Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Maureen Dowd, "Losing the Room": Does Obama Suffer from Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

Do you remember when Obama was running against Hillary in the 2008 race for the Democratic nomination? It seemed at the time that Maureen Dowd was head over heels in love with her "Barry," but some five years after the honeymoon, the wedding has soured. In her latest New York Times op-ed entitled "Losing the Room" (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/18/opinion/dowd-losing-the-room.html?_r=0), Dowd is finally confessing to irreconcilable differences with the president.

Puzzled by the manner in which Obama all but ignored the Navy Yard tragedy in Washington, Dowd writes:

"President Obama also gave a speech Monday, talking at the White House while the drama unfolded at the supposedly secure Navy Yard nearby. He could have posted his original remarks on the White House Web site and replaced them with a cri de coeur on gun control, or comfort for the shaken city. The 12 who died were, after all, under his aegis as workers in a federal building.

But, jarringly, the president went ahead with his political attack, briefly addressing the slaughter before moving on to jab Republicans over the corporate tax rate and resistance to Obamacare.

Just as with the address to the nation on Syria last week, the president went ahead with a speech overtaken by events. It was out of joint, given that the Senate was put into lockdown and the Washington Nationals delayed a night game against the Atlanta Braves, noting on its Web site, 'Postponed: Tragedy.'

The man who connected so electrically and facilely in 2008, causing Americans to overlook his thin résumé, cannot seem to connect anymore."

Obama's speech was "out of joint"? What a surprise! Or perhaps not . . .

Consider the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder listed by the Mayo Clinic (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/narcissistic-personality-disorder/DS00652/DSECTION=symptoms):

"Narcissistic personality disorder symptoms may include:

  • Believing that you're better than others
  • Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
  • Exaggerating your achievements or talents
  • Expecting constant praise and admiration
  • Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
  • Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings
  • Expecting others to go along with your ideas and plans
  • Taking advantage of others
  • Expressing disdain for those you feel are inferior
  • Being jealous of others
  • Believing that others are jealous of you
  • Trouble keeping healthy relationships
  • Setting unrealistic goals
  • Being easily hurt and rejected
  • Having a fragile self-esteem
  • Appearing as tough-minded or unemotional"


Remind you of a certain someone?

The Obama presidency has indeed grown dysfunctional, and unfortunately the United States will need to wait another three and a half years before saying goodbye to this community organizer, who, as belatedly acknowledged by Dowd, never had the skills to be president.

1 comment:

  1. Not only did Dowd "fall head over heels in love" with Obama, even worse: she was hypnotized by being wined and dined in the company of this media celebrity. She was dazzled by being included among the passengers in his private jet on the way to somewhere or other.

    When media folks begin to identify with hanging with the celebrities, any vestige of objectivity - or identification with the people they are supposedly writing for - goes right out the window.

    It took her five and a half years to begin - begin - to emerge from her coma. But it is a beginning.

    Let's see where she goes from here.
    My guess, unfortunately, not too far.
    Because she can't honestly acknowledge what happened to her.

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