If Obama was in Hogwarts, what house would he be in?

[XemaSab]

Poll question: If Obama was in Hogwarts, what house would he be in?

(Yes, this is what we call "for fun.")

Gryffindors are known for bravery. Harry Potter and most of his friends are in Gryffindor.

Hufflepuffs are known for loyalty and diligence. Cedric (from Goblet of Fire) was a Hufflepuff.

Ravenclaws are known for intelligence. Their house motto is "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Luna Lovegood is a Ravenclaw. So is Cho (Harry's girlfriend in Order of the Phoenix).

Slytherins are known for craftiness: they will use any means to achieve their ends. (Bear in mind: sometimes the selfishness of Slytherins extends to the people or causes that they care for.) Snape, Draco, and Slughorn are Slytherins.

So which do you think best exemplifies Obama? :shrug:

[sakabatou]

1. Most Republicans would fit the roles of Crabb and Doyle.

[Fearless]

2. Other... he would call for school unity...

So perhaps he and the Sorting Hat will create their own house. It'll have high hopes for success and change, but in the end won't be any different than the other four because of unrealistic expectations by their peers.

[Marsala]

3. Practically all politicians would be in Slytherin n/t

[vaberella]

11. Not really... I always saw Dumbledore as a politician and he seemed to be a Gryff. n/t

[Raineyb]

14. Not seemed. Was. Dumbledore was a Gryff as a student n/t

[snake in the grass]

13. I highly doubt Kucinich would be in Slytherin. n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. He would have been a squib

Not able to work any magic.

[Raineyb]

16. Definitely not!

No way Kucinich ends up in the house of Snake.

I do rather enjoy this chance to combine politics and Role playing. :P

[Number23]

4. No QUESTION. *Ravenclaw*

Many of his opposers would be in Hufflepuff. Repubs would be in either Hpuff or Slytherin.

Edit: Damn, I just noticed that you had to put "descriptions" of the types of people in each house! Doesn't everyone already know this stuff??? :shrug:

Edit II: In before this gets dragged kicking and screaming to The Lounge!!!

[ccharles000]

5. I agree that he would be in Ravenclaw.

Repugs would not be in Hufflepuff the are to vile.

[Number23]

6. I hear ya, charles. But keep in mind the sort of errr, "simple" people wind up in Hpuff

[ccharles000]

7. simple yes but nice and willing to help.

[Number23]

8. You're right. Maybe the Repubs would be in the dungeons UNDER Hogwarts

[ccharles000]

9. yup

[XemaSab]

12. I think that's an overly broad generalization

I am personally fond of the class reading, where the Slytherins are the gentry, the Ravenclaws are the academics, the Gryffindors are the middle class, and the Hufflepuffs are the working class. :shrug:

[Raineyb]

18. On the other hand Hermione was the smartest student in that year and she was a Gryffindor.

:shrug:

[Number23]

40. Excellent point, Rainey. Rowling should address this because it's clear in her first books

that the smart kids were in Ravenclaw. Although of course, it's entirely possible to have smarties in other houses.

I think Ravenclaw would be like MIT -- full of bookish, brilliant nerds. Maybe Hermione was viewed as possessing qualities other than just book sense (quick on her feet, leadership skills etc.) and that's why she was a better fit for Gryff.

[vaberella]

10. He would be in Slytherin. He is the master of strategy and tactics.

Every other house would be weak in comparison. For all those who picked Ravenclaw---Slytherin's can be intelligent too. Slytherin's can also be honorable if Snape has any say in the matter. He plays both sides of the fence to get his way and he does it well (while still working in the end for the winning side or good side). He's smooth, he's calculated and he thinks ahead. He keeps friends close but his enemies closer and has no problem letting them take themselves out if it helps his goals. Further more, in a bit of paraphrasing one of his phrases, "I'm willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. But if you cross me, I'll crush you." He was all manner of joking but it seems fitting.

[Raineyb]

17. Entirely plausible. Harry Potter himself nearly ended up in Slytherin n/t

[XemaSab]

21. Harry nearly ended up in Slytherin because of the

you-know-what. :hide:

[Raineyb]

39. The only reason he didn't end up in Slytherin is because he literally plead during the sorting

Not Slytherin. The hat still thought he'd do well there and it had nothing to do with Voldermort.

