The latest from the Mourdock campaign, as reported by Brian Francisco, reinforces for me the notion that Mr. Mourdock’s most prominent political characteristic is hubris. (“Excessive pride or self-confidence.”)
Excessive pride kind of goes with the territory in politicians and lawmakers. It almost has to. You are getting in front of the public and telling them that you are the best person for the job of writing laws that tell other people what to do.
But Mr. Mourdock’s recent political career, I think, takes things to a higher level. The Francisco article reiterates Mourdock’s disdain for bipartisanship. He says that his party is for low taxes and small government and he has a caricatured view of the Democratic Part as being the antithesis of his party and, therefore, there is no room for compromise. As he said earlier, he sees his job as inflicting his opinion on others.
This overweening pride can be seen elsewhere – his conviction that he knows the will of God such that he can impose that will on rape victims; and his conviction that he knew better about finance, bankruptcy, and economic policy than the vast majority of Chrysler’s other creditors such that he was willing to try to torpedo a deal that 90+% of the creditors had agreed to and kill the American auto industry in the bargain.
A bit of humility would seem to be in order.
The only way for them to learn humility is to inflict it on them at the ballot box. And even then, they’ll assume it’s something else. Look at the Whack-a-doodles Alan West, Steve King, and Todd Akin. Sigh.
I’ve never thought of Mourdock as having hubris. I don’t see the selfish pride. My dictionary defines hubris as excessive pride from arrogance. I don’t see how anyone who has met & spoken with Mourdock could come away thinking he is arrogant & or filled with hubris. It would be easy to mistake hubris for actual conviction for his fiscal/social positions which he surely has.
I’ve heard he’s a nice guy from people who have spoken to him.
But that doesn’t explain his extreme myopia when it comes to the views of others. Conviction is easy when you disregard other perspectives. And it’s especially easy to be nice to people who share your perspective. It’s even easy to be humble before God if you put your words in his mouth.
Consider the linked report where he says that there is just no room for compromise between him and Democrats because he favors low taxes and small government. By being so convinced he is right and his political opponents are wrong, he misses the possibility that there are particular taxes that are too high or too low such that a compromise could be reached by raising one, lowering another, and making the overall tax burden lower; or that some pieces of government are good but insufficiently funded while other pieces are bad and should be removed entirely such that the overall scope of government lessens.
“I’ve heard he’s a nice guy from people who have spoken to him. ”
Nice guys don’t lie to deny children with pre existing conditions access to health insurance and health care.
Richard Mourdock is among the worst people on the earth.
I have never met Mourdock and it is likely the meeting will never take place.
Moudock, elected to the position (Sinecure?) of State Treasurer stated he has never taken an accounting class, a finance class or an economics class. Excessive pride and arrogance by definition. A rational individual would not tout this lack of fundamental fiscal managagement skills, but would seek to diminish tor hide them.
The polling suggests strongly that this will be a dead issue a week from today after Donnelly defeats Mourdock.
I’m glad you brought up the “no finance, etc, classes” statement. I saw that on tape and it came across to me as a revealing moment. Others may feel differently, that’s their right, but to me it was a foolish, ill-considered thing for him (or anyone in his position) to say (or even think).
Funny thing is, he seems to have a caricatured vision of the Republican Party also. Republicans for smaller government? Yeah, sure. M’kay.
I don’t understand why Mourdock’s “record” as state treasurer has not been mentioned at all in this campaign. The state just sorta finds millions of dollars that it didn’t know it had. Then it discovers that it has been improperly keeping funds which should have gone back to counties. In a sensible world, the man who presided over the state treasury during this time should be shunned and never heard from again.
Well, you were right.
His concession speech only confirms it.
What a sore loser.
Steelydanfan,
Do you have a link to Mourdock’s concession speech?
No. I watched it live over-the-air on my local NBC affiliate.
mourdock concession speech can be viewed here. as steelydanfan says, it is not particularly gracious.