Obama and Herman Wouk: I have Heard This Somewhere Before

I graduated from college a well-educated young adult most ideally suited to be a professional attendee at trendy cocktail parties; i.e and English major. Then, for lack of better options, I went to law school and became a trial lawyer.

More than 30 years after graduating college, I referred to my English degree, however, for a reason. Herman Wouk was and still is one of my favorite modern authors. His historical fictions, The Caine Mutiny and Winds of War, were great reading and both translated seamlessly onto the movie screen.

In particular, The Caine Mutiny stands as one of the great movies, not about war, but about men at war. It was a star-studded film, one my dad relished as much for the story as for the cast. Two of the standouts were Jose Ferrer, as Lt. Barney Greenwald, and Fred MacMurray, as Lt. Tom Keefer. ("Here's to the real author of the Caine Mutiny.. ---splashes wine in Keefer's face---.... If you wanna do anything about I'll be outside. I'm a lot drunker than you so it'll be a fair fight.)

Of course the star among stars was Humphrey Bogart and for two reasons: he was Bogart and his character was Lt. Cmdr. Philip Queeg. Queeg was the ill-suited Navy officer placed in a command above his abilities, neurotic, narcissistic, constantly plagued by doubts and perceived persecution and who, when nervous or threatened, would pull out two large ball-bearings and play with them in his right hand while talkng.

In the most memorable scene in the movie, during the court martial, Jose Ferrer, as Greenwald, conducted a cross-examination of Bogart, as Queeg. Artfully manipulating the questions and pushing each psychological button, Greenwald inexorably breaks Queeg down into a hunched-down, shaking volcano of nerves. Finally, he asks Queeg about a particular incident when Queeg earned the nickname "Yellow Stain."

In response to the question, Queeg, first takes out his ball-bearings and begins "clicking them", then launches into a lengthy, rambling recitation of everything that went wrong after he assumed command. He blames the prior captain for leaving him poorly trained officers and crew, blames the officers and crew for causing the various mishaps ( i.e. a cut tow line, The Strawberry Incident), and accuses the officers and crew of being disloyal and conspiring against him.

As the diatribe progressed and the camera pans around the room, the Board of Inquiry members become increasingly uncomfortable and concerned, exchanging glances and cocked eyebrows. Queeg's speech becomes more pressured and his leaps from topic to topic more disjointed and rambling. Finally, almost exhausted, he says.."I hope I've answered your question." Greenwald says "no further questions." It was, and still is, one of the great scenes ever filmed; on par with "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Inherit the Wind."

By now, I am sure you have connected the dots; but let me elaborate. From my view, we have in the Oval Office a better-looking, more articulate Lt. Cmdr. Philip Queeg. A narcissist in ajob far above his abilities and plagued by insecurites, persecution and neuroses. Every psychological trait displayed by Queeg, during the Caine Mutiny and particularly in his courtroom tirade, has been shown to us by our sitting President. For example (and I paraphrase for brevity):

Refusal to take Responsibility/Prevarication and Exaggeration
Commander Queeg: I was left with a poor crew by the former Captain
Obama: I was left with a terrible economy by the prior administration

Commander Queeg: The error and mistakes were entirely the crew's
fault
Obama: The Wall Street collapse was caused by the failure of the prior
administration to regulate the financial markets

Persecution Complex
Commander Queeg: The officers and crew are conspiring against me
Obama: The Tea Parties are a collection of right-wing ideologues who
will stop at nothing to attack me and my administration

Commander Queeg: I was the only one who was competent among the
officers and I was completely in control of the
situation
Obama: The American people will grow to like the Healthcare Bill
because they have been confused and misled by right-wing lies
and distortions. I have been completely forthright and
transparent.


Now, these various clues which manifested themselves at various points in the past 18 months could easily be dismissed individually as aberrations or pooh-poohed as exaggerations.

When we least expect, however, a circumstance for some reason, perhaps no teleprompter or such close proximity to his less-than-worshipful audience, pushes a psychological button and all the repressed traits emerge. Watch last week's 17 minute rambling diatribe with a critical eye. You will see it all. In response to one simple question about healthcare and "over" taxation, the sitting President launched into a 17-minute evasive rant that no doubt had Herman Wouk laughing from on-high. Watch it carefully and you see every trait: insecurity, narcissism, persecution complex, refusal to take responsibility, denial.

It was a virtuoso performance; one for the ages. As both Queeg and Obama said at the end, "I hope I answered your question." Well Mr. Sitting President, you to took 17 minutes to not answer the question asked of you; but in those 17 minutes you answered so many others of far greater importance.

At least we now know the measure of the man in the Oval office -- and by his own words.