# Degrees of separation between you and a head of state? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2006, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827 "2006-11-26T07:12:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/121 "2011-07-11T14:09:11Z")
I’ve met the Queen and Princess Michael of Kent; I don’t think that’s very unusual. My great-something Grandad was John Brown, Queen Victoria’s platonic romancer. I used to be friends of a sort with my labour MP, who of course knew Blair and Brown. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/122 "2011-07-11T14:27:30Z")
I shook hands with candidate Barack Obama at a campaign appearance in 2008. My ex-father-in-law served on a committee of business leaders who met a few times with Gerald Ford at the White House. In 1972, I served on a liturgy committee at Loyola College in Baltimore with Frank Haig, S.J., the brother of Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who met a number of heads of state. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/123 "2011-07-11T14:30:39Z")
I was invited to play poker at Norman Cafik’s home. He was a former cabinet minister under Trudeau and member of the Privy Council in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/124 "2011-07-11T14:33:33Z")
I’ve met Bill Clinton numerous times. I met George Bush (#41) once and George Bush (#43) once. I’ve met Wen Jiabao, the premier of China, once. So that’s four different heads of state with zero degrees of separation. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/125 "2011-07-11T21:41:32Z")
Two different heads of state! 1. I work for an appellate court, where one of the justices previously worked with Sargent Shriver, who in turn worked for President John F. Kennedy. The justice isn’t my _direct_ boss, but if she (or any of the other justices) tells me to rewrite a draft order, I do it. Close enough for government work. 😉 1. I’m a member of a small-to-midsize grass-roots organization that employed a politically-active young woman in the office staff (actually, more or less **as** the office staff). She knew, worked with, and supported Barack Obama back when he was an Illinois state senator. I’m linked to her on LinkedIn, and she’s linked to Obama. He’s shown up on my LinkedIn page as someone I’m connected with 2nd degree since before he was a U.S. Senator. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/126 "2011-07-12T04:45:27Z")
I’ve met and corresponded with John Ralston Saul, who has met the Queen and presumably numerous other heads of state while his wife Adrienne Clarkson was Governor General of Canada. One away. I’m sure that Jack Layton, whom I’ve also spent time with, has also met various heads of state, but I’m not aware of which ones. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/127 "2011-07-12T05:08:55Z")
Two weeks ago I discovered that a cousin of my grandmother’s died in February. She would refer to Juan Carlos I as “Juanito”. The woman was on first-name terms with a mind-boggling list, both national and foreign. I’ve met her many times, we’ve had lunch at each other’s homes. ---
**Author:** ![colonial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@colonial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colonial)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/128 "2011-07-12T05:31:17Z")
No degrees. I am Napoleon. ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/129 "2011-07-12T06:27:50Z")
My late grandfather was the labor law professor for the current Finnish president. They got Christmas cards from her every year. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/130 "2011-07-12T06:58:04Z")
The mother of a friend of mine is the daughter of the late Senator, Estes Kefauver. She grew up in Tennessee and knew Al Gore. So it would be me - friend - friend’s mom - Al Gore - Obama (or Clinton, I suppose). Shoulda had one fewer degree of separation. Fuck you, Florida! ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/131 "2011-07-12T07:06:31Z")
I have a few: Someone I dated a few times several years ago had been a student in one of the courses Barack Obama taught in law school at the University of Chicago. In April I visited Bill Clinton’s birthplace home one day before he was there for an event whereby it became an official part of the National Park System. A few people who were there the next day did meet him and said he took the time to sign all the papers and such people asked him to sign, even though this took a long while. I’ve also been to Jimmy Carter’s hometown of Plains, GA. I didn’t see him, but several people I know have met him there and had photos taken with him…pretty much anybody that wants can go to the Sunday school class he teaches at his church. I was in the same room as Tony Blair a couple weeks ago…but it was a large ballroom with about 1,000 other people and he was on the stage talking. Similarly, I saw Lech Walesa give a speech the last night I lived in Montana at my former school’s basketball arena. My grandfather said he saw Harry Truman sitting on the balcony of the Blair House when he lived there during renovations to the White House. Al Gore started law school where I did my undergraduate work (Vanderbilt). A friend of mine was part of Ralph Nader’s inner circle during his 2000 presidential election campaign. She took pride in flipping off George W. Bush’s presidential limo when it would pass her, something that did occasionally happen when she lived in DC. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/132 "2011-07-12T07:42:22Z")
My first tutor in college went on to become President of Ireland. My second tutor in college went on to become President of Ireland in succession to my first tutor. Through them, I am of course two degrees of separation from a largish number of heads of state/heads of government. Independently of them, through another person, I am two degrees of separation from the British Queen and from the Queen of Denmark. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/133 "2011-07-12T08:17:23Z")
I knew Rita Wilson (wife of Tom Hanks) in high school. She just met the Queen and the Obamas. So is that one degree? I’m one degree of potsmoking from Obama…one of my closest friends knew him and smoked pot with him at Occidental. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/134 "2011-07-12T08:35:41Z")
> [@colonial](#): > > No degrees. > > I am Napoleon. In that case I’m five degrees away from you. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/135 "2011-07-12T10:05:41Z")
When I lived in the Philippines as a kid I had a good friend who was the daughter of [General Ver,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_Ver) chief of armed forces under Marcos. I also was a girl scout guard of honour to Marcos at one point (have no idea of context, only that I had to line a stair as he passed up. So 3 degrees away from Marcos although I did see him in person. ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/136 "2011-07-12T18:25:47Z")
I rode in an elevator with Lady Bird Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/137 "2011-07-12T20:12:49Z")
I’ve met three presidents of Panama (two while they were in office) and a former vice-president. Given this and other government officials I’ve met, that puts me one degree from most of the other recent heads of state here, including Noriega. I’ve met Al Gore twice, which puts me one degree from most world leaders. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/138 "2011-07-12T20:19:32Z")
Back when I was at university, I met student politicians from around Australia. Among those that I met at that stage were a future leader of the federal opposition, a future state premier, and a future chief justice of a state supreme court. I would expect that, via each of those, I’m just two degrees away from Her Majesty the Queen of Australia. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/139 "2011-07-12T20:25:06Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I can get one away from Her Majesty by a different route: I’ve met and chatted with Ray Hnatyshyn (pronounced like a sneeze :), for anyone who’s wondering), who at the time was Her Majesty’s GovGen of Canada. Likewise, I went to school with his son and met him on several occasions when I went over to their house. Also, David Johnston (the current Governor General) was President of the University of Waterloo for part of the time that I was there, so I assume that one or more of my professors had met him. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/140 "2011-07-12T20:41:17Z")
I used to date someone who was married to a guy who was close friends with Valclav Havel. To make the connection even closer, I met the guy and attended his grandson’s christening, and I once babysat the grandson. And his daughter played in my orchestra. And for more closeness, my GF and her friend once tried to visit Havel at his apartment in Prague. They got chased by the Czech equivalent of the KGB, but escaped by sneaking out the back of a cafe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827.md?page=8)