Is Obama Too Anti-Social For His Own Good?

Some say he should learn to schmooze if he wants to be a 'great' president

Does President Obama have trouble - how shall we say - connecting with people?

That's the charge under discussion via The Week's Ryu Spaeth, in a piece entitled, directly enough, "Is President Obama Anti-Social?" And the verdict appears to be yes - but perhaps for good reason.

"I'm getting kind of lonely in this big house," said the President at a recent news conference. "I'll be probably calling around, looking for somebody to play cards with or something."

It's a joke that hides a real tendency to avoid networking and otherwise shooting the breeze with fellow politicos, say some pundits.

"For Obama, learning how to schmooze could mean the difference between a good and great presidency," writes The National Journal's Ron Fournier, who warns of the "peril" of being an aloof president.

But does the POTUS have a legitimate excuse to keep his cards close to his chest where those before have laid 'em bare? Spaeth thinks so.

"Obama is operating in an atmosphere of political polarization that would have been unimaginable to Reagan, and that Clinton got only a taste of," he writes. "Congress is not the place it once was, and it's hard to see how even a million rounds of golf with Obama would have helped House Speaker John Boehner, for example, convince a majority of his caucus to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans."

Via The Week and National Journal.

Is President Obama too shy for his own good?

[TheJimmy]

Obama's no Alpha Dog that's for sure but he can get by as a Beta.

[frigginhell]

Kissing John Boehner or Lindsey Grahams ass isn't going to make anything work more smoothly or cause the gop to suddenly shift their actions.
As for alpha male statement, he's the top dog, it's probably hard for an omega to see that far up the chain,

[thejimbo]

Looking at it from an historical perspective, DICTATORS (wannabe or actual) usually do find their lives lonely. Got to remember to that you have to keep your back to the wall because someone wants to stick a knife in it literally and not figuratively. I know I would not invite him to my house under any circumstances.

[frigginhell]

@jamesmitchell How about we make a deal. If 2016 rolls around and he refuses to leave office, changes the term limits and dissolve congress we call him a dictator. Until then he's the democratically elected leader of this country.

[bigblock]

If the Kenyan wants to be a "great" President, he should end his war on middle class white people. Fat chance of that happening.

[Zazziness]

I'm glad you called him a Kenyan so everyone reading your statement would know from the third word they're dealing with a birther. It makes it so much easier to know how to treat the rest of your statement.

[Zazziness]

@bigblock Ah, you're a Tea Party member, right?

[bigblock]

@Zazziness I'm NOT a democrat/socialist. I simply believe in freedom. I know that's a tough concept for you to grasp. Small government=Freedom. I stand with whoever supports that concept.

[Zazziness]

@bigblock And whoever thinks our President is a Kenyan and who thinks the government is warring on "white people." Are you ashamed to say you're Tea Party? You clearly are so why not admit it?

[numnuts]

Just another Lance Armstrong is what he is!

[woodtick57]

Speaks a lot to the shallowness of American culture....

[PoliticalSpice]

I wasn't going to say anything, but he's been in the white house five years and still hasn't had me over for lunch.

[SavageMazx]

@PoliticalSpice probably a good thing, Michelle would probably dictate what you could or couldn't eat....

[PoliticalSpice]

@SavageMazx Actually,that ewould be a good thing, I need to avoid sugar and cholesterol and should lose 25 lbs. but i happen to know he smokes when she's not around, so maybe he'd let me have an italian padtry and coffee with desert!

[TheJimmy]

Obama's more Antisocial than he is Anti-Social.

[stepped_in_it]

HMM, wasn't the term "Anti-Social" used for most (if not all) of the school shooters?

[Zazziness]

No. You're thinking of the term sociopathic. Which is a very different thing.

[TheJimmy]

You're thinking of Antisocial Personality Disorder which is an Axis II Disorder in the DSM IV. It is also something that most, if not all politicians exhibit traits of.

[stepped_in_it]

@TheJimmy And that doesn't make you worry in just a wee bit?

[Zazziness]

@stepped_in_it No. Because you are trying to conflate two different terms.

[Sharpshooter]

Axelshaft, Jarrett and Michelle have obviously figured out that the boy doesn't play well with others..... SURPRISE!

Anti-Social? Only with people he feels have a lower status than him.... He'll kowtow to the stars of his favorite movies with no problem....

It's not Anti-Social he's just a self centered jackass, the spoiled brat kid who always got his way and was never called on it.

Human Reproductive Units of the world take notice.... that brat you have in the basement playing Halo 4.... look at the brat in the White House and then realize there's only ONE President at a time, so unless yours wins the election he's just going to be another asshole unsuccessfully looking for a job.

[Elephonkey K]

@Sharpshooter @Zazziness Hey guys, this thread has gotten really off topic and confrontational. While it is clear your opinions vary greatly, we ask that you respect each other and avoid name calling because it contributes nothing to a solid political discussion. Let's move this thread out to pasture.

[BelinKS]

He's plenty social with Hollywood and famous people. It is his own choice to be anti-social with important politicians from Western Europe and the regular people of his own country. He is calculating and enjoys his "rock star" image in Hollywood.

[PoliticalSpice]

I don't know, I think yhe hollywood crowd would probably be more fun to socialize with then politicians. People generally socialize off the job anyway.he works with politicians all day long. I know politicians, most are quiet boring and not very much fun.

