Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

Upside: Gov. Palin will be 48 in 2012, which means she will still be a young, attractive woman whose conservative credentials cannot be questioned. She and her husband have five children, the oldest of which likely will be a military veteran and the youngest of which was born with Down Syndrome. Gov. Palin and her husband were aware of the child’s problems before he was born and never once considered aborting the pregnancy. She’s passionate and committed to the conservative ideology and, even after a rocky 2008 presidential campaign in which she served as presidential candidate John McCain's GOP running-mate, she remains one of the most popular governors in the US. Palin will also have an edge over other candidates in that she enjoys strong support from the conservative base and has campaigned at the highest level in the most recent presidential election.

Downside: Palin received mixed reviews regarding her campaigning abilities in 2008, and while her support remains firm among conservatives, her unpolished responses in two interviews made her a caricature in the eyes of many Americans. Some believe she paraded her children around with her (even though her family has been by her side throughout her political career), and she was the subject of many vile and untrue rumors. As a woman she also faces more challenges than her male colleagues, which the sexism of the media in the 2008 campaign proved. Still, if she polishes her delivery and can better articulate her message, she'll be the candidate to watch in 2012.