When it comes to who will succeed in securing the presidential nomination in 2012, the ideal candidate must be poised, must be relatable, and above all else, must be admired. As such, when a poll by USA Today/Gallup released their findings on who would be this year’s most admired American man and woman – highlighting Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton – it seemed like the best presidential ticket in American had just been found. Obama and Hilary would undoubtedly be the dream team for the democratic ticket; a perfect mix of experience, class, and appeal, mixed with just a hint of edge that would give the party a leg up in the upcoming election.
As the National Post reported, “Hillary Clinton as VP — the first woman to hold the office if she were to win, [would] open all sorts of possibilities.” In what will most likely be a daunting race in 2012, a running mate with that sort of appeal at the very least would give Obama a significant edge in securing a second term.
For 10 years running, Clinton has been voted the most admired woman, while Obama has taken the top spot for the past four years straight. The Secretary of State switching places with current VP, Sen. Joe Biden, who is rumored to have wanted that position all along, would be the clincher for Obama campaign in 2012. As longtime political advisor Robert Reich told Business Adviser on Wednesday, “Obama needs to stir the passions and enthusiasms of a Democratic base that’s been disillusioned with his cave-ins to regressive Republicans. Hillary Clinton on the ticket can do that.”
For the GOP, on the other hand, Mitt Romney will go for broke without breaking a sweat in clinching the presidential nomination, if he had New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as his running mate. Using his experience in the private sector as the focal point as his campaign, he will be the man to beat in 2012, and “get America working again”.
As Wolf Blitzer reported Saturday on CNN, Christie told a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, “If you don’t do what you’re supposed to do on Tuesday for Mitt Romney, I will be back — Jersey-style.”
Christie, who once had presidential aspirations of his own, has not yet ruled out the possibility of a vice presidential slot.
“I wouldn’t bet on a Romney-Christie moment,” he said, adding that it would be “impolite” to rule it out. “But one never knows.”
It was Christie’s “candidness” that first elicited the most appeal from members of the party. ABC reported. The New Jersey governor may just be the “saving grace” needed on the ticket, especially for conservatives who are frustrated by Romney’s reputed flip-flopper status; Christie is “a breath of fresh air”.
On the heels of the New Hampshire primaries, one prediction is definitely clear; whomever will get each party’s nomination and ascend the presidency will undoubtedly leave an indelible stamp on America for years to come.
Image taken from Wikimedia Commons
