Personal Attacks
Personal attacks are sometimes OK on TPM. Yes, or No. Why?
Week of February 1, 2009 - February 7, 2009
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Presidential Zeitgiest 1968 to 2009
My internal fire to write about daily political events since the
election has apparently left me with little to say. I don't know why
this is. Certainly there are many compelling events and topics
occurring on a daily basis that I care about that I can choose from.
Perhaps, Thera, oleeb, coonsey, DD, warped, tt, Marque, debie, bunnie,
meguil, Donal, Bwak, LisaB, dijamo, coonsey, Wattree, SJ, and the
others I follow have been saying it for me. Perhaps it's middle aged
angst, empty nest, and huge changes in my life leaving me less
motivated to write than before.
Sure, I get some cheap pugelistic thrills throwing jabs and hooks at trolls. After all, a fighter must regularly spare to maintain skills though these workouts aren't resulting in the desire to step into the ring. Perhaps it's time to retire. Perhaps it's time to focus on an area that so far seems unaddressed very often on this blog such as environment, wildlife and ecology.
Before I make a personal decision I wish to put forward the following. This came up in a recent post and Thera suggested that I offer this question as a unique thread.
Looking back at all of our elected Presidents since 1968, until Obama, I am struck by a particular common thread in the personality traits of those men. All, except maybe President Carter, strike me as men who are driven by deep seated insecurities growing out of a lack of personal conviction about who they are as individuals. These men all seem to require a great deal of affirmation from those in thier circles in order for them to feel OK about themselves. My X, a psychologist, I believe would distinguish this as an external rather than internal locus of control, or, on Maslow's heirarchy of needs these men have not achieved the status of fully acualized adults.
Nixon seemed to be a man running from demons and consumed by jealusy and paranoia. I never developed a feeling about Ford. Carter seemed comfortable and fully contained within himself. Reagan felt to me as though he was addressing anger most of the time. Bush Sr. seemed driven by territory and jealousy. Clinton, wow...I'm not sure but, I always felt he was kind of a train-wreck with a good heart that needed to often test boundries like a child. Bush Jr. seemed like he was seeking external proof that he is a good man so he could in turn believe in himself.
Obama, seems complete and comforable with his self-image. He seems to know who he is and what he is about. Aside from his politics and policies, Obama is very different from the kind of personality we typically elect as President. The self-confidence he displays feels like it is truly a reflection of how he feels about himself.
Given this rather loosely defined thesis, what is it about Americans that we so consistently elect leaders with such easily recognizable and dramatic personality flaws?
Sure, I get some cheap pugelistic thrills throwing jabs and hooks at trolls. After all, a fighter must regularly spare to maintain skills though these workouts aren't resulting in the desire to step into the ring. Perhaps it's time to retire. Perhaps it's time to focus on an area that so far seems unaddressed very often on this blog such as environment, wildlife and ecology.
Before I make a personal decision I wish to put forward the following. This came up in a recent post and Thera suggested that I offer this question as a unique thread.
Looking back at all of our elected Presidents since 1968, until Obama, I am struck by a particular common thread in the personality traits of those men. All, except maybe President Carter, strike me as men who are driven by deep seated insecurities growing out of a lack of personal conviction about who they are as individuals. These men all seem to require a great deal of affirmation from those in thier circles in order for them to feel OK about themselves. My X, a psychologist, I believe would distinguish this as an external rather than internal locus of control, or, on Maslow's heirarchy of needs these men have not achieved the status of fully acualized adults.
Nixon seemed to be a man running from demons and consumed by jealusy and paranoia. I never developed a feeling about Ford. Carter seemed comfortable and fully contained within himself. Reagan felt to me as though he was addressing anger most of the time. Bush Sr. seemed driven by territory and jealousy. Clinton, wow...I'm not sure but, I always felt he was kind of a train-wreck with a good heart that needed to often test boundries like a child. Bush Jr. seemed like he was seeking external proof that he is a good man so he could in turn believe in himself.
Obama, seems complete and comforable with his self-image. He seems to know who he is and what he is about. Aside from his politics and policies, Obama is very different from the kind of personality we typically elect as President. The self-confidence he displays feels like it is truly a reflection of how he feels about himself.
Given this rather loosely defined thesis, what is it about Americans that we so consistently elect leaders with such easily recognizable and dramatic personality flaws?
