have a ways to go in name recognition across this country. i'm not a household name like mitt romney and newt gingrich. we have potential to grow, to improve our standing upwardly. we don't have the high negatives. we have kept this campaign on a high plain. i didn't engage in petty personal politics. i had many opportunities. [ applause ] i had many opportunities to take

shots at governor romney for the way he conducted himself in business. i had many opportunities to take shots at speaker gingrich for the same. but ladies and gentlemen this race isn't about that. it is about big issues. >> next contest, colorado, minnesota and missouri, ahead wolf blitzer previews tuesday's contest and tells us why he thinks santorum may be staying in the race. ave a very progresse online learning environment. we have something called phoenix connect that allows students to have a social network. you can post discussion questions. we have more than twenty thousand faculty members, chances are one of them is online when you need some assistance. i'm ron gdovic, i'm committed to providing my students with a twenty-first-century education and i am a phoenix.

it was a surprise to see you here, mitt. as i recall you found the idea of a moon colony silly in 2012. >> newt, we were all wrong. ever since you left earth, it's been a nightmare. please forgive me and let me work in your admoonistration. >> i'm supposed to believe you changed your position? >> well, it wouldn't be the first time. >> "saturday night live" cast members in a skitch on newt gingrich's proposal for a lunar colony. welcome back, everyone. we continue to delve into the issues of the presidential campaign. every sunday we're spending this hour of the "cnn newsroom" to allow you to hear from the contenders are as they spell out their future for the united states. so in two days another huge day of face-offs with races in missouri, colorado, and minnesota. and then maine is caucusing until next saturday. wolf blitzer was here with me yesterday and talked about what the candidates can expect.

>> these are all important races. but as i said earlier, i think these are good races for mitt romney. he's going to have a good february. but you know what, these other candidates, i don't think newt gingrich is going anywhere. i know ron paul is not going anywhere. i don't think rick santorum is about to leave. i think they're all going to stay in -- >> they want to. >> at least until super tuesday on march 6th. money is one thing. mitt romney has a ton of money. they all have their pro super pacs. they can stay in. they'll work away and they're all trying to get what they call free media, go on tv shows, talk about themselves. and so they'll be able to stay in through the month. >> even if they don't have face time in any number of those states leading up to march 6th, by way of the super pac money, the television ads, that will help keep them in the race even if the debates for some reason cease or -- >> if gingrich and santorum don't think they have a shot in the state, they're not going to spend any of their money in

nevada, for example. the only campaign that spent money advertising in nevada were romney and paul. the other two candidates didn't spend any money in nevada because they knew they didn't have a shot. why waste money in a state they weren't going to have a shot at. >> are we going to be see something dropoffs? right before tuesday or before saturday's maine caucus results, is it likely that we may see a dropoff at any one of these kaentd candidates? >> i don't think so. i think newt gingrich is a fighter. i think he'll stay in. i would be shocked if he dropped out. same with santorum and ron paul. i think he and his folks believe there is a shot, a chance that newt gingrich might decide on his own to drop out. and if he were to drop out, he would then position himself as the nonmitt romney, the real conservative, santorum, if you will. so i think that's why one of the major reasons he's staying in,

in a sense, maybe newt gingrich will give up and drop out and santorum could challenge mitt romney. ron paul is staying in it because he's got his own agenda. i'm sure he would like to win. he also wants to make sure the issues he's passionate about, whether the federal reserve, or bringing home all u.s. troops from around the world, those kinds of issues are front and center in this campaign. >> all right, wolf blitzer's view of the landscape there. the presidential candidates will be talking about all those issues as they gear up for the next election battles. one more time, they'll be taking place this tuesday. colorado, minnesota, and missouri. voters in those states are not all alike and share very different concerns. let's start with the colorado caucuses. 36 delegates are up for grabs. joining us live from denver, curtis robert, the editorial page editor for "the denver post." good to see you. what are the three top issues for coloradans? >> well, i think like anywhere the economy is issue number one. energy and the environment would

