Revisiting The Personality Of Barack Obama

The Personality Of Barack Hussein Obama

Grandeur:

Barack Hussein Obama is an exotic personality. We tend to think of successful people as having large scale personalities and that is often the case. That is, they are much like us but their drives are stronger, their endurance greater, their will power unwavering. In the words of Scrooge McDuck, they think a little faster and jump a little quicker.

Barack Obama's personality is a radical departure from that template. If there is but one word to define our forty fourth president, that word would be grandiose. A man who cultivates his own deification is a dangerous man.

Let us just skip the self-comparisons to Mandela and Gandhi and self-rating his administration no worse than fourth ('with the possible exception of Lincoln, FDR, LBJ) on foreign policy and legislative achievements. And let us just ignore the underachieving lawyer who held the lofty position of community organizer writing an autobiography (the material discrepancies are addressed elsewhere) and let us forget that Candidate Obama readily played the role of the embodiment of “Hope” and adopted the word as an uncopyrighted logo.

John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton all liked to be the center of attention. They loved the spotlight but at no time did they promote worship of themselves. No halos or fainting damsels for these men. Had their handlers tried to elevate them to objects of worship, the aforementioned would have rejected it. Efforts to encourage religious devotion would probably embarrass them as it would most normal personalities, even personalities who seek attention.

The deliberate promotion of self-deification separates Barack Obama from every other president as well as most public figures. The president's personality is similar to that of a religious cult leader such as Jim Jones or David Koresh. If that assessment seems too harsh, ask yourself this: Dating back to the age of Constantine, what Western Civilization public figure would request that references to Christ be shrouded prior to his arrival? Can you name even one?

That is exactly what Barack Obama did in April 2009 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. “IHS” the ancient symbol for Jesus was covered, prior to the new president's arrival. Sadly, the faux Catholics at Georgetown complied with the White House's request.

At the time many of us saw this as the president's first gaffe. In retrospect, the obliteration was no blunder, it was much more sinister than that. It was part of Barack Obama's ongoing effort to cultivate his worship. There was only room for one deity on stage and we know who that happened to be. His followers shall have no gods before him.

Incidentally, the news media only reported this story after it was volleyed around the blogosphere and radio host Michael Savage reported on it. Reluctantly, a few members of the Fourth Estate stuck their toes in the water and offered some lame excuses for their preferred deity.

Barack Obama profoundly believes that his very essence is more significant than his actions. Sadly, he sold this belief to his followers. June 3, 2008 following an Obama victory in the Democratic primaries: “ this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.” Barack said it. They believe it. That settles it.

Barack Obama, as well as his followers, believes that his presence in the White House will somehow improve America's standing in the world. Obama believes he projects irresistible charm and of course the Arabs, the Russians, the Iranians and the Chinese would all revel in his unending brilliance.

Barack Obama believes that actions similar to those taken by his predecessor might yield vastly different results. George W. Bush spent money recklessly. (“Two wars on a credit card” repeated ad nauseum). Obama sincerely believes that he is metaphysically different from Bush and other mortals as well. Obama's profligacy would--he believes-- yield prosperity and balance budgets. Most of America bought this perspective as well.

Clinically speaking, I don't think this guy has all of his oars in the water.

Malignant Narcissism

Let me state that I am reluctant to pin clinical diagnoses on other people. Having worked in the mental health field, I can tell you that clinical diagnoses can be judgmental, imprecise and at times downright fictitious. I have seen psychiatric evaluations performed on the same patient by different evaluators in a short time frame yield vastly different conclusions. I have seen clinicians who fixate on a single diagnosis and assign that diagnosis to just about everyone they meet (This is especially true of clinicians who have undergone drug or alcohol treatment and thereafter see most of humanity as addicts and alcoholics in various states of denial). I have seen patients rubber-stamped with anxiety or depression to expedite the process and allow the writer to sooner punch the clock.

