The REAL Presidential Debate
Okay, I admit it. I know I’m not supposed to assign a type to someone else, but I can’t help it. People keep asking me, “What type is Barack Obama?”
Every time I see him, I try to guess his type. And it seems like all of the Enneagram folks I know are discussing it. Aren’t you?
Well, here’s the current debate: He’s a type 9 or a type 3.
What I’ve heard from those in the “He’s a 9″ camp is how calm and easy going, unflappable he is in every speech. Sometimes he cannot be pinned down on a specific point because he wants more information, and he seems to be assessing multiple points of view. He’s even been accused of “flip-flopping.” Haven’t we heard that somewhere before?!
From the “He’s a 3″ camp, we can look to his resume as an example: Graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude, President of The Harvard Law Review, Columbia undergrad, professor, lawyer, community organizer… And that’s all before he got into politics! Then look at his record of Senate participation and getting legislation passed–it’s pretty impressive. Oh, and don’t forget the perfect, brilliant wife and beautiful children. This man is only 47 years old.
I can see both perspectives and think they’re both pretty persuasive, but my take is that he is a 3. I think he appears like a 9 because that is the image he is projecting. Calm, cool, and collected. But in the debates, when McCain characterized him poorly, you could see his reaction. His face flushed, his jaw tightened. This isn’t someone whose anger is hidden from him. This is someone who is managing his image, and doing a great job of it. So that’s why I believe he’s not a 9.
But here’s what really convinces me he is a 3, the story about how he got together with his wife Michelle. He relentlessly pursued her for their first date, even though it was frowned upon by the law firm where they both worked. And do you know how he finally achieved that first date? Charm. He turned on that sweet, innocent, little boy quality that a 3 does so well. After she had turned him down a number of times, he sweetly asked her if he could just buy her some ice cream. Hmmmmm, attempting to melt her heart?
And finally, he radiates hope, the Holy Idea for type 3. His book, The Audacity of Hope, was one of those books…when I read it I was certain that anyone who read it would vote for him. His ability to inspire and create a sense of possibility allows many Americans to hope again. It is palpable.
What do you think? We’d love to hear your perspective as we continue our own Presidential debate.
October 28th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Hi! Donna,
Curiously, I didn’t think to ask the question. I don’t generally go to typing people automatically unless they are particularly aggravating or threatening me. As for Obama, for the longest time I was just asking “Where the hell did this guy come from? Seems pleasant enough.” He charmed me when he debated Hillary with just the right courtly manner. That was the turning point for me but still supported Clinton with my money and my vote.
Yes, I feel your description of Barack as a THREE is well taken. Even his first name, Barack, in Arabic (al baraka ) has excellence all over it.
I have not read THE AUDACITY OF HOPE but loved your connection with the HOLY IDEA.
And now for Mc Pain and his DRILL, DRILL, DRILL….FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT… never give up, melanoma, beauty queen wife/running mate. A counter phobic SIX? FEAR, FEAR,FEAR like “W”.
What say you? maryelizabeth
October 28th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I absolutely concur. Bill Clinton was a 3ish 9, Obama is a 9ish 3. Plus, it’s evident that he is managing his real agenda and his leftist past to fit into a “commercially acceptable product” for the American people. The right is trying to cast doubts about his real motives and his past associations with radicals, but my take is that he is a 3 and has no loyalties to them. It was a suit he wore for awhile, but his fashion sense has changed as his gameplan has. He’s adapting. He will do what will make him look good and effective, legacy over loyalty.
October 28th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
You left out the basketball he plays almost daily, and appears to be pretty competent for someone who is just exercising. That sounds like a 3 to me!
October 28th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
You have made the argument for Obama’s being a Nine. Threes do not pursue. They are too terrified of failure and rejection and only go for something when they are pretty confident that it’s a sure thing (triumph). Nine’s are who they are and are not attached to the outcome since their isn’t a strong personal agenda and so it’s not a personal rejection or failure. I think that there a sense of that even in this election process. I don’t get a sense that for Obama there is an attachment to the outcome (compare that to Bill Clinton’s behavior during this election process). Of course he wants to win after so much effort; but the sense is that it is more for the country and the people who have enlisted him. That’s the key, right there: he was enlisted. “OK” says a Nine. As a Nine myself, I completely relate to this!
I refer you to the article from “The New Yorker” called “The Conciliator” (it’s available online). Obama was asked to run for the office. His initial reaction was that he wasn’t sure he wanted to go through the hassle!
Does that sound like a Three?! 
