The Chinese Obama
EmailABC News’ Jake Tapper, Sunlen Miller, Karen Travers and Nadine Shubailat report:
BEIJING — Before President Obama met with Chinese President and Paramount Leader Hu Jintao after arriving in Beijing, he squeezed in a brief family reunion of sorts with his half brother, Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo.
Ndesandjo shares a father with the president — the late Barack Obama Sr. who separated from the president’s mother when Obama was two, and married Ndesandjo’s mother, American Ruth Nidesand, who runs a kindergarten in Nairobi, Kenya.
In “Dreams From My Father,” Obama describes meeting Mark, who said at the time he never thought of settling in Kenya since, “there’s not much work for a physicist, is there, in a country where the average person doesn’t have a telephone… You think that somehow I’m cut off from my roots, that sort of thing. Well, you’re right… At a certain point I made the decision not to think about who my real father was. He was dead to me even when he was still alive. I knew that he was a drunk and showed no concern for his wife and children. That was enough.”
“It made you mad,” Obama said.
“Not mad,” replied Mark.” Just numb.”
Obama wrote that when he said goodbye to Mark, “we exchanged addresses and promised to write, with a dishonesty that made my heart ache.”
Ndesandjo grew up in Kenya but now lives near Hong Kong. He and his wife flew in specially this week to meet with the President.
In an interview Wednesday with ABC News, Ndesandjo said he is “over the moon” for having seen his “big brother” in China.
“When I looked at Barack, I said ‘hey you’re — those are nice threads you’re wearing man, bro. We dressed up for you but we didn’t think you’d look this good.’ And he smiled.”
The two first met in 1988 when a young Barack Obama visited Nairobi.
“It was a very powerful experience coming out to Nairobi, I was on my way to University graduate school and I walked out into the, our house and I saw this big lanky guy with a huge afro,” Ndesandjo recalled of their first meeting. “Very serious face. The face of a dreamer.”
It was one of only a handful of meetings the two have had. They last met on inauguration and once again in Austin, Texas during the 2008 Presidential campaign.
In a new semi-autobiographical book, “Nairobi to Shenzhen,” Ndesandjo writes about their shared father, who he describes as an alcoholic and abusive man he lived with for seven years.
“I had no positive memories of him, because my skin had hardened in many ways to things about him that he represented for a long, long time,” Ndesandjo said in an interview with ABC News. “It was the fact that I couldn’t protect my mother, that was the thing which, which no child wants to go though. No child wants to go through that.”
What kept Ndesandjo going is something that he believes that he and his half-brother, Barack share.
“The thing that pulled me through was my mother, the women in our lives. And these are things which also run I believe through Barack’s life. Because they are strong women. You need strong women in families that experience as much as we did.”
Ndesandjo for a long while went without the added “Obama” to his name, and just recently re-added the now famous name.
“I didn’t use it for years,” Ndesandjo said. “In the sense that there are many things that I want to leave behind in my life. For example, the Obama name, which is something that I had a long time coming to terms with.”
Ndesandjo bears a resemblance to his brother – the same broad smile and similar mannerisms – so much so that President Obama once describes him like looking in a “foggy mirror.”
“Well I hope right now we’re just cleaning that mirror a little bit, “Ndesandjo said with a smile.
In an interview with CNN’s Ed Henry, President Obama said of Mark, “Well, you know, I don’t know him well. I met him for the first time a couple of years ago. He stopped by with his wife for about five minutes during the trip. I haven’t read the book.
“But it’s no secret that my father was a troubled person. Anybody who’s read my first book, ‘Dreams of My Father,’ knows that, you know, he had an alcoholism problem and that he didn’t treat his families very well. And, you know, so, obviously, that’s just a sad part of my history and my background. But it’s not something that I — I spend a lot of time brooding over.”
Watch our GMA report on the interview, and President Obama’s last days in China:
– Jake Tapper, Sunlen Miller, Karen Travers and Nadine Shubailat
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
That is most desirable; and, blood memory of brotherly has it all there.
Posted by: EMANUWA | November 18, 2009, 8:07 am 8:07 am
That is beautiful,i like their courage, despite who their father was ,they got this far,fathers should take care of their families. one can make it in life without a fathers inheritance, with THE ALMIGHTY GOD ON YOUR SIDE, THE ALL SUFFICIENT GOD OF YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW. Haif bros should also learn from this and reconcile,cos you never can tell if he is the next president of the coming generation.