Clinical terms are often trendy. OCD, ADD, or bipolar disorder is featured in the news and the ailment de jour arrives in clusters. For better or worse, the hottest, trendiest diagnosis is narcissism. It was featured on “Dr. Phil” and “Coast to Coast” radio, a show that usually deals with UFO's and Sasquatch sightings. I personally know a clinician who pins the “N” word on every patient who is anti-social. It's the fashion, man. Get with it.

So I am hesitant to apply clinical terms to others and I am especially hesitant to label anyone a narcissist. With those disclaimers out of the way, let me state unequivocally that Barack Hussein Obama is a textbook narcissist. This is not my diagnosis. I am citing Samuel Vaknin on this matter. 

Vaknin is not a mental health professional but he is a self-professed narcissist. He is one of the most prolific writers on the subject and he was way ahead of the curve in identifying this disorder. As one who spends forty hours a week with mental health professionals, I trust Vaknin's analysis more than I trust the opinions of degreed people.

Vaknin identifies seven characteristics of narcissists that can be found in Barack Obama:

1. Magical thinking. We have already touched on this. Barack Obama seems to believe that his presence determines outcomes more than his actions. Unfortunately, this delusion is reinforced by his ardent followers. Barack Obama's worldview is one of perceptions, not of substance. In his mind, the message is all. If the Affordable Care Act seems unworkable, get the right people—pop stars and athletes—to sell its merits. Bring a bunch of doctors to the Rose Garden and hand out lab coats. Problem solved.
2. Imperturbability. I part company with Vaknin on this one. Yes, the president is described as cool, aloof and detached but he is quick to show disgust. He might not pound the table but he did scratch his chin with his middle finger as Hillary Clinton talked. He quietly but visibly seethed when Paul Ryan challenged him on the premise of national health care and later when Benjamin Netanyahu told him that Israel had no intention of returning to their 1967 borders.
3. Pronoun density. According to Vaknin the average person uses I, me, myself 15-20% of the time. Barack Obama uses those pronouns 70% of the time. This might need some clarification but Vaknin is not alone in recognizing this habit. According to The National Journal December 22, 2012, “ President Barack Obama used the funeral for Hawaii senator Daniel Inouye to talk about himself. In the short 1,600 word speech, Obama used the word "my" 21 times, "me" 12 times, and "I" 30 times.”
4. Barack Obama sees people as unimportant props in his own movie. In Vaknin's words, the narcissist sees people as “cardboard cutouts” or “non-people.” Obama has no sense of empathy. This is ironic because when asked which politician cares more about people like them, would-be voters overwhelmingly chose Obama over his opponent.
5. Barack Obama displays a false modesty that masks haughtiness.
6. Barack Obama likes to play the eternal adolescent.

Additionally, narcissists believe they are omniscient and infallible. You are either one hundred per cent with them or you are against them. The slightest disagreement will result in conflict. Perhaps most importantly, when they go down, they take everyone with them.

Chronic Dishonesty.

Barack Hussein Obama is a tightly-woven gestalt. It is hard to say where one facet ends and another begins. He is a chronically dishonest human being. With that said, if one lies boldly and frequently, knowing that he will probably be called on it later, one has to wonder if that person can distinguish fact from fantasy.

When a political figure who seeks the White House writes an autobiography with at least thirty-seven “material discrepancies”, he has to expect to get caught. Nope. Getting caught never even slowed down Barack Obama. No embarrassment. No shame. Move on. Re-message.

Barack Obama repeatedly stated that people could keep their preferred doctor under the Affordable Care Act. How many times did he repeat this falsehood? That question was posed at various message boards including “Yahoo Answers.” There is no consensus but someone said “about twenty.” A YouTube montage has the president saying this seventeen times. "Tampa Bay Times" recently listed 37 retellings of this modern myth but they include White House web postings and statements by other White House administrators. The president also made false claims that ACA would result in lower premiums and lower overall costs.

