How well do you know the candidates?

The presidential race for 2008 officially began yesterday with the Iowa caucuses, which means it's time to get to know the candidates.

Twelve months from now, one of them is going to be your president.

While waiting for the dust from Iowa to settle and the all-important New Hampshire primaries to begin, take this short quiz to assess how well you know the contenders (answers at the end of the column):

1. Name the candidate whose parents were staunch Republicans, who started out as a staunch Republican and is now running as a Democrat.

2. Name the candidate whose parents were staunch Democrats, who started out as a staunch Democrat and is now running as a Republican.

3. Name the candidate who racked up so many demerits at the U.S. Naval Academy he was constantly in jeopardy of being expelled.

4. Name the candidate whose father and grandfather were both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy.

5. Name the candidate who made $8 million-plus in one lawsuit.

6. Name the candidate who was named after a famous mountain climber.

7. Name the candidate who was born and raised in a log cabin.

8. Name the candidate who produced the financing that turned a small stationery shop into the world's largest office products retailer.

9. Name the candidate who currently plays bass guitar in a rock band called "Capitol Offense."

10. Name the candidate who has already been a U.S. president.

11. Name the candidate who grew up in Mexico City and played minor league baseball in America.

12. Name the candidate whose father was associated with the mafia and served time in Sing Sing.

13. Name the candidate who, as U.S. attorney, aggressively and successfully prosecuted the mafia.

14. Name the candidate whose mother was American and father was Kenyan.

15. Name the candidate whose mother was Mexican and father was American.

16. Name the candidate who four years ago weighed over 300 pounds, lost 110 pounds in about a year, and wrote a book about it called "Quit Digging Your Grave With a Knife and Fork."