be the second issue. and then probably number three is a trade-off and it depends who you're talking to and where they align, but it would be, you know, education is probably right up there, illegal immigration for a lot of people is another one. >> okay, we know that all the candidates have been talking about the economy no matter where they go. are they appealing to folks in colorado? are they talking about education, energy, immigration, in the way coloradans want to hear it? >> well, we just last week for the first time had, you know, the first visits. and it was, you know, more of a national campaign at this point. we're hearing a lot of the national talking points that aren't very colorado-specific. that's going to be one of the things where the candidates are going to have to try to thread the needle. in colorado, while we're seeing a tremendous energy boom on the eastern plains, east of the denver metro area and to the north, there is also still significant sentiment that the environment needs to be protected and so this sort of drill, baby, drill stance doesn't quite work here as it

would in some other places. that's not to say that people aren't supportive of drilling. earlier this year colorado passed the toughest hydraulic fracturing regulations in the countries and that something that you heard president obama address in his state of the union address two weeks ago. >> romney is going to be there tomorrow. santorum was there as early as last night. does it matter to the electorate there that these candidates are spend something face time. are they counting how many times any of these candidates come to the neighborhood? >> you know, they're not counting the number of times, but i do think that republicans here are happy to have the attention. they moved up their caucuses. these -- tuesday night's results are nonbinding. that means that no delegates are actually being committed on tuesday night. that doesn't happen until later on this spring at the state conventions and congressional conventions. but this is a preference poll

and this is an opportunity to get out, to hear what the candidates have to say. as you mentioned, rick santorum and ron paul were here last week. mitt romney was in town yesterday, will be back tomorrow. newt gingrich now has events scheduled monday here in colorado as well. >> all right, curtis, colorado hugely important for the obama administration. will a republican give, you know, hmm a rim a run for his m? >> it depends on the type of republican. and that's, you know, one of the really intriguing things about colorado and why it is such a battleground state is a third of the electorate here are unaffiliated with either major party. and what you have to do as a result of that is you can't play to either extreme, whether you're a democrat or a republican. you have to play closer to the middle. it is one of the reasons that mitt romney is doing well here and is expected to do well here on tuesday night. he's viewed by many republicans in colorado as the most moderate of the field. you'll see, you know, the -- in

the polling that he polls head to head against barack obama as well as anyone in colorado. but the extreme candidate can't win state wide here at least if the last couple of state wide election si election cycles are any indication. >> thank you for your time. >> i'm happy to join you. thank you for having me. like colorado, minnesota has a caucus tuesday. ron paul has been there twice. will it pay off? we're talking to someone who will know.

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all right, welcome back to this special hour of the "cnn newsroom." we're focusing on politics, allowing you to hear from the 2012 presidential contenders. the gop presidential field may shrink in the coming weeks, as more states hold primaries and caucuses. in just two days, minnesota holds its caucus with 40 delegates at stake. joining us live from minneapolis, rachel strasenburger, a political reporter for "the star tribune." good to see you. >> good to see you. thank you for having me on. >> just as i asked curtis out of denver, what are the three top issues that folks there want to hear from these candidates? >> well, i think certainly the economy, jobs is obviously top of mind, even though actually our unemployment rate is lower than much of the nation. people are still feeling rather

unsettled. they're also really concerned about the size of government among republicans. you know, in minnesota, we saw a state government shutdown for nearly three weeks as democrats and republicans battled over how to close a budget deficit and we're seeing something similar on the federal level. so they really republicans want smaller government, and then the social issues are certainly a big deal here. this november we'll have a constitutional amendment on same sex marriage to try to ban that. and we're going to see a lot of business there at the caucuses. >> well, let's zero in on that jobs favorability there. might this be a feather in the cap for the obama administration? will it be difficult for any of the republicans to come in and make critical remarks about this administration, jobs, as it pertains to your state? >> well, certainly if they're talking to republicans it won't be difficult at all. the republicans here as in many other states are not at all happy with obama despite the fact that we have got a slightly lower unemployment rate. but one of the things

interesting we'll be seeing playing out a little later in the year is that the president actually is more popular in minnesota than he is in many states. we have traditionally been a battleground in recent years. and that may not be the case this year. >> okay. michele bachmann, tim pawlenty, some of the, you know, favorite, you know, native sons and daughters there. have we heard whether they're backing any one of the remaining four? >> well, tim pawlenty shortly after he quit the race came out strong for mitt romney. he has been around the country campaigning for him, sort of using the style that he used during the presidential campaign, except trying to make it work for somebody else. obviously it didn't work for tim pawlenty when he was running for president. and the democrats have been quick to point out some of the things that would be president pawlenty said about would be president romney just last summer before he quit. michele bachmann on the other hand is not backing anyone right now. in fact, there is a report last

week that she may be coming out for romney. and she actually came out and said, no, i'm not backing anyone. she wants to make clear that as of right now she is neutral. she said, however, whoever ends up with a republican nomination she will back because she wants to see obama defeated. >> ron paul has been to your state twice. does that give him kind of a leg up over the other candidates? >> i think ron paul actually does have some advantages in minnesota. he has been in the state more than the other candidates. he also has more of an organization. they have actually been keeping the fires burning since the end of the last campaign. they have become more active in republican politics. they have been training their supporters on how to caucus. they're really looking at not just the straw poll on tuesday, but also a delegate count, which could end up giving them some strength when it comes to the state and national convention. ron paul actually has been more organized. he was on television before any of the other candidates. he was here last year. and it will be interesting to

see how that plays out. he did not do all that well four years ago in our caucuses, but some of his fans are saying this might be his time and may give him a boost nationally if he has a really good showing in minnesota. >> all right, rachel strasenburger of the star tribune from minneapolis. thanks so much. >> absolutely. thank you. missouri is holding its primary and clues of what might happen come november? a local reporter will explain.

cnn brings you politics each sunday during this hour we're bringing you the 2012 presidential contenders in their words. on tuesday, the three races to watch are colorado, minnesota and missouri. colorado and minnesota hold caucuses. missouri with a primary. since missouri broke party rules and moved its primary day, the party won't award delegates after tuesday's vote. joining us right now live, political reporter for "the st. louis beacon," jo manus. jo, just like i asked the other

reporters, what do they want to hear from the three candidates, four candidates, rather? >> well, in missouri, like in many other states the economy is huge. we have seen job losses in the upper incomes like everybody else. so people are particularly concerned with how they plan to address the economy and to make it better. but on the republican side, a large bloc of our republican voters also are social conservatives and so many of the social issues that may not be important in some other states are important here, which helps explain why rick santorum spent a significant amount of time in the state last week, did a big barnstorming tour on friday. newt gingrich is not on the ballot because he didn't file last fall during our filing period. so santorum sees a possible opening where he could outdo romney in the state on tuesday and while technically won't get any delegates, he gets a lot of bragging rights and that could

help when our caucuses start in march. >> does rick santorum feel like he's a shoe-in because the social conservatives are very powerful there? >> i don't think that. i mean, i think, though, but i think he sees an opportunity. he was here in the st. louis area in the suburbs and st. charles county, a big republican stronghold last monday. and about 500 people showed up. and this is the middle of the afternoon. it wasn't even that well publicized. that was pretty good for him. mitt romney has done some fund-raising stops here in the state. but has not done any major public appearances has not done any -- over the last year. so as a result, i think santorum sees missouri more as an opening and a way to change the narrative. so that it is not just about romney winning everywhere. it is also about santorum maybe having an upset. i think that's where he sees missouri fitting in. >> is there a concern among people there that the missouri

contest is undervalued and that is underscored by the fact that newt gingrich would have missed that deadline? >> i think among some. i think that's true. last fall when the republicans made this decision to make the february primary nonbinding, they did so because the legislature failed to move it to march, which is what both parties were trying to get him to do. and because it wasn't done, the state republican party decided to make it nonbinding in order not to violate the rnc rules. now, the democratic national committee decided to give to missouri a pass because in part because they felt that it was the republicans controlling the legislature who are responsible for not moving the primary. >> okay. >> so it is not an issue on the democratic side. >> okay. and real quickly, mccain did well in '08 there. now he's backing mitt romney. any correlation? >> possibly. many of the big people -- big

donors in the state, the establishment republicans, they're all with romney. many of those same people were with mccain last time. and plus some others. so you could really see where romney definitely has the influential leg up. it could help him in the fall. it will -- it could very well be another close one in the fall. >> all right, all fascinating. going to be an interesting tuesday. thanks so much, jo manus, appreciate your time. >> thank you. and we'll have more of the contenders in a moment. and in the next hour, some of the nation's headlines including a new database holding slavery documents almost four centuries old. coming up next hour, how it is helping families connect with ancestral roots. what's this? [ male announcer ] quaker oatmeal squares