It would be no exaggeration to say that it would take hundreds, if not thousands, of pages to chronicle Barack Obama's falsehoods. Factor in broken campaign promises or the sliding scale of honesty we allow politicians (“The failed policies of George Bush” Specifically which policies?) the misquoting or misstating of his rivals' positions, pulling numbers out of thin air and the accumulation of deceitful practices is overwhelming. With an obsequious press unwilling to call their beloved leader on his chronic deception, we have become a Land of Babble. Nothing is believable and everything is believable. It's all the same.

A few quick highlights of Obama's ongoing efforts to deceive.

1. Operation Fast and Furious. Complementing the president's positive falsehoods are his administrations efforts to obstruct, distract and impede. The Obama Department of Justice successfully stonewalled a Congressional investigation. Give an assist to the president for extending Executive Privilege to his Attorney General for matters that clearly did not involve Executive Privilege.
2. Benghazi. Falling back on the repeated success of a deliberate, outlandish lie, the entire administration advanced the idea that the attack on the Benghazi, Libya consulate on September 11, 2012 was the result of a demonstration against a not-much-viewed YouTube video that insulted Islam. A spontaneous protest that got out of hand is more politically palatable than an Al Qaeda terrorist attack.

3. The IRS Scandals. Lost and broken hard drives, private emails, foggy memories, the Fifth Amendment, a promised FBI probe that never got off the ground and a president who goes on television to announce “there is not a smidgen of corruption” at the IRS as his Justice Department conducts a non-investigation.

4. Voter ID. The Obama Administration fought states' effort to require a photo ID prior to voting. Every position is arguable except perhaps this one. There is but one reason to fight the integrity of the electoral system and that is to allow and institutionalize widespread cheating.

Yes, politicians and fishermen are notorious for their outrageous claims. Is Barack Obama less honest than other politicians? Yes, absolutely. What is different about Barack Obama is that the fawning press has downplayed, excused, covered and even facilitated their cult leader's falsehoods. It is all about the worship.

I could pile on but you get the point. A web search of “Obama's top lies” will get you hundreds of sites. No, they do not all repeat themselves. Obamalies.net provides a greatest hits, of sorts.

Three personal favorites. One, Obama stating that the new administration had no idea how bad the country's financial situation was until they took office. This was a fairy tale to appeal to idiots who believe that George Bush kept a set of secret books under his bed and a key to a giant vault. The country's finances are a matter of public record and a sitting Senator can get just about any financial information he wants with a wave of his hand.

Two, the false biography. I never put a lot of stock in that Kenya birth certificate thing (but the administration and the loyalists in the press actually kept the subject alive.) When a middle-aged man takes a much younger wife, he usually does not bring her home to meet his original family. Even if such practices were common, I doubt if most late stage pregnant women would want to fly to Kenya during the 1960's. I believe Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.

It would be revealed that a young Barack Obama would solicit the services of the literary agency, Acton & Dystel in 1991. The agency would circulate brief biographies of their clientele, usually about four sentences long. “Barack Obama, the first African-American President of Harvard Law Review, was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii...” Ooops!

Jay Acton and Jayne Dystel have refused to answer questions about Barack Obama, as has former staff biography editor, Miriam Goderich. Of course, the Cult of Obama members employed in the Fourth Estate did not try all that hard to unravel this mystery. Could it have been a simple miscommunication?

The United Kingdom's “Daily Mail” reports that Acton and Dystell maintained the “born in Kenya” assertion about the junior Senator from Illinois on their website as recently as 2007. If there was an original miscommunication, it would probably have been corrected over sixteen years of updates. As with the “material discrepancies” in “Dreams From My Father,” the Barack Obama persona was subject to revision to better suit audience preference.

The loyalists screamed “Foul!” at the slanderous Birthers. Obama sycophant David Gregory ambushed both Michele Bachmann and John Boehner with Birther questions, even though neither of them had ever broached the subject. Of course there would be allegations of racism leveled against anyone who questioned the official version of the nativity.