Another thing, just because someone is accomplished does not make them a Three. What does make one a Three or whatever type is the underlying motivation. An individual of any type can succeed and accomplish (and this has perhaps more to do with level of health within a type than type by itself).
Charm? That is a word most often associated with the defensive strategy of a Seven, charm as a way to get out of trouble or to get what one wants.
But, again, any type can be charming–what is the underlying motivation? (And is it put on or a genuine expression of graciousness, delight, etc.?
There is a video on youtube in which someone argues that Obama is a Four. Argument for this? Michelle Obama stated in an interview that Barack is “romantic”, that he brings her flowers. Like only Fours do that! A shallow understanding of “romantic” (as opposed to capital ‘R”, Romantic).
October 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Oh, one more thing. A Three with a law degree from Harvard choosing, instead of making a six-figure salary and working with a high class clientèle, to work as a community organizer on the South side of Chicago?! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
October 28th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
From another article, this one in the New York Times (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27387762/):
>”Barack Obama prides himself on trying to see the world through others’ eyes. In his books, he slips into the heads of his Kenyan relatives, teenage mothers in Chicago, Reagan Democrats, bean farmers in Southern Illinois, and evangelical Christian voters.
He won the presidency of the Harvard Law Review in part because, weeks before voting, he made a speech in favor of affirmative action that so eloquently summarized the objections to it that the Review’s conservatives decided he felt their concerns deeply.
That very first presidential election, carried out in the law school’s stately, leaf-strewn quadrangle, would prove typical of Mr. Obama’s lifelong quest to mediate conflict, and of the way that goal has merged with his own quest for advancement. He wants those on each side of the most toxic conflicts in American life — over race, faith, abortion — to resolve their differences, and in resolving them, to join his cause as well. He has a deep philosophical commitment to dialogue, suggesting that more of it will heal America’s bruised standing in the world, and he has expressed far more willingness to meet with enemies than his primary or general election opponents. ”
A Nine. Married to a Three for 17 years. Barack Obama is not a Three. Values are very different. As a Nine myself, I get tired of having my type defined by the “sloth” of lower level of health, like we never do anything of value.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Personally, I had Obama pegged as a 2. 2’s have a strong need to be seen as good, kind, warm, caring, etc., basically, a Martyr. The first things I notice about Obama’s presence is his empathetic, compassionate, caring, concerned, kind, humble, positive sort of qualities/image (looking for the good in people, etc), which are at their best in a “healthy” 2, and appear a little more strained i.e. something he has to work at, when under stress, in a less healthy 2 - engaging in people pleasing, going to great lengths to appear full of good intentions, has the ideal of “love” = in his case the version is “hope” — our need to have hope playing into his need to be needed by us and to have him be seen as a warm, nurturing (i.e. full of love) person. 2’s have a need to be a martyr, a need to be seen as a very calm, soft, peaceful, caring person, which is exactly how he comes across.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I totally agree. I’ve not seen and identified that much ambition in a Nine. He has charisma oozing out his skin.
I remember a similar debate about Bill Clinton. I thought he was a Three. At one point, Don and Russ thought he was a Nine. In his case it was different, for he spent a LOT of time at point 9, and it was dysfunctional, largely due, I think, to his very sad upbringing. Nevertheless, you can feel Bill’s charisma and his heart, which are more obvious to me than Obama’s. Clinton had ambition too, lots of it. He was talking about becoming President when he was in law school.
Obama’s heart is not so obvious. Yet, he took time out of a busy campaign schedule to go and spend time with his grandmother when she is dying. That’s heart.
I didn’t get the hope angle, and it is convincing. He creates hope to millions of Americans, particularly Black Americans, and young Americans and…and…
Elizabeth
October 29th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
I think Obama is a Six. His entire life has been set on a course of loyalty. In the absence of his father-figure he ‘invested’ in substitutes (however imperfect) some of whom took advantage of his endearing, sometimes-naive quality of loyalism.
His calculated pursuit of an education to guarantee a ’successful outcome’, his 9-ish, comforting mantra of bringing peace and people together and his fantastic 3-ish ability to charm huge crowds with heady, motivating words and broad, boyish smiles suggest his positive mapping of transformation (6-9-3).
His public anger (backwards to 3) seems to result from having been ‘dissed’ (a 3-ish anger), or having been seen as a naive follower who was taken in by a scoundrel. His clothes are not statements of ‘image’, but more respectable and unassuming - he looks more like the bright, efficient plant engineer (a vital team member) than the plant manager/owner/Big Guy. His self-effacing story of having invested his guarded heart on such a ’sharp girl’ (Michele is the 3, I think) and having actually won her is endearing. He conceals most anxiety from the public eye, but having a 3-wife (& many 3-team-members) who can boost his confidence would go a long way in helping him relax, recharge and keep going. We hear of his need to back out of view (into 9) for a recharge…. very necessary for a 6. I’m thinking a 5-wing, with a charming playfulness & humor - another endearing quality of the Type.