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skills and the charisma to be president. but since i'm not running, you might as well vote for mitt romney. >> we continue to delve into the issues on the presidential campaign. every sunday we're spending this hour of the "cnn newsroom" to allow you to hear from the contenders as they spell out their ideas for the future for the united states. the nation's unemployment rate takes a dip. president obama says it is a sign the economy is recovering. >> in january, american businesses added another 257,000 jobs. the unemployment rate came down because more people found work. altogether we added 3.7 million new jobs over the last 23 months. now, these numbers will go up and down in the coming months. and there are still far too many americans who need a job or need a job that pays better than the one they have now.

but the economy is growing stronger. the recovery is speeding up. and we have got to do everything in our power to keep it going. we can't go back to the policies that led to the recession. and we can't let washington stand in the way of our recovery. we want washington to be helping with the recovery, not making it tougher. the most important thing congress needs to do right now is to stop taxes from going up on 160 million americans at the end of this month. they have got to renew the payroll tax cut that they extended only for a couple of months. they need to pass an extension of the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance and do it without drama, without delay, without linking it to some ideological side issues. they need to get it done.

shouldn't be that complicated. now is not the time for self-inflicted wounds to our economy, now is the time for action. so i want to send a clear message to congress, do not slow down the recovery that we're on. don't muck it up. keep it moving in the right direction. the economy is going to be a huge factor in the general election. joining us again from washington, the gop strategist ron bon jean. ron, despite the encouraging news on unemployment and obama's most recent proposed vets jobs plan, republicans are still bashing obama on the economy. let's listen to what gop candidate ron paul had to say when asked if the president deserves any credit for these improved job numbers. >> i wouldn't give him too much credit. of course, everybody should be pleased there are more jobs now than there were a month ago. but they're pretty puny to what we should be doing. >> so ron, how tough will it be

for republicans to continue to criticize this administration if the unemployment rate continues to dip? >> well, i'll tell you what, i think president obama actually answered it for us, which is by saying that, you know, the job rate is going to go up and down. it is going to fluctuate. and republicans are saying, wait a minute, we want a consistent economic policy that is going to grow jobs and stabilize our economy. not have a roller coaster and unsure of where we're going. they want lower taxation, lower regulation. i would say in other parts of obama's speech, he sounded a lot like a republican talking about getting washington out of the way, trying to get, you know, no more drama on negotiations, on issues. but i think republicans are tapping into the voter anger out there, especially among republican primary voters now that there is high unemployment out there in many of these states. people are not feeling the recovery yet and we have a long way to go. >> do you see in the coming months that some of these contenders will try to reshift

their strategy, that perhaps while they'll be talking in broad text of the economy, they'll be talking less about what the president isn't doing with the administration isn't doing about jobs? >> i think it is really going to depend on after labor day when voters start really paying attention, going into the general election debates and into october exactly where the ground is, where the jobs figures stand and what obama is saying in that particular time. i think we're likely going to be in the same situation we are now, which is a fluctuation. i don't think the messages will change a whole lot. they'll be able to talk about president obama's record, making this a referendum on his leadership for the past three years, rather than necessarily what obama wants to do is make it a choice between himself and the republican candidate. >> so that brings me to, you know, polls are showing neck and neck race between romney and obama. will the winner likely be determined by a stance on the issues, track record or perhaps it is just the style of the campaigning over the next eight

months? how do you see it? >> i think it is going to be a very, very tight election going into november. it is going to be a blend between style and substance, you're absolutely right. people are going to want to have a president who understands the issues, who is going to show leadership and a plan for the future. but they're also going to want to have a president who knows how to lead, who has a personal personality, someone who can be presidential. and, you know, mitt romney has those qualities. >> ron bon jean, thanks so much. good to see you this hour. thank you for joining us. >> thank you very much. gop candidates have moved on from nevada. but the state could be kingmaker in the presidential elections come november. john king explains why after this. maybe this vacation wasn't a good idea vacations are always a good idea ♪ priceline negoti - - no time. out quickly. you're miles from your destination. you'll need a hotel tonight we don't have time to bid you don't have to bid. at priceline you can choose from thousands of hotels on sale every day.

save yourself... some money we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense.