Posted by: DAKS | November 18, 2009, 9:32 am 9:32 am
I rarely read articles in their entirety. I would usually glean for salient aspects and move on. This piece on the Obama brothers captivated me so I got to the end of it and was surprised there wasn’t more. I keep thinking, if their father could see them now he might say with pride, perhaps one he doesn’t deserve, “Look what I wrought”. I find it comforting that there doesn’t seem to b animosity, both are well educated and successful; one a physicist and the other, the one and only POTUS, leader of the free world. Imagine that! It feels me with pride, even though I did nothing but cast a ballot.
Posted by: BoltLatch | November 18, 2009, 9:53 am 9:53 am
JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE!…..OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT…2012….2016…2020….2024…FOREVER! END OF CONVERSATION
Posted by: hot coffee | November 18, 2009, 10:21 am 10:21 am
Why make Mr. Obama senior out to be so horrible? These weren’t one-night stands. He married these women. How is he any different than Donald Trump who has three sets of families, three different moms. Trump just has more money.
Posted by: Missy | November 18, 2009, 10:25 am 10:25 am
Personally, I’m on the edge of my seat.
Posted by: LongT | November 18, 2009, 10:32 am 10:32 am
To Missy: You must not have read the article too closely, the President’s half brother, Michael, lived with their father for 7 years. He said, their father was abusive and an alcoholic. The President acknowledge that their father had “an alcoholism problem and that he didn’t treat his families very well.” Mr. Trump might be an egomaniac and not very impressive from the public information we have access to, but, I have never heard that Mr. Trump is abusive to his family, wives included, nor an alcoholic.
As Abraham Lincoln famously said, “Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.”
Posted by: Ralph | November 18, 2009, 11:24 am 11:24 am
===The two first met in 1988 when a young Barack Obama visited Nairobi.===
===”Well, you know, I don’t know him well. I met him for the first time a couple of years ago. He stopped by with his wife for about five minutes during the trip. I haven’t read the book.===
Very odd. Everything with Obama has inconsistencies.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 11:31 am 11:31 am
It’s like Obama didn’t read his own book.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 11:32 am 11:32 am
Watch out Bo….remember Billy Carter and Roger Clinton………….
Posted by: kab4usa | November 18, 2009, 11:35 am 11:35 am
Very interesting story. Nice to know that they’ve made efforts to try and keep in touch. I do see a family resemblance…in looks and mannerisms. It’s fascinating that neither of them allowed themselves to be victims of their circumstances…everyone should take note.
Posted by: hello | November 18, 2009, 11:44 am 11:44 am
Come on Jake, you helped write this article. Surely you noticed Obama either didn’t meet this brother in 1988 or he misspoke about meeting him for the first time with his wife, a couple of years ago. There is a story here if you have the nerve to look into it.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 11:45 am 11:45 am
“I met him for the first time a couple of years ago.”I guess he didn’t clear that passage from “Dreams. . .” with Bill Ayers.
Posted by: Nephron | November 18, 2009, 12:02 pm 12:02 pm
===Posted by: Nephron | Nov 18, 2009 12:02:57 PM===
Who knows? But like all things Obama, no one will ask. 11 AP writers fact checking a book by Palin and not one person wondering how Obama can describe a meeting with his brother in Nairobi in 1988 in Dreams but recalls meeting him for the first time a couple of years ago, when he was with his wife in a recent interview.
If I were ABC, I’d wonder why none of the 4 writers of this article caught that.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
Obama’s father was a bit of an Alley Cat,huh? Seems Obama has brothers in every foreign city.
Posted by: Diane | November 18, 2009, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
That is really odd, Axey.
Posted by: MayBee | November 18, 2009, 12:11 pm 12:11 pm
===That is really odd, Axey.===
Apparently it is only odd to me and you, MayBee. Certainly the authors of this article didn’t find it odd or worthy of noticing.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 12:14 pm 12:14 pm
If reporters had any curiosity they might ask about Franz Fanon, about “tidal rivers” from someone who grew up on an island with NO rivers,about the Andersen book’s comments,about spending a 75 grand advance without being able to write anything.If I can pick this stuff up by part-time research, imagine what a dedicated investigative reporter could find.Mr. Obama keeps dropping these strange hints that tend to unravel the whole mythic narrative.Ideology is blinding the press from finding the truth.
