Political Figure Sightings anyone?

[WishfulSpirit]

So I was at the bar at the hotel where hubs and I are staying, when an older white man in a nice pair a slacks and a button-up shirt comes up to pay his tab. He looks over at the TV to see who is winning the football game, and as I'm seated between it and him, I look him square in the face from about 4ft away. I thought "hmmm...some rich business guy, I think this hotel gets a lot of them" and went back to my club soda and grenadine.

Later I was chatting with the bar tender, and she says "well, nice to know he's a good tipper" (refurring to the white guy). Upon seeing my look of confusion, she says "that was Jeb Bush." As in THE Jeb Bush. W's relative.

I have some choice opinions about what's going on in Washington right now that I could have shared with him. Drat. Anybody else have any sightings of political figures, either US ones or otherwise? Sightings of monarchs or artistocrats (for those countries that have them) are OK to talk about as well.

PS please take any actual political opinions to Fratching. We're just talking about sightings of people in government positions (or those who aspire to such).

[BrenDAnn]

I had Senator Joni Ernst come into the C-Store back when she was out campaigning for the job. She was on her way to speak at the bbq place across the road. At first, I saw one of the guys working with her, with a nice polo bearing her name on it. Then, this little woman walked in, and I thought 'oh, that's HER!'. She seemed nice enough, but alas, she's on the other side of the party line from me.

[dawnfire]

I had Prince William in my town about 5 years ago. We didn't even know he was going to be in the town (he was heading up to a town 20km up the mountain), we just went to the shops to get lunch and found the crowds there. I could barely see him. We spent the time trying to spot the British police that supposed to be undercover, (a fed faced sweating cop was a giveaway) and the sniper (up in mobile phone tower).

[lonnolan]

The funny part for me about the first story is who I once had come in for a big luncheon when he was still president. George Bush showed up with the press corps and everything. Thought we were going to lose a cook that day too, the president wanted to thank the cook who made his steak, clapped him on the shoulder, and the cook, a very large and big black man, clapped him back on the shoulder out of reflex. I saw his face right after, and figured he was mentally asking himself if he was about to get taken down by the secret service guys in the room. The president was a great customer, however the press corps ended up on my hate list taking my entire section and ensuring no tips that day.

[MoonCat]

The governor sometimes comes in for an interview but I never know about it until afterward.

[Teefies2]

I had Jimmy Carter do a book signing at my store about 6 years ago. That was exciting and I did actually "glimpse" him among all the Secret Service. But dang, they came in the back door and shut off the corridor leading to the break room, so no break for me

I have to say that I am so sorry he's now ill. He was and is a good guy. And he is taking his health news in the most gracious way.

[raudf]

We lost a local politician's mower at work one year. Back before he was a into politics.

Only other time I came close to a political type was Iceland during the talks between the US and the USSR. We'd stand at the back gate and cheer on both Regan and Bush Sr. Regan even thanked my Dad because he built parts of the stage he used to address the base.

[Employee28567]

Prince Charles came to my brother's Eco-Resort in the woods. I don't know how he felt about a place that is as rustic as their rich clientele can handle: no straight and flat walkways, minimal lighting, loud wildlife, etc. I guess it was okay; he didn't stay overnight. He came for some kind of environmental conference. It was very hush-hush. No one was supposed to know the names of anyone coming. Same goes for the pre-GMO conference in '99. Yup, the big Seattle protest.

My brother didn't own the place; his job was setting up the A/V and facilitating the conferences.

[AnaKhouri]

Jimmy Carter also did a signing at my bookstore some years ago. We pretty much had to shut down half the building because they didn't want the line near him; the line came up to a certain point and then people came to the table in 1s or 2s to get their stuff signed.

He came in the back, I was eating lunch in the breakroom when through the access corridor door comes a pair of dudes in black suits flanking this frail man with white hair. He smiled at me and said hello, I greeted him and they ducked into the closed-down part of the store. It was kind of neat. He stopped being president shortly after I was born.

A local politician named Gatewood Galbraith came into the store all the time. He was a great guy, everyone loved him.

[Tee]

Back when Schwarzenegger was the CA Governor, I was working in a emergency worker position. There had been an earthquake, he gave a speech, and I almost got to shake his hand. Instead a coworker who hated him, and had spent the last 30 minutes straight complaining about him, elbowed me out of the way, so that he could shake his hand rather enthusiastically.

Man, one day, when I've built my computer, I'll have to do a coworker thread for that job, holy cow. XD

Oh, btw, Arnold isn't that short, about average, he just looks shorter than he is since he's so BIG, and the movies make him look huge.

Oh, state senators daughter went to the same ballet studio as my sister, never saw him at performances, but supposedly he was there. Saw the daughter though. /shrug

[Jay 2K Winger]

We had Sarah Palin at the wholesale club once for a book signing. I never saw her, so I can't make any opinions about her.

I can make plenty of opinions about her supporters, however. We had probably a record number of membership sign-ups at the club, and it seemed every single one of them copped an attitude when I asked to check their receipt as they headed outside to join the line for the book signing.

And then there were the people who were "on the governor's staff" taking books they had purchased over to her, and copped an attitude about my asking for the receipt.

And then there was the couple who-- a full year later-- mistakenly thought she was going to be coming back to our store for another book signing, and copped an attitude when I told them there was no book signing, and that it was a year ago.

[Teysa]

Well, President Obama will be in Anchorage on Monday so I guess there's a remote possibility of seeing him if he happens to be outside when the train goes through. He's going to be in Seward on Tuesday so I might see him then.

[WishfulSpirit]

Have to agree on the Palin supporters. There was a rally near my mom's work (I'm not sure if Palin was there or not) and one redneck in a lifted Silvarado decided that my mother's 60-year-old coworker deserved to die for the heinous sin of driving a prius and attempted to run her over. Fortunately my mom's coworker is also an aerobics instructor and was able to jump out of the way and wasn't hurt. Yeah. THAT is going to make me vote for your candidate, Bubba.

Note I'm talking about the far-right wingnuts, not conservatives in general. There are plenty of crazy and sane people on both sides.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I've run into now-retired Congressman Howard Coble a number of times over the years whenever I'd go to the American Legion to pick up hot dogs on Saturday mornings.

I've never found that to be a particularly big deal - he's just as nice as he can be in person.

[PastryGal]

When I was in choir in grade 11 we went on a trip to Ottawa to sing in the rotunda in the Parliament building. While we were singing, then Prime Minister Jean Cretien came down with the leader of China to see him off through the front main entrance. On his way back in he stopped to watch us sing and mocked out director waving his hands, we were trying to not laugh while singing. Our director turned around and got to shake his hand. One does not normally see the Prime Minister out and about like like in the Parliament building but it was a special occasion with the leader of China there that day I guess and we got lucky.