Two Types of Confidence - Obama and Bush

George W. Bush preserves his self-confidence by shutting out other points of view. Barack Obama's openness is possible, on the other hand, because of his genuine self-confidence.

Outgoing President George W. Bush's farewell speech put on display, once again, the psychology of a man who is incapable of self-examination, whose mind simply does not permit him to reflect on his actions. As though added by a speech writer, Bush recited the words, "There are things I would do differently if given the chance." Other than a few flights of verbal fancy, however, Bush has never been able to identify anything he would do differently.

His Bush-version of a mea culpa was immediately followed by the real Bush philosophy: "I have always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I thought was right." Bush is confident that people respect him simply for making the "tough decisions." Nowhere does his world view permit him to question the quality or consequences of these decisions. Laura Bush describes the time George crashed their car into their garage after she once criticized him -- presumably, she never did it again.

After the speech, Chris Matthews on MSNBC correctly identified the relevant aspects of Bush's biography -- that he was resolutely anti-intellectual and disdained the "pointy heads" at Yale and Harvard. Unequipped with book knowledge or a philosophy of his own -- or, more important, the intellectually ability to evaluate the perspectives of others -- Bush simply latched onto the neoconservative ideas of Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby and Paul Wolfowitz. Once he adopted these men's world views, he didn't have the tools to question them.

Two nights before, President-elect Barack Obama dined with a number of prominent conservative columnists, including such sharp minds as George Will, William Kristol and David Brooks. Questioned the next morning about the dinner on Fox and Friends, Kristol made light of the meeting, saying nobody changed their minds during the evening. But the correct question to ask Kristol would have been, "What does it say that Barack Obama met with a group of intelligent political opponents while George Bush would never think of doing so?"

Paul Krugman described how he was received at the White House after winning the Nobel Prize for economics during the current economic break-down. "Did Bush speak with you?" he was asked. "He made small talk with my wife, who is also from Texas," Krugman answered.

What Obama's dining with the opposition shows is that -- while Bush is impervious to other points of view -- Obama doesn't find alternative ideas challenging. He is capable of assessing and integrating them with his own secure and well-considered slant on things. We are reminded of Thurlow Weed's assessment of Lincoln (Weed was campaign manager for Lincoln's chief opponent for the Presidential nomination, William Seward): "He sees all who go there, hears all they have to say, talks freely with everybody, reads whatever is written to him; but thinks and acts by himself and for himself."

Comments

[mommadona]

"He sees all who go there, hears all they have to say, talks freely with everybody, reads whatever is written to him; but thinks and acts by himself and for himself."

Great observation.

We can only hope that we all grow to that level of confidence and individual freedom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xELEOs-_cY

[kellygrrrl]

nothing more frightening than Willful Ignorant Arrogance

[AddyGmom]

My great hope is that dubya lives long enough and is not afflicted with Alzheimer's or other mind altering disease to realize that he really is the worst president ever. Let history tell him his story.

[SpaghettyIrish]

Better when he dies if those pearly gates he believes do exist, and he doesn't get through them...

[Jesster]

He'll just rationalize that historians are a bunch of elitist liberal hacks (except for the one or two who will declare him the greatest.) He'll add that he is awaiting the judgment of his "Higher Father"... the only one that really counts.

[Megley]

I think there are some deep-rooted Daddy issues at work here. It seems that everything Bush does is calculated as another way to tell H.W. that, "See? I'm not the screw-up you think I am, Daddy. I told you I'd amount to something.­" W. never seemed to want to be a leader as much as a figurehead.

[Jesster]

Absolutely, Megley! As the family black sheep / ner'do'well, he desperately needed to prove himself: He'd not only be President, he would win a 2nd term! Pappy dropped the ball when he failed to finish off Saddam, Junior would get the job done and he'd make it look easy!

He wasn't going to look or act like a stuffy New England blue-blood - he was a regular guy from west Texas, the kind you'd like to have a beer with. Plus he used to be a "sinner" but now he was a "born again Christian" so he understood redemption and salvation, he could talk the talk. He was a man of the people and he'd show Pappy what being a "real man" is all about!

[consideration]

Bush is a bully - perhaps the psychology of a nasty 8 year old.

McCain is like a reckless teenager. Sometimes he can be reckoned with, but don't lend him the family car.

Palin is like a 2 year old going Mine Mine Mine

Biden and Obama are adults. What a reliefü

[Jesster]

Nifty and concise summation Consideration - well put and right on the mark!

[serena1313]

Diverse views, different from our own, allows us to understand the world in profound ways that are neither superficial nor shallow.

Obama's willingness to listen to different opinions says: A) you matter B) your ideas are important C) your input is needed. He is courteous and respectful. As should be.

Arguments are won on merit not ideology. The level of political discourse has been reduced to sound bites, partisan talking-points, name calling and/or personal attacks which is, at best, juvenile notwithstanding. The mechanisms used to shut-down debate and stop the free-flow exchange of ideas include attacking the messenger not the idea. This is unhealthy -- even dangerous -- for a democratic and open society.

To successfully tackle the challenges ahead we need to broaden our perspectives and deepen our understanding of one another. That means talking, listening and asking questions. Then finding common ground becomes possible.

Obama leads by example. We would be wise to follow suit.

[lbhart]

The psychology of George Bush?

"I'll do whatever I darn well please, without thought for anyone or anything else."

Confidence? I think not. I find him to be egotistical enough to feign confidence. But, not intelligent enough to know the difference.

[undrgrndgirl]

"George W. Bush...put on display, once again, the psychology of a man who is incapable of self-examination, whose mind simply does not permit him to reflect on his actions."

it's called ALCOHOLISM­...

[Gidster]

Arrogance and entitlement aside, Bush feels as if we should applaud his mediocrity.

[mamak]

Exactly! I hope he fades from history and only be remembered as "The Great Destroyer"