A Sociopathic Obama is a Greater Risk Than an Angry McCain

I was recently speaking with one of the Democratic Party's unwashed who offered the following arguments in favor of Barack Obama for President:

1. John McCain has the wrong personality
2. John McCain is too old

Arguments about media figures' personalities are precarious. In public affairs, deception is the rule, not the exception. One cannot know the true personality of a salesman or a corporate official, much less so a politician whose mien is publicly available through television, Internet and other electronic media. As difficult as it is for many to discern the intent of a confidence man, how much more difficult it is to discern the underlying personality or motives of a politician whom we see only through the thoroughly biased lenses of television news and the mainstream media. Hence, arguments about McCain's anger or Obama's charming personality are misguided. Many sociopaths have charming personalities, and Obama may be among them.

The question that needs to be asked about the presidential candidates is not whether they seem like agreeable men, but whether they are likely to be sociopaths. A sociopath is a someone without a conscience. Newt Gingrich recently pointed out that Obama is not unlike most politicians. Perhaps politicians are by nature sociopathic, which is part of the reason why government needs to be restrained. Perhaps Newt Gingrich is among them.

John McCain's reputation for anger is evidence that he is honest. As the New York Sun recently pointed out in an editorial, his grasp of economics is poor. But so is Obama's. Moreover, Obama was associated for many years with a church in which he now, when it is convenient, says that he no longer believes. Moreover, Obama claims to be for change, a slogan of past demagogues such as Adolph Hitler ("alles muss ander sein"). Hence, while arguments based on personality are necessarily specious, it would seem that there is a much greater risk of a sociopathic Obama than a sociopathic McCain. Moreover, Obama's association with a variety of fringe elements whom he readily disowns once revealed suggests a lack of character consistent with sociopathy. Anti-social personality disorder is the basis to sociopathy, and Obama seems to have been attracted to the fringe culture of Reverend Pfleger and Bill Ayers.

Mr. Obama claims to favor change, yet he is allied with specific economic interests, specifically Wall Street. In 2008, Goldman Sachs so far has given $2.7 million to Democrats and less than $1 million to Republicans. Goldman Sachs's contributions to Democrats has exceeded those to Republicans every year since 1990. To assuage public concern about excessive Wall Street influence on Obama, America's off-the-charts-insipid media provide testimonies from "principled" Wall Street tycoons like George Soros and Warren Buffett that Obama is for "change". Of course, Messrs. Soros and Buffett do not discuss how Obama's "change" will influence their own economic interests.

In contrast to Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley has traditionally given to Republicans, according to Open Secrets.org. However, in 2008 Morgan Stanley has donated $1.4 million to Democrats and only $824.8 thousand to Republicans. As far as the finance, insurance and real estate industry as a whole, open secrets reports that in 2008, for the first time since 1990 when it begins its report, the industry as a whole is favoring the Democrats over the Republicans.

Barack Obama claims to be for change, but the change he advocates will likely serve the interests of George Soros, Warren Buffett, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Thus, we can expect continued loose monetary policy, public subsidization of incompetent and corrupt Wall Street business practices and of course increasing inflation and business regulation that serves Wall Street's economic interests.

Obama is not angry. Sociopaths infrequently express anger because they lack emotional substance. Rather, sociopaths learn to manipulate others' emotions. Thus, Obama publicly asserts that he is for "change" while he quietly accepts donations from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

With respect to McCain's age, this argument evidences the divisive nature of Obama's candidacy. When running against Hillary Clinton, the Obama campaign was sexist. Throughout Obama's history, racial and class categories have been objects of manipulation. It is not surprising that age, which is not a material factor, becomes the focal point of Obama's divisive smear campaign. McCain and Obama should be asked to perform exercise jointly. Let us see who has greater stamina, and whether Obama, a smoker, can out-jog McCain.