Forty-One Questions For The Candidates

Tired of hearing the presidential candidates answering the same old questions from the press. Here' some that may be illuminating and throw the  pols off their talking points. Thanks to John DeGroot, a writing coach and a former staffer at the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for sharing these questions at one of his workshops.  -- Dick Weiss

1. What is your earliest memory?

2. Tell me about your mother and father - what were they like?

3. Who had the greatest influence on you during your childhood?

4. Describe a typical day in your childhood.

5. Do you remember your first day of school?

6. What teacher had the greatest impact on you?

7. What was the happiest day of your childhood?

8. What was the saddest day of your childhood?

9. What was your first personal experience with death?

10. Did you have pets?

11. When did you get your first doll?

12. When did you learn there was no Santa Claus?

13. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

14. Who were your childhood heroes?

15. Were you popular as a teenager?

16. Did you feel different as a child?

17. What were your favorite books, movies, movie stars, sports heroes, singers during your childhood?

18. Do you remember the war?

19. How did you meet your spouse? Describe your first date; your marriage proposal; your wedding and honeymoon.

20. Tell me about the birth of your first child?

21. If you could be or do anything else - what?

22. If you could live in any other time, when might that be?

23. If you could have dinner with five famous people from history, who would they be?

24. What one word would you use to describe yourself?

25. What one word would your friends use to describe you?

26. If you could change one thing in your past, what might that be?

27. What are you most proud of?

28. How would you like to be remembered?

29. What's the one thing about you few people know?

30. What do you dislike most about yourself?

31. What do you dislike most in others?

32. Do you talk about religion or politics?

33. If they made a movie of your life story... would it sell?

34. What do you like most about your job? What do you like least?

35. Would you want your children to be like you when they grow up?

36. What has been the happiest day of your life?

37. What has been the saddest?

38. When did you find out life is not fair?

39. Do you believe in life after death? Good and evil? God?

40. Why are we here?

41. Ann Frank once said that in spite of everything, she believed people were basically good. Do you agree? Disagree? Why?