Who will be TIME’s Person of the Year?

What do you have in common with Bono, the computer, the Apollo 8 astronauts and Martin Luther King Jr.? Answer: You’ve all been TIME’s Person of the Year. The title, bestowed by the magazine’s editors on the person who, for good or ill, had the most effect on the world over the past 12 months, stretches back 80 years and has graced some of history’s greatest figures, beginning with the first-ever and youngest choice, Charles Lindbergh, as “Man of the Year’ in 1927.  

Since then, the list has expanded to include women, ruthless dictators, religious figures, business moguls and even abstract concepts like the “Youth Generation” (1966)  and, most recently, “You.” Some have inspired us (like Pope John Paul II), others enraged us (like 1938’s choice — Adolf Hitler), but all of them have stirred debate.

So who’s it going to be this year? A former vice president turned Green guru? Or the brains behind Harry Potter? How about the political son of the KGB, or a fiery Middle East leader? Below are some of this year's top contenders.

Cast your vote for the short list by visiting the TIME Web site.

Vladimir Putin
Pro: The most popular man in Russia — with or without a shirt — for restoring national pride and expanding Russian influence around the globe.
Con: Nearing the end of his presidency and remains a figure of menace to many of his own citizens.

Al Gore 
Pro: The Nobel Prize ensures that a generation of children will envision his face while being scolded for leaving a room without turning off the lights.
Con: He may have won his Nobel and Oscar in 2007, but the bulk of his Green works were in 2006.

Hu Jintao 
Pro: The most powerful man in the biggest country in the world, he's shaped China into the wellspring of global consumer goods.
Con: Communist Party reshuffling apparently scaled back his power somewhat, and factory recalls have tarnished China's image as a trustworthy manufacturer.

Steve Jobs 
Pro: The iPhone is a triumph, while iTunes expanded its reach as the dominant source of online music. Oh, and Apple stock is up a mere 100 percent in 2007.
Con: Not exactly a figure of global change. He's a businessman, albeit a great one.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 
Pro: Knows how to get attention for himself and agitate the United States like no world leader since Castro.
Con: May not even be the most powerful or important leader in his own country.

Gen. David Petraeus 
Pro: Brought a measure of understated competence to the war in Iraq.
Con: His coolness in congressional testimony led to grumbling that he's excessively protective of the president, while it could be too late for competence to have a long-term impact on Iraq.
  
Condoleezza Rice
Pro: Tried again to jumpstart Middle East peace process.
Con: Does anyone think peace in the Middle East is coming soon?

J. K. Rowling 
Pro: Finished a seven-book epic that will be read by children (and lots of adults) for generations to come. Slowly creeping up on Agatha Christie as the most-read author not named Shakespeare.
Con: Seventh book wasn't her best, and hard to argue she was the most important person of 2007.

Be sure to watch TODAY Wednesday, December 19, to see the exclusive announcement of TIME’s Person of the Year.

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