[BelinKS]

@PoliticalSpice
I know some politicians that are quite fun to be around off duty at my house or theirs. The question was is Obama too anti-social? I was merely replying that he is not generally anti-social, but when it comes to his job and speaking to leaders of other nations. He is. That is a choice he made himself to behave that way. President Bush took the premier of Japan to Memphis because he liked Elvis. They even ate BBQ at the Rendevue. That was a choice to be social and further to entertain the leader of another country. Maybe Obama should do more of what President Bush did for the leaders of other nations. He does not have to be anti-social to these people, that is a choice he made to be so towards them.

[PoliticalSpice]

@BelinKS President obama started war with another country for no reason. That is considered a wee bit anti-social :).

[BelinKS]

@PoliticalSpice
The war was not for no reason. Saddam Hussain had killed thousands of his own people with chemical warfare. The war should not even be brought up on this forum. It asked about Obama's anti-social behavior. I was merely replying that it is well known in Hollywood and New York that he is not antisocial. That he should apply that behavior to foreign leaders and foreign diplomats.

[PoliticalSpice]

@BelinKS Bush supported many regimes that killed there own people, and that was not the reason we enteted the war. I think war is anti-social. Bushes conduct in launching it was anyi-social to Foreign leaders and diplomats. Certianly to saddam hussain, and what about the allies in europe, by calling them "old europe," insulting the french, calling belgium, germany and swiss " the chocolate countries" because theyvwouldn't support the war. Breaking international treaties by engaging in torture. That is all pretty anti-social stuff, and i haven't even started on what he did domestically...

I get that the article wasn't really about this, but I thought the article trite in its focus and that critiques on him on this basis are unfair. It has nothing to do with substance, the "rock star" image is something every presidential candidate and major politician uses in one way or another, because a large part of his base is younger people he uses it more then modt, but romney took advantage of celeberty support as well, and all politicians do.

If he were socializing with politicians the story would have been about back room deals and lack of transparentcy, so I thought I'd use it to raise important issues, like war, which i think matter a lot more then if he goes golfing more often with bohner...

[Romney2012]

The less you see of him, the less you wonder about him!!

[Bobolinsky]

Og course it's Congress' fault. President Obama is an anti-social narcissistic egomaniac because of Congress... or is the egomania Bush's fault?

[harold_lloyd]

Bush's fault.

[thejimbo]

Thinks he is king so only the courtesans like him. Typical regal ego, narcissistic at best.

[Dan_Tien]

Using the term "anti-social" for a shy person is inappropriate. It is a psychiatric term for a severe personality disorder, and shouldn't be confused with someone who is simply not glib and personable.

[PayThatCEO]

I don't like schmoozing. I think it's a cheap way of conning people into doing what you want them to do. I think the president's personality is perfect for the job. He doesn't care whether someone likes him or not. He's not there to make friends; he's there to do what's best for the American people. Butt-kissing shouldn't be part of the job. If he pisses others off, good. He doesn't play into the Good 'Ol Boys Club, which is one of the reasons he's so unpopular on Capitol Hill. And for that I say he's right on the money.

[RobertJHarsh]

This should help Obama:

http://www.despair.com/elitism.html

[Yank]

Is Obama anti-social? How can you call the PotUS (who is constantly in front of a camera and talking to the world's elite) anti-social?

[tomincali]

that picture has him looking two colors right down the middle of his face,camera trick?

[PNWest]

Non issue. He's been a good president. The second term will show if he can become a great one. It's fun to see the country getting better and the right wing getting angrier and crazier. If Obama plays his cards right we may see him here someday:
http://politicalirony.com/wp-content/uploads/...

[Knightkore]

Um....anti-social yes....too shy no....I mean when you get up in face of America and say you aren't negotiating on the debt ceiling....basically cutting off all avenues of discussion to any kind of budget getting balanced AGAIN....that isn't being shy....that is being anti-social to say the least....which as someone put on here....is what they describe many of these psychopathic shooters....an interesting correlation....

[Denizen_Kate]

Yet another commenter who doesn't understand the difference between the debt ceiling and spending cuts/budget balancing. smh

[Knightkore]

@Denizen_Kate They go hand in hand....

[Denizen_Kate]

@Knightmare - No, the actually don't. We need serious spending cuts and reduction in budget deficit, but the debt ceiling issue is where we decide whether or not to pay already incurred debts. One is being held hostage to the other, that's the only "hand in hand" in this situation.

[Knightkore]

@Denizen_Kate Why? Because progressive liberals are unwilling to even come to the table on budget issues. President Hussien Obama already said....he will NOT negotiate....

[Denizen_Kate]

@Knightmare - He said he will not negotiate on raising the debt ceiling in order to pay for what congress has already bought. It's the GOP holding this country's "credit score" hostage in order to get the specific spending cuts THEY want, which are mostly cuts to Social Security and Medicare. The Dems, on the other hand, want to cut defense spending, among other things, but that is a completely separate issue from the debt ceiling.

[cat2009]

He's so busy being into himself to realize that he's not socialable.

[AmericaHelp1]

SHY???? This idiot is a Socialist and will take this country down the drain. He needs to be removed from office before it is too late! Wake UP America before it is too late

[DARSB]

I can't say I blame him. We recall (some with glee) what happened to the last Democratic President who "got social" in the White House. ;)