A rush to judgment

I’ve been fighting against Obama since he first appeared on the political scene as a presidential candidate for this election cycle.  I didn’t like his lack of experience, I didn’t like his lack of a resume; I found creepy the way people projected their desires on him; I was repulsed by his friends, advisers and acquaintances; I was frightened by his strong-arm Chicago-style political tactics turned me off; and, as they slowly leaked out, I found his politics distasteful.  I am not happy that a slight majority of the American people elected him president.

Having said all that, I’m in no rush to predict what Obama’s presidency will bring.  Yes, we can make lots of guesses based on his political history, his associations and his speeches, but I’m not into reading crystal balls.  My best guess before the election was that he would make a lousy president — which is why I opposed him — but now that he is president, I’m inclined to wait and see what he actually does.

I’m especially loath to predict his acts because of the thing about him that scares me the most:  his narcissism.  Narcissists do have principles but, when push comes to shove, the only principle that matters is self-preservation.  A narcissist will never do something that runs counter to his own self-interest.

Because Obama’s ego requires him to succeed, he’ll do whatever it takes to maintain his popularity in the White House, and that may include governing to the center.  He won’t ever get to the right of center, and probably won’t even hit dead center, but he may cling to some area just left of center to hold the great American middle.  Now that he’s got the White House, he doesn’t need his fanatic base as much — instead, he needs to convince the American people that he’s safe.

So, while I have no doubt that he’ll drag the country Left, I’m not yet willing to predict how far Left that drag will be.  I’m adopting a wait and see attitude, and will be an interested spectator for those first hundred days.