No Left Turns: Which novelist would you vote for?

Joseph Knippenberg is asking, "Which living novelist could you support if he or she ran for office?" He tosses out Mark Helprin and Leon de Winter as likely contenders. Orson Scott Card is getting some early support from commenters, as is William F. Buckley, Jr.

This whole discussion started with a jab by Daniel Akst that novelists would do anything - including running for office - to help sell books (a dubious claim, I'd say). But, putting that aside, this gives you an excuse to speak up for favorite authors that seem to fall into this category. (Caveat: You do know there is sometimes a substantial difference between a writer and his and her fiction, yes? We shall take pains to not take ourselves too seriously, no?)

Having said that, I'd probably vote for Jan Karon, if it came to that. She comes across as classy and good humored, seems to understand people, appears to keep things in perspective, and can handle hostile television interviewers.