Some of these riddles take on lives of their own on school campuses. Why manhole covers are round is one such riddle. No serious case interviewer would ask you such a question, unless the interviewer is in a desperate need to show you his or her superiority. Our suggestion is get such frightening scenarios out of your mind. Assume that you would be challenged by a serious problem, albeit abstract at times.
Abstract problems are a bit more challenging.
Consider the following problem. It is a perfectly legitimate question for a case interview, not to determine your political inclination or your knowledge of their plans, but to evaluate your ability to solve a real problem. You are given two alternatives and you are asked to determine which is better - an everyday occurrence in the business environments. But it is a tricky question, if you haven't already caught on. Neither Gore nor Bush knows which plan is better.