Obama is a thin-skinned narcissist

[TheL8Elvis]

I am guessing the stock answer - all the evidence has been posted numerous times in multiple threads, you just have to read it. And at at any rate it's too much work for no reward because you would probably just ignore all the evidence anyway.

But maybe I'll be surprised. Just not gonna hold my breath.

Hmmm...

I'm not going put much time into this thread because I've already written dozens of posts on the subject, and nothing I say ever sinks in.

Edited by Agatha: 

Edited to remove breach of rule 12 in quote

<snip google search and non-evidence>

 

[Crossbow]

It's really weird how people who make the claim seem to have more important things to do when it comes to supporting it.

I saw a John Oliver piece the other day which explains it quite well.

Many of the stupid, idiotic, lying Republicans actually believe that their feelings on a subject are actually the same thing as facts about a subject.

For example, the other day Newt Gingrich was bitching about how crime had increased so very much under the Obama Administration. And when it was pointed out that crime had actually decreased rather substantially under the Obama Administration, Gingrich said something like "I do not feel that way, and many people in America do not feel that way either. Therefore, our feelings about the crime issue are actually the facts about the issue'.

Unfortunately, it is often quite difficult to use simple logic with self-delusional fools who will disregard anything that does not fit into what they want to believe.

 

[sunmaster14]

Hmmm...

Wow, you snip cogent evidence that I put some work into to provide and declare it "non-evidence," and then go back to accusing me of using exactly that type of behavior as an excuse for not doing the work.

Edited by Agatha: 

Edited to remove breach of rule 12

 

[TheL8Elvis]

Wow, you snip cogent evidence that I put some work into to provide and declare it "non-evidence," and then go back to accusing me of using exactly that type of behavior as an excuse for not doing the work.

You mean this "cogent evidence"?

I can see how people who aren't as smart as Obama is might see this as evidence of his genius, but I can assure you that people who are as smart as he (or likely smarter) can see right through the ********, right down to a man who at his core will not change his mind, or admit a mistake, or even admit that his opponents might be advocating in good faith. He has been treated as if he ***** diamonds from the time he was in law school (and probably long before), and he has turned into exactly what you might expect.

Edited by Agatha: 

Edited to remove quoted breach of rule 12 and response to same

 

[NoahFence]

Wow, you snip cogent evidence that I put some work into to provide and declare it "non-evidence," and then go back to accusing me of using exactly that type of behavior as an excuse for not doing the work.

Edited by Agatha: 

Edited to remove breach of rule 12 in quote

One of your pieces of "cogent evidence" was a link to an article about the White House Correspondence Dinner.

A comedy show.

You get that, right?

 

[Upchurch]

Wow, you snip cogent evidence that I put some work into to provide and declare it "non-evidence," and then go back to accusing me of using exactly that type of behavior as an excuse for not doing the work.

There are some problems, then, with your evidence. First, a google search is not evidence, but you knew that.

Second, the quote you posted was attributed to him by a third party, not a direct quote with corroboration. At least, it wasn't corroborated in the article you posted.

I have read about how condescending Obama can be to advisers giving him briefings. He once treated Stephen Chu (his Energy Secretary at the time and a Nobel Prize winning physicist) like a low level staffer who was wasting his time - dismissing him with a wave and a "that's enough Stephen."

Source? Context?

You can see how he lords over people in meetings and conferences which have been televised. The Obamacare debates with Republicans was a prime example. He debates by attributing the most shallow and self-serving motives to his opponents, and is the consummate builder and destroyer of strawmen. He does this even to Democrats. Take for example, his dismissal of Elizabeth Warren's concerns about TPP last year.

Evidence?

I can see how people who aren't as smart as Obama is might see this as evidence of his genius, but I can assure you that people who are as smart as he (or likely smarter) can see right through the ********, right down to a man who at his core will not change his mind, or admit a mistake, or even admit that his opponents might be advocating in good faith.

He has been treated as if he ***** diamonds from the time he was in law school (and probably long before), and he has turned into exactly what you might expect.

I totally believe that a black kid of a single white mother in the 60s and 70s would be as if he were ***** diamonds. He probably had nothing working against him at all in the late 70s/early 80s. That totally jibes with reality.

 

[fuelair]

And Trump doesn't have small fingers. In fact, he takes almost a large in gloves! He has thick and orange long skinned hands!

FTFY















y

 

[A'isha]

Regardless, here is a good start.

