Depressed President Now Increasingly Self-Isolated and Listless

Last month, Gawker claimed the NYT had a big scoop-- that the president was suffering from something that looks very similar to full-blown clinical depression.

The Times being the Times, they never ran that story.

But the New York Post now runs an article with a very similar angle, noting the "rumor" keeps going around.

The reports are not good, disturbing even. I have heard basically the same story four times in the last 10 days, and the people doing the talking are in New York and Washington and are spread across the political spectrum. The gist is this: President Obama has become a lone wolf, a stranger to his own government. He talks mostly, and sometimes only, to friend and adviser Valerie Jarrett and to David Axelrod, his political strategist.

Everybody else, including members of his Cabinet, have little face time with him except for brief meetings that serve as photo ops. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner both have complained, according to people who have talked to them, that they are shut out of important decisions.

President Obama has become a lone wolf, a stranger to his own government.

The president’s workdays are said to end early, often at 4 p.m. He usually has dinner in the family residence with his wife and daughters, then retreats to a private office. One person said he takes a stack of briefing books. Others aren’t sure what he does.

This article doesn't exactly float the "depression" rumor. Instead it discusses the president not talking to his aides, but narrates it in such a way as to suggest depression.

51% of the country says Obama does not deserve a second term, versus 41%, the most vindictive people in the world, who do wish to punish our over-his-head flop-sweat failure of a president with another four years of ego-grinding futility.

Oh, by the way: Hi!

posted by Ace at 01:18 PM

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