[Jennicut]

19. I saw the movie last night. I am not sure which one Obama would be in but

I wanna be a Slytherin for sure....LOL. With Snape.
Seriously, Obama would be a mix of Gryffindor (courage), Ravenclaw (intelligence), and Slytherin (tactician).
Hufflepuff seems a bit to ordinary for Obama to have anything in common with them.

[vaberella]

25. I put Michelle in Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff (it's the huggies she likes to give). ^_^ n/t

[Jennicut]

26. Michelle is a sweetie.

:)

[Alcibiades]

20. Republicans are Death Eaters

Cheney is Voldemort.

Obama seems Gryffindor to me. Perhaps his status as an intellectual leads folks to think he's Ravenclaw, but being smart does not preclude one from being in Gryffindor--it's a question of what is one's highest value. Obama seems to embody chivalry and caring for the underdog rather more than simply valuing intellect for itself as its own value.

[Perky]

23. actually. the Republicans are these guys.

Orcs!!!!

[Jennicut]

24. LOL. That is their level of intelligence.

[Alcibiades]

30. No way!

They are not orcs. Orcs are waaaay too cool to be Republicans.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

32. Orcs are brave enough to actually FIGHT.

Confronted with a republican, an orc would just laugh and kill him with a fart.

[Perky]

22. I am still holding out for the House of the Rising Sun.

[Beacool]

27. I agree with the majority: Ravenclaw

I don't think he qualifies for Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. I don't see him as a portrait of courage, nor particularly loyal (the undercarriage of his bus is overcrowded with those he has thrown under it). He definitely fits at Ravenclaw, even though he could easily slide into Slytherin (just as most politicians).

:D

[RichardRay]

28. No way to know without the Sorting Hat

and given Barack's fashion sense I doubt he'd ever let them put it on his head.

[HopeOverFear]

29. Damn. I gotta read Harry Potter books.

[Hippo_Tron]

31. If we're going by characteristics only, Slytherin

But the fact is that Slytherins (or at least Malfoy's friends) tend to be racist rich snobs and thus Obama would have no place there.

I contend that there is no such thing as a Gryffindor in politics.

[karynnj]

35. I think there are a few politicians who do fit Gryffindor

The most obvious is John Kerry, who shows physical courage risking his life to safe someone else, then showed a more subtle kind of courage in standing up to the paranoid Nixon administration, then standing against illegally funding the Contras, and finally standing against everyone to investigate BCCI. Courage and loyalty are themes throughout his career. None of those three examples would have been done by someone just aiming for power - as each could have immediately ended his political career. Kerry is extraordinarily intelligent, but his courage and integrity are what sets him apart.

As to Obama, I would tend to say Ravenclaw, but I think a case could be made that it did require courage to be the first African American to run for President as the party's nominee.

[Hippo_Tron]

38. You could characterize those mostly as high risk/high reward actions

As to the first one, risking his life to save somebody else I agree that was indeed courageous and heroic. I should clarify to mean that I don't think politicians are incapable of doing courageous things. I think that they don't do courageous things in the arena of politics. Outside of politics they can certainly do things that are courageous just as anybody else.

All of the things that you mentioned above standing up against Nixon, BCCI, Contras were certainly all risky. Standing up to the powers that be is always risky. But if you are successful in standing up to them then the rewards are also very high.

If you define a courageous politician as one who is less risk averse than other politicians, then I will agree that John Kerry is courageous in the arena of politics. If you define a courageous politician as one who will do risky things that have little to no reward then I would say that no such politician exists.

[Bluenorthwest]

33. Which House wants to keep Dumbledore without rights

to please the muggles?

[Bluenorthwest]

34. I wanted to add that I was joking

and my serious vote would be Ravenclaw. And that is how I voted. I like this thread.

[camera obscura]

36. Obviously Gryffindor. Ravenclaws are more like the behind the scenes wonks.

[woo me with science]

37. Definitely Gryffindor. He's not just an egghead.

What he does takes tremendous courage.