Obama has found a way to keep all eyes on Obama

While running roughshod over American traditions, such as limited government, President Obama appears restrained and cautious in his approach to the terroism-sponsoring regime in Iran.

Searching for an explanation, commentators have settled on one: it's sensible to avoid intruding the United States into the internal turmoil of a dangerous and unpredictable adversary.

That's sometimes true. In an earlier time, however, President Reagan intruded directly into the internal affairs of the Soviet Union, making the Berlin Wall a worldwide issue.

Soon, the wall came down. Reagan's manly image soared.

There is another possible explanation for Obama's hesitancy with regard to Iran. This blog, as well as other commentators, has noted that Obama appears to be a narcissist, a personality disorder rooted in a Greek literary fable. The legend has it that Narcissus, a handsome Greek youth, gazed at his own reflection in a pool, became transfixed by it, and lost interest in everything else.

The story eventually worked its way into psychological literature, where it remains today. One of the characteristics of a narcissist is that he, or she, takes little or no interest in matters that do not bear directly on the fulfillment of his or her own ambitions.

As has been noted, Obama repeatedly voted "present" on back-burner issues while he was a member of the Illinois senate. Obviously, none of those votes would make or break Obama's political career.

As president, Obama has baffled many political observers by the sweeping ambition of his agenda: overhaul of the auto industry, cap and trade, health care, economic recovery. Indeed, he has spoken about remaking America, an audacious objective that should send a chill through conservatives.

While Obama's agenda appears to be in trouble, that may be a secondary consideration. For the time being, all eyes and cameras are on Obama, every day. Narcissus, who had just one pool, would envy him.