Woodward: Obama-Hillary ticket for 2012 'on the table'

Though former rivals, President Obama may yet tap Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as his vice presidential partner for the 2012 campaign, according to Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward.

Speaking to CNN's John King on Tuesday, Woodward said that Hillary for VP is "on the table," adding that many of Clinton's top advisors "see it as a real possibility in 2012."

"Now you talk to Hillary Clinton or her advisers and they say 'no, no there's not a political consideration here,'" he continued. "Of course the answer is, you point out to them that her clout around the world when she goes to Europe, Asia, anywhere is in part, not just because she's Secretary of State or because she was married to President Clinton, that people see a potential future president in her."

On the precipice of a 2016 presidency, Clinton would be several months younger than Reagan was when he took the oath of office, the network noted.

In spite of far-off speculation about 2016, rumors have been swirling about a possible Clinton run in 2012. William DeJean, a dentist in New Orleans, has already been running television commercials urging the former first lady to run against Obama.

"I think she is the most qualified," he told CNN.

Before accepting her appointment as America's top diplomat, Clinton repeatedly answered "no" when asked if she'd consider challenging Obama for the Democratic nomination to the presidency in 2012. However, even Obama's former campaign manager, David Plouffe, refused to rule out the chance of Clinton challenging the president.

Even the Gallup polling organization entertained the question, asking Democratic voters who they'd support for the 2012 nomination in a potential matchup between Clinton and Obama. The poll found Obama still carries a majority of support among Democrats, turning out 52 percent to Clinton's 37. The poll carried a margin of error at plus or minus four percent.

Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter are the last two sitting presidents whose bids for a second term were challenged from within their own party.