You read about somebody, and it doesn't really matter whether or not they really exist - the point is that you get into them like real characters.
“I owe much to my friends; but, all things considered, it strikes me that I owe even more to my enemies. The real person springs life under a sting even better than under a caress.”
“A debate has one purpose, one purpose only, and that is to facilitate the exchange of ideas directly between two candidates, and that's it.”