Yes, that is what I'm saying, and it isn't odd or bizarre. It is part and parcel of the cult of celebrity era we are living in, to be sure. But it is also something people have done ever since George Washington's time.

It doesn't matter if they plan to vote for the candidate. There is a form of national pride that comes from being able to say "I saw the President of the United States".

I told my daughter stories of how we took her with us to see Jesse Jackson when he ran. Yes, we voted for him. But I also took her to see Walter Mondale, telling her he was VP. And I NEVER voted for Walter Mondale, until Wellstone died. Then I voted for him to replace Wellstone. I can't imagine another scenario in which I would have voted for him for dogcatcher, much less president of the US, and I had a sister-in-law who worked on his campaign for president!