Candidates' Personal Side

The Democratic presidential candidates address their tastes in food, music, books and movies and other personal matters in response to a survey by The Associated Press.

WESLEY CLARK (search)

First car: 1966 Pontiac LeMans

First job: Camp counselor

Ideal lazy day: Going to the movies

Dream vacation: Ski slopes

Prized possession: "My Blackberry. It keeps me in touch with people from the world outside of politics."

Home task that needs tending: Filing taxes

Favorite album: "Journey-Greatest Hits"

Favorite movie of the past year: "Lord of the Rings"

Childhood nickname: Didn't have one

Best subject in school: Economics

Worst subject in school: Failed golf at West Point

Favorite Republican: Rollie Rimmel, a friend from Little Rock, Ark.

Book recently read: Ted Sorenson is a recently read author

Favorite food indulgence: Cheetos and Gummi Bears

Food to shun: Sushi

HOWARD DEAN (search)

First car: 1970 two-door Chevy Malibu

First job: Cleared land at a Florida cattle ranch at age 16

Ideal lazy day: Any outdoor recreational activity

Dream vacation: Lake Champlain

Prized possession: 550 acres of conserved land in Lowell, Vt.

Home task that needs tending: Cleaning out the garage

Favorite album: Music by Wyclef Jean

Favorite movie of the past year: "Haven't seen one, been too busy campaigning"

Childhood nickname: H

Best subject in school: History

Worst subject in school: Penmanship

Favorite Republican: former Sen. Warren Rudman of New Hampshire

Book recently read: "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By In America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Favorite food indulgence: Chocolate chip cookies

Food to shun: Haggis

JOHN EDWARDS (search)

First car: Plymouth Duster

First job: Soda jerk at the Tar Heel Drug Co. in Robbins, N.C.

Ideal lazy day: Watching "Scooby-Doo" with his young children

Dream vacation: North Carolina beach

Prized possession: Deceased son's Outward Bound lapel pin

Home task that needs tending: Looking after his young children, Jack, 3, and Emma Claire, 5

Favorite album: "The Essential Bruce Springsteen"

Favorite movie of the past year: "Have not seen a movie in the past year"

Childhood nickname: Johnny

Best subject in school: History

Worst subject in school: Math

Book recently read: "April 1865: The Month That Saved America," by Jay Winik

Favorite Republican: Arizona Sen. John McCain

Favorite food indulgence: Mother's pecan pie

Food to shun: No response

JOHN KERRY (search)

First car: 1962 Volkswagen bug

First job: Sold encyclopedias door-to-door in high school and unloaded trucks

Ideal lazy day: Reading

Dream vacation: Cape Cod and the islands off of Massachusetts

Prized possession: "My lucky charms: My wedding band, dog tags and lucky hat from Vietnam and the Bible my friend Max Cleland gave me."

Home task that needs tending: Catching up on mail, model ships to finish

Favorite album: "Abbey Road" by the Beatles

Favorite movie of the past year: "Old School"

Childhood nickname: Johnny

Best subject in school: English and History

Worst subject in school: Math

Book recently read: "Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West," by Stephen Ambrose.

Favorite Republican: Arizona Sen. John McCain

Favorite food indulgence: Chocolate chip cookies

Food to shun: Rhubarb pie

DENNIS KUCINICH (search)

First car: black 1951 Chevy

First job: Carried groceries from the A&P

Ideal lazy day: Watching movies on a VCR

Dream vacation: A few days at home in Ohio

Prized possession: Original copy of 1903 Cleveland Mayor Tom Johnson's autobiography, "My Story."

Home task that needs tending: "I take care of my house all year round. It's in good shape."

Favorite album: Music by Willie Nelson

Favorite movie of the past year: "Seabiscuit"

Childhood nickname: Dennis the Menace

Best subject in school: English

Worst subject in school: Biology

Favorite Republican: conservative commentator Patrick Buchanan

Book recently read: "Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson," by Gore Vidal

Favorite food indulgence: Vegan chocolate brownies

Food to shun: "Well, I'm a vegan; that covers a lot."

JOE LIEBERMAN (search)

First car: "I bought my first car after I was married -- a brown Ford Pinto."

First job: Worked for his uncle, sweeping floors and cleaning toilets at a manufacturing plant

Ideal lazy day: Taking a walk with his wife

Dream vacation: South Florida

Prized possession: Baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio and a prayer book his father gave him

Home task that needs tending: "Bring home flowers; make the morning coffee."

Favorite album: Andrea Bocelli's "Sueno"

Favorite movie of the past year: "Mystic River"

Childhood nickname: Joe

Best subject in school: Writing

Worst subject in school: Shop class

Favorite Republican: Arizona Sen. John McCain

Book recently read: "The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940," by William Manchester

Favorite food indulgence: Chocolate

Food to shun: Lobster

AL SHARPTON (search)

First car: Chrysler 300

First job: Youth director at Operation Breadbasket in New York under Jesse Jackson

Ideal lazy day: Reading

Dream vacation: The Bahamas

Prized possession: Autographed copy of "Keep the Faith" that Adam Clayton Powell gave him as a child

Home task that needs tending: Cleaning up his study

Favorite album: Music by Yolanda Adams

Favorite movie of the past year: "Antwone Fisher"

Childhood nickname: "Everyone always calls me 'Rev.' but in school they called me 'Spanky."'

Best subject in school: History

Worst subject in school: Geometry

Favorite Republican: syndicated columnist Armstrong Williams

Book recently read: "To the Mountaintop: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sacred Mission to Save America: 1955-1968," by Stewart Burns.

Favorite food indulgence: "I love any kind of Southern cooking. I love potato salad and fried chicken."

Food to shun: Sushi