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Getting personal

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The Sun-Times has a “getting personal” feature that it does with candidates [and maybe other people, I’m not sure]. Here are Judy Baar Topinka’s responses:

1. Last movie you felt like walking out of? If I pay money for a movie, and it’s not good, I sit there in hopes that it will get better.
2. iPod, CD player or radio? Radio.
3. TV show you try not to miss? NY Times Discover Channel — I like the archeology segments.
4. Weirdest trick you can do? Make a face like a Sharpei dog.
5. Food you wouldn’t eat on a bet? Monkey brains or cockroaches.
6. Worst punishment you got as a kid? Making me sit quietly.
7. Book all Americans should read? 1984

And here are Gov. Blagojevich’s responses:

1. Last movie you felt like walking out of? “I don’t know that I’ve ever walked out of a movie.”
2. iPod, CD player or radio? CDs. “But I do now have a little iPod that I rarely listen to.”
3. TV show you try not to miss? “I watch sports on TV, you know, when I’m home. And we’ll watch movies. And I love old movies.”
4. Weirdest trick you can do? “I can spin a basketball on all five fingers of my right hand. Oh, and I can memorize 43 tangible, concrete words.”
5. Food you wouldn’t eat on a bet? “Liver. Right? Oooooofff. Can’t.”
6. Worst punishment you got as a kid? Getting spanked by his father for interfering with a spanking his brother was getting.
7. Book all Americans should read? “A phony answer is Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America. Everybody recommends that book, and I bet none of ‘em read it. . . . Can I think about that one?”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 2:46 am

Comments

“Oh, and I can memorize 43 tangible, concrete words.â€

I don’t get what that means. Can anyone explain it?

Anyway, they also got personal with

Todd:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/105997,CST-NWS-stroger22.article

and Peraica:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/105996,CST-NWS-peraica22.article

Comment by Nickname Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 3:06 am
Topinka and Blagojevich’s responses to Question 1 speak directly to their campaign styles.

Topinka’s been sitting back, watching a campaign she paid good money for, and hoping it will get better for months.

Blagojevich has been watching scandal after scandal unfold on the big screen before him, oblivious to the fact that it’s a bad movie.

Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 3:52 am
I know the 43 words he memorized:
“Um, all I know is there was a gift given in September of 2003 that was a birthday gift that was around the time my daughter was christened, and Mike Ascaridis and his wife were at the christening for both of my children.”

Comment by ...if it walks like a duck Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 6:55 am
Re: Blago:

4. Weirdest trick you can do? â€œI can spin my greed, incompetence and criminal malfeasance to be the fault of my opponent.”

“Oh, and I can memorize 43 tangible, concrete words.â€

Which always begin with: “You’re asking me to re-create a 40-year-old relationship…” or “This is a leftover issue from the George Ryan years…”
or “So I roll down the window of the SUV, and there’s this little black girl standing there…”

Comment by Gregor Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 6:57 am
Does Rod read anything?

I am not sure I want to imagine the Sharpei trick.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 7:45 am
Democracy in America

The original is 2 or 3 big books. Most people who do read it read a summary.

Topinkaâ€™s been sitting back, watching a campaign she

Not a bad way to describe it. She KNEW Rod had a ton of money, and was going to blast her early and often.

And her plan was…….??

Hope he got indicted, apparently.

Comment by Pat Collins Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 8:02 am
Is it all that surprising that Blagojevich doesn’t use his book choice to give an answer, but just to mock Democracy in America? Come to think of it, though, making a mockery of Democracy in America is a pretty accurate answer in light of the last 4 years…

Comment by Anonymous Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 8:03 am
4. Weirdest trick you can do? â€œI can spin a basketball on all five fingers of my right hand. Oh, and I can memorize 43 tangible, concrete words.â€

But he can’t remember the smallest of details…Idiot Savant or Governor Rainman.

