Have you ever personally interacted with a presidential hopeful?

[Horus]

Kind of, in the high school band during '04. John Kerry and John Glenn came. Got to shake Glenn's hand, not Kerry's. But I cared more about John Glenn anyways, lol.

[Bacon King]

I've met Ralph Nader, lol, if that counts. Saw Huckabee speak once. That's it, as far as I can recall.

[Niemeyerite]

2012 hopefuls... in spain: I've shaken hands with president zapatero at least 5 times, and once I spoke to him for 1 or 2 minutes. I met Rubalcaba last month and I've been to 2 carmen chacon meetings. I've also met Jose Blanco loooooooooooooooots of times but I don't think he's presidential material. talking about Trinidad Jimenez, I guess she remembers my name because I've been campaigning for her here in madrid last year.

[exopolitician]

I briefly shook Obama's hand at his speech in Richmond in 2008, and then on Election Day Joe Biden was at a local Elementary School. It was pretty neat.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I think I met Rudy Giuliuani twice. The first when I was 12, and my Grandma took me to see him in 08. But last year, I saw him at a Rubio rally, stood right behind him, and went to shake his hand again as he left, a onslaught of elderly people overcame me. When Rubio arrived at the rally, I was the only one to greet him, because a onslaught of elderly people again rushed to Rudy. So I was lucky to have a 30 second conversation with Rubio. He is very short, I was 14 last November, and I was taller then him.

[zorkpolitics]

I saw JFK in 1960 at a New Haven CT rally when I was a kid.
In 1992 Bill Clinton spoke at the Merck Research Labs where I work in NJ and lied about his health care policy. 
Later that year George H.W. Bush motorcade drove through my town and he waved "to me".
In 2006 I attended a George W. Bush Social Security Reform rally in my town, Westfield NJ
in 2008 John McCain shook my hand at a rally in south Jersey.

But I haven't seen nor met any of the 2012 hopefuls yet.

[Rowan]

I've interacted with Chris Christie on quite a few occasions. I guess he'd be considered a 2016 hopeful.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I interacted with two successive SLD presidential nominees at one event. First was Jerzy Szmajdziński, who was later among pasangers of Tupolev on April 10, 2010, and second was Napieralski.

Oh, and several years ago I very briefly interacted with Janusz Korwin-Mikke at the bus station. He jostled me in a crowded area, but immediately apologized, lol.

[Cobbler]

I got to have a 30-40 minute long conversation with Gary Johnson. My friend brought me to his speech.
Very nice guy and pretty funny.

[feeblepizza]

I've spoken to Mike Pence a few times before and have his autograph, but of course he's eliminated the possibility of running in 2012. He's still a 2016 or 2020 hopeful, though.

[Badger]

I shook hands with Bill Clinton in Akron the week before his election. I told him I was a law student and was inspired by his candidacy to use my degree to make my community a better place. He gave me the trademark thumbs up and bit his tongue through his smile. I figured only impersonators on SNL did that, but there he was in real life.

[Paul Kemp]

As I've mentioned before I had dinner with Gary Johnson and a few members of his campaign. It's a lot less cool now that he's not invited to debates . . .

[The Mikado]

I've spoken to and shaken hands with Howard Dean, John McCain and Newt Gingrich, and seen (but not interacted with) several other candidates, including Obama and Biden.

[anvi]

I corresponded directly with Obama several times while he was the U.S. Senator from Illinois, about six months before he became a presidential candidate.   His email replies to my questions were very long and detailed, especially when compared to Durbin's).  He is a much better writer than he is an extemporaneous speaker.  I was also at the event in Springfield, Illinois when he announced Biden as his VP running mate; the day was hotter than hell.  Haven't met any 2012 GOP hopefuls yet, and I doubt many will campaign a lot in Illinois.  In past years, I have seen Walter Mondale speak and met a German candidate for chancellor, Rudolf Scharping, when I lived in Germany in 1994.

[CatoMinor]

McCain in 2008 at the Iowa State Fair, and hopefully Ron Paul in a day or two

[Fuzzybigfoot]

I shook hands with Bill Clinton once.

[Tender Branson]

I hope to meet Obama during our White House tour at the end of July ...

Other than that, we once visited Vienna in 2000 I think and we visited the parliament and I shook hands with the current Austrian President Heinz Fischer (he wasn't President back then, but the speaker of the parliament).

I also debated with the Governor of Salzburg - Gabriele Burgstaller - once at a school forum, when she wasn't Governor yet. I think it was in 2002 or so (she was elected governor in 2004).

[King]

Al Gore shook my hand in 2002.  That's pretty much it.

I have a picture of Obama with my dad at fundraiser in 2008.  That's pretty cool for him.

[Simfan34]

I shook Jon Huntsman's hand at his announcement. KeystonePhil was there.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I did Sarah Palin

[anvi]

I did Sarah Palin

I KNEW it!
We have an undisputed winner! 

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I met Ken Kuchinelli, and took a picture with him. I can see him being a 2016 candidate. Ofcourse, there is Allen West, and Marco Rubio. Next on the list-Ron Paul. Too bad its another year to the Florida Primary.

[RJ]

On a bit of an unrelated note my mom has seen every president either before or after they were elected in the flesh at a rally or a passing through since Johnson. The only one she hasn't seen since LBJ is Obama, and there's still an opportunity for that.

[California8429]

I went to some McCain-Palin rallies and went to a small town hall event for McCain once he was the nominee where there were only 150 of us. He went to every side of the room to shake hands expect for ours though I was on TV that night from the audience, there were only 3 rows. But I barely missed the personal interaction with McCain

I met Bush Sr's neighbors at a bed and breakfast in Gettysburg if that counts

I also went to the final night of the DNC but that's not really and interaction though someone on San Fransico's City Council was to my right and a former Governor of Missouri was in front of me.

I've met other politicians, but most don't aspire to be President for instance Jodi Rell who is a close friend of my grandmother...and appointed her to the board of ed My dad became friends with Haley Barbour after working with him so long. Of course I've met and/or worked for most our Colorado politicians including our corrupted Bill Owens who for some reason people have always considred a possible presidential candidate or VP...who calls me Саша (Sasha)

EDIT: This reminds me I went to Newt Gingrich's terroism forum in Denver where Bill Owens and his entourage arrived and proceeded to the VIP section. They were stopped by the usher and then his daugther mouthed "The Governor" know your history kid, it was only one term ago

[Miles]

I was driving in New Orleans back in 2007 and Hillary Clinton pulled up next to me in a limo.