Posted by: Nephron | November 18, 2009, 12:26 pm 12:26 pm
Does it seem like Obama is oddly disconnected from his family? I understand the split-family aspect, but lots of people grow up in split families but still manage to see their half-siblings or keep in touch — According to this article, Obama hasn’t seen his brother in over a decade and he makes five minutes for him.
Obama’s own aunt, who he wrote about in his book, lived in Boston for for several years without Obama even knowing until a newspaper article was written about it. His other brother lived in poverty without any assistance from Obama. Were any Obama relatives at the inauguration?
With today’s technology, email, etc. it’s so easy to stay in touch with far-away relatives, so it’s a bit confusing why Obama doesn’t know his brother very well.
Posted by: Really? | November 18, 2009, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
Obama and his family dynamics are such a contrast from the close-knit Bush clan.
Posted by: Me | November 18, 2009, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
“Well, you know, I don’t know him well. I met him for the first time a couple of years ago. ***He stopped by with his wife for about five minutes during the trip.*** I haven’t read the book.”
I misread the last part of this. He [Obama} was so disjointed I thought he was still referring to his meeting with his brother a couple of years ago. His wife was introduced to Obama for the first time on this trip to China, so he [Obama]is referring to the recent meeting not a past meeting. Anyway. The original point remains. Did he or did he not meet his brother in 1988 as Dreams tells us he did? The AP article on this doesn’t mention his 1988 meeting so either they are covering for him or Tapper, et al, are wrong.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
===Obama hasn’t seen his brother in over a decade and he makes five minutes for him===
The brother was at his inauguration and in Austin in 2008.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 12:56 pm 12:56 pm
“Hot Coffee”….What makes Obama so perfect that you want him for a dictator?
Posted by: Diane | November 18, 2009, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
Can’t wait to see in the news what position he gets appointed to.
Posted by: Jim Rod | November 18, 2009, 1:00 pm 1:00 pm
Why are you people so judgemental? Families has different dynamics, and most of you are from a dysfunctional divorce family, your parents has married twice or more, what make you so different? people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Posted by: Marcella | November 18, 2009, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
Come on now, all truthers, birthers, conspiracy theorists. Can’t you come up with some more nefarious that you can nag Obama about? There has to be something hiding. The reporters are vetting him properly. You go for it. Dig, dig, dig, until you find something that will destroy him – or just dig, dig, dig until you bury your sorry selves!!!
Posted by: geecee827 | November 18, 2009, 1:27 pm 1:27 pm
===people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.===
And people who are making up their life story should at least get it memorized.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
===Come on now, all truthers, birthers, conspiracy theorists.===
Truthers are Obama supporters, but aside from that, explain how Obama met this brother in 1988 and then just met him a couple of years ago?
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 1:52 pm 1:52 pm
Of course, the answer is that Mr. Obama never wrote the passage in the book that describes the “meeting” in 1988 and simply forgot that it was in the book.
Posted by: Nephron | November 18, 2009, 2:01 pm 2:01 pm
“Truthers are Obama supporters”
Not really.
Truthers are a mixture of anti government and far left nuts with a heavy sprinkling of people who believe inall manner of conspiracy theory (JFK. RFK, moon landing etc)
Posted by: Ryan C | November 18, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
===Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 18, 2009 2:03:46 PM===
Truthers are people who believe our government, specifically Bush/Cheney, allowed 9/11 to happen, or actually planted the bombs that brought down the towers.
Maybe you could explain to me how Obama wrote with such anguish in Dreams about this brother he only met a couple of years ago?
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:06 pm 2:06 pm
“how Obama can describe a meeting with his brother in Nairobi in 1988 in Dreams but recalls meeting him for the first time a couple of years ago, when he was with his wife in a recent interview.”
ROFLMAO!
I just solved the right wing conspiracy theory and as usual it revoles around ignorance, willful or otherwise.
