Our joking about Romney being inhuman has a kernel of truth. Romney is a psychopath.
For the past few months, I and others have been joking about Romney being not entirely human. Mark Hamill said that Romney was like The Thing - he can only imitate human behavior, but he's not actually human himself. I've jokingly suggested that Mitt was an Agent from the Matrix, a Cylon, a Replicant from Blade Runner, a Visitor from the V television series (a reptile wearing a human mask, who can unhinge his jaw and swallow live rats whole.)
But let's admit it. There's a little bit of truth that is in there with the silliness. Romney's behavior is "a little bit off."
In fact, I'd say the way he's off falls into a fairly well known pattern - that of the classic psychopath. He doesn't just have a hard time relating with other people, but he doesn't feel empathy or conscience towards other human beings at all - he's in many ways like an alien in human skin. Essentially he's a member of what I would call the subspecies Homo sapiens psychopathicus - a subspecies of humanity that has evolved as a predator of other humans.
He's like Hannibal Lector - though instead of eating people's livers (with fava beans and a nice chianti), he eats people's jobs, livelihoods and bank accounts. His method of predation is conducted with a fountain pen - see Bain Capital.
What am I talking about? Well, let's go through the list, as I found it here: http://www.daniweb.com/community-center/geeks-lounge/threads/78319/hare-psychopathy-checklist#
2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH
3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM
4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING
5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS
6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT
7. SHALLOW AFFECT
8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY
9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE
10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS
11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR
12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS
14. IMPULSIVITY
15. IRRESPONSIBILITY
16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS
17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS
18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE
20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY
The way Hare does the scoring, for each of the 20 characteristics, he gives a value of 0 if the characteristic does not apply at all, a 1 if it applies somewhat, and a 2 if it applies strongly.
In my own Fristing of Mitt Romney, I give him a 30 on the Hare checklist, out of a maximum possible score of 40, putting him squarely in psychopath territory. If Romney becomes President, the result could be something out of a horror movie...
Go ahead and criticize me for "Fristing" Romney, but I do believe that character is at the core of what we should be evaluating in who we would have be our leaders. It's more important than issues, as a man of good character will come to the right side, or at least an understandable side on the issues. Romney's not like that. He is not a man of good moral character. He is a psychopath. He's not on our side, he feels absolutely zero obligation to lift a finger for us, his prey. His positions on the issues will be those that solely benefit himself, at our expense.
In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is just plain fucking evil.
We've already had to endure eight years of a psychopath in the White House. I don't think our country could endure another psychopathic president.
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- Welcome to DU.
"Romney loves America like a tick loves a dog."
The magic underwear and believing God came from the planet Kolob is silly, but believing in the story of creation with the people wearing fig leaves, the talking snake and magic fruit, and believing a god had a son who was actually himself, sent him on a suicide mission that wasn't really suicide because he came back, and because he committed suicide, we're all saved from our sins. That's cool! 
Welcome to DU! 
Julie
On the spectrum of personality disorders, he doesn't quite meet the criteria for sociopathic or antisocial personality. He strikes me as more narcissistic in the vain of a man who is pompous, smug and self-centered. I would love to hear his reasons explaining WHY he wants to be president. I would expect some vapid, meaningless blather. He is an empty, soulless, superficial caricature (similar to that of the stereotypical "used car salesman"
who cannot be trusted and has no core values. These are not the best personality traits for a POTUS. He is dangerous and ill-suited for the job because of his detachments from humanity -- but not "evil". These types feel no guilt, have no conscience.
Diagnostic Criteria for Narcissistic Personalty Disorder (DSM IV)
(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
It seems that the collective unconscious of the GOP attracts these types like flies to poop.
Bush and Cheney, on the other hand, are a couple of first-rate sociopaths. (a little torture never hurt anyone.)
