Guess who's coming to dinner?

The other day I was asked to fill out a 'Get to know you' profile, and one of the questions was, "Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner?" This question is particularly dangerous, I think, or maybe I read way too much into it, because I think it tells a lot about who you are, what you believe in, what you like and enjoy. In the past, my answers would have been Jane Austen, Henry VIII, and even Tom Cruise, but it's time to move on and diversify from the first two and I'm afraid of ending up in a smackdown over the history of psychiatric drugs with the last. I was also concerned that my choices would reveal my left-leaning tendencies, and here in Red State Central, that's not something I like to reveal.

In the end, it came down to a reality-check. If I was holding a dinner party, what type of guests would I like? Intelligence, humorous, articulated, witty, talkative, poised, sophisticated, accomplished were the adjectives that topped my list. I'd also insert a profanity filter in there too, but with at least two of my chosen guests, I don't think that's possible. I also wanted a balance of male versus female, though in retrospect, I didn't do a good job with the ages. I think all of my picks are age 40 and above, and it was only after I picked my guests that I realized I should have included Michelle Kwan as one of my choices.

First on my list, and liable to incur the wrath of many, was Hillary Clinton. I picked Hillary because I find her fascinating. I'm amazed that so many people take so much time to activately hate her and I don't know why. I actually asked Righteous Right Winger at Very Big Publishing Company why he had a thing against Hillary, and his answer was, "Well, if you don't know..." Well, I don't know and I'd love to hear from Hillary why she thinks -- in an answer other than 'vast right wing conspiracy' -- why people dislike her. I don't know about Hillary as a person, but as a role-model, I appreciate her intelligence, her ambition, her desire, her drive, and her hard work. Laura Bush was the perfect first lady post-9/11 -- warm, comforting, maternal -- but it's Hillary who really excites me and makes me say, "I want to do that."

Second, I chose David Duchovny, of "X-Files" fame. This choice surprised me, but once his name flashed into my head, it made perfect sense. He's a smart guy, a good writer, nice to look at, and very funny. He can sometimes be a jerk, but if I had him sitting at my dinner table and playing by my rules, I'd ask him about how he wrote and directed several episodes of "The X-Files," what his process was in terms of coming up with ideas and navigating his way through the scripwriting process. I'd ask him what he found difficult, what he found helpful and what he'd do all over again. Then I'd ask him whether he'd tried his hand at the fanfiction -- maybe he's writing as FoxyGirl? The truth is out there, and there's no place like dinner to dig it up.

Third on my list was Jon Stewart. Jon Stewart totally cracks me up and I love that he's equal opportunity when it comes to making fun of politicians. I might be a lefty and voted for Kerry, but I thought it was pretty darn funny when Stewart aired the video of Kerry making a super long and slow statement about the death of Arafat. I think Stewart said something along the lines of, "Who knew Kerry had taken his campaign to Palestine?" I think we take politics way too seriously and Stewart's approach in highlighting the absurd behavior from both parties is a delight. I'd ask him what he really thinks about the Bush administration, the war, John Kerry, and because Hillary Clinton is sitting right there, I'd ask Stewart what he thought her chances in 2008 were. And while we're at it, I'd probably inquire as to Stewart's take on Tom Cruise, but maybe that's a better question for my next and last guest.

I chose Oprah Winfrey kind of out of desperation. Don't get me wrong. I like Oprah, but I don't love her like some people do. I enjoy her show and I think she has some good things to offer, and I wish she'd bring back her Book Club. That being said, I chose her because she's warm, articulate, and intelligent, and she'd had a lot going on in her life and somehow, she managed to persevere and rise above everything. That's admirable to me. I'd ask her how she got the motivation to train for a marathon and how she did it. Then I want to know more about the Hermes store incident, the best tip she ever got from her never-ending parade of experts, which celebrity is the most genuine, and oh yes, the question on everyone's mind: is TomKat for real and does she believe we really need to free Katie?

There you have it. My fantasy dinner. Now the question is, who is going to do the cooking?

Link of the Day: Watch clips of Jon Stewart on the 'Daily Show' here.