Obama: Cousin of Six American Presidents

[Democratic Hawk]

Study Finds Clinton Related to Angelina Jolie, Obama to Brad Pitt

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/03/25/study-finds-clinton-related-to-angelina-jolie-obama-to-brad-pitt/

Obama has a prolific presidential lineage that features Democrats and Republicans. His distant cousins include President George W. Bush and his father, George H.W. Bush, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Johnson, Harry S. Truman and James Madison. Other Obama cousins include Vice President Dick Cheney, British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and Civil War General Robert E. Lee.

Some great men among that lot

Dave

[MODU]

Makes you wonder just how these lines all cross.  Other than being related to members of the Shelton Gang in Illinois, I can't think of any other "major" relations outside of one actor that I have in my linage. 

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

One of my former roommates was a distant cousin of Tommy Tutone, the dude who sang the smash 80s hit "867-5309".   

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Well gosh, this settles it. He deserves to be the President!

[defe07]

Well, my dad's great uncle was a U.S. Senator, and we didn't need to go into the DNA tests.

[Eraserhead]

One of my former roommates was a distant cousin of Tommy Tutone, the dude who sang the smash 80s hit "867-5309".   

Congrats on that one.

[opebo]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Weren't Kerry and Bush related like 8 generations back too?

[Meeker]

Weren't Kerry and Bush related like 8 generations back too?

[Hash]

John Kerry was also related to Brice Lalonde, French ecologist and former mayor of a town 15 minutes from Saint-Malo.

[Silent Hunter]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

No, it just means most Americans are somehow related. You're probably related to both of them too. I'm probably related somehow.

[JSojourner]

I wish there were an easy way I could find out who I was related to.  I mean, famous people past or present.

I have been told that my father's family goes back to General John Stark of the American Revolution.  (I am not sure I believe that.)  On my mother's side, her mother's maiden name was Kossuth.  And they claimed a direct link to Hungarian revolutionary Lajos Kossuth.

I just think this is fun stuff -- I don't take it seriously and I would not be surprised at all if both sides of the family embellished.

[Democratic Hawk]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/14/wusupols314.xml

John McCain and Barack Obama are both descended from William I ('the Lion'), King of Scotland

Dave

[Brittain33]

No, it just means most Americans are somehow related. You're probably related to both of them too. I'm probably related somehow.

A very high proportion of people in the U.S. and Europe are descended from royalty, particularly Charlemagne. Kings have multiple children and the younger sons and daughters of the younger sons and daughters breed their way back into the masses over time. Anyone with some connection to 19th century white Protestant America probably can make similar claims to royal decent and collateral Presidential relatives. Also, it's inevitable that a British newspaper will now reveal the links between Obama and McCain and Queen Elizabeth II. With his British West Indies roots, Colin Powell was actually the closest relation to her in previous elections.

[Joe Republic]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

Actually, you're not entirely wrong.  I remember reading somewhere back during the last election that in every single presidential election, the candidate with the higher proportion of aristocratic lineage always won the popular vote.  2004 was the first to break the mold.

I'll try and find a link to it.

[Erc]

No, it just means most Americans are somehow related. You're probably related to both of them too. I'm probably related somehow.

A very high proportion of people in the U.S. and Europe are descended from royalty, particularly Charlemagne. Kings have multiple children and the younger sons and daughters of the younger sons and daughters breed their way back into the masses over time. Anyone with some connection to 19th century white Protestant America probably can make similar claims to royal decent and collateral Presidential relatives. Also, it's inevitable that a British newspaper will now reveal the links between Obama and McCain and Queen Elizabeth II. With his British West Indies roots, Colin Powell was actually the closest relation to her in previous elections.

I know I'm descended from Edward I, for example...and, as you said, most people in the US are probably descended from Charlemagne.

[nyquil_man]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

Legend has it that, in a presidential election, the candidate most closely related to the British royal family wins.  Apparently Dubya broke that trend.

[Beet]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

Legend has it that, in a presidential election, the candidate most closely related to the British royal family wins.  Apparently Dubya broke that trend.

It's still statistically significant /snark

[Stranger in a strange land]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

Legend has it that, in a presidential election, the candidate most closely related to the British royal family wins.  Apparently Dubya broke that trend.

has anyone ever noticed that Dubya looks like Prince Charles?

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Still not as ed as the royal families of Europe though

[MODU]

Would that mean electing Obama would in turn be a third-term for Bush as well? 

[Stranger in a strange land]

Would that mean electing Obama would in turn be a third-term for Bush as well? 

Nah. Everyone's related if you go back far enough.

[The Mikado]

The interesting part is that America does clearly have an upper class/aristocracy from which They normally draw 'our leaders'.

Actually, you're not entirely wrong.  I remember reading somewhere back during the last election that in every single presidential election, the candidate with the higher proportion of aristocratic lineage always won the popular vote.  2004 was the first to break the mold.

I'll try and find a link to it.

Gore had bluer blood than Bush?

[??????????]

Still not as ed as the royal families of Europe though

My Hapsburg roots aren't that God awful.

[Democratic Hawk]

Still not as ed as the royal families of Europe though

My Hapsburg roots aren't that God awful.

Any Hapsburg in particular?

Dave