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Which of These Two Mama's Boys Are You Going to Vote For?
October 22, 2008 12:15 PM
Writing in the Wall Street Journal today, Sue Shellenbarger quotes Doug Wead, author of two books on presidential families, noting that both Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., fit a certain presidential pattern of "Mama's boys with absent fathers who were perceived by the sons as high achievers."
Obama's tale is more complicated, because in addition to being abandoned by his father, Barack Obama Sr., at the age of two, his mother also left Obama Jr. in the care of her parents while she went off gallivanting around the world.
Indeed, on the stump, Obama seems to mention his ailing grandmother, 85-year-old Madelyn Dunham, whom he will be visiting in Hawaii Friday, far more often than he references his mother and father combined.
McCain's pop, Admiral John Sidney McCain Jr., was largely absent as his wife raised (now Sen.) John Sidney McCain III.
But the Obama memoir is titled "Dreams From My Father," and McCain's is "Faith of My Fathers."
Daddy issues, anyone?
McCain wrote of his father as "a distant, inscrutable patriarch" who suffered from alcoholism.
Do you need to have grown up in a dysfunctional home, without the love of two parents, in order to become a successful presidential candidate?
Wead set out to find if the parents of presidents had some special secret when he began "The Raising of a President." Instead, he tells Shellenbarger, he discovered the moms and dads of POTUSes past "were as neurotic and possessive and awful as anybody's."
In fact, Wead found most interesting "how these presidents were able to transcend these experiences or re-invent them as inspirational."
Or as a family therapist tells Shellenbarger, "When you don't have two nice parents who are very supportive ... you seek out and find sources of resilience and transcendence -- and you become amazing."
So go ahead, ignore your kids, marry the alcoholic, leave your kid in the care of his grandparents for years -- you might be setting them on a path to the White House.
- jpt
October 22, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (37)
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Paul Harvey did a great piece on this too that include FDR, JFK,Truman, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Taft.
Maybe we dysfunctional families have a chance after all.
God bless America.
Posted by: MotherofaMom'sBoy | Oct 22, 2008 12:56:50 PM
Since we have articles of evil people against Obama lets report on other evil acts.
Senator Norm Coleman's garage was spray painted last night.
One of the messages was a death threat.
Can we expect to see an article of the evil people that support Obama?
Posted by: 888 | Oct 22, 2008 12:55:56 PM
Justme is absolutely correct .. 100%!!
Posted by: Marcus | Oct 22, 2008 12:50:40 PM
So go ahead, ignore your kids, marry the alcoholic, leave your kid in the care of his grandparents for years -- you might be setting them on a path to the White House.
**************************************
What is your problem Jake? This whole article is uncalled for. It is below the belt and no fault of either candidate. I am glade that maybe your father was there for you, so why don't you act like it?
Posted by: Thinking | Oct 22, 2008 12:49:47 PM
Jake: here's a topic for you to report on:
Obama's money machine--
From Washington Post: Only A Quarter Of $600M Raised Has Come From Contributions Of $200 Or Less
--more lies from Obama
Posted by: 666 | Oct 22, 2008 12:48:27 PM
After the shellacking of Joe the Plumber, I'll be surprised if any normal people want to go near politics and time soon. Thanks for pointing out we are a nation led by sociopaths and creeps. That's reassuring.
That explains why Palin is getting such rough treatment. Any one who is normal will be treated to the Beating On The Beltway these days. It looks like a fraternity hazing. Come to think of it, when you consider what the Ivy Leaguers have had to do with it, that's precisely what it is: Revenge of the Tri-lams.
Posted by: len | Oct 22, 2008 12:44:25 PM
Mary: Funny, Obama has not abandoned his family, unlike your man McCain... what is that called Adultery???
Posted by: becky | Oct 22, 2008 12:44:01 PM
Jake: This is the second time today you've run a story on this topic. Let's move on to another, more relevant topic, such as Rev. Wright.
Posted by: me | Oct 22, 2008 12:43:54 PM
gevill, check out your candidate with the same scrutiny.............
Posted by: 9978 | Oct 22, 2008 12:39:55 PM
Sarah Palin is corrupt. She still has issues in Alaska this Friday and she's spending the RNC's money on cloths. I have two words for her Caribou Barbie period.
Posted by: geevill | Oct 22, 2008 12:36:24 PM
Neither! Is Nader or Barr a mammas boy?
Posted by: Ben Straub | Oct 22, 2008 12:36:06 PM
"Do you need to have grown up in a dysfunctional home, without the love of two parents, in order to become a successful presidential candidate? ... So go ahead, ignore your kids, marry the alcoholic, leave your kid in the care of his grandparents for years -- you might be setting them on a path to the White House."
Not feeling represented, Mr. Tapper?
Not all of us are born in New York City and graduate Magna Cum Laude from Dartmouth to go on to be SENIOR National Serious Journalist. Some of us enjoy a good ole underdog story. People who overcome adversity, people who understand what's it like to suffer.
I was raised primarily by my grandparents and had a rocky childhood and I think it influenced me positively. I feel having seen hard times made me more compassionate where you seem to imply it screwed me up. NICE!
Posted by: Cory | Oct 22, 2008 12:34:15 PM
Jake, these people needs more information to help them make a truly informed decision. Start covering some of the important issues and cover both side equally. Point out if anybody is making false or misleading statments. Please, the american people need some help. The lack of credible information is unreal
Posted by: mor | Oct 22, 2008 12:33:02 PM
Jake, who wants his kid to become POTUS? So let's give them all the love we have.
Posted by: greg | Oct 22, 2008 12:32:16 PM
HELP HELP HELP HELP HELP
Where is our unbiased media?????????????????????
WE, the American people are being manulipated by the self-serving media. The media is no longer credible. Where do we get our news???????
HELP HELP HELP HELP
County in CRISIS......CRISIS
Somebody save us.............
Posted by: justme | Oct 22, 2008 12:31:52 PM
Don't forget that Clinton had an absentee father and Bush II had a high achieving father. The presidential races teem with Daddy issues.
It's time to put a woman in office. Sarah Palin and her Dad have a great relationship. 'Nuff said.
Posted by: Fallon | Oct 22, 2008 12:26:06 PM
Since we are now in the art of blogging about the vandalizing of yard signs, will you report the vandalizing and death threat Sen Norm Coleman just got on his personal house???
Posted by: 888 | Oct 22, 2008 12:18:54 PM
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