text: There are 7 USA Cardinals under the age of 80, although I use that "USA" with a caution.  Four (O'Malley, Dolan, Wuerl, DiNardo) actually "work" in the U.S.  Three (Edwin O'Brien, Raymond Burke, James Harvey) are more functionaries of the Vatican than actually run an archdiocese in the U.S. or anything in the U.S.  These are the cardinals from this country who can vote for the next pope.
  
  In addition to hoping for a female cardinal (or two or ten or twenty), I think our cardinals are over-concentrated in the eastern part of the country.  Perhaps some representation from Chicago and points further west would be in order (but not, I hope, San Francisco) and even from the South (but not, I hope, Kentucky).  
  
  I have to wonder if it would be better to have those electing the pope who are immersed in the actual life of an archdiocese - or does all the specialization of Vatican functionaries lend some equally valuable perspective to who would make a good pope?