Comment by Wumpus the Free Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 8:32 am
Oops, Todd’s best trick is to get the Dem Committeemen to ordain him as the nominee and getting people to think he is qualified. David Blaine’s got nothing on the Toddler. Also to openly lie about Peracia’s plan, saying he will raise taxes on middle class homeowners and close Provident. Amazing!

Comment by Wumpus the Free Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 8:36 am
At least Judy gave straight up answers. She’s not my favorite person, but she gave answers, and they didn’t make me go “Right” in a very sarcastic voice, like when I read Blago’s “Oh, and I can memorize 43 tangible, concrete words”.
Spare me.

Comment by Tessa Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 10:45 am
I don’t know what to say about Blagojevich’s answers. They seem so vague and unclear I just can’t believe him. Topinka is another story though.

Comment by Levois Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 11:06 am
A big profile on Rich Whitney:

http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/116337,CST-NWS-whitmain30.article

His answers to the fun fluff questions are also at the bottom.

1. Last movie you felt like walking out of? “X-Men: The Last Stand.” “As an X-Men purist, I did not appreciate what they did to it.”
2. TV show you try not to miss? “Battlestar Galactica.”
3. Weirdest trick you can do? Pick up a pencil using my nose and upper lip.
4. Food you wouldn’t eat even on a bet? Meat. “I’ve been a vegetarian since 1987.”
5. Worst punishment you got as a kid? “It was from other kids, not my parents. I was in 5th or 6th grade. You know how they spank kids on their birthdays? They overdid it. One kid took out a lunch box. . . .”
6. Book you think all Americans should read? Asphalt Nation by Jane Holtz Kay.

Comment by Diversity of Thought Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 11:10 am
Snaps to Judy for naming my favourite book: 1984.

Comment by QueenB Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 11:23 am
Blagojevich’s conscience answers the questions:

1. Last movie you felt like walking out of? “The Ten Commandments”, Moses got it wrong.
2. iPod, CD player or radio? If I answer radio, I might not get a donation from Sony.
3. TV show you try not to miss? Flava of Love 2
4. Weirdest trick you can do? Run as a reformer.
5. Food you wouldnâ€™t eat on a bet? Crow. Even when served piping hot, won’t touch it.
6. Worst punishment you got as a kid? Forced to admit invisible friend not really invisible.
7. Book all Americans should read? “How Topinka Stole Christmas”.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 12:07 pm
Wow, Whitney seemed like a pretty cool dude until question 4. Yikes! Won’t eat meat!!! If I would have actually been planning on voting for him, that would have ended right there.

Also, I thought it would have been funny if either Rod or Judy would have answered question 7… “Animal Farm”….

Comment by Lovie's Leather Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 2:29 pm
VanillaMan - You quack me up - number 5 was best.

Comment by maggiemae Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 2:41 pm
if he can, topinka should offer to quit the race. if blagojevich can’t, he should offer to resign and endorse topinka and if he is elected resign and appoint topinka to the remaining four years of the next term. wow! topinka wins. blagojevich doesn’t have FIVE fingers. doesn’t he have a thumb on his right hand. he is so use to spinning tales and lying he could even answer this question with a straight answer.

Comment by Ron Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 2:54 pm
He sounds like an 11 year old. Sports shows, yucky liver, ball tricks - probably hasn’t read a book since Dick and Jane (he did mention in another article doing more surfing in college). Good grief, I can’t take another 4 years of this kid.

Comment by Concerned Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 3:35 pm
That tangible, concrete word memorization trick is really going to impress the suitemates in Oxford one day.

Comment by Establishment Republican Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 3:42 pm
VanillaMan - toooooo funny

3. TV show you try not to miss? Flava of Love 2

Comment by state worker #1 Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 6:34 pm
Did Neanderthals have five fingers?

Comment by Rex Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 7:09 pm
I wonder if the Governor has read a book in the past decade. I am certain he has never read Democracy in America. He does run the State of Illinois like Animal Farm, though.

Comment by So Blue Democrat Monday, Oct 30, 06 @ 8:16 pm