ChetChase 2010 -- The Week, The Quiz

Iowa's race for governor, No. 2 pencils only.

Have you been paying rapt attention, as I have, to this week's developments in the fall brawl between Gov. Chet Culver and Terry Branstad?

Let's find out.

1. Does 47-39 mean anything to you?

A. Nope.

B. Yes, the answer is 8.

C. Yes, it's the result of an internal Culver campaign poll apparently showing the governor closing to within single digits of Branstad. Democrats see it as a big momentum shift, even though their guy is still below 40.

D. Yes, and that was a very big win for Bethany over Westminister

2. Polling guru Nate Silver says "polls commissioned by campaigns and released to the public show, on average, a result that is about (blank) points points more favorable to their candidate's standing than nonpartisan polls released at the same time."

A. 2

B. 6

C. 3

3. Branstad has promised to cut the "size and scope" of state government by 15 percent over five years. After offering a confusing explanation this week, what does his plan now mean?

A. He will be against expanding the budget before he's for it.  

B. He will cut parts that are expanding, while simultaneously expanding parts that are contracting, resulting in expanded contractional reduction growth. It's complicated, OK?

C. The budget will get bigger, but it will look much smaller from far away.

D. The budget will get smaller, but the cuts will be hidden behind giant piles of new spending, so they will be very hard to see.

E. Your guess is as good as mine.

4. Given this wrangling over his budget plan, are any of Branstad's other pledges subject to revision?

A. Yes, such as, when he says he'll create 200,000 jobs, he doesn't necessarily mean "paying jobs." Taking out the trash, washing the dog, doing laundry, etc., all technically count as "jobs." Am I right?

B. Yes. When he says he wants to grow incomes for families all across Iowa by 25 percent, he actually means 25 percent larger paychecks in terms of weight, paper size, fonts etc. This will spark growth in the struggling envelope industry.

C. No way, this stuff is etched in stone.

D. Hmmmm

5. President Barack Obama endorsed (blank) in the governor's race, hoping to give his administration a boost by helping a trusted name win an important job far, far from the beltway.

A. Culver

B. Branstad

C. Tom Vilsack

6.  Which current Midwestern governor called a special legislative session to deal with flood recovery issues?

A. Culver

B. Tim Pawlenty

C. Yeah, it's totally Pawlenty.

7. In a welcome reversal, Branstad says his administration would not seek  to stop these students from attending public schools...

A. The children of illegal immigrants.

B. Kids wearing Silly Bandz

C. Members of the Young Obama-ists

D. Kids who who recklessly fail to note Iowa is a right-to-work state in their "What I Want to Be When I Grow Up" essays.

E. Students who question new textbooks calling 1983-1999 Iowa's "Golden Era of Unrivaled Prosperity and Happiness."

Answers, C, B, E,D,A,B,A