Okay, so you know you're going to meet Sen. Kerry

[TayTay]

The big moment approaches, you shake his hand and you open your mouth to say something and ....

What do you say? What would you say if you met him? What would be the thing you most want to tell him?

(It's Sunday night and I'm bored. I don't feel like hanging out in the other DU forums. I feel like posing hypotheticals. Humor me.)

[jillan]

1. If I ever meet Kerry

I would just like to shake his hand, look him straight in the eye and
say "Thank you for all you do." and if I could still coherently speak after one sentence, I would like to tell him that I hope he runs in 2008.

Now you asked what would you say.

You didn't ask what would you like to do...ahm.

[_dynamicdems]

2. If Vector was nearby....

"RUN SENATOR RUNNNNNNNN!"

:rofl:

[JI7]

3. i would ask him for a hug

as for what i would say it might depend on the moment. if it's a smaller group and he has time to answer each person or if it's a big noisy crowd similar to a rally.

i'm planning on writing a letter to give to him for whenever i do meet him. i think he will probably read it, just not sure when.

[ProSense]

8. I like that idea

A letter.

If I met him, I'd shake his hand and thank him for his service. I'd want to hug him, but depends on the circumstances.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. First off

I have met him. But if I got the chance again I would say we've got your back and thank you for continuing fighting for us. Then I would tell him all about this forum.

[YvonneCa]

5. When I shook his hand at Los Angeles Valley College...

...I just said "Thank you for all you are doing for us." I also gave him a booklet copy of the Constitution that I bought a couple years ago at Mt. Rushmore.
That was about all I could manage.:7

[GRLMGC]

6. Ooh

you were there? So was I. I didn't get to shake his hand though. He did sign my ticket but only because my friend is a lot taller than me and has longer arms, haha.

[frogmarch]

7. How should one address Teresa?

I don't suppose I'll ever meet this wonderful couple, but I'd still like to know the proper way to address her. Ms. Kerry? Mrs. Kerry? Ms. Heinz-Kerry? Mrs. Heinz-Kerry?

Should he be called Senator Kerry, or Mr. Kerry? Or either?

[beachmom]

9. I would thank him for the e-mails

I would say that the e-mails we receive periodically are like a beacon of light through all the garbage we've had to endure this year. Just the idea that someone in power "gets it", and is fighting for us every day is so heartening. If I had a few more minutes, I would explain how it is so nice to just read his ideas and speeches, unfiltered by a cynical media which doesn't seem to believe in anything but profits and their own egos. Those e-mails are more important than everything else because they're an ongoing conversation between him and his constituents who voted for him and didn't want him to go away after his concession speech.

[TayTay]

10. Well, the formal address is

Senator and Mrs. John F. Kerry. That's how it reads on those formal dinner invites that go out for formal dinners.

I would call her Ma'am. The times when I saw Sen. Kerry, I called him, ahm, sir. (I did. It's that Catholic girl thing, plus, it seemed respectful. I mean, geez, that's not Joe the mechanic from down the street. That's John Kerry and he's a US Senator and wicked smart as well. I mean, well, I have watched that man for years and I have a great deal of respect for him and for what he has done for Massachusetts and the country. So, I said sir.)

People I know who have had longer conversations with Sen. Kerry were pointedly directed to call him, "John." If I ever meet him formally and he requests this, I would be unable to do so. (Sorry, he's my Senator and I just can't do it. There's too much history there.) (Silly TayTay, I know.)

[frogmarch]

13. Thanks, TayTay

Ma'am is how Queen Elizabeth is addressed, so addressing Teresa as ma'am sounds right. And calling John sir sounds right for him. I don't think it's silly at all that you'd be unable to call him John if he asked you to. Maybe as you grew to know him better on a personal level, you'd feel comfortable doing so. Years ago I had a paleontology professor who asked me to call him by his first name. He was more than my teacher, he was my advisor when I worked as the year-round fossil preparator at a large paleontological site. I had enormous respect for him. We soon came to be friends and even had lunch together sometimes, just the two of us. Yet so profound was my admiration of him on a professional level, I couldn't call him by his first name for at least a year, and even then, I found it awkward.

