Both Biden and Hillary would make great presidents: Obama

He said that they both possessed the much-needed qualities to assume the high office

President Barack Obama has said that both Vice-President Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will make outstanding candidates and possess the much-needed qualities to assume the high office.

"Both Hillary and Joe-- would make outstanding presidents-- and possess the qualities that are needed-- to be-- outstanding presidents," Obama told a private news channel in an interview yesterday, when asked about his preference between the two.

While none of them have thrown out any indication of this sort, both Clinton, 66, and Biden, 71, are considered to be formidable Democratic Party presidential nominees for 2016 elections.

"I think Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the best vice presidents-- ever. And he has been with me, at my side, in every tough decision that I've made from going after Bin Laden to-- dealing with the health care issues to, you name it, he's been there," Obama said.

"Hillary, I think will go down in history as one of the finest secretaries of state we have ever had. And helped to transition us away from a deep hole that we were in when-- I first came into office-- around the world. And to rebuild confidence and trust in the United States," he said.

"They (Biden and Hillary) have got different strengths, but both of them would be outstanding," he said, adding that the most important qualities of any President has to do with more than anything a sense of connection with the American people.

"That's what allows you then to have that second quality, which is persistence. If you know who you are working on behalf of, if you remember as a Lincoln did or an FDR did or a Truman did or a Kennedy did, if you remember that person that you met who was down on their luck-- but-- was of good character and was trying to figure out how are they gonna support a family, if you remember that young child who has big dreams but doesn't yet know how they're gonna get to college," he said.

I think the interesting thing about now having been President for five years is -- it makes you humbler-- as opposed to cockier about what you as an individual can do," Obama said.

"You recognise that you're just part of a sweep of history. Your job really is to push the boulder up the hill a little bit before somebody else pushes it up a little further and the task never stops of perfecting our union.

But what makes me more confident than ever is the interactions I have with young people like this-- all over the country, who still believe in this country, still are optimistic-- fundamentally-- about their futures-- are problem solvers, are practical," he said.