Though he lacked the charisma of his competitors, Adams was widely respected and benefited from the lack of other prominent Northern political leaders.Adams's top choice for the role of vice president was General Andrew Jackson; Adams noted that 'the Vice-Presidency was a station in which [Jackson] could hang no one, and in which he would need to quarrel with no one.' However, as the 1824 election approached, Jackson jumped into the race for president. Leadership of the Treasury Department went to Richard Rush of Pennsylvania, who would become a prominent advocate of internal improvements and protective tariffs within the administration. Adams chose Henry Clay as Secretary of State, angering those who believed that Clay had offered his support in the 1824 election for the most prestigious position in the cabinet.
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