So, Tay Tay, I think I understand why you'd find it hard to call Sen Kerry by his first name. I am sure I would too.

[jenndar]

17. You can also just call him Senator n/t

[whometense]

16. I'm guessing

she would respond very well to just Teresa.

[LeftyLizzie]

18. When I met them at Georgetown

I never had to call them by their names - I just kind of started talking to them. However, I believe he should be called Senator Kerry. With Teresa, it's a bit more complicated. I remember reading somewhere where she said that she had always liked the people of Pittsburgh because they were very laid-back and called her "Teresa" instead of "Mrs. Heinz." However, if you want to address her by her last name, I think she'll go by Mrs. Heinz, Mrs. Heinz Kerry, or Mrs. Kerry. I know that she uses Kerry in her personal life (i.e., that's what her staff calls her) and that she only uses the "Kerry" for politics. However, I also recall her saying somewhere that at political events people call her Mrs. Kerry because that's what's natural to them, and she doesn't mind. But I guess if you want to be really safe, just stick to Mrs. Heinz Kerry, because then you've got all your bases covered. :7 (I know that's a lot of info, but as someone with a hyphenated last name, I've always been sensitive to these things!)

[ginnyinWI]

11. if I could actually speak

I might say, "I'd love to vote for you again!" :blush:

[karynnj]

12. I'm with you here - but when I was close enough to say

something - near the front of a large crowd - I was too awestruck to say anything. My husband asked if he could sign something - I knew there was a reason to have him there.

[Island Blue]

14. First of all I would hope I could actually remember how to speak English.

Easier said than done. If I thought I still had a fairly good recall of the language, I would thank him for all that he has done, and continues to do for the American people.

If I was feeling really brave I would suggest that he come him down to the area where I live sometime because it's a haven for windsurfers and kiteboarders. No one snickers at men wearing neoprene around here. (I'd have to be feeling REALLY brave to do that.)

[whometense]

15. If my history is any indication,

the last time I came face to face with him all I could manage was a shy "Hi." And a smile. (It was on the street, not at a rally.)

I have no reason to think I'd do any better the next time.

[MH1]

19. I'd be seriously tongue-tied, but

mainly I'd like to thank him for the inspiration and leadership he showed by staying strong after the election. I remember after the election, he did an interview where he talked about looking forward to going back to the Senate and continuing to fight for the things he's been fighting for all along. Someone at dailykos expressed it really well: if Kerry can continue to stand strong and get right back to work after what he's been through, then what were we doing just moping around and crying in our soup? Get back to work!

I just found it hugely inspirational the way he didn't seem to take any time to sulk or mourn or anything - just rested a little and came charging back out of the gate. Really made me feel like I'd been right to support him.

If I had more time I'd also thank him for all the people like my brothers (I have 3) who "just missed" going to Vietnam because the war ended. I'd thank him for all the families that didn't have to have a son or a daughter killed or maimed in that war, because he helped to end it. I'd thank him that my youngest brother never had to find out what would happen to him as a conscientous objector who refused to serve in even a non-combat role, and refused to go to Canada. If I could get it out without breaking down, that is probably what I would really want to say.

But if I am ever lucky enough to have a chance to say anything to John Kerry, I'll probably only be able to manage something like "you're amazing". :-)

[saracat]

20. The first time I met him, I addressed him as Senator .

As I talked to him I was so comfortable I called him John, I was teasing him about us both being Irish and him "kissing the blarney stone"! We talked about hias Iraq vote. I told him it was going to cost him as it was going to be too tough to explain. Duh! I called Theresa, Theresa, when we met. Oddly, I always called John Edwards Senator, and never slipped into calling him John, but I always called Elizabth, Elizabeth. Hmmm. I guess I must have felt more identification with Kerry !