With the 2012 presidential election over, speculation naturally turns to the 2016 election. Barack Obama cannot run again, and the Republicans have suffered two serious defeats in a row. Who will run in four years?
Democrats
The traditional choice for the Democrats would be Vice President Joe Biden, who ran for president in 2008 before dropping out of the race and joining the Obama ticket.
Biden is well-liked by the public, and is generally regarded as an honest and relatable politician. But often he isn't taken seriously. Jokes about him are rampant in the media, and he's notorious for speaking off-the-cuff.
While these candid moments sometimes serve him well, like the time he came out in favor of same-sex marriage, prompting the president to officially follow suit, often they serve to cement his reputation as a wild card better suited for a secondary role.
Of course, a Biden run would have to contend with the possibility of a bid by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, a former senator and first lady, came a narrow second to Obama in a bid for the Democratic nomination. She has very heavy support on both sides of the aisle, and she has been acclaimed by both Democrats and Republicans in her role as America's foremost ambassador.
She also has the support of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, who has become a celebrity among Democrats.
If Hillary Clinton wants the nomination in 2016, it's likely hers. If not, Joe Biden has an excellent chance of securing it.
Republicans
The Republican field is wider, but whomever is nominated will have a difficult time getting through the primaries, which favor hard-right candidates, in a condition still palatable to the rest of the country.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie won accolades from Democrats when he toured the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy. He's one of the few Republicans in the national spotlight who tries to work across the aisle on occasion.
But party loyalists tried to convince him to run this year, and he refused, so he may not be interested come 2016.
Defeated vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan could take a swing at the race, but failed VP candidates don't do too well in national elections. Sarah Palin tried to turn her newfound stardom into political legs, but she bailed on Alaska too soon and has settled for being a second-tier celebrity pundit.
Ryan won his House seat, so he'll still be in office for a while, and that might give him a chance to rebuild credibility, especially if the Republicans decide to double-down on conservatism for the next cycle.
But he might have to contend with Marco Rubio, the popular Cuban-American senator from Florida who introduced Romney at the Republican National Convention in August.
Rubio lost he VP nomination to Ryan, but perhaps the Republicans are rethinking their decision, since Latino vote in Florida, Colorado and Nevada was crucial to Obama's victories in those states.
But the Republicans will need to soften their stance on immigration to fully embrace Rubio, or Rubio will need to change his.
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