# 50 Facts you might not know about Barack Obama **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 13, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569 "2008-11-13T18:36:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/41 "2008-11-14T02:00:32Z")
I wonder if he did the voices. I want to hear his Dobbie and his Hagrid. ---
**Author:** ![Vox\_Imperatoris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Vox\_Imperatoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vox_Imperatoris)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/42 "2008-11-14T02:04:17Z")
How can he be a Muslim if he doesn’t like coffee?! /kidding Valete, Vox Imperatoris ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/43 "2008-11-14T02:05:13Z")
I saw something somewhere that said that each daughter has a special, individual activity that they do with their dad. His activity with Malia was reading through all 7 Harry Potter books with her. I think a recording of Barack Obama reading the Harry Potter books aloud in his distinctive voice and cadence would be weirdly hilarious to listen to. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/44 "2008-11-14T02:10:11Z")
> [@Vox\_Imperatoris](#): > > How can he be a Muslim if he doesn’t like coffee?! > /kidding > > Valete, > Vox Imperatoris His blackness cancels the coffee loving out. Whatever happened to that poster? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/45 "2008-11-14T02:33:15Z")
> [@kevja](#): > > He probably weighs 160 pounds. > > Maybe not impressive, but a 200 pound bench press not half bad for a 47 year old. During the early campaign (around the time of the “works out 3 times a day” scandal), there was some nonsense fluff-news piece about whether Obama was “too thin” to be president, on the grounds that by being in much better physical shape than the average American, he therefore isn’t really representative of “real America”. Anyway, the article gave his weight at around 180, ten pounds below the average for his height. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/46 "2008-11-14T03:56:00Z")
If he read the Harry Potter books, doesn’t that put him in league with the devil and witchcraft and sorcery, according to some fringe elements of the more informed of the religious fundamentalists? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/47 "2008-11-14T04:05:14Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > If he read the Harry Potter books, doesn’t that put him in league with the devil and witchcraft and sorcery, according to some fringe elements of the more informed of the religious fundamentalists? Got to keep those Antichrist _bona fides_ up, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/48 "2008-11-14T04:07:06Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > If he read the Harry Potter books, doesn’t that put him in league with the devil and witchcraft and sorcery, according to some fringe elements of the more informed of the religious fundamentalists? Excellent. AND he collects comics. What a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/49 "2008-11-14T04:52:26Z")
> [@Pazu](#): > > Geekery _is_ hip. The geeks have taken over, dudes. There’s no escaping it, and a guy like Obama is tailor-made for geeks. According to other sources on the 'net (and posted elsewhere on this board), he’s familiar with “All Your Base Are Belong to Us” to quote it in conversation. Obama is the first geek president - suck it, Fillmore - and as a geek, I’m proud. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/50 "2008-11-14T04:54:30Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Fairly interesting. Definitely our hippest president since Clinton. “Since” Clinton? Bill Clinton was a gifted hillbilly. He was about as hip as Lawrence Welk. I note the list claims he speaks Spanish. W. Bush does as well, making two Presidents in a row who spoke a language other than English. Who would have been the previous President to speak another language? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/51 "2008-11-14T04:58:46Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I note the list claims he speaks Spanish. W. Bush does as well, making two Presidents in a row who spoke a language other than English. Who would have been the previous President to speak another language? Jefferson spoke fluent French (and Latin and classical Greek too, IIRC). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/52 "2008-11-14T04:58:56Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I think a recording of Barack Obama reading the Harry Potter books aloud in his distinctive voice and cadence would be weirdly hilarious to listen to. “Can we beat Voldemort? YES WE CAN!” ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/53 "2008-11-14T05:05:24Z")
From [Newsweek](http://www.newsweek.com/id/167755/page/6): > [@](#): > > “That’s an interesting belt buckle,” he said to Michelle, mischievously. She feigned offense and said, “I am interesting, next to you. Surprise, surprise, a blue suit, a white shirt and a tie.” Obama grinned and bent down until he was almost at eye level with her waist. He jabbed a playful finger toward her belt buckle, and let loose his inner nerd. “The lithium crystals! Beam me up, Scotty!” Obama squeaked, laughing at his own lame joke as Michelle rolled her eyes. The guy is a total nerd. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/54 "2008-11-14T05:22:32Z")
[Obama’s a _bacon_ man!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvPw3QP8jl4) (One minute into the clip you can hear Michelle say she gets most of her protein from _bacon!_) ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/55 "2008-11-14T05:23:04Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Since” Clinton? Bill Clinton was a gifted hillbilly. He was about as hip as Lawrence Welk. I don’t know about that. [This](http://mjmetivier.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!602BF5866E286EA4!531.entry) was a pretty hip moment. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/56 "2008-11-14T05:25:51Z")
This list credits him with only one Grammy. [He has two.](http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5ia3ilncJM9HOibDxYWfGdj4PNXnA) Both were for best spoken word recordings. One was in 2005 for his book _Dreams from My Father_ and the other was in 2008 for his recording of his book, _The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream._ But hey, what’s two Grammies? I _am_ a Grammy for cryin’ out loud. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/57 "2008-11-14T05:31:43Z")
One of his favorite shows is M_A_S\*H? YES!!! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/58 "2008-11-14T05:35:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Jefferson spoke fluent French (and Latin and classical Greek too, IIRC). James A. Garfield could reputedly write Latin with one hand while writing in Greek with the other hand. Since he was also a classical languages instructor earlier in his career I assume he could speak both. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/59 "2008-11-14T07:34:39Z")
For the most part I’m thrilled with his geekiness (though…Conan? Hmmm). I also have a weird hope that he’s doing his best to pass on the geek to his kids, though that could just be my simmering resentment over my own father doing just that to me. > [@Marley23](#): > > James A. Garfield could reputedly write Latin with one hand while writing in Greek with the other hand. Since he was also a classical languages instructor earlier in his career I assume he could speak both. I _so_ want this to be true, and if it is, I might have a new Dead President Crush. Er, or I would, if having crushes on dead presidents wasn’t disturbing and abnormal. But since it is of course I don’t. Nope, not me. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569/60 "2008-11-14T11:28:22Z")
**Possibly untrue facts:** [ul] [li]He has 33 teeth.[/li][li]His CB radio handle is “Hamtoucher”.[/li][li]He can divide by zero.[/li][li]He has never believed in Santa Claus but did believe in the Easter Bunny until the age of 27.[/li][li]He has seen the film \*Repo Man \*147 times.[/li][li]His cousin Kwame runs a dairy in Kenya which produces the nation’s leading brand of blue cheese.[/li][li]He can turn the world on with a smile.[/li][li]He can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile.[/li][li]Despite his years as a Constitutional scholar he is still unable to recite the Preamble without humming that tune to himself.[/li][li]He knows all the lyrics to the “Gimme the Ball” number from \*A Chorus Line \*but will not perform it in public because he looks silly in leg warmers.[/li][li]He originally wanted to be a used tractor salesman when he grew up.[/li][li]He once ate an entire pig on a dare.[/li][li]His favorite Simpsons character is Ned Flanders.[/li][li]He is violently allergic to koalas.[/li][li]Sometimes he feels “less than fresh”.[/li][li]He actually cast his ballot for John McCain out of sympathy.[/li][li]He likes pudding.[/li][li]You know that headbanging thing everyone does to Bohemian Rhapsody? He doesn’t do that.[/li][li]He was once caught on an open mike referring to President Bush as a “total spedhead”.[/li][li]His subscription to Reader’s Digest expired in 1983.[/li][li]He likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain.[/li][/ul] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-facts-you-might-not-know-about-barack-obama/472569.md?page=4)