Stalking President Obama

Barack Obama is coming to Ottawa on Thursday. Even though there is no public appearance scheduled, I work just steps away from Parliament Hill and the ceremonial route to the airport, so I don’t think I’ll be able to resist stepping out and joining what they’re predicting will be massive crowds lining the streets, hoping for a peek at the passing limo. The Globe had a great article yesterday on past presidential visits. Did you know they airlift an armour-plated, chemical-and-bullet proof Cadillac nicknamed ‘the Beast’ over the border? Hope that puppy has decent snow tires, cuz the forecast looks messy.

Despite my best efforts (consisting of two or three pages of google search returns – hey, I have a lot on my plate right now!) I haven’t been able to crack the code of deep security around Thursday’s itinerary. He arrives at 10:30, and it should take around an hour for him to work his way downtown, by my estimation. The most logical (and scenic) route is down Colonel By, if he goes to either 24 Sussex or the Parliament Buildings. How long I’m willing to stand out in the forecasted snow/rain mix, ostensibly on a coffee break, remains to be seen, I guess.

I’m not sure why I’d be willing to stand outside in a massive crowd of strangers in the February cold just to maybe, possibly, catch a passing glimpse of a limo or, under the best possible circumstance, a brief presidential wave… but I would. He hasn’t been in power long enough for his magical magnetism to fade just yet, and there’s something in me that wants to be a part of that. (Not as much as the busloads of people coming in from southern Ontario, though! I’m keen, but if I had to make any more effort than bundling up and walking 50 metres from my office, I’m not sure I’d bother.) I’ve read in several media reports that Obama is more popular here than he is in the US. I can think of a few reasons why, George Bush and Stephen Harper formost among them.

Back in 1990, I was lucky enough to stumble into the roped-off sidewalks on the Sparks Street pedestrian mall just before then-president Mikhail Gorbachev of the USSR walked among the crowds. I even shook his hand! My friends said I should have rubbed the infamous birthmark and made a wish. Instead, I grinned and said something foolish like, “Here’s to world peace!” and he replied in Russian, which was probably something to the effect of, “Hello nice Canadian girl, could you please stop staring at my forehead?” I also had fun with the cheeky strangers standing nearby, playing a rousing game of “spot the KGB” – usually, the ones with the really bad polyester suits. The bomb-sniffing dogs were cool, though.

That was pure chance — I was downtown to pay my Zellers bill and annoyed I couldn’t get across Sparks St for all the ropes and barricades. I made a more concerted effort to pay my respects to Pierre Trudeau when he lay in state, though. I queued up on a cool September evening for nearly five hours for the chance to file past his casket in the Hall of Honours of the Centre Block. I’m not sure why I did that, either, except I’ve always been pleased that I did.

What do you think? Are the “I was there!” bragging rights worth the effort? How far would you go to catch even the tiniest glimpse live and in person of the sunshine that streams forth from the Obama entourage? At the very least, whatever direction this little adventure takes will likely leave me with some decent fodder for Project 365. I tell you, there is no end to the lengths to which I will go for decent blog fodder…

(Speaking of blog fodder, you only have six days left to vote to send me to BlogHer this summer!)

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

15 thoughts on “Stalking President Obama”

  1. I think Obama is just awesome… certainly has given an entire country hope… and it’s a shame that politics here in Canada isn’t as exciting as it is in the USA… and a shame we don’t have politicians as cool as Obama!
    I certainly miss living in D.C. – especially right now! I think you should wait outside, you’re so close… I might do the same!
    When Pierre Trudeau lay in state, I was working as a reporter for 580 CFRA and remember interviewing the mass of people who were waiting to pay their respects… it was a very memorable night, and glad I was a part of that.

  2. I was at a conference in Chicago last week when Obama came through, and there were all kinds of rumors about what restaurant he might go to. It was fun to think that we all just might bump into him at dinner. Naturally, we didn’t.

    I guess really we’d need a time machine for that kind of casual encounter.

  3. If I was in Ottawa, I’d totally be doing what you are doing. Hopefully next time he stops in Toronto and I can take a long coffee break to do the same!

