[StBernard] Obama's Personality Pendulum

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Thu Oct 23 08:15:02 EDT 2008


Obama's Personality Pendulum
by Chuck Norris
Posted 10/21/2008 ET
Updated 10/21/2008 ET


Obama will not lose his bid for the presidency because of his connections to
Ayers, ACORN or socialist politics. In fact, he won't lose it because of his
stand on any issue. The coup de grace for Obama's presidential election
downfall will come only through convincing the American public of his lack
of decisive leadership under pressure. I'm not just talking about facing
rogue nations or terrorist thugs. I'm referring to making major choices in
conflict. Indecisiveness is his greatest weakness, and it's one this country
cannot afford at this time in its history.

Interestingly, a while back, the Unit for the Study of Personality in
Politics, at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict, did a
professional personality profile "for anticipating Obama's likely leadership
style as chief executive, thereby providing a basis for inferring the
character and tenor of a prospective Obama presidency." The study concluded:

"The combination of Ambitious, Accommodating, and Outgoing patterns in
Obama's profile suggests a confident conciliator personality composite.
Leaders with this personality prototype, though self-assured and ambitious,
are characteristically gracious, considerate, and benevolent. They are
energetic, charming, and agreeable, with a special knack for settling
differences, favoring mediation and compromise over force or coercion as a
strategy for resolving conflict. They are driven primarily by a need for
achievement and also have strong affiliation needs, but a low need for
power."

While most might laud Obama's personality as a needed polar opposite to
George W. Bush's, I pose to you that Obama's
"accommodating-conciliator-favoring-compromise" personality pendulum swing
is way too far to the other side. Even Obama's voting record proves that.
His own Democratic colleagues have a difficult time understanding why, when
he was an Illinois state senator, he voted "present" (instead of "yes" or
"no") 129 times, including a number of noncommittal tallies on issues such
as gun rights and abortion.

You also have heard that Obama doesn't have any executive experience,
whether it be running a government or a business. I would pose to you the
reason is simply that he's not comfortable making executive decisions. An
"executive conciliator" overly depends upon others, at times compromising
judgment and needed action in order to appease the masses. Proof of that was
seen in how Obama handled his and our "emergency" economic decisions.

A few months ago, Obama did not turn to Warren Buffett for counsel on the
housing crisis. As The Washington Post reported July 16, he turned to
Franklin Raines, the former Fannie Mae chief executive officer and six-year
money manipulator. The Post said Raines took "calls from Barack Obama's
presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy
matters."

And consider Obama's handling of the "emergency" bailout crisis. During the
first go-round of the bailout, while McCain was certain of his stand, Obama
wouldn't say where he stood because he was afraid it would be a wrong or
unpopular stand. Only after most of his political cronies were bribed in
favor of the bailout did Obama give it his stamp of approval. If he cannot
take decisive action as a senator in the greatest nation on earth, how in
the world is he going to make critical and emergency decisions as the
president?

Obama's inability to draw and hold hard lines is the primary reason he
repeatedly struggles with -- and caves and morphs into -- the polls or
people in front of him. More than any other politician in history, he has
flip-flopped on a host of critical issues: Iraq, Iran, gay rights, NAFTA,
abortion, race, religion, gun control, etc. It's one thing to be political,
but it's quite another to be a chronic people pleaser under pressure.
Swaying based on political expediency is not a leadership quality we need in
tough times. Sooner or later, that character flaw will bite Obama big-time
-- and us if we elect him president.

I'm not saying Obama has no continued future in politics. He just needs more
experience in life to weed out those character deficiencies. That's why I'm
asking Americans to look afresh at these questions: Is Obama
crisis-leadership qualified? Will he truly be ready Jan. 20 to assume the
helm of our country?

Actually, those leadership questions have been answered already by three
leading Democrats (before they could taste the perks from their alignment
with the Democratic presidential nominee). Obama's own running mate, Sen.
Joe Biden, replied only months ago about whether Obama is ready for the
presidency: "Right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not
something that lends itself to on-the-job training." Then he later told
George Stephanopoulos, "I stand by the statement." Biden was right.

Before Obama was her party's choice, Hillary Clinton repeatedly proved him
to be an indecisive waffler who couldn't or wouldn't be pinned down on any
issues. Hillary was right.

Even former President Bill Clinton dodged having to give an affirmative
answer to an ABC correspondent when asked whether Obama is ready to be
president by saying, "You can argue that no one is ready to be president."
Another smooth answer, Bill. The fact is he totally understands that Obama
is not ready.

America is in one of its toughest hours -- a market meltdown, the worst
fiscal environment since the Great Depression -- an economic 9/11, if you
will. Do we really believe we can be delivered by an indecisive people
pleaser as our country's CEO?



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