at a rally at the trump international hotel in las vegas on thursday, donald trump endorsed newt gingrich by endorsing mitt romney. >> all right, welcome back to this special hour of the "cnn newsroom." we're taking this time out every sunday to let you hear from the 2012 presidential contenders in

their own words out on the campaign trail. mitt romney won big in nevada, partly because he swept the mormon vote. but john king looks ahead to the presidential election come november. and how nevada may play a big role in who finally goes to the white house. >> the winner of the republican nomination will compete in a very different map. this is the 2008 map, the electoral votes have changed a bit because of the census. but let's take out the states we assume will be swing states. new hampshire will be a swing state, virginia will, north carolina will, florida will be, ohio and indiana, maybe michigan. let's take it out for the sake of argument. iowa where the campaign started will be in play. colorado, new mexico, state of nevada. there could be more states. some republicans think they can do better in the northern midwest. let's take this for the sake of argument out. at home, this is a hypothetical. people get mad, i assign your state to somebody else this is a hypothetical. let's assume for example the republicans take ohio and indiana. let's assume president obama, especially because of his help

for general motors and chrysler keeps michigan in his column. let's assume florida goes republican in this scenario and let's split these two. these are big states, big swing states. let's give the president virginia, he pulls that out again. the republicans keep north carolina. then we come west. at this point, 256 to 253. you need 270 to get there. let's say new mexico, because of the latino vote, president obama keeps that one. what about the state of iowa? for the sake of argument, let's say the republicans grab that one. then out here to colorado, okay, why don't we do that? we'll come out here and give this to the republicans. look at this, 267-262 as you come to the west, you have to get here. the line is here. the line is here. that doesn't want to work at the moment, but the state of nevada could decide the presidential election. last week we showed you a scenario where florida could do it, but if that -- >> a little technical problem. you get the point. politicians and football coaches use the same speeches to cheer on the crowd. we have the proof next.

thank you so much, i appreciate it, i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money ? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. no nonsense. just people sense. [ male announcer ] red lobster's four course seafood feast is back. get soup, salad, cheddar bay biscuits, dessert and choose one of 7 entrees. four courses for only $15. offer ends soon. i'm jody gonzalez, red lobster manager and i sea food differently.

...we inspected his brakes for free. free is good. free is very good. my money. my choice. my meineke. presidential candidates are all business on the campaign trail. but there are some lighter moments. here's cnn's chief political correspondent candy crowley. >> hey, fred.

it is super bowl sunday. from which we drew inspiration for this week's edition of trail mix. >> are you ready to go out there and take what's yours? >> yes. >> what you worked hard for? >> yes. >> that is dwayne "the rock" johnston in "the gridiron gang." one of the inspirational locker room speeches that hollywood routinely pumps out. if you covered enough presidential candidates you hear candidates spending a lot like football coaches at halftime. >> i'm going to swing. >> i'm convinced i can beat barack obama. >> we will win the nomination and we will then win the election. >> it is not about winning. it's about you and your relationship to yourself and your family and your friends. >> i do talk about family a lot. because family is the key. >> we have been married 55 years. >> i see so many children in this audience. how wonderful is that? >> when you take that feat of

the day, you've got to lay your heart on the line. >> i need your help across the board. >> this really is a battle about the soul of america. >> let's go. >> yeah. >> get out there and caucus! >> either we heal now, as a team, or we will die. >> president reagan. >> ronald reagan. >> ronald reagan used to say -- >> ask them to go in there with all they've got, win one for the gipper. >> in case you did not recognize that last clip it was from knute rockne "all american", the young actor, ronald reagan, proof of one degree of separation between politics and football. fred? >> all right, thanks so much, candy. be sure to watch candy crowley every sunday morning. she's the host of "state of the union" 9:00 a.m. eastern time. president obama is staying close to home this week. on monday and wednesday and friday he has white house meetings. tuesday, he hosts the white

house second annual science fair. and then thursday he hosts the italian prime minister at the white house. here is a look at where the 2012 contenders will be this week. on monday, newt gingrich, mitt romney and ron paul are all in florida. and rick santorum is in minnesota and colorado. on tuesday, gingrich heads to ohio as he looks forward to super tuesday. and at the end of the week, all of the candidates head to cpac. be sure to watch all the results of the colorado, minnesota and missouri races tuesday night beginning at 6:00 p.m. eastern time with a special edition of "the situation room" with wolf blitzer followed by cnn's complete live coverage of the results at 7:00 p.m. eastern time with wolf. erin burnett, anderson cooper, candy crowley, john king and more. thanks so much for tuning in to this special hour of politics. join us every sunday 4:00 eastern time. now stay right here for the latest news right here in "the newsroom."