Rub Elbows With the Presidential Candidates

When Vice Presidential nominees Sarah Palin and Joe Biden take the stage for their debate on Thursday, everyone in America will get a close look at the two potential number twos in the 2008 presidential election.  But for some people, that close look isn't close enough.  They want a handshake, a quick word, and a photo op with their presidential or vice presidential hopeful.  For these political diehards, here are a few ideas on how to sidle up to one of 2008's political stars.

LIVE IN A SWING STATE
This election is boiling down to a line-up of 10-15 battleground states.  These states see heavy visits from candidates from both sides and are a great opportunity to turn their retail campaigning into a photo op.  According to MSNBC's (STOCK QUOTE: GE) recent polling analysis, there are 11 states currently classified as toss-ups: Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin. 

In the last week, the only time Obama wasn't in one of these eleven states was on Thursday when he flew to Mississippi for the debates.  Democratic VP Joe Biden only left the swing states for one day last week to go to Baltimore, Md.  To find out where candidates will be, check the websites BarackObama.com and JohnMcCain.com.  Also Slate's mapthecandidates.com outlines where the candidates have been and where they'll be in the near future. 

Even if you're lucky enough to find your favorite candidate, be selective when it comes to choosing events.  According to the Huffington Post, over 26,000 people showed up to wait in line for three hours at a recent Obama rally in Virginia, but only 12,000 were allowed in.  And that doesn't even guarantee any close contact.  You're better off hitting up smaller events, like if McCain stops by a small town community picnic or if Biden glad-hands his way through a roadside diner in Ohio.  However, these events are less publicized and so they involve a bit of luck in finding them.