Mason:

It’s not uncommon for athletes to turn their attention from the playing field to the political arena when their careers are done. Former NFL wide receiver Steve Largent was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994. NBA great Bill Bradley served in the U.S. Senate for almost two decades. And who could forget former Minnesota governor Jesse “The Mind” Ventura?

But we’ve yet to see a former or current Badger test their luck and make a run at the White House.

So which current UW athlete would make the best president?

Why, none other than President Ben Street.

The senior on the men’s hockey team has all the qualities needed to lead our country:

He knows what it takes to win. As a freshman with UW, he was a part of the 2006 National Championship squad, contributing to their success by scoring 15 points — including 10 goals.

He’s got the book smarts. As a sophomore, the real estate major was named to the WCHA All-Academic team, an honor he repeated a year later as a junior, along with Academic All-Big Ten.

He knows how to handle adversity. As president, things won’t always be easy. Street’s senior season has been a tough one, as he’s had to overcome a leg injury. If he can deal with that, an economic crisis is child’s play.

And most importantly, he has strong leadership abilities. At the beginning of the 2008-09 season, he was named co-captain along with junior Blake Geoffrion. While Street’s season was shortened with the injury, wearing the “C” on his chest shows he can garner enough respect to secure a leadership role — and he showed he can share power with Geoffrion, so why not with a vice president?

Forget the fact that he’s Canadian. Choose the right path. Vote Street.

Zetlin:

A Canadian?! You could have chosen any athlete on this campus to one day become commander in chief, and you chose a Canadian? Wow.

So which UW athlete has the best chance of leading this nation down the road?

“Chris Pressley hands down,” senior guard Kraig Urbik said. “He’s smart, he’s funny, he has great morals; he comes from a good family. I just love the guy, he’s great.”

All, of course are necessary attributes for a future president.

Pressley not only paves the way for the powerful Badgers’ running attack, but he’s the vocal leader of a 100-plus player squad. He carries himself as a professional, speaks well (unlike our current president) and simply knows how to perform in the spotlight.

“He seems presidential,” senior tackle Eric Vandenheuvel said. “He just seems like he’ll be able to handle it well.”

Pressley has the smarts, too. The Woodbury, N.J. native was a National Honor Society member in high school and was all-Big Ten in academics last season. He disproves the “all football players are dumb jocks” theory.

Hockey players, on the other hand… ?

“[Chris is a] good leadership guy, he speaks loud, he’s a real forceful kind of guy,” senior guard Andy Kemp added.

What else would you want in a president?

Sorry, Mase, you set yourself up for this one.

A Canuck? I say Press for Pres!