Robert Stern is president of the Center for Governmental Studies-but in the Green Room he admitted that even he is baffled by Congress. Before advocating for reforming direct democracy in a panel on the future of initiative and referendum in California, he revealed his love for red grape juice, Jackson Pollock, and the present day.
Q. What’s your favorite decade?
A. The current decade.
Q. What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?
A. Read a few pages of a book.
Q. What’s your signature drink or beverage?
A. Grape juice-red.
Q. How did you get into trouble as a child?
A. I wanted to watch baseball games, and my parents wanted me outside.
Q. What baffles you?
A. Congress.
Q. Where did you last go on vacation?
A. Russia-St. Petersburg, Moscow, the Baltic States. We just got back two weeks ago.
Q. What do you think is worth waiting on line for?
A. A Shakespeare play.
Q. Do you have any serious brand loyalties?
A. I don’t shop.
Q. Who taught you how to drive?
A. My mother.
Q. Do you have a favorite artist?
A. Jackson Pollock.
Q. What do you wish you had the nerve to do?
A. I suppose bungee jump.
*Photo by Aaron Salcido.