Do you know any politicians?
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  Do you know any politicians?
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Author Topic: Do you know any politicians?  (Read 2651 times)
The Arizonan
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« on: September 25, 2015, 09:14:49 PM »

The thread title might seem straightforward, but it needs a little explanation. Do you actually know any politicians on a personal level? And by that I mean would they recognize you if they saw you? You don't have to be close friends with them, but be at least acquaintances.

Also, politicians don't have to be current officeholders, but can at least be perennial candidates.
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Classic Conservative
Junior Chimp
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« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2015, 09:17:04 PM »

Yes local politicans though my uncle knows big Whigs so does my cousin.
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darthebearnc
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« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2015, 09:17:21 PM »

I know the former chairman of the New Hanover County School Board personally, but that's about it.
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NeverAgain
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« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2015, 09:26:16 PM »

My Dad and Paul Wellstone were best friends. I apparently met him, but I was too young to remember.
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The Arizonan
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« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2015, 09:26:59 PM »

Personally, I know only local politicians in Washington state and Virginia since I've been stationed in Bremerton, WA and I'm now stationed in Portsmouth, VA. In Washington state, I got to know Patty Lent, the Mayor of Bremerton, and Kelly Emerson, a county commissioner of Island County, Washington. In Virginia, I kind of know Kenny Wright, the Mayor of Portsmouth, and probably one of the city council members of Portsmouth.

My father knows Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (or so he claims) and he met the late former senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota when he was in college. He also claims to know the husband of former Arizona state senator Barbara Leff (who ran for state treasurer).

It's interesting to note that I know Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent who knows Congressman Derek Kilmer who knows former congressman Norm Dicks who worked for former senator Warren Magnusson. I've never met Norm Dicks, but I saw him when he accompanied Leon Panetta when he came to talk to sailors on the USS John C. Stennis back in 2012 before the deployment.

And how did Norm Dicks keep getting reelected in a seemingly Republican area?
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Clark Kent
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« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2015, 09:33:27 PM »

I know my mayor. I think he knows me.
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The Arizonan
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« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2015, 09:38:13 PM »

My Dad and Paul Wellstone were best friends. I apparently met him, but I was too young to remember.

Your father and Paul Wellstone were best friends? Paul Wellstone was a college professor (I think) and my father was a college student when they met.
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Miles
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« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2015, 09:41:15 PM »

I have an uncle and good family friend in the LA House of Representatives.

I've met many pols, but Sen. Hagan and Rep. Garret Graves have both recognized me.

Sen. Vitter is a good buddy of mine as well.
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Crumpets
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« Reply #8 on: September 25, 2015, 09:52:58 PM »

I live pretty close to Jim McDermott and have run into him a couple of times. Same with Ron Reagan, although he's not technically a politician. If you allow for two degrees of separation, I know someone who knows Dick Cheney, and someone else who knew Charles de Gaulle.

And how did Norm Dicks keep getting reelected in a seemingly Republican area?

A couple of things helped him. His district included a sliver of Tacoma that, despite being small, was very densely populated and pretty liberal. Dukakis actually carried WA-6 despite losing Kitsap and Clallam counties, and not hitting 50% in Pierce county, so it's more liberal than it looks. It also helps that Dicks basically spent his entire life in WA-6, and was very good at retail politics. Once he won reelection in 1978 and 1980, the voters basically never looked back.
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RogueBeaver
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« Reply #9 on: September 25, 2015, 09:57:55 PM »

Unfortunately, not yet.
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Atlas Has Shrugged
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« Reply #10 on: September 25, 2015, 11:45:48 PM »

Allen West was my Congressman and knew me by name. But I am sure he has forgotten about my existence now.

Anyways, I'd say that a handful of State Senators/Reps might know me. Probably not. People in the RPOF leadership certainly do.
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muon2
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« Reply #11 on: September 26, 2015, 11:34:21 AM »

My Dad and Paul Wellstone were best friends. I apparently met him, but I was too young to remember.

Your father and Paul Wellstone were best friends? Paul Wellstone was a college professor (I think) and my father was a college student when they met.

