General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOur joking about Romney being inhuman has a kernel of truth. Romney is a psychopath.
For the past few months, I and others have been joking about Romney being not entirely human. Mark Hamill said that Romney was like The Thing - he can only imitate human behavior, but he's not actually human himself. I've jokingly suggested that Mitt was an Agent from the Matrix, a Cylon, a Replicant from Blade Runner, a Visitor from the V television series (a reptile wearing a human mask, who can unhinge his jaw and swallow live rats whole.)
But let's admit it. There's a little bit of truth that is in there with the silliness. Romney's behavior is "a little bit off."
In fact, I'd say the way he's off falls into a fairly well known pattern - that of the classic psychopath. He doesn't just have a hard time relating with other people, but he doesn't feel empathy or conscience towards other human beings at all - he's in many ways like an alien in human skin. Essentially he's a member of what I would call the subspecies Homo sapiens psychopathicus - a subspecies of humanity that has evolved as a predator of other humans.
He's like Hannibal Lector - though instead of eating people's livers (with fava beans and a nice chianti), he eats people's jobs, livelihoods and bank accounts. His method of predation is conducted with a fountain pen - see Bain Capital.
What am I talking about? Well, let's go through the list, as I found it here: http://www.daniweb.com/community-center/geeks-lounge/threads/78319/hare-psychopathy-checklist#
2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH
3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM
4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING
5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS
6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT
7. SHALLOW AFFECT
8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY
9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE
10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS
11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS
14. IMPULSIVITY
15. IRRESPONSIBILITY
16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS
17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE
20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY
The way Hare does the scoring, for each of the 20 characteristics, he gives a value of 0 if the characteristic does not apply at all, a 1 if it applies somewhat, and a 2 if it applies strongly.
In my own Fristing of Mitt Romney, I give him a 30 on the Hare checklist, out of a maximum possible score of 40, putting him squarely in psychopath territory. If Romney becomes President, the result could be something out of a horror movie...
Go ahead and criticize me for "Fristing" Romney, but I do believe that character is at the core of what we should be evaluating in who we would have be our leaders. It's more important than issues, as a man of good character will come to the right side, or at least an understandable side on the issues. Romney's not like that. He is not a man of good moral character. He is a psychopath. He's not on our side, he feels absolutely zero obligation to lift a finger for us, his prey. His positions on the issues will be those that solely benefit himself, at our expense.
In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is just plain fucking evil.
We've already had to endure eight years of a psychopath in the White House. I don't think our country could endure another psychopathic president.
trusty elf
(7,401 posts)[IMG][/IMG]
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)in a religion whose founder read golden tablets with magic glasses while looking into a magic hat that came from a celestial being... and who gives millions of dollars a year to this religion... that also requires him to wear magical holy underwear... well... can't be too reliable... and probably has a few screws loose...
DeSwiss
(27,137 posts)"Romney loves America like a tick loves a dog."
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)Are so much saner.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)The magic underwear and believing God came from the planet Kolob is silly, but believing in the story of creation with the people wearing fig leaves, the talking snake and magic fruit, and believing a god had a son who was actually himself, sent him on a suicide mission that wasn't really suicide because he came back, and because he committed suicide, we're all saved from our sins. That's cool!
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)Welcome to DU!
Julie
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Quantess
(27,630 posts)No way could I live with myself if I had done even a fraction of the damage that man has inflicted.
Betty Jo
(66 posts)I think Romney is in beginning Alzheimer's.He probably has no memory of what he just said minutes ago.Is there anyone asking for medical records ? He is 65 and looks very lean and fit.I think inside is a very different story.
DearAbby
(12,461 posts)When was the last time a Presidential Candidate had a Mental Healthcare exam? He looks healthy physically, I believe he is very fit for 65. But Alzheimer's is very difficult to diagnose, usually reached by elimination.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Very possible.
Though one thing I do notice about psychopaths and pathological liars - they tell so many lies they're chronically unable to keep their stories straight, hence the dopey things they so often say.
King_Klonopin
(1,306 posts)On the spectrum of personality disorders, he doesn't quite meet the criteria for sociopathic or antisocial personality. He strikes me as more narcissistic in the vain of a man who is pompous, smug and self-centered. I would love to hear his reasons explaining WHY he wants to be president. I would expect some vapid, meaningless blather. He is an empty, soulless, superficial caricature (similar to that of the stereotypical "used car salesman" who cannot be trusted and has no core values. These are not the best personality traits for a POTUS. He is dangerous and ill-suited for the job because of his detachments from humanity -- but not "evil". These types feel no guilt, have no conscience.
Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personalty Disorder (DSM IV)
(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
It seems that the collective unconscious of the GOP attracts these types like flies to poop.
Bush and Cheney, on the other hand, are a couple of first-rate sociopaths. (a little torture never hurt anyone.)
DCKit
(18,541 posts)Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)while he baptizes the dead.
DCKit
(18,541 posts)unblock
(52,317 posts)yes, i know, i'm mixing psychological with sociological terms.
what i mean is that the whole right-wing engine, including the republican leadership, the right-wing think tanks, the right-wing donors, the right-wing media, the right-wing pundits, the tea party, etc. is a collective that acts much as an individual psychopath would.
and it's much, much bigger than any one person, even the potus.
there's very little a completely sane and well-intentioned person can do from within that machine other than, one way or another, serve its psychopathic interests. anyone who, intentionally or not, throws a spanner in the works is quickly devoured.