  4. I was once caught on the number 4 bus on Bronson when the RCMP swooped down and stopped traffic so that the King (Prime Minister, President, whatever) of Finland could get his motorcade back to the airport (recognized the flag on the limo). Does that count?

    Oh, and one Canada Day (probably 1997 or 1998) I braved the crowds on the Hill by myself to see Jean Chretien, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.

  5. I managed to be across the rope from Queen Elizabeth when she was at the Governor General’s at an invitation-only reception. She shook hands only with soldiers and veterans but I still heard her speak directly to an “ordinary person”. She asked about Prince Charles at the handover of Hong Kong ceremony, which had happened the same day. I thought, “Cool, she thinks like a mom!” I also paid my respects to Trudeau – only I was there when the line started one morning.

    I put my foot in my mouth by not being as impressed with the view from then-Transport Minister David Collenette’s office, which caused him to stop speaking to me and talk to a more awe-struck public servant. It wasn’t my fault, our boardroom was only one floor lower. But Ministers aren’t really stars, are they?

    I’m going to try to sneak down to Parliament Hill on Thursday. I’m hoping that the snowstorm will keep some of the crowds away. Selfish, eh?

  6. I went out of my way twice to be at a Trudeau event. The first time when he was way back during the throes of Trudeaumania and he came to our very small burg and gave a little talk and shook some hands and he actually kissed mine!! Then I saw him later again when he was more staid and he just shook my hand. I suppose if I were located like you are I might stand outside and try to catch a glimpse of the Obamamobile, too— depends

  7. Well then, I actually danced with Prime Minister Trudeau in about 1986..I was young then! I have also shook hands with the Queen and Prince Philip was out with Prince Charles and the then Lady Diana when they were first engaged. But other than a U2 concert my most fun massive outing was the SARS concert in Toronto. There were 500,000 people there and it was awesome. My bragging is now done for the year.

  8. Just recently found your blog, and it’s terrific. I love finding Ottawa blogs that are actually well written and interesting 🙂 Score!

    I voted for you too, I hope you get to go. I’ve considered going, if we can swing it financially. My youngest of three just turned one too, I can’t seem to grasp where the time is going!! She is still nursing like a madwoman so I would need to get her free from the booby if I were going to go anywhere for more than ten minutes.

    I shook Princess Diana’s hand when she came to N.S. when I was a wee, wee little girl in 1984. I interviewed Preston Manning once when I was writing for a paper in N.S. – it was fairly exciting even though he was ridiculously unpopular at the time. I’m related to Anne Murray, does that count for something :-)???

  9. Oh dani, wouldn’t it be cool to catch a glimpse of Obama! I’ve been swept into Obamamania ever since I read his book a while back.

    And now for my brags: I remember seeing the Queen wave down at me from the monorail at Expo 67; shaking hands with Maurice Richard, Ken Dryden, and other Canadien hockey legends in elementary school; taking the train from Ottawa to Montreal while in university, and stuck with two rowdy talkative teenagers for the whole ride only to find both my dad and Pierre Trudeau (their dad) chatting togetehr while waiting for us. We shook hands and talked for a few minutes. Used to see him too out for walks in Montreal (his house was close to McGill).

  10. Well if you’re counting non-leaders, I once bumped into Margaret Atwood in Toronto. Literally. She was coming out of a bank, and I was going in. I was rummaging around in my purse and not looking where I was going. I walked smack into her. I apologised and went into the bank thinking, “I know her from somewhere.” Yeah, the author pictures of 3 or 4 novels in my bookcase.

  11. Okay then I’m going to add: I met Princess Diana when she was here back in the early 90’s when my mom was presenting her with one of her paintings when she was touring the Heart Institute, and I met Mary Hart and Bob Goen (from ET) when I was an intern for Enterainment Tonight… yeah, big deal, I know… 😉 Oh and I met and took a nice picture with Pharrell in Miami! Nothing too exciting…

  12. Just before Christmas, I brushed shoulders with The Great One. Which is how I like to describe clumsily side-stepping but not quite getting out of the way of Wayne Gretzy as I was dashing into the Westin and he was ambling out. I mumbled an apology and he gave a weary “please don’t ask for my autograph” half smile. I then scanned the lobby for hockey players, but, really, who knows what any of the Coyotes look like?

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