What would Wile E. Coyote say? Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
Do you remember this guy?
You know, Bugs, the Roadrunner, and Porky Pig?
Yeah, well, Wile's IQ never did do him much good. Perhaps he was not a "super genius" after all--the poor guy kept getting blown up by a rabbit (over, and over, and over again). Enter ridiculous world with me, Dear Reader, (just for a second) and let's see if Wile's character traits help us at all to understand a dangerous little condition: Narcissistic Personality Disorder and what it might contribute to our understanding of the current Presidential horse race.
Yes, we all know what a narcissist is, but what about this psychiatric disorder? Well, let's see what the Mayo Clinic says about this condition:
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.
A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they're not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.
[Is this sounding familiar yet? Let's go a little farther.]
{What follows is a list of symptoms, also available on this website.]
Have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration.
Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment.
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements.
Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.
Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important.
Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them.
Take advantage of others to get what they want.
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others.
Be envious of others and believe others envy them.
Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come across as conceited.
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office.
Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment.
Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements.
Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are.
Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate.
Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people.
Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important.
Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them.
Take advantage of others to get what they want.
Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others.
Be envious of others and believe others envy them.
Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come across as conceited.
Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20366662
NOTE: My beloved sister dislikes it whenever I get medical information from the internet. HOWEVER, with all due respect to that wonderful lady, I feel pretty confident with the Mayo Clinic.
I'm gonna include one more definition of NPD from Johns Hopkins:
Narcissistic personality disorder. People with this disorder present severely overly-inflated feelings of self-worth, grandness, and superiority over others. People with narcissistic personality disorder often exploit others who fail to admire them. They are overly sensitive to criticism, judgment, and defeat.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/personality-disorders
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Alright, as you've already guessed Dear Reader, I'm talking about one candidate: Donald 'I like orange' Trump [cough. hack. gag.]. Now, here's a man who defies description OR understanding. I mean, how in the hell did that asshole EVER get elected? Did I suddenly enter a parallel reality?
From the OED:
"schmuck /ʃmΛk/ noun Also shmuck, etc. Someone objectionable or contemptible; an idiot."
But, does Trump suffer from NPD? That's no so easy to determine, however, take a look at this;
and this:
or this one:
and this is an interesting article:
Bear with me, Dear Reader, I'm gonna give you a couple more:
Now, these are pretty reputable sources: Salon.com? "The Independent"? "Psychology Today"?
So, I'm not alone in suspecting that the orange-flavored used car salesman suffers (yeah suffers) from NPD. Now, don't you think that the guy who has his finger literally on the button of I don't know how many nuclear bombs should be even partially stable mentally?
Of course you do. However, remember what I said before: we're currently living in opposite world.
Perhaps Alec Baldwin had it right all along:
Perhaps Alec Baldwin had it right all along:
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If you've read any other entries in my blog, then I hope you have a pretty good sense of my political leanings: I'm an old fashioned, conservative gal, who exists in the hope that one day we'll have a crop of politicians who keep their genitals to themselves. And, yes, I still believe that our Constitution is a pretty cool thing. Additionally, John Adams is a Norse GOD.
When I think of the morass that are my political affiliations, I remember a quote from "Judgement at Nuremberg," where the main character (a judge played by Spencer Tracy) says "I'm a rock-ribbed Republican, who thought that Franklin Roosevelt was a great man." That movie was made in 1960, or thereabouts, when the Republican party had not yet been embarrassed by Richard Nixon, or Donnie 'S*&t do I love my tanning machine' Trump.
A slight deviation from the main narrative:
When I think of the morass that are my political affiliations, I remember a quote from "Judgement at Nuremberg," where the main character (a judge played by Spencer Tracy) says "I'm a rock-ribbed Republican, who thought that Franklin Roosevelt was a great man." That movie was made in 1960, or thereabouts, when the Republican party had not yet been embarrassed by Richard Nixon, or Donnie 'S*&t do I love my tanning machine' Trump.
A slight deviation from the main narrative:
These days, American politics is either a popularity contest, or a terrifying reality show/ I know, I know, ‘twas ever thus, yes? NO! It doesn’t have to be.
I hate reality shows--forgive my nauseating elitist stance, bot ye Gods I hate shows like "Real World" and "The Bachelor."