Julie
October 29th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
From a Nine in Australia (hello Julie!). Sorry Julie to disagree with you, but I’m with Donna. i have only seen Obama in our television news reports, so i am not privy to as much exposure as you folks over there, although he is mentioned pretty well everyday. After watching him for a while i picked him as a Three, mainly because he seems to me to have 3-like ‘energy’. sometimes identifying a person’s type is difficult when they are ‘performing’ so i try to get a ‘feel’ of them - what kind of energy seems to be pushing them. a bit vague i know but it’s hard to explain. Anyway i came to the conclusion he was probably a Three so was glad to know Donna thought so too. As we all know, we need to know the ‘inside story’ to be sure. One thing I do feel sure about. In my view, our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is a classic example of a type One. How does he come across to you over there, assuming to do get news about us here down under? Warm wishes, Pauline.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I felt from the beginning upon listening to Obama that it was like listening to Jesus, if Jesus were amongst us all today. He would be calm and brilliant and loving. I think Barack is a 9w1….just like Jesus probably was.
November 3rd, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Here is my summary of the debate thus far with my own perspective in brackets. Afterwards, I make the case that what matters most about Obama is that (1) Unlike many recent Democratic nominees and unlike Hillary, he is not a One and (2) His level of personal development is high
The Case for Three
a. Evidence confirming Three
* Great resume, brilliant wife and beautiful children [But this hardly is unique to Threes]
* Relentlessly pursued wife with sweet innocent boy quality [But such charm is hardly unique to Threes]
* Radiates hope, the Holy Idea of Three [But aren’t Nines also hopeful?]
* His leftist past is a suit he wore for a while, which explains both why the Right is criticizing him for it and why this criticism isn’t sticking [But being a Nine would explain this phenomenon just as well: he spent time with leftists because they were one of the groups he was mediating between in politics and in his own mind]
* He has Three energy
b. Evidence disconfirming Nine
* His anger is not hidden from him. He’s projecting the Nine image of cool and collected: when McCain characterized him badly in the debates, his face flushed and his jaw tightened. [This is the strongest of the points favoring Three over Nine and it matches the point above about Obama having Three energy]
* He has way too much ambition for a Nine [Nines can’t be ambitious?]
The Case for Nine
a. Evidence confirming Nine
* Calm, easygoing and unflappable
* Can’t be pinned down, assesses multiple points of view, and sees the world through others’ eyes, e.g. in books slips into the heads of his Kenyan relatives, teenage mothers in Chicago, Reagan Democrats, won presidency of Harvard Law Review because of speech summarizing conservatives’ concerns about affirmative action [This could just as easily be a well-developed Three. According to developmental psychologists, at higher levels of cognitive development, all types develop the capacity to see and then integrate multiple perspectives. At higher levels of moral development, all types develop the capacity to widen their locus of concern/love to include these perspectives. What this suggests is that either Obama is a Nine or he is a Three who matured at a much earlier age than most people.]
b. Evidence disconfirming Three
When asked to run for President, Obama wasn’t sure because he didn’t want to go through the hassle [I’ve read a lot about Obama. This is one piece of the story I hadn’t heard!]
Other Evidence
* Nines tend to orient toward others until they have reached higher stages of development, at which they become more self-possessed and dynamic (in a serene way). Obama’s life story is one of someone who has been dynamic and self-possessed since an early age, which is way more consistent with the Three.
* Obama has been described as a disciplined decision-maker who doesn’t easily get distracted from his main focus. This could be evidence of a well-developed Nine, but it’s a stretch. It’s way more consistent with a Three.
* Periodic signs of cockiness and grandiosity, as witnessed in the days between Iowa and New Hampshire and occasionally in the months of the general election. This energetic quality seems much more closely aligned with the Three at a low-Average health moment than a Nine. When do Nines ever get grandiose?
* Impatience and restlessness to get to the next level (one reason why Obama left community organizing, arguably why he left a corporate law firm to go back to Chicago, why he ran for Congress while in the state senate, why he ran for US Senate before many thought he was ready, why he ran for President). Nines get impatient, but this impatience is not typically about reaching a higher level of prominence and success that will put them in the center of attention.
