Although England lost the Test series 1-0 they then won their first one-day series win in the Caribbean and Flower's good relationshipwith Strauss has helped to make him the leading candidate for the permanent role.
The 51-year-old former Fed governor and Princeton University economist was considered a top candidate, in part, because of his close relationshipwith Mr. Bush, who named Bernanke to the Fed Board in 2002 and chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers earlier this year.
Jim Oberweis, the GOP candidate hoping to win in Illinois, had a rocky relationshipwith his fellow Republicans and had alienated many in the party with earlier runs for governor and the U.S. Senate.