From this day forward I will describe mittens in one way and one way only.

[calimary]

12. True enough, but that's another manifestation of the CEO mindset.

He actually may be smart, at least in some respects. Street smart as in WALL Street smart. But I've known people like that, some of my friends had fathers like that and there were people in my industry (when I was still working) like that. And as smart as they are in that regard, they are hopeless in others - like, especially, character issues. Character pertaining to how they treat the people whom they supposedly love, and certainly how they treat people in general. Are they basically predatory or aren't they? Is the hunt the most important thing of all? Are they altruistic in nature, and more into sharing than dominating? Or not?

The dominance thing, the alpha male thing, is what the CEO mindset is. Business is in business to do one thing: make a profit. That's all he knows. In "Bonfire of the Vanities" Tom Wolfe talked about the guys at the top of the various financial zigurrats. They were masters of the universe. When you're on top of the zigurrat, that thereby means that everyone else you're involved with is below you. You outrank everyone as far as your corporate eye can see. That's the CEO thing. You're up, in a class by yourself in the rarefied air, answerable to no one. They in the great underneath all bow and scrape and say only "yes" to you. No one dares challenge, argue, rebel. In the world of the CEO, that's called insubordination, and violating the chain of command of which the CEO is king, and it's easily dealt with. You simply enjoy firing the people who serve you, as some wannabe president has said!

So THIS is the universe romney's used to, and comfortable with, and experienced in (as I dare end a sentence with a preposition...). This is the world in which he's come of age and scored his successes and made himself lavishly comfortable for life. It's all he knows. And he will by nature and necessity bring that mindset into the Oval Office if, I dread the very thought, he actually wins in November. He's the vulture and the predator and the pirate, fattening his belly on the carcasses of others. And it's somehow his entitlement. After all, didn't Her Ladyship ann of dressage point out that "it's our turn." Again, that's all he knows. That's how it's always been for him and he's used to it, which makes him maybe just a little too comfy. You get used to looking down on other people when you're up that high in rank.

What that means in this instance here is - I don't think he realizes that, out in THIS world, not his cushy sultan's universe that is all he knows, there ARE things he doesn't realize. Simply because the game is played differently here and if he's gonna get to the top of THIS zigurrat he's gonna have to earn every step the hard way. He was born to it and moved into it in the private sector, and he's had so many "yes" men and "yes" women around him that he evidently thinks his word is holy writ. After all, as CEO it certainly can't be challenged, since it's all powerful.

I don't think he knows he can't just decree and dictate. He HAS to start considering other viewpoints beyond his kingly CEO pronouncements. Hey mitt, this isn't your brand of Kansas anymore. This is wholly different. You HAVE to listen to your advisors and do what they tell you, not so much always that YOU tell THEM. And you have to pick DECENT advisors who'll steer you with wisdom and not encourage you in the wrong directions. Unfortunately he's got a bunch of dubya PNAC retreads as foreign policy advisors. But he probably genuinely didn't think he needed any help. He's the CEO. Nobody tells him what to do and this is a no-brainer, 'eh? He's got this. Well, guess what? Welcome to the deep end of the pool, mitty-boy. And you not only can't swim well, you didn't think you were even gonna need those water wings, didja?