The Pulse: Who is Philadelphia's person of the year?

On Wednesday, Time magazine named "The Protester" its 2011 Person of the Year.

Time recognizes the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse. And so, for the third year in a row, I wish to present a more localized version. (In 2009, I recognized Vince Fumo; in 2010, Blake Robbins, of Lower Merion webcam fame.) Here are my 2011 finalists:

Ruben Amaro Jr. OK, so the postseason ended ugly and in a matter of days, but the 2011 Phillies offered a sweet, regular-season ride that provided us with nearly seven months of joy. The team won 102 games, the most in franchise history. And though the Phillies haven't won a World Series on Amaro's watch (yet), the general manager has proved to be one of the game's shrewdest executives and among the most popular sports figures in the region.

Chris Christie. The Garden State governor's national profile rose so high that Saturday Night Live recently parodied the level of enthusiasm his almost-candidacy for president engendered among Republican primary voters. Christie's first two years in office haven't been without missteps, but his budget-shredding and blunt public persona have become the blueprint for GOP chief executives across the country. Philadelphians could rightly recognize Christie as a more sophisticated Frank Rizzo.

Tom Corbett. This Pennsylvania native's rise to the governor's mansion signaled a lull in the amount of influence that Philadelphia would exert in Harrisburg. But between Bonusgate, the Jerry Sandusky investigation, and the severe education cuts he proposed earlier this year, Corbett, the attorney general-turned-governor, has done plenty to shape the public discourse in the commonwealth's largest city. (If he really privatizes the liquor stores, he'll "win" next year's recognition!)

Natalie Munroe. Munroe is the Central Bucks East teacher whose insulting and unprofessional blog posts about her students - she deemed some "frightfully dim," "utterly loathsome," and much, much worse - caused a national firestorm this year. Though Munroe returned to the classroom in September, the controversy and her extended suspension engendered a much-needed debate regarding the intersection of technology and free speech - especially when that intersection occurs in the classroom.