[T]ake a look at this excerpt from a speech that the President delivered earlier this week.

"The Iraqi people are looking at America and saying are we going to cut and run again? That's what they're thinking as well. And we're not going to cut and run if I'm in the Oval Office. We will do our job."

Anyone remember who was in the Oval Office when the Iraqi people accused America of cutting and running?

I think the most under-covered aspect of the President's personality make-up is his likely reaction to the way the media portrayed the impact that "The Wimp Factor" had on his father's elections. W is out to prove he is not a wimp. He is testosterone man. He will not play baseball, he will own baseball. He will not fight a war, he will win a war. And he will not cut and run. Think he's going to ask Daddy for advice? Not with these symptoms.

And the natural symptomatic extension of this all-powerful Oedipus complex is to look for other father figures, more powerful than your own. Hence, Cheney. And hence, W's constant references to looking for strength from a higher father.

I think that I've most often seen Bush's psychological disorder diagnosed as Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I wonder if an Oedipus Complex would be consistent with that?

If you believe in psychoanalysis, that is.


In another post, Pell sees other aspects of Bush's psychopathology:

On the most basic level, Bush holds those in contempt who qualify as members of the intellectual elite. So who are these evil-doers who hold qualities such as common sense and intellectual firepower in such high regard? Who are these inquisitive buzzkillers (let's call them un-patriots) who, from their ivory towers of intellect and reason, place deep thought above deep sleep? Geniuses perhaps (yuck, we hate them)? Academics dedicated to analysis, reading and teaching? (Please, you know the old saying. Only those who can't flick towels, chug beers or order the world's most powerful military in action, teach.) Weeklong champions on the gameshow Jeopardy? Librarians? Writers? Those damn kids in junior high who always turn in extra credit assignments.

Actually the category is whole lot broader than you might think (which of course is no no). Let's put it this way. If you are reasonably sure that Chicken of the Sea is not chicken, then I've got bad news for you. You are elite.

Update: On the question of whether Narcissistic Personality Disorder is consistent with an Oedipus Complex, a mental health professional of my acquaintaince says not necessarily in all cases, but she promises to put some thought into it and get back to me.


Update: In a Knight-Ridder article today, Bush is quoted as saying that Dick Cheney is "the greatest vice president the country has ever had," which I would take as a telling remark, considering that Bush's father was vice president for 8 years.

In any case, isn't it usually the job of the vice president to extoll the virtues of the president, and not vice versa?