Obama Traces His Love of Basketball to an Xmas Gift from his Absent Father

ABC News Blogs ^ | December 13, 2009 | Jake Tapper

[Oldeconomybuyer]

One of the most significant Christmas presents President Obama ever received was a basketball from the father who was largely absent from his life, the president told Oprah Winfrey.

This and other Xmas revelations are part of "Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special," set to air Sunday night on ABC at 10 p.m. ET.

Asked his favorite Christmas gift as a child, the president recalled a 10 speed bike and then said, "I do remember the one time I met my father he was visiting during Christmas and he gave me a basketball and - the degree to which I came to love basketball - it wasn't until much later in life that I realized, ‘Actually, he gave me that basketball.' I think there was some cause and effect there in terms of the degree to which I just ended up taking up the sport as a kid who didn't know his dad."

The First Lady's favorite childhood gift was "a metal doll house with plastic furniture ... I remember I really didn't know how to set up a house so I had all the furniture lined up along the walls as opposed to nestled around the fireplace, but I loved that little doll house."

Pressed by Winfrey, the First Lady said she had an Easy Bake Oven "but you know once you run out of the mix it's like you're done with it."

[TribalPrincess2U]

yawn

[Mac from Cleveland]

Boy, they put the “fun” in “dysFUNctional”, don’t they?

[manic4organic]

Why would a Muslim give (or receive) a Christmas present?

[Sacajaweau]

Sounds like a phoney baloney story. Geez....

[Fantasywriter]

I think ‘X’ is sometimes used as an abbreviation for ‘Christ.’ In Greek, ‘Christ’ is spelled ‘Xristos’ (the ‘X’ is pronounced just like a hard ‘K’). Fwiw.

[LibFreeOrDie]

The First Lady's favorite childhood gift was "a metal doll house with plastic furniture ... I remember I really didn't know how to set up a house so I had all the furniture lined up along the walls as opposed to nestled around the fireplace, but I loved that little doll house." Pressed by Winfrey, the First Lady said she had an Easy Bake Oven "but you know once you run out of the mix it's like you're done with it."

Geez, what a Debbie Downer!

[Names Ash Housewares]

Correct me if I am wrong. But didn’t one of them say they didn’t give their own kids Christmas presents?

[bgill]

What the hell is Xmas?

Oh, puleeze, here we go again. So, when you're in church and you look up at the crucifix, you condemn the PX on it? You both know, or should, that the X is our English interpretation of the ancient Greek for an abbreviation (oooh, a short cut!) for His name. Isn't is appropriate that the X so closely resembles a cross being carried, but you don't like symbolism either. I suppose you also condemn the fish symbol as well. But that's ok, you go right ahead and write His name as C H R I S T, not that He ever wrote it like that, but you are right and everyone back through the ages is wrong.

[Sacajaweau]

My daughter is the same age is Michelle. I never bought my daughter an easy bake like the girl next door. Of course, she bought her daughter one....and discovered why mom never bought her one.

Not a grinch....just easier to cook a BIG cake in a real oven and have one less item for the garage sale. (No, not my daughter)...She's a keeper!!

[musicman]

"Obama Traces His Love of Basketball to an Xmas Gift from his Absent Father"

[PennsylvaniaMom]

I am probably the only American female of my generation who has fond memories of her Easy Bake Oven.

I loved it.

I used it...somehow my dad even got a special replacement bulb (not a reg. light bulb). Sigh...

This made sense, because the row house I grew up in had a second kitchen (Upstairs) which was my bedroom. The stove had long been taken out, but the solid one peice case iron sink was used for my Easy Bake Oven (and of course as Barbie’s inground swimming pool.)

Memories.

[divine_moment_of_facts]

Fantasywriter POLITELY informed me of that in FReep Mail. I thanked him for the information and said I wouldn't be insulted if he posted it on the thread for others to learn.

Merry Christmas!

[Yaelle]

"Here's the general rule, I give nicer stuff than I get," he said.

This contradicts the more trustworthy opinion of Larry Sinclair completely.

[Fantasywriter]

Blush blush. Divine moment, you are too kind. Bgill, why the harshness? It is the advent season. All Christians are rejoicing that God sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sins. Can we not even be gracious to our fellow believers?

Many blessings, and praise to God for the miracle of Jesus’ birth, death, and everlasting grace and redemption.

[JohnBovenmyer]

Here's the general rule, I give nicer stuff than I get," he said.

I saw somewhere recently that actually he doesn't give anything. The girls officially don't get ANY Christmas or birthday presents from their parents although Santa provides some gifts for the former and the folks do host expensive parties for the latter.

So the REAL general rule remains, "When he's talking, he's lying."

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Would that be the same father that beat the hell out of his 2nd (or 3rd) wife kids?

(Wow, that is one ugly, dysfunctional non-family.)

[bgill]

Not harsh, just stating facts to someone who is trying to start something. For someone with the name of “divine_moment_of_facts”, she/he has the facts messed up once again with his/her holier than thou post - “I think the rule of thumb is that the children take the fathers religion.. At least that it how it should be.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2406700/posts

[rlmorel]

Which father is he talking about?

[P-Marlowe]

I think ‘X’ is sometimes used as an abbreviation for ‘Christ.’ In Greek, ‘Christ’ is spelled ‘Xristos’ (the ‘X’ is pronounced just like a hard ‘K’). Fwiw.

So I guess if you want to Anglicize it, it should be CHMAS?

[ozzymandus]

Obama won’t be talking about golf for a while.