The Associated Press is asking the candidates a series of questions about their personal tastes, habits and backgrounds. Today's question and their answers:
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What car or cars do you drive?
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DEMOCRATS:
Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: 1967 Corvette, a wedding gift from his dad in 1967 when Biden married his first wife, Neilia.
New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: "For security reasons, we drive in Secret Service vehicles but the Service lets us use a Ford hybrid when we're home in New York."
Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: 2007 Ford Escape hybrid, a compact SUV
Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards: Ford Escape hybrid. This spring, also reported having a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica midsize SUV and 1994 GMC truck.
Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: Ford Focus compact
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Chrysler 300C, a full-size sport-luxury sedan
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: "Jeep Wrangler, although my security doesn't like me to drive."
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REPUBLICANS:
Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback: Ford Taurus in Washington and Honda Civic hybrid in Kansas
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: "I don't drive, I navigate."
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee: 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe and 1995 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck
California Rep. Duncan Hunter: "Suburban with 274,000 miles on it."
Arizona Sen. John McCain: Cadillac CTS, a midsize luxury sedan
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney: 2005 Ford Mustang convertible
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo: Toyota Prius hybrid, Cadillac, Mercedes, Buick
http://www.townhall.com/News/NewsArticle.a...6a1f&page=1
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Also... http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=120760
Driving Forces of Campaign 2008: Brand Study Gives Each Candidate a Car Alter Ego
Date posted: 05-11-2007
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — Do you want a Ford pickup truck or a Dodge Viper in the White House? The Presidential Brands 2008 study by Chernoff Newman/MarketSearch characterizes each candidate as an automobile. According to the results of the study, Hillary Clinton is a Volvo wagon, Barack Obama is a BMW Z4 convertible and John Edwards is a Toyota Prius.
On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani's alter ego would be a Toyota RAV4, while John McCain is a Ford pickup. Why? Because the study found that perceptions of the three leading GOP candidates are of "Giuliani as an American icon, John McCain as an American hero and Mitt Romney as an American Idol." Of Mitt Romney, Chernoff Newman Chief Marketing Officer Mark Newsome said: "He's a Dodge Viper — it looks like it's built for speed, but is pretty unfamiliar to the average driver."
The verdict was less flattering to Hillary Clinton, of whom the study said: "If Clinton were a car, she'd probably be a Volvo station wagon: solid, reliable and there to get the job done, not make you fall in love."
The study looked at familiarity, reputation, personality, performance and "connectivity" with people to determine the presidential candidate as a brand, much as it would study cereal or other consumer goods.
Full details of the study are visible at the Presidential Brands Web site.
As for what the contenders actually drive, the Associated Press says Clinton, Edwards and three minor candidates — Chris Dodd, Sam Brownback and Tom Tancredo — have hybrids. Obama drives a Chrysler 300C and John McCain drives a Cadillac CTS, the news service says.
What this means to you: Yes, but if they were trees, what kind of trees would they be?