It is unlikely that Mr John Hume would be seen in Northern Ireland as "a non-partisan President", the Church of Ireland Gazette says.
According to the editorial in the current issue, it would be difficult for the leader of the SDLP to rise above "the mire and nitty gritty of politics".
The magazine also criticises the "antics" of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in the run-up to the presidential election. It says the nomination of Mr Albert Reynolds by Fianna Fail would be a reversion "to the old and tiresome system of using the Presidency as a reward for past Taoisigh and ministers".
The candidates for the Fine Gael nomination, Ms Mary Banotti MEP and Senator Avril Doyle, are described as "two able, articulate and energetic middleage women".
However, if chosen they might face "the unbearable task of forever being compared with Mary Robinson in their words and actions".
The editorial predicts that Ms Banotti and Senator Doyle "will face serious hurdles, given their close family associations with Michael Collins and the Beltons".
The candidacy of former Eurovision Song Contest winner Dana "cannot be taken seriously unless we are to make a major retreat on values such as pluralism and inclusiveness".
The editorial lists "inspiring names mentioned so far" as Ms Adi Roche, Senator David Norris, Mr Alan Shatter and Dr Margaret MacCurtain.
The magazine favours Dr MacCurtain, a Dominican nun and former history professor at UCD, as the most promising candidate of all.
"The political parties should not be allowed to revert to using the Presidency to reward senior politicians who have been forced out of office or who are looking for a post that provides prestige in retirement," the editorial concludes.
