# Closest (physically) you've been to a Head of State? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110 "2014-03-19T20:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/21 "2014-03-19T21:06:14Z")
I shook hands and exchanged a few words with President Obama in 2012 at a fundraiser. Cost me $5,000, but worth it. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/22 "2014-03-19T21:10:57Z")
I shook hands with JFK as he arrived in NYC to visit his father who was hospitalized in Manhattan. This was in 1962 as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/23 "2014-03-19T21:19:34Z")
Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell came backstage and shook the hand of everyone in the cast of Mikado at the Stratford Festival in 1993. Considering she was only Prime Minister from June 25th, 1993 to November 4th, 1993, I think that ought to be worth some sort of prize… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/24 "2014-03-19T21:21:01Z")
I shook hands with Carter on his re-election bid in 1981. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/25 "2014-03-19T21:21:15Z")
I have had an impromtu lunch with President Obama and VP Biden. I met and shook hands with President Bush (GWB) at a trade meeting my dad was a part of and I was waiting in a hallway in the Old Executive building and had President Clinton and a herd of reports and SS guys come by and pile into the elevator across from me. I also sat next to President Carter on a plane, but that was in 2008, well after he stopped be President. Had a great talk with him about his humaniatrian activites though. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/26 "2014-03-19T21:21:18Z")
Well, the closest I can come doesn’t involve me but my brother. He was working at a grocery store in high school when Dan Quayle’s motorcade stopped so the VP could get some cookies and lemonade. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/27 "2014-03-19T21:27:58Z")
Shook hands with both Bill and Hillary on the POTUS visit to Uganda. Attended a rally for Obama in 2012, but got no closer than about 30 feet. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/28 "2014-03-19T21:28:55Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell came backstage and shook the hand of everyone in the cast of Mikado at the Stratford Festival in 1993. Considering she was only Prime Minister from June 25th, 1993 to November 4th, 1993, I think that ought to be worth some sort of prize… Technically the prime minister is the head of government, not head of state ;). I was within 10 metres or so of Adrienne Clarkson when I was eating at a restaurant in Ottawa and she walked past with an insanely small (visible) security detail. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/29 "2014-03-19T21:37:25Z")
I’ve been standing on the footpath when the Queen’s car drove past. So 5 metres or so I suppose. I’ve met the Governor of NSW, who is the vice-regal representative. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/30 "2014-03-19T21:41:09Z")
One guy I worked with years ago in a non-political job went on to become the president of an eastern hemisphere country that is unfriendly towards the US. I was his boss for a while. It has been many years but I’m sure he’d remember me, and sometimes I wonder if we’d ever sit down and shoot the breeze over a coffee or beer. Not likely, but it would be cool. If he came by my area I’d try to contact him. I bet that would draw interest from the CIA. And, a high school classmate of mine went on to become US Ambassador to one of the top countries in the world. We were on the track team together. He’s now a personal friend of Obama, and it’d be very cool to get to meet him. I doubt any of those things’d happen though. I’ll just be happy living my simple life. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/31 "2014-03-19T21:49:24Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I bet that would draw interest from the CIA. Especially with a user name of “Bullitt.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/32 "2014-03-19T21:59:43Z")
My wife has met and chatted with Queen Elizabeth, but I’ve only managed to be about 50 feet away on a couple of occasions. We move in semi-exalted circles. ---
**Author:** ![nevadaexile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb8c5e/32.png) [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/33 "2014-03-19T22:16:26Z")
I shook hands with Barack Obama when he was running against Bobby Rush in Chicago I also drove past his house before he was President. It’s extremely doubtful that either event had the same significance for him.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/34 "2014-03-19T22:20:44Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I shook hands with Carter on his re-election bid in 1981. I think I may have found a tiny flaw in his strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/35 "2014-03-19T22:37:56Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > When I worked in events, I had a dinner that included five sitting heads of state (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy). Banquet room that held about 150 guests. > > The more interesting part was working with five security details in the days leading up to the dinner! I was fascinated by what things were the same, what were different, what some countries felt strongly about, etc. If you could write a mystery short story with highlights of that information, and maybe throw in a recipe or two, that would sell. No heads of state need appear directly. Dubya came to give a speech in our Civic Auditorium back when I worked at City Hall (kitty-corner across the street from it). I can’t remember whether I saw the limo drive up or not. But we were all taking our breaks at the windows, watching things being set up and people standing in line. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > . . . I remember the guys on the roofs (it was an Air Force Base, out on the flight line) with scopes the size of top hats better than I remember her. . . . . Yeah. We were on the third floor and got a good view of the sniper’s nest on top of the auditorium. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/36 "2014-03-19T22:42:11Z")
On two occasions (about 30 years apart) I’ve been within a couple of metres of Queen Elizabeth II as she slowly drove past. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/37 "2014-03-19T22:43:14Z")
When Obama is in San Francisco he stays a block away from my office. They close the street even to pedestrians, so it’s not particularly fun. And no, I’ve never seen him. I saw QEII (the person not the ship) in a motorcade when she and Philip were visiting San Francisco, a number of years ago. Yes, I actually saw her face and her waving hand. So maybe 10-15 feet away. And I was within spitting distance of Ahnold once while he was the head of our state. 😃 (He’s shorter in person). ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/38 "2014-03-19T22:47:44Z")
I was spanked by Grover Cleveland on two non-consecutive occasions. Aside from that, he closest I’ve been is in a smallish auditorium with candidate Obama (not president yet). ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/39 "2014-03-19T22:50:16Z")
George HW Bush was the [commencement speaker](http://www.smu.edu/EnrollmentServices/Registrar/AcademicCeremonies/AboutUs/History/SpeakerHistory) at my college graduation in 1992 while he was still in office. Most everyone I knew had talked about booing, but ultimately we decided to do absolutely nothing to endanger graduating and getting the hell out of there. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110/40 "2014-03-19T22:58:43Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I shook hands with JFK as he arrived in NYC to visit his father who was hospitalized in Manhattan. This was in 1962 as I recall. This doesn’t count for the purposes of this thread, but in approximately that same year, I shook hands with Robert F. Kennedy. He appeared on a local television discussion show. My uncle worked at the TV station, and he arranged for me and the station manager’s son to shake RFK’s hand when he walked out of the studio and into the lobby. I was around 10 years old at the time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/closest-physically-youve-been-to-a-head-of-state/684110.md?page=3)