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Have you ever met a politician?

NeverTrump

Exposing GOP since 2015
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I have met three politicians in my lifetime and two really connected guys in Washington. Plus I know a lot of local politicians from the town. I grew up in (most of whom are my dad's customers as he owns an auto-shop in town) because they are like the only Republican town in NJ! They were just regular towns people from the Mayor to local committeemen. Just trying to serve their township.

That being said, I have come into the proximity of four major politicians like this by chance in my lifetime. Trump being one of them, I actually ran into Trump out on the Upper East Side of NYC a couple of years ago. He nodded to me as I walked past and I had no idea who the guy with the crazy hair was. I was not as involved in politics back then and I still don't watch reality TV, it was only when I got home from the interview that I realized who he was.

The Governor of NJ at the time, Christine Todd Whitman came to my elementary school, and I've been in proximity to Chris Christie numerous times. I've also seen the Presidential Motorcage a couple of times when Obama came to NJ. Twice in Newark and once at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel. I work in Newark and grew up a stone's throw away from PNC.

Every time I've run into politicians I've nodded to them or waved to them. They deserve respect no matter where you fall on the political aisle. They probably think I'll vote for them after that, but for me respect does not necessarily translate into votes...

PS: I'm pretty sure one of my regular customers was a DNC big wig at the liquor store I used to work at. He was always on the phone throwing down big bucks on the best high end liquor and talking about local elections.

Now I know a few posters on this forum who go out to the conventions and the conferences and the rallies and whatnot. I'm not an activist so this is all organic friendships, meetings, or acquaintances of mine.
 
I think I met a representative to my states house outside a polling place last election.

Assuming you define "met" as "said hello and exchanged about 5 seconds of conversation".
 
I've shaken hands with Ted Cruz, John McCain, Martha McSally and Joe Arpaio. Arpaio was BY FAR the most entertaining and friendly and I fed McSally at a fundraiser at a family members house.

At the local level I've worked on a couple of campaigns so I've met several state and local politicians.

While I was in the service I ended up about 10' from Ronald Reagan but saying that I met him would be overstating the issue. Same goes for GWB when he came through town talking about Social Security reform.
 
I've shaken hands with Ted Cruz, John McCain, Martha McSally and Joe Arpaio. Arpaio was BY FAR the most entertaining and friendly and I fed McSally at a fundraiser at a family members house.

At the local level I've worked on a couple of campaigns so I've met several state and local politicians.

While I was in the service I ended up about 10' from Ronald Reagan but saying that I met him would be overstating the issue. Same goes for GWB when he came through town talking about Social Security reform.

If we are talking near misses here, Jeb Bush came to my school the YEAR after I graduated. I was pissed because if he ran a better campaign I would have voted for him, but the school has been working hard in that area to get more exposure, funny he was talking about Education Reform!
 
I always wanted to meet Traficant.
 
I've met George Pataki and Hillary Clinton, both very briefly.
 
Wow, I don't know if I could name them all given the fact that I've met so many of them.

My parents were very close friends with William Simon who was Secretary of the Treasury under Nixon & Ford so he was probably the first. (I met Jackie Kennedy O in the 1970s, when I rode with Caroline, but I don't think that would count). I met Teddy Kennedy a couple of times (scary) through a family friend.

First one I ever met through non-personal channels was Brendan Byrne, governor of NJ. I also met Ronald Reagan in 1979. I've met almost all of the candidates when they were running for POTUS, and besides Reagan the people I've met who were POTUS were Ford (after leaving office), Bush 41, Bush 43, and Obama. Met all of the NH governors since moving here almost 20 years ago. Met subsequent NJ governors (Kean, Florio and Whitman). Met tons of Senators, Congressional reps....met VP candidates like Palin and Kemp and some others. Never met Cheney. Never met Dole that I recall.

Yup, I've met many. Some I spent more time with than others. Some were simply brief handshakes. Some much longer.

From a personality standpoint I'd have to say the one I liked best was either Mitt Romney or former NH governor John Lynch. The one I liked least was probably Mike Huckabee.
 
