Much has been said of Obama's compulsive lying[i].  There is considerable evidence that he lies freely and without guilt, enough so that many people notice it.  But his psychological problems go beyond that.  What is particularly worrisome is his overall syndrome.  In this short space it is not possible to cover all the symptoms so I will concentrate on those most important to my point.  We start with a brief, succinct description of the psychopath.

Superficially charming, psychopaths tend to make a good first impression on others and often strike observers as remarkably normal.  Yet they are self-centered, dishonest, and undependable, and at times they engage in irresponsible behavior for no apparent reason other than the sheer fun of it.  Largely devoid of guilt, empathy and love, they have casual and callous interpersonal and romantic relationships.  Psychopaths routinely offer excuses for their reckless and often outrageous actions, placing blame on others instead.  They rarely learn from their mistakes or benefit from negative feedback, and they have difficulty inhibiting their impulses[ii].

One symptom that many writers and pundits have noticed and highlighted is the obsession with himself, the need for admiration, the grandiosity, the fantasies of unlimited success, power and brilliance (I'm LeBron!), including the feeling that he is unique, a very special person entitled to favorable treatment and automatic compliance with his wishes and expectations[iii].  As part of this symptom, he can react to criticism with anger (how dare they?!) and become jealous quite easily (e.g., if others threaten his superiority). This aspect is amply obvious after four years of Obama in the presidency.

A second aspect, which is also obvious, is his ability to lie and to blame others.  Part of this is a strong effort to avoid blame and responsibility (it was George Bush's fault!), and a related aspect is a major lack of empathy and a disregard for the feelings of others.  The lying in moderate practice is shrewd, crafty, calculating, sly, and wily.  In the more extreme form, it has been deceptive, deceitful, unscrupulous, and manipulative.  The lying becomes necessary because of a refusal to accept responsibility for his actions or lack thereof.  Since his lying has been extensively studied I will say little else about it.

The next symptom is lack of guilt.  The psychopath rarely feels guilt and even when he expresses guilt it is a sham or a distraction to achieve other ends.  To feel guilt requires a conscience.  Without one there are no feelings of shame or remorse no matter what you do.  The lack of guilt stems from not having feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims (e.g., flying off to Vegas on the same day an Ambassador was killed).  Obama likes to promote the image of himself as "cool."  Well he is because he is unconcerned, dispassionate, coldhearted, and cannot relate to the feelings of others.  This item is often demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims (e.g., throwing Rev. Wright, Van Jones, and the State Israel under the bus).  He shows the typical symptom of interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open gregariousness.  His openness creates his "likeability," and many people do not see the coldness that lies behind.

The combination of these three major symptoms is the essence of the syndrome and leads to the conditions of relations to people close to him.  If he is extremely self-centered, then others simply play "supporting" roles and are not perceived as real people.  The characteristic of coolness, lack of passion, heartlessness generalizes to almost everyone around him.  His wife and daughters are trinkets in his game.  Malia and Sasha probably haven't figured that out yet.  But they will and it will be a sad day.  The occasional look on Michelle's face makes me suspect that she has figured it out.

The situation goes even further: despite the apparent exaggerated need for admiration, Obama does not love himself (if he did, he would not need all that admiration).  It would seem obvious that under these circumstances, he also does not have any empathy with the American people, except to the extent that they can forgive his lies and insensitivity and help him continue his grandiose ego trip.  This person is what we have for a president and who wants another four years!

[i] E.g., http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/10/is_barack_obama_a_compulsive_liar.html here, http://www.audacityofhypocrisy.com/fashion-shows/ and many other sources.

[ii] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-psychopath-means

[iii] Much of this and other comments can be seen at wikipedia's description of the DSM. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagnostic_and_Statistical_Manual_of_Mental_Disorders