OBAMA'S TEMPERAMENT

I've blogged a fair amount about disagreements I've had with Obama on the issues. But I did want to praise the man for having an extraordinary temperament to be the world's most powerful man. One of the comments at a Myers-Briggs blog puts it well: "Obama is difficult to pinpoint because he seems to have all functions pretty well developed, which is good for a person and good for a president."

Think about it. He's careful with his words (I: introvert) but great with people (E: extrovert). He's idealistic (N: intuition) but pragmatic (S: sensing). He's rational (T: thinking) and yet emotionally intelligent (F: feeling). And he's run his campaign and transition in a disciplined manner (J: judging) but without being so rigid that he can't adjust (P: perceiving).

Of course, haters will say that's the problem with Obama: he tries to be all things to all people. I disagree. I think he has his defaults, but is thoughtful enough to appreciate the need for both extremes and disciplined enough to carry that out in the most pressure-packed of situations. And I think this bodes well for him being a good leader. Now if he'll just change his tune on his actual policy preferences . . .