# The lucky few who got to see the Pope's body AND the Presidents **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307 "2005-04-08T00:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/1 "2005-04-08T00:13:44Z")
Sometime yesterday the President and former President Bush and Clinton were in St. Peter’s, sitting right in front of the Pope’s body. Just think that of lucky few who got to see the President and the former Presidents after waiting nearly an entire day in the line and only expecting to pay final respects. I wonder if anyone tried to approach the President or wave to them. I’m sure the people were taking pictures. I wonder who some of these folks were that happened to be in line at just the right time. What would you do if you were there? ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/2 "2005-04-08T01:51:12Z")
Shake Clinton’s hand, and the elder Bush would get a polite 'Hello, Mr. President." Dubya, however, would receive ‘The Cut Direct.’ ---
**Author:** ![caphis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@caphis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caphis)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/3 "2005-04-08T02:02:22Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > What would you do if you were there? Nothing. Why should I care? (not trying to be snarky, I just genuinely don’t get the “omfgitsthepresident” reaction) ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/4 "2005-04-08T02:09:39Z")
Nothing. It’s a visitation, not a meet and greet. I’d love to meet Clinton, but it would hardly be the time or the place. Meeting either of the Bushes’d be cool, too (I mean, OK, I’m liberal as they come, but that doesn’t mean that I would be _rude_). Again, though…neither time nor place. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/5 "2005-04-12T15:18:56Z")
> [@caphis](#): > > Nothing. Why should I care? > > (not trying to be snarky, I just genuinely don’t get the “omfgitsthepresident” reaction) I’ve heard Patrick Stewart tell the anecdote about how he encountered Bush I, not at a formal event, but by chance. “Being a Socialist from Great Britain, I had no particular interest in the American President…but when he looked around and gave that wave, without forethought or motor control, my hand went op\*…” Like him or loathe him, no one who has it in him to become POTUS is “just a guy”. \*Not a typo. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lucky-few-who-got-to-see-the-popes-body-and-the-presidents/298307/6 "2005-04-12T18:56:39Z")
Shake G. W. Bush’s hand, and the elder Bush would get a polite 'Hello, Mr. President." Clinton, however, would receive ‘The Cut Direct.’