A former Vice President turned green guru? The most popular, and powerful, man in Russia? How about a fiery Middle East leader, or the brains behind Harry Potter? Take a look at these and other possible contenders, and vote for your pick. The editors reserve the right to disagree. Their selection will be announced in the December 31st issue of TIME, on sale Dec. 21
Pro: Brought a measure of understated competence to the war in Iraq.
Con: His coolness in Congressional testimony led to grumbling that he's excessively protective of the President, while it could be too late for competence to have a long term impact on Iraq.