A Google search on "obama petty", whose entire first page of results either are right-wing sites like Newsmax, Fox Nation, and Twitchy calling Obama petty with no evidence, or quotes from people like Marco Rubio, Alan Dershowitz, Jan Brewer, and Greta Van Susteren calling Obama petty with no evidence, or both. Oh, and one article, amusingly, about how Republicans Admit That Obstruction Of Obama SCOTUS Nominee Is Petty Political Payback

And one of the first links to hit is a good example.

An opinion piece from the Moonie Times calling Obama "petty" for telling jokes about Birthers at a White House Correspondent's Dinner? Someone's being petty in that article, but it sure ain't Obama.

In 2008, he said this:

Which was said not in 2008, but in 2007, to Patrick Gaspard, his political director when Gaspard was interviewing for the job as political director with the Obama campaign, meaning he was a demanding, intelligent boss who expected a lot from his staff. Gaspard also prefaced his quote by saying that Obama also told him he preferred to be surrounded by people with "strong opinions" (rather than yes-men). Gaspard also approved his boss' confidence, emailing him “You are more clutch than Michael Jordan" after the first debate with McCain.

 

[fuelair]

Cheese and rice....

I am not an Obama supporter in that I don't agree with his political ideas. But I see no need to attack the man personally. In fact, I kind of admire him as a human being. I don't know why we have to demean our political opponents. They are mostly people like us: good people with good intentions. I'm all for calling them out on things they do wrong but my God people, they aren't the Devil.

.I understand your words, but I simply cannot believe the republickers have anyone's interests in mind but those wealthy and influential who they only want to govern for. This is NOT how the real Republican Party was but it died in the late 70's/early 80's when they sold their souls to fundie religionist xtian groups and worse, The Democratic Party is still like it was - for real, regular people and the majority of them.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

Cheese and rice....

I am not an Obama supporter in that I don't agree with his political ideas. But I see no need to attack the man personally. In fact, I kind of admire him as a human being. I don't know why we have to demean our political opponents. They are mostly people like us: good people with good intentions. I'm all for calling them out on things they do wrong but my God people, they aren't the Devil.

Aside from Darth Cheney I agree with you.

 

[Upchurch]

He's also taken comedic jabs at certain people during the journalist dinner (the name of the event escapes me), which is supposed to be a roast.

An opinion piece from the Moonie Times calling Obama "petty" for telling jokes about Birthers at a White House Correspondent's Dinner? Someone's being petty in that article, but it sure ain't Obama.

That's the one. I honestly didn't expect anyone to cite it as an example of narcissism.

Kinda foolish on my part, in hindsight.

 

[fuelair]

OOOOPS, accidental resend!!

 

[Giordano]

A Google search on "obama petty", whose entire first page of results either are right-wing sites like Newsmax, Fox Nation, and Twitchy calling Obama petty with no evidence, or quotes from people like Marco Rubio, Alan Dershowitz, Jan Brewer, and Greta Van Susteren calling Obama petty with no evidence, or both. Oh, and one article, amusingly, about how Republicans Admit That Obstruction Of Obama SCOTUS Nominee Is Petty Political Payback



An opinion piece from the Moonie Times calling Obama "petty" for telling jokes about Birthers at a White House Correspondent's Dinner? Someone's being petty in that article, but it sure ain't [/HILITE]Obama.


Which was said not in 2008, but in 2007, to Patrick Gaspard, his political director when Gaspard was interviewing for the job as political director with the Obama campaign, meaning he was a demanding, intelligent boss who expected a lot from his staff. Gaspard also prefaced his quote by saying that Obama also told him he preferred to be surrounded by people with "strong opinions" (rather than yes-men). Gaspard also approved his boss' confidence, emailing him “You are more clutch than Michael Jordan" after the first debate with McCain.

I agree completely. Are these examples the best evidence that can be provided (even when snipped out of context) over so many years of Obama's public life and how many of his recorded speeches and public/private statements?? Including citation of an political opponent's opinion article focusing on Obama's participation in a comedy roast; an article that itself provides no evidence! When I look through the actual transcripts I find that Obama uses a lot of self-depreciating humor in these roasts, but I really don't feel like generating a word count.