Men of conscience created this country (yeah, I know white men for other white men, but their ideas of liberty and freedom for the common man were pretty f*&^ing cool, n'est-ce pas?). If we leave Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin out, let's talk about John Dickenson, John Adams, and James Madison (yeah, I know, I know--also a slaveholder, but Dolly was AWESOME).
Side Note:
Do you remember, Dear Reader, the story I told you, where Thomas Jefferson (while President) displayed his contempt for the visiting British Ambassador and his wife, by meeting them in his dirty bathrobe, nightdress, and dusty slippers with his hair standing up all over his head?
Alright, back to it.
I hate reality shows--forgive my nauseating elitist stance, bot ye Gods I hate shows like "Real World" and "The Bachelor."
Men of conscience created this country (yeah, I know white men for other white men, but their ideas of liberty and freedom for the common man were pretty f*&^ing cool, n'est-ce pas?). If we leave Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin out, let's talk about John Dickenson, John Adams, and James Madison (yeah, I know, I know--also a slaveholder, but Dolly was AWESOME).
Side Note:
Do you remember, Dear Reader, the story I told you, where Thomas Jefferson (while President) displayed his contempt for the visiting British Ambassador and his wife, by meeting them in his dirty bathrobe, nightdress, and dusty slippers with his hair standing up all over his head?
Alright, back to it.
As of today, January 24th, 2024, the U.S. Presidential race is shaping up to be a retread of 2020: Biden vs. the orange idiot. To tell you the truth I don't know who's going to win. All I've seen (from the insane amount of time my lovely mother spends watching CNN and/or Spectrum local news) is a lot of invective between these two men. I'm so sick of politicians in this country who think that Americans are so stupidly angry that they won't listen to a logical, reasoned argument. The only things that seem to matter to anyone these days are empty promises. What happened to our leaders? When they aren't keeping their genitals in their clothes, they're taking bribes from 'super pacs'.
I don't know, somewhere along the road I went and became an independent. I cannot in good conscience belong to the Democratic party because they were originally the party of slaveholders. Yes, I know I'm living in the past, but hey Historian, remember? : ) Nor can I call myself a Republican, because the party of Dwight D. Eisenhower is long dead. Grand Old Party my aching ass.
If you have the patience, Dear Reader, let's investigate the Orange Apostate for a sec:
I think that's a reasonably reliable source, don't you?
And, now for something completely different, let's take a look at Joe Biden:
Very different men, vastly different political philosophies. I also think that in their respective ways, both men are impressive. Both men are also white.
And over 70. Does anyone remember that?
The used car salesman is 77.
The supreme head of the Democratic Party is 81.
If you listen to candidate Nicki Haley, she keeps banging on about the age of her opponents. I think she has a point. However, let's pause for just a 'sec, and remember Ronald Reagan (the guy everyone thinks about when linking age with the office. Reagan was ONLY 69 when elected president in 1981. This seems young today, doesn't it? However, there were stories that while he was in the Oval Office, his mental processes weren't all they could be. What we know for sure, is that Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994. Now, the onset of Alzheimer's can be a long one, at times over 10 years. That's a dangerous thought, when the afflicted patient used to be President.
I think the point I'm trying to make, is that perhaps the presidency is a job best filled by a younger generation, or by people who aren't bajillionaires. And, for that matter, perhaps it's also a job that requires a certain amount of compassion for the underdog, Nixon's "Silent Majority."
What bothers me, are issues of mental acuity. Doesn't it bother you, if a president or presidential hopeful displays signs of mental illness? I know what you're thinking Dear Reader: how do I know that Tr*(p is mentally ill? Well, if you take a substantive measure of his political speeches, does that give you pause?
This next is a series of clips put together by a privately run web site:
You know I never knew that stealth bombers were invisible in the air. SIGH. Could this asshole be any dumber?
But, what is more frightening to me, are the supporters of this dickhead, who think that Michelle O'Bama is a man.
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WTF!!!!!
Obviously I could go on interminably about the upcoming race, but I won't. I think that you get the point Dear Reader. But, before I go for the week, let me end by saying that these are merely my opinions. Additionally, I do agree with Haley about the age issue. Why in the hell don't these guys just retire to Miami? I'd just bet they can afford it. WAIT! I forgot. The used car salesman already did.
Now, who are you gonna vote for, Dear Reader? Whoever, whatever, MAKE SURE that you do vote. It’s the only way to ensure the republic.
Next week, the phallus in ancient history. No! Really!
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