As seen in NewYorker.com
When did genealogy become the silliest science? This week, researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society climbed up into the family trees of the leading contenders for President, and what they found was surprising—and risible. Hillary Clinton, whose mother is of French-Canadian extraction, is distantly related to such luminaries as Angelina Jolie (ninth cousin, twice removed), Madonna, Celine Dion, and Alanis Morissette. Obama, through his white Kansan mother, is related to six U.S. Presidents, including George W. Bush, and Brad Pitt (ninth cousin). McCain’s origins are less well known, but he is a sixth cousin of First Lady Laura Bush. Below is a classic skit about family trees from 1965, starring Julie Andrews and Gene Kelly, either of whom may well be related to the candidates.—Ben Greenman
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