Wellstone was a political science professor at Carleton College. I went there during his tenure, and he gave a guest lecture in a course I took. Was your father a student at Carleton?
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Lumine
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« Reply #12 on: September 26, 2015, 11:50:36 AM »

Besides my grandfather (who ran for the Chamber of Deputies in 64 and lost by a very thin margin, and was also a key figure in the regional branch of his party), some local politicians from where I grew up, all still in office. One of the volunteers that I met on the 2013 Campaign also became Vice-President of a new political party with actual representation in Congress, so I suppose that counts too.
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MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!
Kalwejt
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« Reply #13 on: September 26, 2015, 11:51:10 AM »

Too many
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World politics is up Schmitt creek
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« Reply #14 on: September 26, 2015, 11:53:16 AM »

I'm related to Mary Z. Connaughton.
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The Other Castro
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« Reply #15 on: September 26, 2015, 01:43:05 PM »

I'm good friends with one of the Connecticut electors for the Electoral College.
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FEMA Camp Administrator
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« Reply #16 on: September 26, 2015, 03:11:18 PM »

One of  my (fraternal) brothers' dad is on the Macomb County School Board or something like that and may contemplate running for mayor of Warren, Michigan.
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bagelman
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« Reply #17 on: September 26, 2015, 03:19:12 PM »

My mom's friend was the campaign manager of an incumbent state rep. who lost against a wingnut during the tea party wave.
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Chancellor Tanterterg
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« Reply #18 on: September 26, 2015, 03:24:14 PM »

Yes
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NeverAgain
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« Reply #19 on: September 26, 2015, 03:34:18 PM »

My Dad and Paul Wellstone were best friends. I apparently met him, but I was too young to remember.

Your father and Paul Wellstone were best friends? Paul Wellstone was a college professor (I think) and my father was a college student when they met.

Wellstone was a political science professor at Carleton College. I went there during his tenure, and he gave a guest lecture in a course I took. Was your father a student at Carleton?
No, he actually ran for Congress in '90, when Wellstone was running for Senate. They became friends at the DNC.
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The Dowager Mod
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« Reply #20 on: September 26, 2015, 04:59:48 PM »

Yes.
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The Arizonan
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« Reply #21 on: September 26, 2015, 05:46:21 PM »

muon2, I think my father was a student at St. Olaf University, though I could be wrong.

I live pretty close to Jim McDermott and have run into him a couple of times. Same with Ron Reagan, although he's not technically a politician. If you allow for two degrees of separation, I know someone who knows Dick Cheney, and someone else who knew Charles de Gaulle.

And how did Norm Dicks keep getting reelected in a seemingly Republican area?

A couple of things helped him. His district included a sliver of Tacoma that, despite being small, was very densely populated and pretty liberal. Dukakis actually carried WA-6 despite losing Kitsap and Clallam counties, and not hitting 50% in Pierce county, so it's more liberal than it looks. It also helps that Dicks basically spent his entire life in WA-6, and was very good at retail politics. Once he won reelection in 1978 and 1980, the voters basically never looked back.

If Norm Dicks was so good at getting reelected, then why did he retire after 2012? Did he see the writing on the wall or something?

As for his successor Derek Kilmer, I've heard people say that he was evasive even when he was a state legislator in Olympia. When I was stationed on the Stennis, I went to one of his town hall meetings and asked him a question. He never really answered it.
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Crumpets
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« Reply #22 on: September 26, 2015, 06:01:31 PM »

muon2, I think my father was a student at St. Olaf University, though I could be wrong.

I live pretty close to Jim McDermott and have run into him a couple of times. Same with Ron Reagan, although he's not technically a politician. If you allow for two degrees of separation, I know someone who knows Dick Cheney, and someone else who knew Charles de Gaulle.

And how did Norm Dicks keep getting reelected in a seemingly Republican area?

A couple of things helped him. His district included a sliver of Tacoma that, despite being small, was very densely populated and pretty liberal. Dukakis actually carried WA-6 despite losing Kitsap and Clallam counties, and not hitting 50% in Pierce county, so it's more liberal than it looks. It also helps that Dicks basically spent his entire life in WA-6, and was very good at retail politics. Once he won reelection in 1978 and 1980, the voters basically never looked back.

If Norm Dicks was so good at getting reelected, then why did he retire after 2012? Did he see the writing on the wall or something?

As for his successor Derek Kilmer, I've heard people say that he was evasive even when he was a state legislator in Olympia. When I was stationed on the Stennis, I went to one of his town hall meetings and asked him a question. He never really answered it.

I think he just retired because he was 71 years old and had been serving in Congress for 35 years. I doubt he "saw the writing on the wall" as you say, since after 1980, he never won reelection by less than 16%. Kilmer ended up winning in 2012 by 19% and in 2014 by 26%, so Dicks would almost certainly have won if he had decided not to retire.

And on Derek Kilmer, I honestly don't know much about him. He's probably just trying to maintain a low profile, since he's pretty new, and being the freshman firebomb doesn't work as well in the House as it does in the Senate.
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muon2
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« Reply #23 on: September 26, 2015, 06:16:52 PM »

muon2, I think my father was a student at St. Olaf University, though I could be wrong.

Any idea when he graduated?
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Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese
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« Reply #24 on: September 26, 2015, 06:30:05 PM »

I know a few members of the Swedish parliament. If we're speaking of local politicians as well I know even more, being one myself.
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