It has often been said that a large part of George W. Bush's electoral appeal stems from him being the kind of guy folks would want to drink a beer with. The irony being, as a former problem drinker turned teetotaler, W. is about as likely to crack a beer with a random voter as he is to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

If America is going to choose a leader based on who they'd rather meet for suds, the least we deserve are presidential candidates who can actually drink. Luckily, both Barack Obama and John McCain can appear with a beer in hand without sparking an international crisis, and thus we can safely break down the pros and cons of tossing back a few cold ones with each White House aspirant.

See our stats and vote for the winner after the jump.

John McCain

Pro: John McCain's wife is chairwoman of one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the United States, and any beer drinker worth his pretzels knows the best kind of beer is free beer. He also is a veteran and they have some great stories, especially if they've been kept prisoner.

Con: We're not saying John McCain is a crazy old man. At least we're not saying he is when he's sober. But after a few too many, it's not very difficult to imagine McCain grabbing a shotgun and telling you to get the hell off his lawn.

Barack Obama

Pro: Unlike fellow international celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Barack Obama won't use his tipsiness as an excuse to flash an uncovered, bald hoohah at the the paparazzi.

Con: Barack's Tiger Beat fan club in the press would probably gush on about how thoughtful they think the Illinois senator looks as he drinks his beer at a perfectly judicious pace. It would undoubtedly interrupt you and Barack trying to discuss his position on alien invasions.

Verdict: These are tough times -- as Obama and McCain both like to remind us every day -- and tough times call for something stronger than beer. Whether she was scoring one for the ladies by defeating John McCain in a vodka drinking contest during a congressional tour of Estonia, throwing back Crown Royal with the hard hats in an Indiana bar during the primary or pounding whiskey with the press on her campaign plane, it has been Hillary Clinton whom we have most associated with hard-drinking good times this electoral season. Since we miss HRC's party girl ways so much, we'll just step back and let you decide this one.