As to your highlighted statement, I would only add- can you imagine the head of any organization, let alone the President of the USA, who did not ultimately believe that their final opinion was (had to be!) equal or better than any individual advisor under them? Don't' Presidents frequently edit and re-write the speeches prepared for them by their speechwriters? Isn't this evidence that all they think that they are "better" speechwriters than their staff? Don't Presidents every day combine the many pieces of often conflicting advice that they receive from their own experts (plus other's) on foreign or domestic policy to generate their final decision? In fact there any other way of doing it- experts disagree and the head of the organization has to somehow reconcile these different opinions with practical (and yes, political concerns), add their own policy views, and come up with a coherent policy? Isn't this evidence that they all think that they are "better" able to make policy than their staff? Otherwise why have these top people there at all? It is the ability to listen, evaluate, and consider opinions that differ from one's own that is important- being willing to consolidate all opinions based on one's own evaluation into a single policy is not egotism- it is any essential part of the job. I gather Lincoln was well-respected for doing just this.

I would agree that to be willing to be POTUS one has to have a large amount of self-confidence which can often translate to at least some ego. Yet it seems clear to be that Obama has among the least of the latter of almost any other President that I can easily recall. Come on- just think of recent Presidents: Richard Nixon, of LBJ, of Reagan, of Kennedy!

 

[ponderingturtle]

I saw a John Oliver piece the other day which explains it quite well.

Many of the stupid, idiotic, lying Republicans actually believe that their feelings on a subject are actually the same thing as facts about a subject.

For example, the other day Newt Gingrich was bitching about how crime had increased so very much under the Obama Administration. And when it was pointed out that crime had actually decreased rather substantially under the Obama Administration, Gingrich said something like "I do not feel that way, and many people in America do not feel that way either. Therefore, our feelings about the crime issue are actually the facts about the issue'.

Unfortunately, it is often quite difficult to use simple logic with self-delusional fools who will disregard anything that does not fit into what they want to believe.

As Steven Colbert says a decade ago they are after the truthiness of a thing not these damnable facts. That is what is important.

 

[Upchurch]

I would agree that to be willing to be POTUS one has to have a large amount of self-confidence which can often translate to at least some ego. Yet it seems clear to be that Obama has among the least of the latter of almost any other President that I can easily recall. Come on- just think of recent Presidents: Richard Nixon, of LBJ, of Reagan, of Kennedy!

And, harking back to the OP, remember that sunmaster14's comment was that Obama was in the same league as Trump when it comes to being a thin-skinned narcissist. In that regard, I see Obama as Trump's polar-opposite.

 

[Giordano]

Somehow I couldn't resist and I did a word count of Obama's most recent speech at the 2016 White House Correspondents Roast:

As far as I could characterize them, I counted approximately 480 words making fun of himself versus 760 total making fun of everyone else, with the latter split roughly evenly between the press, Democrats, Republicans, and even his own family. If we break it down per "target" then Obama made fun of himself much more than of any other one individual. Versus approximately 900 words in praise of others in the same speech. And this, at a roast, is evidence of his thin-skinned egotism, right?

 

[Dr. Keith]

The current view is Giordano has a whole set of statistics which theoretically may be right, but it’s not where human beings are.
People feel that Obama is thin skinned; people feel that their government has abandoned them.

- Not Newt Gingrich

 

[DavidJames]

Obama thinks he's smarter then people he hired.

So?

This is simply an emotional attack on Obama, in other words ODS. When one is on the losing side of most political ideas, doesn't have evidence suggesting those ideas aren't working and has no substantive critical arrows in their quiver, they resort to attacks like we've seen described in the OP.

What it means is they lost.

 

[Foolmewunz]

The current view is Giordano has a whole set of statistics which theoretically may be right, but it’s not where human beings are.
People feel that Obama is thin skinned; people feel that their government has abandoned them.

- Not Newt Gingrich

That little performance by Newt was astounding in its honesty. "Doesn't matter. You may have the facts on your side, but we've got their feelings."

 

[Tony Stark]

Somehow I couldn't resist and I did a word count of Obama's most recent speech at the 2016 White House Correspondents Roast:

As far as I could characterize them, I counted approximately 480 words making fun of himself versus 760 total making fun of everyone else, with the latter split roughly evenly between the press, Democrats, Republicans, and even his own family. If we break it down per "target" then Obama made fun of himself much more than of any other one individual. Versus approximately 900 words in praise of others in the same speech. And this, at a roast, is evidence of his thin-skinned egotism, right?

I cannot imagine the piece of garbage the Republicans nominated making fun of himself.