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President Dad

13 comments on President Dad

President Dad
: Just saw a snippet of a preview of a Dean interview in Rolling Stone, out Friday, in which he says that Bush has a father obsession and that’s why he wants to be re-elected. Interview out Friday.

: UPDATE: Good on Swopa from the comments… He has the fuller (and thus more accurate) quote I couldn’t find after having heard it on TV:

“I admire George Bush’s father,” Dean told the magazine during the course of two question-and-answer sessions last month. “There were some things I strongly disagreed with him on, but he tried to be a good president.”

He said President Bush is the opposite of his father.

“This president is not interested in being a good president.” “He’s interested in some complicated psychological situation that he has with his father,” the Democratic presidential front-runner said. “He is obsessed with being re-elected, and his obsession with re-election is hurting the country.”

He’s right that the word “obsession” was linked to re-election, but he’s still making a psychological diagnosis.

13 responses to “President Dad”

  1. Glenn Avatar
    Glenn

    bush’s motivation for getting re-elected is his ‘father obsession’? is that even a sane thought? very strange…

  2. Roger L. Simon Avatar
    Roger L. Simon

    Well, I was the one who said Dean didn’t really want to be elected (just wanted the nomination). And I stand by that. I suppose, then, I can’t complain about Dean’s cheapjack psychoanalysis, but mine’s better (more accurate, I think).

  3. Lola Avatar
    Lola

    Well, if Dean doesn’t want to be elected, Roger, then why is he going through the motions (and dragging the Democrat Party through mud)? Prepping the grounds for Hilary’s ride to victory in 2008 (if her plans go off as planned)?

  4. O'McSomething Avatar
    O’McSomething

    Just who does Dean think he is? Krauthammer?

  5. Swopa Avatar
    Swopa

    Hmm, interesting. In my cheapjack psychoanalysis, I’ve always thought it was the liberal hawks who had Daddy issues (perhaps expressed more concisely in the comments of this thread).
    As for Dubya, I think he’s got different psychological issues.

  6. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    As a mental health professional, licensed by the way, I would NEVER presume to tell an internal medicine physician what someone’s diagnosis is. I wonder why Dean, without significant training, feels “competent” to make a mental diagnosis. Practicing outside of the scope of his training?
    Just a thought

  7. Swopa Avatar
    Swopa

    I don’t think Dean’s trying to make a formal diagnosis … just the same offhand opinion a lot of people have offered:
    “I admire George Bush’s father,” Dean told the magazine during the course of two question-and-answer sessions last month. “There were some things I strongly disagreed with him on, but he tried to be a good president.”
    He said President Bush is the opposite of his father.
    “This president is not interested in being a good president.” “He’s interested in some complicated psychological situation that he has with his father,” the Democratic presidential front-runner said. “He is obsessed with being re-elected, and his obsession with re-election is hurting the country.”
    To mildly correct Jeff, he’s not saying that a “Bush has a father obsession and that’s why he wants to be re-elected” — he’s saying that Bush’s Daddy issues have made him “obsessed with re-election” (in contrast to merely desiring it, as all presidents do). And he’s so hell-bent on being re-elected to one-up his dad that he’s doing things that are harming the country.

  8. Swopa Avatar
    Swopa

    He’s right that the word “obsession” was linked to re-election, but he’s still making a psychological diagnosis.
    That’s overstating it, IMO — “some complicated psychological situation with his father” is hardly something you’d find in the DSM-IV.

  9. Homer Robinson Avatar
    Homer Robinson

    Swopa, you’re spinning a bit too hard on this one.

  10. Mithras Avatar
    Mithras

    Swopa, you’re spinning a bit too hard on this one.
    Nah, Jarvis is just trying to slam Dean, as usual, and he got fact-checked.

  11. HH Avatar
    HH

    I’m sure the Bob Somerbys and Tom Tomorrows and the rest who slammed Charles Krauthammer (Somerby called for him to be fired) will rush to condemn Dean…

  12. Sandy P. Avatar
    Sandy P.

    So says the man who’s deficit reduction plan kicks in during his second term.
    So, what’s W doing to show he’s obsessed? Raising money?

  13. HH Avatar
    HH

    Dean said Bush needs PSYCHOTHERAPY.
    http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=36581
    Again, Bob Somerby, Tom Tomorrow, et al. – What say you?