# Obama & Middle East **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838 "2008-02-23T11:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/1 "2008-02-23T11:41:52Z")
I feel this hasn’t been brought out enough during the Primaries. What ties does Obama have to the Middle East? My wife read something about this in a Reader’s Digest (RD), but she can’t recall exactly. So, I ask the Dopers if any saw this RD article, and/or other such articles that address this? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/2 "2008-02-23T12:19:39Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] What ties does Obama have to the Middle East? [/QUOTE] He’s a Christian. Your wife’s probably picked up on [this catalogue of falsehoods](http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp). > [@Jinx](#): > > I feel this hasn’t been brought out enough during the Primaries. You have got to be kidding. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/3 "2008-02-23T12:27:46Z")
What state does Obama represent? Illinois. Illinois lies to the right of the Mid West. Therefore he must have really close links to the Mid East - they voted for him! Or something. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/4 "2008-02-23T12:46:58Z")
Was it in _Laughter, the Best Medicine_ by any chance? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/5 "2008-02-23T13:37:27Z")
I bet Obama knows where the Middle East is. I bet he can even name a country or two located there. Ta-da…Obama has ties to the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/6 "2008-02-23T13:54:10Z")
He did live in Indonesia for a few years as a child, which is not in America, and is a Muslim-majority nation. This has confused many voters into thinking he is a Muslim and everyone knows Muslims are from the Middle East so…is that the connection you’re looking for? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/7 "2008-02-23T13:57:08Z")
Ooh, ooh, I know. His middle name is Saddam. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/8 "2008-02-23T15:10:28Z")
He also has long family ties to the Saudi royal family that go back years, in fact the Sauds have funded some of his family’s failed business ventures which might suggest they were buying political influrence. Oh wait, that’s Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/9 "2008-02-23T15:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] What ties does Obama have to the Middle East? [/QUOTE] I didn’t even know they made ties in the middle east, **Jinx**. Still, I’m sure he’ll ‘buy American’ from now on… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/10 "2008-02-23T16:25:26Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] > [@Jinx](#): > > I feel this hasn’t been brought out enough during the Primaries. You have got to be kidding. [/QUOTE] Actually, it might be a good thing to have it brought up more often in (semi-)formal settings. Only through public, vocal, and repeated refuting will some of these stupid memes go away. Or, at least, be diminished, as I’m sure some people will simply never listen. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/11 "2008-02-23T16:33:00Z")
[QUOTE=Jinx] What ties does Obama have to the Middle East? [/QUOTE] Well, he \*is \*related to Dick Cheney, who spends a good deal of time around Bush. Maybe it’s one of those 6 degrees of separation things? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-middle-east/438838/12 "2008-02-23T16:38:44Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Ooh, ooh, I know. His middle name is Saddam. [/QUOTE] No you’re confused. It’s bin Laden.