Tagged: 2008 presidential election

John Edwards

Summary: A psychological analysis of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards reveals that his primary personality patterns are Ambitious/self-serving and Outgoing/gregarious — a personality composite known as the “amorous narcissist” — with secondary features of the Dauntless/adventurous and Accommodating/cooperative patterns.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks in Osawatomie, Kansas

Barack Obama

Summary: A psychological profile of U.S. President Barack Obama, developed at the Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics during Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, reveals that the president is a highly confident, moderately accommodating and deliberative, somewhat reserved personality type best described as a confident conciliator. Specifically, Obama is primarily an Ambitious/confident personality, complemented by secondary Accommodating/cooperative, Conscientious/respectful, and Retiring/reserved features. Obama’s personality profile provides a stable framework for anticipating his likely leadership style as president, as outlined in this report of how Obama will govern, if reelected.

John McCain pictured in 2007.

John McCain

John McCain’s primary personality pattern is Dauntless/dissenting, with secondary features of the Outgoing/gregarious and Dominant/controlling patterns. The combination of Dauntless and Outgoing patterns in McCain’s profile suggests a risk-taking adventurer personality composite. Leaders with this personality prototype are characteristically bold, fearless, sensation seeking, and driven by a need to prove their mettle.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama’s primary personality patterns are found to be Ambitious/confident and Dominant/asserting, with secondary features of the Accommodating/cooperative and Conscientious/respectful patterns. The combination of Ambitious and Accommodating patterns in Obama’s profile suggests a “confident conciliator” personality composite.