By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ELECTION GUIDE

With the election just four days away and only one gubernatorial debate remaining (today in Cleveland), you might think there's little left for Gov. Bob Taft and his challenger, Tim Hagan, to say. And yet, some questions remain unanswered.

Not necessarily important questions, but questions nonetheless. Such as:

Would either man appear in a Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears?

Just what should be done about the Bengals?

Taft

Hagan

And is there a weirder word in the English language than gubernatorial? (OK, we didn't ask that.)

But we did ask, via e-mail, some quirky questions.

Mr. Taft, a Republican from Cincinnati, and Mr. Hagan, a Democrat from Cleveland, are on opposite ends of the political spectrum, but their answers (also submitted by e-mail) show they share some common ground, from favorite board game to the amount of sleep they get.

As for their differences ...

Asked to choose four dinner partners from a list we provided, only one of their answers overlapped.

Mr. Taft apparently has more of a lead foot (or maybe Mr. Hagan is just better at avoiding speed traps).

And asked what TV show he'd watch each week if he had time, Mr. Hagan chose a mock news series on Comedy Central; Mr. Taft, a wholesome CBS drama.

If you're still undecided about whom to vote for, all this could be helpful.

But we doubt it.

Q: If you couldn't live in Ohio, in what state would you live and why:

Mr. Hagan: "New York. My wife has an apartment there."

Mr. Taft: "Vermont, where my family lived before coming to Ohio."

Q: What really ticks you off?

Mr. Taft: "Getting stuck in traffic."

Mr. Hagan: "Greedy corporations that don't pay their fair share of taxes."

Q: Your comfort food:

Mr. Hagan: M&Ms.

Mr. Taft: Chocolate chip cookies.

Q: How much do you sleep at night, on average:

Mr. Taft: Seven hours.

Mr. Hagan: Seven hours.

Q: The last time you stayed up all night:

Mr. Hagan: "With my wife in New York."

Mr. Taft: "Two years ago, flying to Japan for our trade mission."

Q: Have you ever attempted a do-it-yourself home-improvement project? If so, how did it turn out?

Mr. Taft: "I wallpapered my daughter's room, and it turned out OK."

Mr. Hagan: "Yes. Bad."

Q: Number of speeding tickets you've received:

Mr. Hagan: "One. 1964 in Indiana."

Mr. Taft: "Three or four over the years."

Q: Favorite board game:

Mr. Taft: Scrabble.

Mr. Hagan: Scrabble.

Q: Do you think Hannibal Lecter is scary? Who is scarier?

Mr. Hagan: No. "Sister Immaculata, my first-grade nun."

Mr. Taft: Yes. "Takeo Spikes on Sundays."

Q: How often do you attend religious services?

Mr. Taft: "Weekly."

Mr. Hagan: "None of your business."

Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, it would be:

Mr. Hagan: "Lose 20 pounds."

Mr. Taft: "I would be more patient."

Q: The one TV show you'd watch every week if you had time:

Mr. Taft: Touched by an Angel.

Mr. Hagan: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Q: Favorite spectator sport:

Mr. Hagan: Baseball.

Mr. Taft: Baseball.

Q: The decision you most regret having made in college:

Mr. Taft: "Not majoring in history."

Mr. Hagan: "Dropping to 11 credit hours, which resulted in my being drafted into the Army."

Q: Would you appear in a Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears?

Mr. Hagan: No.

Mr. Taft: "I did - a special `spoof' for our press corps barbecue."

Q: Rate your computer literacy, from 0 to 10:

Mr. Taft: 5.

Mr. Hagan: 5.

Q: Do you take vitamins?

Mr. Hagan: "On occasion."

Mr. Taft: Yes.

Q: If you could choose four people from the following list to join you for a dinner party, who would it be: Maya Angelou, Sheryl Crow, Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Alan Greenspan, Rudolph Guiliani, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dan Rather, Robin Williams, Venus Williams, Oprah Winfrey.

Mr. Taft: Jane Goodall, Alan Greenspan, Rudolph Guiliani and Venus Williams. "Because they are all tops in their field."

Mr. Hagan: Maya Angelou, Sheryl Crow, Jane Goodall, Robin Williams. "They would be intellectually stimulating and entertaining."

Q: What should be done about the Cincinnati Bengals?

Mr. Hagan: "Make them a college team."

Mr. Taft: "They should spend more money on scouting."

Q: Favorite junk food:

Mr. Taft: Ice cream.

Mr. Hagan: Doughnuts.

Q: Your pet(s):

Mr. Hagan: Dog.

Mr. Taft: None.

Q: Growing up, who was your favorite action hero, and why:

Mr. Taft: Superman.

Mr. Hagan: "The Lone Ranger and Tonto. I had respect for Indians."

Q: What do you want people to do at your funeral?

Mr. Hagan: "Drink and have a laugh."

Mr. Taft: "Make sure I'm dead."

Q: Your greatest athletic achievement:

Mr. Taft: "Surviving kayaking school with my daughter, Anna."

Mr. Hagan: "62-yard touchdown pass that would-have-been had my twin brother, Jim, the receiver, not fumbled the ball."

Q: What annoying habit, shortcoming or minor fault of yours does your wife complain about the most?

Mr. Hagan: "Snoring."

Mr. Taft: "Arguing about facts, but I've tried to reform."

Q: Skyline or Gold Star?

Mr. Taft: Skyline.

Mr. Hagan: Skyline

Q: You hoard:

Mr. Hagan: Books

Mr. Taft: Books.

Q: Which actor was your favorite James Bond?

Mr. Taft: Sean Connery.

Mr. Hagan: Sean Connery.

Q: Last good book you read:

Mr. Hagan: Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews by James Carroll.

Mr. Taft: Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris.

Q: One thing everybody has tried but you:

Mr. Taft: "The Beast at King's Island - I prefer the Racer."

Mr. Hagan: Marijuana.

E-mail jjohnston@enquirer.com