PrintMay 15, 2007
Physician, heal thyself (updated)
The Democratic newsletter than publishes under the name "Newsweek" suggests the President is mentally ill, citing Dr, Kerry Sulkowicz, who offers up rather thin gruel as evidence.
Denying the evidence of your eyes is the most extreme form of the coping mechanism called denial. But denial comes in milder forms as well. Parents refuse to believe their child is on drugs; that baggie under his bed contained oregano. A husband maintains his wife cannot be cheating; those late nights she spends with a friend are purely platonic. A wife denies that her husband is gay; he's just been too tired for sex with her these last few years.And a president who insists that a war will succeed despite setback after setback? It's risky to put a politician on the couch, but that has not kept President Bush's critics from charging that he is "in a state of denial" about the situation in Iraq, as Sen. Harry Reid said last month. USA Today editorialized that Bush is "in denial about the insurgency that has plunged [Iraq] into civil war."This could all be dismissed as psychobabble, except for one thing. Psychology researchers, including some who advise politicians, have reached the same conclusion."I do think there is denial on Bush's part in his running of the war," says Kerry Sulkowicz, clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University Medical Center.
Freepers were quickly on the good doctor's case:
[SULKOWICZ, KERRY
NEW YORK, NY 10021
SELF EMPLOYED/PHYSICIAN
Total Contributions: 500.00
Sulkowicz has had a problem with Bush that dates back several years. Here's what he had to say in 2004 after Bush beat Kerry:'Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz, a psychoanalyst and clinical professor of psychiatry at New York University's School of Medicine, believes "people are genuinely worried that Bush is our leader." He said virtually all of his patients this week said they feel depressed about the fate of the country. "They feel helpless and dismayed by Bush's staying power."
3AngelaD
Maybe Sulkowicz is just depressed his candidates keep losing.
On the other hand, griswold3 cites Dr. Sanity's theory of the left's depression:
It might be cynically argued that the Democrats' and left's overwhelmingly pessismistic vision and hopelessnes regarding both Iraq and the war on Islamofascism in general, is based on their optimism that taking the low road and undermining President Bush and his Administration will bring them back to power in American politics.I remain optimistic that this will not be the case.
Update: Shrinkwrapped, a psychoanalyst, has extensive and well informed commentary on this.
