I was working as a busgirl at the Harvard Faculty Club when the Dalai Lama had lunch there in about 1980.
I met and chatted with the Queen at a tea a few years ago. I’m assuming she’s met the Dali Lama, our old PM, our new PM and a few presendents…
I’ve shaken hands with George HW and Barbara Bush, several years ago when I sang in my college’s choir for an American Cancer Society shindig. So using the loose definition I’m, er, is that two degrees? from you.
Using the strict definition, my family knew Strom Thurmond pretty well before my dad retired; he generally remembered my name. So through there I’m pretty close to a lot of people. (Princess Diana, for example; I recall when he went to her thing on landmines because “I still like to look at a pretty woman!” <cringe>)
I saw Michael Gorbachev in the car beside my friends, he was speaking in Calgary at the university - and I guess he was being driven there - there were a few escort vehicles between us though.
My brother has corresponded at length with Greg Graffin, of Bad Religion, and Graffin was on Politically Incorrect with Aaron Neville, Mirina Sirtis, and annoying SNL lady with the extremely nasal voice whose name I can’t remember. Not to mention Bill Maher.
The important one for me is that Mirina Sirtis acted with James Cromwell in ST: First Contact; James Cromwell is the son of director John Cromwell, who directed Ronald Colman in a movie or two. I rather adore Ronald Colman, even though he’s been dead half a century.
COUSIN!!! 
Well, sort of=)
I think the Dawn Warfield I went to high school with is also related to him, but I am not 100% sure=\
Very cool. I know I met either Bill or more likely his brother in my living room when I was a kid. But I think I met both of them at some point. This was in Rochester, NY.
Getting back to politicians, I’m distantly related to Herbert Hoover, so I’ve got to be connected to all the presidents somehow or other.
I saw Bill Clinton and Al Gore speak in 1992.
I was an extra in a **Tommy Lee Jones ** movie. He was **Al ** Gore’s college roommate.
I know Tammy Baldwin, used to interview her on a semi-regular basis back when I was a reporter for the local queer press and she was but a humble state representative.
So that’s one.
If we restrict it to people you actually know as opposed to people you’ve just laid eyes on it’s probably still one since we live in the same city. Hell, for all I know it could be zero. DO I look familiar?
I’ve seen Barbara Boxer (US Senator, D-CA), Maya Angelou, and Jesse Jackson speak. Coincidentally, Jesse Jackson also once bumped into CrankyAsAnOldMan and me while we were waiting for a train in Chicago.
My dad took me to see Queen Elizabeth II when she was in San Francisco when I was very small. Although I have another connection to her, I guess, because my cousin’s husband’s father (whom I have met) is a knight, so he’s definitely met her! He was an ambassador for Britain for years, so I imagine he’s met many prominent people.
I bumped into Winona Ryder once. Literally.
4 Degrees to Al Gore…
Al was Tommy Lee Jones’s roommate in college
Tommy did the movie Men In Black II with Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville is Tara Jarrel’s cousin
Tara is my sister-in-law
Saw my state senator, Glenn McConnell, last week, and saw Prince Charles when he visited College of Charleston, although I didn’t meet him.
I’ve met former Cub Joe Girardi, and stood about 5 feet away from Jim Hendry at a Spring training game last March, although I didn’t get to talk to him. I’d imagine both of those guys know Santo, Banks and Williams, so, 4 degrees?
I have shaken hands and chatted briefly with both Bill Clinton and Al Gore, but I live in Madison as well, so we’re probably within two degrees anyway.
Way cool, Dawn and I went to the Harley School of Rochester [NY] so I would be willing to bet that we now are much closer, since I am from the Rochester area we probably have at least 1 person more or less in common=)
I have shaken the hand of a man who shook hands with someone who shook hands with George Washington when he was 6 years old :eek: Talk about a young country…And politically, I knew Barber Connable and lots of annoying politicians when I was much younger[father is involved in the damn republican party, board of directors for western ny blue cross, board of advisors for some damn bank - chase lincoln i think, and my mom spent years doing political crap when I left home and wasnt able to be coerced into going to dinners and fund raisers with him=] so there are more connections there, and my father knew Patton [yippee :rolleyes: ]
I saw George W Bush speak at the Yale comencement in 2001. He made a very funny comment about there being hope for the C students.
You can make a shorter connection if you are willing to stretch the definition of movie star slightly: Henry Winkler was in Happy Days with Ron Howard, who directed Splash which had John Candy in it, who was in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles with Kevin Bacon.
Re: the OP. I have stood within a few feet of both Jimmy Carter and Michael Dukakis (I didn’t speak to either one though), who I suspect have spoken many times with some of the prominent Democratic politicians on your list. Also my brother in law picked up Ronald Reagan from the airport and drove him to a political event when he was campaigning for President in 1980…apparently they had a very nice conversation. Reagan certainly knew Mikhail Gorbachev and Barbara Bush. Also the CEO of my company (whom I have spoken with) has spoken many times with both Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Oh, and my brother in the course of his work (he works in TV news) has met and chatted with Pat Buchanan, whom he says is surprisingly friendly and gracious in person.
I’m three degrees from you. My sister has met Marion Barry. I’ve seen Larry King on the street and he’s interviewed most of the people on your list.
I’ve met Jesse Jackson in person three times (and he even remembered me once even though we only exchanged courtesies- I was very surprised- he’s extremely charming and charismatic in person). Jesse has met several of the people on your list, so we’re no more than two degrees separated.