Obama met Malik Obama in 1985 in Nairobi later introducing him to Michele in 1998. They were best man at each other’s wedding.
This is Mark Ndesandjo
Took me five seconds to check this but I guess the right wing rather forth at the mouth.
Posted by: Ryan C | November 18, 2009, 2:07 pm 2:07 pm
===Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 18, 2009 2:07:49 PM===
Oh Ryan, you really should have spent more time refuting me.
From Dreams:
“‘So, Mark,’ I said, turning to my brother, ‘I hear you’re at Berkeley.’
“‘Stanford,’ he corrected. His voice was deep, his accent perfectly American. ‘I’m in my last year of the physics program there.’”
“I asked him how it felt being back for the summer.
“‘Fine,’ he said. ‘It’s nice to see my mom and dad, of course. … As for the rest of Kenya, I don’t feel much of an attachment. Just another poor African country.’
“‘You don’t ever think about settling here?’
“Mark took a sip from his Coke. ‘No,’ he said.
There is more from Dreams, but I’ll stop there. Enough for you to see you are wrong.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm
Oh, and Ryan, google truther. My definition is the accepted one.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:17 pm 2:17 pm
Axey never thought of you a tinfoil hatter.
But I guess its a natural progression for right wingers living in an alternate universe.
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 18, 2009 2:20:48 PM
_____________________
RC’s obsession with “right wingers” is an alternate universe in itself.
Posted by: Jen | November 18, 2009, 2:25 pm 2:25 pm
Ryan,
I thought you refuted my claim that Obama met Mark in 1988? Now I’m confused. A couple of years ago, which would have been his meeting in Austin in 2008, I suppose, as opposed to 21 years ago. I can see how you think I’m a hatter.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
I want Ryan to explain to me how Obama forgot his meeting with his brother Mark in 1988. He was not referring to that meeting in 1988. Even AP, which left out the Dreams meeting in its entirety, reported the first meeting as recently.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
“Oh, and Ryan, google truther. My definition is the accepted one.”
You stated their beliefs.
I stated the groups that make up the people with those beliefs.
Posted by: Ryan C | November 18, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm
“The obvious reason why Obama made the comment that he made was that it is true- he only met him “a couple of years ago”.He never wrote the passage in the book and was either not aware that it was there,or he completely forgot it was there.Facts are facts.”
ROFLMAO!
Again it hinges on Obama saying I met him a couple of years ago versus a couple of decades ago.
And you call this proof he did not write his book!
ROFLMAO!
Posted by: Ryan C | November 18, 2009, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
===Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 18, 2009 2:45:25 PM===
You are not in a strong position to be ROTFLMAOing. You have been wrong twice now.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:49 pm 2:49 pm
===Simple when he said a couple of years ago he was to the earlier meeting. ===
If that makes sense to you, then I’ll just have to let it go. You aren’t about to examine why Obama contradicts Obama.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
===Let me guess, Beck viewer?
Posted by: Ryan C | Nov 18, 2009 2:49:41 PM===
Not regularly, but I have watched him. I didn’t know Beck was discussing this discrepancy between Obama and well, Obama.
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 3:02 pm 3:02 pm
Let the scales drop from your eyes.Mr. Obama has stated a fatal contradiction.What does common sense tell you when an individual states that he met his own brother “a couple of years ago”?That he met him 5,10,20 or some other number of years ago?You are trying to shoe-horn this admission into the fact that if it is true,Barack Obama could not have written the passage in “Dreams…”QED.
Posted by: Nephron | November 18, 2009, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
===Well knowing that you are a birther, I understand why you personally reject the simple explanation for the nefarious and logically unsound.===
Which simple explanation are you referring to? That he met Malik, not Mark in 1988? Or that a couple means 21?
Posted by: Axey | November 18, 2009, 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
Of course he’s excited. He’s going to hit him up for $50
Posted by: Suc Mi Wang | November 18, 2009, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
Fathers who do not live up to their responsibilities when married or those who resort to abusing their wife and children are losers. The best revenge to be nothing like them and become a success and not follow in their pathetic footsteps.
Posted by: Preston | November 18, 2009, 8:37 pm 8:37 pm
They are both “Con Artists”.
Posted by: JoeBull444 | November 18, 2009, 9:37 pm 9:37 pm