Yes, the born in Kenya rumor was one big lie. Ironically or not, the lie seems to have originated from the lips of Barack Obama. Barack Obama is the real father of the Birther Movement.

Perhaps there are more sensational lies but one oft-repeated Obama lie carries the day for its pure unadulterated sleaze. Drum roll, please. The number one lie spread by Barack Obama is the oft-repeated fable that his mother died at the hands of greedy insurance barons.

Barack Obama used that much-repeated falsehood to sell his Affordable Care Act. That mendacious testimony dragged all of us into the sewer. Stanley Dunham's life and death would be just one more occasion for political theater. Call me old fashioned but in my day a man did not pimp his mother's memory to promote his own career.

Constant Adulation.

This aspect might seem benign but it could also reveal something disturbing. Barack Obama has never performed the duties of a president as they were normally performed. He skips meetings and security briefings. He does not regularly meet with his Cabinet and he hates to meet with Congress for any reason. Such things involve confrontation, disagreement and work. Barack Obama hates all of those things.

Barack Obama loves to speak to adoring fans. He loves fundraisers and teleprompter speeches and the love of an idolizing crowd. It seemed odd to many observers that he kept on campaigning after getting re-elected in 2012. With each subsequent budget fight, Barack Obama left Washington to take his message to the faithful. There he would vilify the Republicans and generally misstate their objectives. The loyal press cheered him on with each prompt of the tele.

There is speculation that Barack Obama will not leave office in 2017 as he is required to do. Some people think he will create an emergency, perhaps a war or even a civil war to extend his term. That used to seem far fetched. Now, it is plausible. I am not sure he can give up his addiction to praise and celebration.

Petulance

We have already discussed abuses of power and we had to shorten the list for brevity's sake. There is a lot of suspicious activity that is just par for the course with these people.

Were Republicans targeted in Chrysler and General Motors dealership closures? Were non-union employees also targeted? Did FEMA deny disaster-area status to a wildfire-scorched Texas because they were under Republican leadership? Did the Obama Administration target Standard and Poor's for downgrading the US government's credit rating? Was Trump University targeted by a Democratic state government because of repeated criticisms of the White House leveled by Donald Trump? Was the government's response to Hurricane Sandy slower in Staten Island due to their citizenry having the audacity to elect a Republican to serve in Congress?

Dozens such questions have gone unanswered. What is certain is that the Obama Administration has done its utmost to intimidate all but staunch loyalists. We also know from the president's ongoing budget battles that he has no qualms about using innocent people as political pawns.

The spending conflicts of 2013 were ugly events with even uglier results. Obama would win the war decisively. He bypassed Congress altogether and took his message directly to his hand-licking media.

The puppies would deliver the day for their master. This would be no budget crisis or impasse or stalemate involving two sides who could not reach an agreement. Oh no. This would be presented as an irrational act by the anti-government bomb throwers and extremists in the Republican Party. Once more, the press coverage could not be more lopsided.

There was just one little obstacle. The sequester was not painful. It involved but a drop in a trough of red ink. No one seemed to notice. But the cult leader was not to be defied. Compromise is for mortals.

To win the challenge to his supremacy, Barack Obama deliberately inflicted hardship on innocent people. An embarrassing email to a low level USDA employee named Charles Brown advised Mr. Brown that he should, “make sure you are not contradicting what we said the impact would be.” In other words, if we say it's an earthquake, tremble till you drop.

Brown would not be the only government employee to receive such a directive. The administration warned of “maximum pain” and other departments fell into line. Florida congressman John Mica accused the administration of orchestrating airport delays across the entire country. More than 2,000 illegal immigrants, many with criminal records, were released to the street due to phony budget shortfalls. The administration even used kids with cancer as political pawns. When it was revealed that an NIH-funded program was being discontinued due to the sequester, the GOP offered to fund the experimental program. The president promised to veto any such measure. Let them eat chemo.

