Someone needs to buy Biden a copy of Obama's autobiography; tells Scranton crowd Obama grew up in Kansas Biden talking about Barack Obama in his beloved Scranton had this to say: “I promise you, my word as a Biden. If Barack grew up in our neighborhood like he did in Kansas being raised by his grandparents, if he grew up here being raised by his grandparents, he’d have been our friend. He’d cover your back,†Biden said. “If I come back up here after this election and find you didn’t vote for him, you’re gonna have me to answer to on Demick Avenue, OK?†Fox Turns out these days Biden's word aint worth diddly squat. Barack Obama didn't grow up in Kansas...although the campaign would love America to think he did. As even the most casual of Obama students knows, Obama grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia.