# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/141 "2011-07-13T05:08:44Z")
I know the man who helped President Bill Clinton on with his collegiate robe when he gave a speech at Chulalongkorn University here in Bangkok in November 1996. The photo of this helping on of the robe appeared on the front page of the _Bangkok Post_. (The helper was president of the university at the time.) I also know the man – a local American of many years’ residence – who wrote Clinton’s speech for him. My friend held a rather senior local position at the time and due to his absolute fluency in Thai was always being called on to liaise with visiting dignitaries. He never actually met Clinton but was told what points the speech should cover and later was told that Clinton liked it. Shortly after he left office, George Bush Sr. was in Bangkok for one reason or the other, and I saw an arm pressed against the backseat window of a limo containing him as it drove by. The arm was probably either his or the American ambassador’s. I used to see the Thai king in the back of his car being driven down Ratchadamnern Avenue a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/142 "2011-07-13T05:30:05Z")
The closest I’ve gotten: I’ve met with both a past and the current CEO of my employer (a large data management/security company), each of whom has personally met with President Obama (and our previous CEO served on an info security panel with several Bush administration bigwigs as well). I have also met Rep. David Wu, who has served in the House during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, and presumably met each of them several times. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/143 "2011-07-13T14:52:16Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I know the man who helped President Bill Clinton on with his collegiate robe when he gave a speech at Chulalongkorn University here in Bangkok in November 1996. The photo of this helping on of the robe appeared on the front page of the _Bangkok Post_. (The helper was president of the university at the time.) I also know the man – a local American of many years’ residence – who wrote Clinton’s speech for him. My friend held a rather senior local position at the time and due to his absolute fluency in Thai was always being called on to liaise with visiting dignitaries. He never actually met Clinton but was told what points the speech should cover and later was told that Clinton liked it. > > Shortly after he left office, George Bush Sr. was in Bangkok for one reason or the other, and I saw an arm pressed against the backseat window of a limo containing him as it drove by. The arm was probably either his or the American ambassador’s. > > I used to see the Thai king in the back of his car being driven down Ratchadamnern Avenue a lot. I plumb forgot that the wife just had her picture taken with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, on July 1, two days before he lost the general election. He’s still in office yet though, as the winner is still trying to form a new government. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/144 "2011-07-13T15:06:25Z")
My brother attended law school with Sonia Sotomayor, which I guess puts me two away from Obama. My wife’s step-cousin (or some such) is Cardinal Tomko (she met him back when he was only a monsignor and came to visit) - so I’m two away from Bennie as the HOS for Vatican City. A work acquaintance grew up in Independence, MO - and used to see Harry Truman out for his daily walks. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/145 "2011-07-13T15:34:24Z")
I had known Ayn Rand and I had met Sir Edmund Hillary. I know that Rand met Gerald Ford, and I know that Hillary met Elizabeth II. They both probably met other heads of state, but I don’t know the particulars. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/146 "2011-07-13T21:39:56Z")
My sister was just hired to head one element of Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. Also, my sister’s wife arranged Q[ueen Elizabeth’s visit to Jamestown and Williamsburg](http://www.history.org/visit/eventsAndExhibits/specialEvents/queensVisit.cfm) a few years ago (she was the event planner). I am an assistant for several presidential appointees (some appointed by Obama and some by previous administrations). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/147 "2011-07-13T21:47:19Z")
I used to play intramural sports with one of Bush’s cousins. She was a lovely young woman and quite the looker, if Texan blondes are your type. My wife’s family has some links to the Thai monarchy, although nothing very close. Also one of her uncle’s (by marriage) is the former governor of one of the Thai provinces. So probably within six degrees of that one but more than one or two degrees away. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/148 "2011-07-13T22:07:42Z")
When I was a kid, my best friend’s dad had served as GHW Bush’s military liaison when the latter was the US Ambassador to China. That’s all I’ve got, aside from being distantly related to Abraham Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/149 "2011-07-13T23:13:35Z")
3 degrees, in two different ways, to the French president (two politically active cousins, each knowing a major political figure, knowing the president). From that, I guess 4 degrees with many other heads of state. Could get down to two degrees if a specific candidate is elected next year. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/150 "2011-07-19T10:53:05Z")
Not a head of state, but I’m 4 degrees (in two different ways) from Usama bin Ladin. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/151 "2011-07-19T11:48:53Z")
I attended a party at my cousins about 12 years ago, one of the guests was our current president. We briefly spoke, I don’t remember about what. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/152 "2011-07-19T14:35:22Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616140) reminded me that I’m also two degrees away from John Wayne Bobbitt. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/153 "2011-07-19T15:05:01Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=616140) reminded me that I’m also two degrees away from John Wayne Bobbitt. What a coincidence. So is his penis. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/154 "2011-07-19T15:09:30Z")
Our mutual acquaintance claims he is “somewhat peculiar”. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/155 "2011-07-19T15:57:28Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > My cousin went to high school (Cheltenham, PA) with Benjamin Netanyahu. I dropped by to say that he went to my neighborhood high school, several years before I went to high school, …somewhere else. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/156 "2011-07-19T18:54:42Z")
I shook hands with Pierre Trudeau once. It was on a field trip to Ottawa with my high school Political Science class. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/157 "2011-07-19T22:11:39Z")
I actually talked to Senator Bob Dole on the phone one time after the 1996 election. A friend of mine was a Flight Attendant on a flight he was on and she called me and told me about it. Bob Dole happened to walk by right then and she handled him the phone and asked him to say hi to me. The funny part is that I jumped out of my chair practically came to attention when I heard his voice. I also shook hands with Senator Howard Baker one time and he later became Reagan’s Chief of Staff. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/158 "2011-07-19T22:16:11Z")
I was a guest at an informal get-together with Dr. Milton Eisenhower, Dwight’s brother, decades ago. There were about 6 of us there. And in turn, I and my friends had him over to our apartment twice, to reciprocate. On one occasion we threw him a birthday party at our place. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827/159 "2011-07-20T01:47:15Z")
OK he lost the election. In 1964 it was Goldwater to Dr. Sennholz to Chris Andrews, to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/degrees-of-separation-between-you-and-a-head-of-state/381827.md?page=7)