I live in l.a. met colon powell, chief bradon los angeles , chief parks numerous times in los angeles, mayor of los angeles their all politicians
 
i was a page at the statehouse in eighth grade for a day, so i met a few state lawmakers. that was a while back, though.
 
I have met three politicians in my lifetime and two really connected guys in Washington. Plus I know a lot of local politicians from the town. I grew up in (most of whom are my dad's customers as he owns an auto-shop in town) because they are like the only Republican town in NJ! They were just regular towns people from the Mayor to local committeemen. Just trying to serve their township.

That being said, I have come into the proximity of four major politicians like this by chance in my lifetime. Trump being one of them, I actually ran into Trump out on the Upper East Side of NYC a couple of years ago. He nodded to me as I walked past and I had no idea who the guy with the crazy hair was. I was not as involved in politics back then and I still don't watch reality TV, it was only when I got home from the interview that I realized who he was.

The Governor of NJ at the time, Christine Todd Whitman came to my elementary school, and I've been in proximity to Chris Christie numerous times. I've also seen the Presidential Motorcage a couple of times when Obama came to NJ. Twice in Newark and once at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel. I work in Newark and grew up a stone's throw away from PNC.

Every time I've run into politicians I've nodded to them or waved to them. They deserve respect no matter where you fall on the political aisle. They probably think I'll vote for them after that, but for me respect does not necessarily translate into votes...

PS: I'm pretty sure one of my regular customers was a DNC big wig at the liquor store I used to work at. He was always on the phone throwing down big bucks on the best high end liquor and talking about local elections.

Now I know a few posters on this forum who go out to the conventions and the conferences and the rallies and whatnot. I'm not an activist so this is all organic friendships, meetings, or acquaintances of mine.

I had a senator at my wedding to my current wife, does that count?
 
No, unfortunately I've never met a politician before. But maybe one day I will.
 
I have met three politicians in my lifetime and two really connected guys in Washington. Plus I know a lot of local politicians from the town. I grew up in (most of whom are my dad's customers as he owns an auto-shop in town) because they are like the only Republican town in NJ! They were just regular towns people from the Mayor to local committeemen. Just trying to serve their township.

That being said, I have come into the proximity of four major politicians like this by chance in my lifetime. Trump being one of them, I actually ran into Trump out on the Upper East Side of NYC a couple of years ago. He nodded to me as I walked past and I had no idea who the guy with the crazy hair was. I was not as involved in politics back then and I still don't watch reality TV, it was only when I got home from the interview that I realized who he was.

The Governor of NJ at the time, Christine Todd Whitman came to my elementary school, and I've been in proximity to Chris Christie numerous times. I've also seen the Presidential Motorcage a couple of times when Obama came to NJ. Twice in Newark and once at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel. I work in Newark and grew up a stone's throw away from PNC.

Every time I've run into politicians I've nodded to them or waved to them. They deserve respect no matter where you fall on the political aisle. They probably think I'll vote for them after that, but for me respect does not necessarily translate into votes...

PS: I'm pretty sure one of my regular customers was a DNC big wig at the liquor store I used to work at. He was always on the phone throwing down big bucks on the best high end liquor and talking about local elections.

Now I know a few posters on this forum who go out to the conventions and the conferences and the rallies and whatnot. I'm not an activist so this is all organic friendships, meetings, or acquaintances of mine.

They, by necessity, are usually full of it, because they have to say what wins votes, not the truth. And people as a rule hate the real truth, so who wants to meet with that? I have gotten an official letter from Obama, who I think is less full of it than most.
 
I had a senator at my wedding to my current wife, does that count?
If you had a receiving line, then yes you did technically meet them! ;)
 
I met a state legislator at a town hall meeting about 23 years ago. Forget his name. He was a Dem for my district. I only went for the experience of a town hall meeting, but I came away feeling sorry for the guy. People were hammering him with some of the most unreasonable and absurd expectations, and nothing he said was good enough. That has always stuck with me.

Two months ago I was sitting in a hotel lobby in Des Moines waiting for my wife to exit the restroom, looked up and there was Joni Ernst three feet from me talking with someone from the hotel. I don't count that as meeting her, though, as I just looked up and realized who it was then went back to reading my book. We didn't interact in any way.
 
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