Fair warning…this is long. No other way to do it.

I had the pleasure of working with a guy named Jerrold Post back in DC. He had an excellent program of behvioural analysis of world leaders. Fascinating stuff. [Google Jerrold Post...has a book out, Cornel Press, I believe] but the Post-methodology can be applied to a McCain, or a Palin, and to a Biden or and Obama…anyone, really.

Obama strikes me as someone with more than simplex “daddy issues.”

He is of that segment that spent most of their lives being handed something. Yes, he got off to a rocky start, but look at his academic career, being elected President of the Harvard law review, but not having to do any editorial work or direction setting of that same publication…it was all staffed out. His legal profession, no record of any offers to clerk at the USSC or any State supreme court…with his law school credentials, there had to be at least a few offers. His role in Chicago, his “work” as an organizer or as a part-time state senator. All provided daily affirmation…from grandparents to teachers, to members of the political machine in Chicago, to Reverend Wright. He was an architypical candidate for such. But, where ever did he ever have to make a choice? A real choice. A life and death choice? Voting “present” instead of addressing hard and solid issues? Currently staffing out thought processes…that 300 foreign policy advisors thing.

Look at Bill Clinton…spent his formative years in an alcoholic household, where walking on eggshells was a matter of survival. As a result, in part, he could walk into a room and almost instantly sense the mood of the room. For a politician this is gold, pure gold. Few can do this. Not to drag this out, but it is a matter of validating a point or two. Clinton (as does Obama) also needed affirmation, almost daily. Look at who he hung out with in his first years in the White House when he wasn’t surrounded by high level types? The young interns and volunteers, junior gophers and such. They looked up to him as an elder and moreso as a President…total affirmation. his little tryst with Monica is a direct result of this. [Had he been taking care of business with Cindy Crawford, for example, he'd probably have gotten a third or fourth term...but his persosnality wouldn't allow that sort of thing.] Then there is that former President office in Harlem thing, as well.

Look then at Obama and who he hung out with…over the years, especially his post-Harvard years.

Can anyone come up with a non-political “friend” of Obama’s from the past decade who can state with confidence I knew Obama and I know Obama and he plays a good hand of Texas Holdem, or he likes a cold Bud-Lite watching a Bears game, or he loves old Josephine Baker movies….that sort of stuff.

No? Why not? Seems most of his adult life has been scripted, according to some larger matrix, and involving power players all along the way. In Chicago, having street cred comes from busting ass and taking names, or from sponsorship. Obama was no gang-banger. So…where did he get his cred from? From people who were willing to grant him affirmation in return for something they needed. Trying to maintain an imposed street cred does not permit having “down time” moments doing shooters with friends at a local establishment while watching the Bulls shoot hoop. Scripted. Maintaining a necessary facade toward something larger.

I can write tons on this stuff, and I won’t, here. But there are characteristics of leadership that can be defined clinically, positive or negative, and used to construct a faiurly accurtate model of one’s personality and from that, the probable expectation of how one would act or react to outside, non-controlled or controlable pressures or crises.

McCain…reacting to a crisis? Measured, steady, immeidate if need be, but always looking at the next step…the OODA loop clicks in.

Obama…reacting to crisis? Seek affirmation. Consult. Present possibilities. Choose the possibility that offers the most affirmation. Re-script if resistance is met. Seek new possibility. Obtain fresher affirmation.

Look at the Russia-Georgia episode. Perfect example.

Some have stated here on HA that Obama was a Messianic personality…and we had a bit of fun going over that Berlin thingie along the way. But is Obama really Messianic? Or is he just trying to gain affirmation lost when he was a youth…his Dad traking off? Only father figure in Hawaii being Frank Marshall Davis? His present decision making processes and his “vision” being tied more toward post-mortem affirmation from Davis, and present day affirmation from the Chicago clique, than any sort of standing up for something larger than himself?

Thus, this thread…and why the Obama camp finds itself in this position. How else can we expect them to react? Expect Obama to react?

Not many Americans are willing to do the research, take the time, do the hard work, in selecting a candidate. Instead, the sound bites and slogans drive them to the polls, at their own peril. At our own peril.

Give it some thought.

[And I apologize for the terrible length of this post. Just wans't any other way to do it.]

coldwarrior on September 4, 2008 at 2:17 PM

Gulf Coast on September 5, 2008 at 10:12 AM –

I thought Jesse Jackson had first dibs on those marbles…

coldwarrior on September 5, 2008 at 12:04 PM

Wow, “hot” pic of the cold and ruthless Sarah Palin aiming her gun.

Shelby on September 5, 2008 at 6:50 PM

Ummm, that’s not Governor Palin. One of the cast from MadTV.

coldwarrior on September 5, 2008 at 7:29 PM