The Obamacist media remained faithful to their leader and he pushed onward. When it seemed there was not enough pain, President Obama pressed our park rangers into action. The National Park Service barricaded places that needed no service or immediate government funding to stay afloat. War memorials were closed to the public. The privately-funded World War II Memorial was blocked off and when veterans, some in wheelchairs, invaded the memorial, the president responded by placing armed guards around the perimeter. That's right, additional spending to make phantom spending cuts seem painful. The National Mall in Washington, DC would be shut down but briefly re-opened to host an immigration rally.

The National Park Service tried to prevent tourists from viewing Mount Rushmore from an access road. They used their muscle to close roughly one hundred privately-managed parks at a financial setback to their non-government employees, as well as depriving the federal government of revenue. American Forces Network suspended broadcasting, army chaplains were furloughed and warned not to perform services gratis and the USDA website went black.

To recap, the Diva-in-Chief won the day and our titanic National Debt grew even larger. Humanity has witnessed worse atrocities than sequester bullying but has humanity ever witnessed petty vindictiveness played out on such a broad stage? Not that I know of.

Control

Politics is largely about control but it is also about humility. The Obama Administration has never met an industry they did not want to dominate. Health care, health insurance, auto manufacturing, student loans, education, personal finance, banking, energy...you name it, they want to grab it, twist it and shape it to their liking.

The impulse to control is rooted in conceit. Anything you can do, I can do better. I am simply wiser than you in all respects, therefore I should be the captain of the ship. Every ship.

Managerially speaking, Barack Obama is a hands-off micro-manager. He wants absolute power but he does not want to be bothered by details. Micro-managers are not optimum performers but they have strengths. They are hands on, detail oriented control freaks. They can be difficult to work for and work with but they are familiar with the minutia of their domain.

The hands-off micro-manager craves power but he does not like minutia. His finger is never on the patient's pulse, he does not care to see the patient but he insists on supervising his treatment anyway. Outside the world of kings and clergy, the hands-off micro-manager is a rare bird. Their obvious flaws are recognized early on and their talents are diverted to a non-managerial track.

It is not coincidence that Barack Obama never had an executive position prior to his inauguration. He is ill-suited for leadership but he is blind to his deficiencies. So too, are his followers.

Greed

People who rail against greed are invariably greedy. Barack Obama is no exception. His late Aunt Zeituni Onyango lived in South Boston, Massachusetts despite being denied political asylum based on ethnic violence in her native Kenya. Barack Obama likes to brag about his wealth and his commercial success as a writer. There is no evidence that he helped his destitute aunt but the US taxpayer picked up the slack. Aunt Zeituni was placed in public housing where she would live out her years free from the burdens of employment.

Regardless of who picked up the tab, someone helped Zeituni Onyango. The same could not always be said about the president's half brother, George. George Obama lived in a hut in Kenya. By almost any definition he was poor. A hundred dollars a month would have gone a long way in Kenya and would have significantly elevated his living conditions. For whatever reason, Barack Obama refused to help out his less fortunate brother.

When George Obama's son needed medical attention he called filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza in New York to help him out. Barack Obama could not be bothered. Yes, the president is greedy but that is not his worst attribute. His is not a lust for wealth, it is the pursuit of superior wealth. He wants to rub his luxuries and extravagance in the face of the less fortunate.

Lavish vacations. Two-jet vacations. The family dog airlifted on Marine One. Hobnobbing with the beautiful people in mansions. Two hundred rounds of golf on exclusive courses. Living the good life for all to see and envy.

Despite his excessive “fair share” verbiage, Barack Obama took elaborate measures to assure that he only pays about a twenty per cent rate on his income taxes. Yes, the president's secretary pays taxes at a higher rate than the chief executive. Barack Hussein Obama is among other things, a miser.