OBAMA "The Psychopath?"

It has frequently been suggested that He is, but is there any compelling evidence to believe Obama is a psychopath (alt. sociopath)?   Obama seems to be in the Narcissistic or Charismatic Psychopath category that is characterized as someone who is irresistible and charming.  He is a person who believes his own lies.  He is extremely persuasive, talented, and He easily manipulates people.  Not all sociopaths are murderers but they are all dangerous.

These are the clinical traits of a psychopath that could be attributed to Obama:

1. GLIB (smooth-talking) and SUPERFICIAL CHARM:  Obama is often described as charismatic, self-confident, unflappable, glib and with a bit of a swagger.  He's the type that charms a room and has an answer for everything.  However, His eloquence suffers, when He is caught off guard or unprepared suggesting that His smooth talk is mostly superficial. 

 

2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH:  His arrogance is constant fodder for jokes.  Do you remember when Obama suggested that He could heal the planet and stop the oceans from rising?  He may be the only president who said he knows more about His policy issues than His advisers.  And how about that promise to "fundamentally transform America?"  His autobiography contains numerous exaggerations of His accomplishments.  Psychopaths typically do not negotiate.  They insist on having their way and are very rigid, which is typical of Obama.

3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM:  Obama’s record during all of His endeavors suggests He accomplished virtually nothing.  But He did move through the political ranks rapidly, going from state senator to U.S. senator to president.  He loves to play sports, whether basketball or golf and can tell you who is likely to win the NCAA "March Madness" basketball championship.  Apparently, sports provides the stimulation He needs.  Even though He likes being in charge, His boredom with policy issues may explain His hands off approach to congress, allowing  congressional Democrats to provide leadership and legislative content.

 

4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING:  If there's anything Obama is noted for, it's lying.  Obama not only lies, when confronted with His lies, He denies ever having said them.  And He believes His lies.   There are websites devoted to listing His lies.  Obama is prone to gross exaggeration, constructing false realities, and contradicting Himself.  Basically, He says whatever comes to mind and then relies on the press to repeat it without contradiction.  Either He doesn't even know He lies or He just doesn't care.  He is a master at the art of deflection.  One of his favorite tactics is to accuse the opposition of doing the very thing He's being criticized for doing.

5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS:  His entire political career is a manipulative con job; He is a classical stereotype of a “used car salesman.” and manipulation.  Virtually every plank in His 2008 campaign platform was ignored when He became president.  It appears that Obama conned the public into electing Him.  And in 2012, He conned the public, again, into believing His failures were still Bush's fault.  Psychopaths frequently put up false fronts, appearing as a type of savior or a loving and caring humanitarian.  Like Obama, they appear to be sincerely concerned, friendly, thoughtful, kind and tolerant.  Once in a position of power or control, however, they may create catastrophes or try to rearrange the world just for their own enjoyment of power.

6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT: One source claims that Obama takes a personal interest in drone strikes and gets excited to see videos of people being blown to bits.  When Benghazi was under attack, Obama went to bed rather than express any interest in the fate of personnel there, much less send help to them.  When His friends or colleagues become political liabilities, He throws them under the bus.  While in Chicago, Obama worked with corrupt and sleazy politicians and business people apparently without disturbing His conscience.  Whether taking real estate deals from Tony Rezko or getting money to create public housing that was then so completely neglected it would fall into ruin, Obama never seemed to show remorse for His wrongdoing or disassociate Himself with the crooks.

7. SHALLOW AFFECT OR EMOTIONAL POVERTY:  His sense of dispassionate observation, rather than emotional involvement, has been duly noted by several sources. In one speech before the 2012 election, Obama was alleged to fake crying, as if trying to convince people that he can display emotions.  In His own family relationships,  Obama has promised help to His impoverished family members and then failed to deliver.

8. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE:  Obama seems to regard the presidency as an opportunity to be a celebrity and to bask in public adoration and importance.  His sense of entitlement is manifested in a record-setting number of expensive vacations and golf outings, despite the dire condition of the economy.  Obama has had countless White House parties and seems to continually seek the company of celebrities. 

9.  POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS:  From slyly giving opponents the middle finger, to temper tantrums when criticized, Obama is noted for being thin skinned.  He manages to insult congressional leaders and even phoned a journalist, whose story He didn't like, to scream at him and then not let him get a word in edgewise.  When in the Illinois senate, He and another senator had a screaming match at each other.   Obama lost control to His temper and had to be physically restrained.

10. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS:  This is classic Obama behavior.  He never accepts personal responsibility.   Everything is always someone else’s fault (usually Bush or the Republicans). 

11. NEED FOR POWER AND TO DOMINATE (control) OTHERS:  Obama's willingness to bypass the Constitution and to rule in some instances by fiat suggests He enjoys wielding power.  His unusual practice of using the offices of the Department of Justice and the IRS to force people to submit to His will is alarming.   Psychopaths typically target naive, ignorant, and intellectually weak people.  Those with a sense of being victims are especially vulnerable if the psychopath offers them relief or vengeance.

12. FAILURE TO LEARN BY EXPERIENCE:  Obama's rigidity in policymaking, that is, repeating the same formulae that have not worked for Him in the past, suggests He is incapable of learning from His past failures and mistakes.  In fact, He doesn't even acknowledge them.

So, is Obama a psychopath?  And if he is, what does it mean for our country?  Some have suggested that many politicians, corporate heads, movie stars and so forth, have psychopathic tendencies, which is why they've succeeded in their careers.  That is, they're willing to do things that morally conscientious people would not. 

How does Obama continue to maintain His popularity despite His failures, blatant lying, manipulations, and other psychopathic behavior?  Well, primarily, it's a result of denial, a condition that manifests as:

- Bracketing, that is, simply failing to observe or take note of the psychopath's behavior.  This is common when those around Him simply don't know what's going on or take His word for it that something never happened.

- Rationalization, which means either minimizing the importance of the bad behavior,  attributing it to normal human failings, or irresistible outside influences.  This can range from saying Obama isn't any worse than other presidents, or that Republicans are worse, to the notion we all make mistakes.

- Projection, or shifting the responsibility for His bad behavior onto  someone else, as if someone else must have done it.  Obama supporters typically blame Bush, or Republicans as the real culprits for our problems.

This information has been edited and summarized from an article titled, "The Psychopath?" by Thomas Wolke