Tomorrow is the Illinois Primary Election, and by now you probably know the 2016 presidential candidates pretty well. You’ve listened to the speeches, watched the debates, and maybe even gone to a rally. You know what they stand for and against. But do you know what they like to read? Test your knowledge below:
Which candidate named Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov as their favorite novel?
a) Marco Rubio
b) Hillary Clinton
c) Bernie Sanders
d) Ted Cruz
Which of the following is one of Ted Cruz’s favorite comic book characters?
a) Martian Manhunter
b) Superman
c) Rorschach
d) Wonder Woman
Bernie Sanders recommended which book during a 2010 filibuster in the Senate?
a) The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
b) Third World America by Arianna Huffington
c) Richistan by Robert Frank
d) All of the above
Which of these books was written by Donald Trump?
a) Outsider in the White House
b) Hard Choices
c) American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone
d) None of the above
Which candidate named Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged as their favorite novel?
a) Marco Rubio
b) Donald Trump
c) Bernie Sanders
d) John Kasich
Hillary Clinton is embarrassed not to have read which of the following:
a) Ulysses by James Joyce
b) Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
c) In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
d) War and Peace by Tolstoy
Which candidate read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor?
a) Bernie Sanders
b) Ted Cruz
c) Marco Rubio
d) Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump has said the following book is his favorite:
a) The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
b) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson
c) Crippled America by Donald Trump
d) All of the above
Allen Ginsberg wrote a poem inspired by which candidate?
a) Bernie Sanders
b) Donald Trump
c) John Kasich
d) Hillary Clinton
Check your answers below, and remember… don’t forget to vote!
Answers:
Which candidate named Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov as their favorite novel?
b) Hillary Clinton
In a 2014 NY Times interview about her reading preferences, Clinton was asked about her favorite novel. She responded, “The Brothers Karamazov made a lasting impression on me when I read it as a young woman; I intend to reread it this summer…”
Which of the following is one of Ted Cruz’s favorite comic book characters?
c) Rorschach from Watchmen by Alan Moore
In a 2015 interview with NY Times Magazine, Cruz surprised some graphic novel fans when he included the uncompromising masked vigilante in a list of his favorite superheroes. Rounding out his top 5: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, and Iron Man.
Bernie Sanders recommended which book during a 2010 filibuster in the Senate?
d) All of the above
During an 8.5-hour-long filibuster, Sanders recommended:
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley
Third World America by Arianna Huffington
Richistan by Robert Frank
Which of these books was written by Donald Trump?
d) None of the above
Outsider in the White House by Bernie Sanders
Hard Choices by Hillary Clinton
American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone by Marco Rubio
Which candidate named Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged as their favorite novel?
a) Marco Rubio
In a 2015 feature, the Observer explored the reading tastes of the GOP candidates. Besides his preferred policy books, Rubio also has a fondness for Atlas Shrugged.
Hillary Clinton is embarrassed not to have read which of the following:
c) In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
In the same 2014 NY Times interview, Clinton shared, “I’m embarrassed to admit how many (books I’ve yet to read) – so I won’t! But one example is Prout’s In Search of Lost Time. I’ve never made time for it.”
Which candidate read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss on the Senate floor?
b) Ted Cruz
The Washington Post discusses Cruz’s 2103 filibuster during which he read the Dr. Seuss classic.
Donald Trump has said the following book is his favorite:
a) The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
The GOP candidate has professed his love of Norman Vincent Peale’s book at numerous campaign stops.
Allen Ginsberg wrote a poem inspired by which candidate?
a) Bernie Sanders
In 1986, the famous Beat poet Allen Ginsberg wrote the following poem inspired by Sanders, then the Mayor of Burlington, Vermont:
