Presidential Plastic: Which Credit Cards Do They Carry?

In case you hadn't noticed, there's a presidential election right around the corner and there's some lively discussion on a host of issues. Voters are inundated with information about the candidates, their families, personal spending records, and little things like unemployment, oil dependency and foreign policy.

At CardRatings.com, we decided to take a look at what we're really all wondering: what credit cards might they -- or should they -- each have? While we can't be sure which cards the main players in the 2012 presidential campaign have in their wallets and handbags, that doesn't mean we can't have some fun and take a guess.

 President Barack Obama

The only credit card we know our current head of state carries is the metaphorical corporate one for U.S.A. Inc. Just like an American Express card, it comes without preset spending limits. However, just like an American Express card, that doesn't mean you can spend as much as you want on it.

Credit counselors disagree about who's to blame for the card's current balance, which was $15.23 trillion back in January. Some say GEORGE W. BUSH, CARDMEMBER SINCE 2001, EXP: 01/09; others BARACK H. OBAMA, CARDMEMBER SINCE 2009. Either way, nobody's dared for some time to call the customer service call center, now located in Beijing, in case they're told to cut up the card.

But since that one doesn't spend so well at Best Buy, we think that the President probably has a soft spot in his heart and a spot in his wallet for the Harvard Alumni Association World MasterCard.

Governor Mitt Romney

The card of choice for plutocrats with nine-figure fortunes is very definitely the American Express Centurion (a.k.a. "Black") card. AmEx is notoriously tight-lipped about this invitation-only product, but according to cardholders it comes with a $5,000 set-up charge, and a $2,500 annual fee and a minimum annual spend of $250,000.

American Express won't get into specifics about the deals, discounts, perks and privileges that could justify such charges, but some believe that there have in the past been some irresistible offers, including one on car elevators, and another that was a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on Cadillacs. More recently, there may have been a deep discount on spray tans, though only in the darkest mahogany shade.

 Vice President Joe Biden

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