Vice President Hillary Clinton? Not if she can help it. Secretary of State Clinton put to rest speculation on Oct. 13, that she might accept a bid for vice president in 2012. "I do not think it's even in the realm of possibility, and in large measure because I think Vice President Biden has done an amazingly good job," she told Today.
So with Hill out of the running in the 2012 Democratic
ticket, and people buzzing about possible Republican VP candidates, Powerwall takes a look at GOP VP hopefuls -- and a few long shots
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) endorsed Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) for the GOP presidential nomination following the Republic economic debate on Oct. 11.
After months of protestations (he said "suicide" may be the only thing that could convince people he isn't
running), Christie announced that he will not run for president during a press conference on Oct. 4.
But unfortunately for the much-loved guv's supporters, Christie has said that he doesn't want the VP nomination.
Already being compared to Barack Obama for his star quality and ethnic background (his parents were Cuban exiles), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says there's no way he'll be on the 2012 ticket, but the VP buzz started even before he won the 2010 Senate race.
When asked whether he'd accept the slot on the 2012 ticket if offered, Rubio responded, "The answer's going to be no." Oh well, we'll have to keep looking.
Bobby Jindal
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is giving his support to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. On accepting a VP nomination, Jindal didn't totally cross it off the list while on Meet the Press in 2010, saying, "I'm not gonna turn down something that's not been offered for me.”
The former Minnesota governor was on John McCain's VP shortlist back in 2008, so it's reasonable to assume he could make the cut this time (it's nice to be from a swing state). He's thrown his weight behind Romney, so now the former presidential candidate might just have to wait and see if Romney accepts such an endorsement --
or goes so far as bringing him onto his team.
Mitt Romney
Just because Pawlenty and Christie like Romney for the top spot doesn't mean everybody does (just ask Bobby Jindal). So maybe Romney could take the path he hasn't chosen thus far and go for VP. It might help him conquer some of that awkwardness. 
Perry has been a big threat to Romney... so why don't they just team up?! It's hard to imagine, but the Texas guv and former Massachusetts leader bring quite the diverse combination to the table. We're just not sure the West Wing could hold these two big egos, but if Perry falls in the polls, it might be an option.
Maybe, just maybe, he'd be willing to take the No. 2 spot (back in 2008, running for president worked out for Joe Biden). In any case, Perry is very popular with Tea Party activists and his fellow Texans (granted, it's not exactly a swing state)
Rick Santorum
Like Christie, Santorum could give a more moderate GOP candidate some Tea Party credentials. However, it's tough to see the former senator from Pennsylvania giving anyone a big boost. Even among hardcore conservatives, Santorum's popularity is anemic at best.
Want some fire in the race? Look no further than the representative from Minnesota. She's making her case to be prez, but she could be the better version of Sarah Palin as a VP candidate in 2012. How does Romney/Bachmann sound?
RELATED: Is Michele Bachmann just teasing?
In any case, it's hard to imagine the Tea Party firebrand would want to be second fiddle, but boy, would it be fun. 
The former Utah governor has already made a few slips this campaign season, most notably telling Piers Morgan on CNN that he would "be the first person to sign up" if asked by Michele Bachmann to serve as her vice president. We're guessing Bachmann wishes he'd just drop out of the presidential race already so she could be
that much closer to winning the nomination.
We don't know if the former New York mayor would cheer a VP offer, but he could help a more conservative candidate fight for swing states like Pennsylvania and Florida. However, the 2012 GOP candidate may be leaning toward jumping into the race for the top spot -- if things get "desperate."
Jon Kyl
The other Arizona senator is retiring from office next year, and he's already said the VP job is the only political office he's interested in. Currently the Senate minority whip, Kyl is popular with conservatives for giving President Obama some big headaches. However, Kyl -- who's closing in on 70 -- may be a bit old for the job.
(Age certainly didn't seem to be an edge for the other Arizona senator, John McCain, in 2008.)
The Donald as No. 2? We don't think it's likely, either. But we never expected him to (almost) run for president in the first place, so who knows?
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