* Michelle Obama says that Obama is often grumpy in the morning. Reporters also comment on his grumpiness. Yes, Nines can be grumpy, we all can be grumpy, but my experience of Nines is that they generally wake up in a pretty good mood and even when they’re in a bad mood, it isn’t completely obvious
* In each of the last two debates, Obama missed an opportunity to put McCain’s temper on full display by doing the following: (1) Making a point that evoked McCain’s anger (that he was “wrong” on invading Iraq, “wrong” that it would be a cakewalk, etc.), then (2) Continuing to talk long enough for McCain to cool down. A truly gifted and competitive Three would have seen this as an amazing opportunity to display McCain at his worst by evoking his anger and then stopping, forcing McCain to speak while angry. Obama did not do this. My assumption has been that the reason is because Obama is a Nine and the last thing a Nine wants is for someone else to be angry at them. But he also could be a Three who did not have cutthroat competitive instincts in this particular instance.
Final Points
To me, the most important Enneagram distinction about Obama is what he is not: a One. And the most crucial distinction about Obama is not his Enneagram type but his level of development.
He’s not a One
Why does this matter? Because Democrats have had a habit over the past quarter century of nominating Ones: Jimmy Carter, Michael Dukakis, Al Gore and possibly John Kerry. Why is this relevant? (1) Because the attitude and behaviors of these Ones have reinforced the Republican party’s populist critique of the Democratic party as holier-than-thou and wanting to take decisions away from you. If Hillary had been nominated, she and the party would have been tainted with this brush way more easily because, lo and behold, she too is a One. (2) Because these Ones have often wanted to stay above the political fray (to be “good”) and therefore let themselves get flayed by their Republican opponents’ aggression.
High level of development
When asked to advise people about what Enneagram type they should marry, Helen Palmer says: what matters most is to choose someone who is relatively well-developed, relatively mature, regardless of their type. I think this holds equally true of choosing a President. It is why I will be pleased if Obama wins tomorrow regardless of whether he is a Three or a Nine.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:28 am
I agree with Amiel that he has a very high level of personal development. I’m certainly no Enneagram expert, but it would seem to me that the more developed a person is, the harder it would be to distinguish their type, as they would have incorporated the positive attributes of many/all types in order to truly perceive the multiple perspectives indicative of higher cognitive and moral development. Would that make sense to you guys?
November 4th, 2008 at 2:36 am
Ben here.
Yes Nancy, as humans evolve it’s often more difficult to type them as they have more access to multiple view points, fewer projections blurring thier perceptions, and less emotional reactivity. They have incorporated the “Nine Faces of God” as it were.
Some how, many of my new students who discover this aspect of the Enneagram system tell me that they are having difficulty determining their type, and report that their friends are bamboozled as well.
Another trend you will discover over time as you become more proficient with the system… most of us believe we are far more spiritually and emotionally developed than we are.
I want to address a few comments above about Obama not being a Type Three. The reasoning is something like, “He is not a Three because he took jobs early in his career as a community organizer, settled for the smaller pay check, and didn’t sell out for the big money career.
Type Three’s do not all shoot for corporate success, CEO status, and the Rolex watch. Using this criteria to peg people as Threes will burn you. They identify with the top, the successful prototype, of whatever social group they are associated with.
I know Type Threes in Santa Cruz who are the best looking tree huggers you have ever seen. They drive cars fueled by left over french fry grease, eat tofu, and wear tie die shirts.
If you are raised in a strong family culture in which social service is valued you can easily be a Three and have a drive make a difference in grass roots movements. The corporate rout is only one way of looking good and feeling accomplished.
Get into their childhood world to find out what achievement looks like to them.
I’m particularly interested in the family shame aspect. Threes carry the family shame (lack of education, lack of money, lack of social standing) and are driven to best it. To overcome it.
Anyone have an idea what the family shame might be for Obama?
Ben
April 18th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Hi Ben,
I enjoy the blogs on fixations. Our President is a three, with a two wing a charmer, Isn’t this the same fixation as Tom Cruise? The President is not well developed he is well concealed. A deep insecurity? Maybe parents meeting in Russian class in HI in the 60’s, single mom, maybe interracial couple, I don’t know, but it appears he has something to prove, will his bluff be called is my big question. The answer to what might be his “family shame” is probably in between the lines of his books, marvelous, magical, me, me. lol, With all do respects Mr President.
He changed his signature to include the Omega sign, signed his name King Obama in cement in HI? We are thus far 3.6 trillion in debt, for “stuff”. He will fix health care, education, and enviornment, Jesus! is my first though too, lol.
Isn’t it an 8 has never lost an election? Let along two 8’s? Any idea what the collective unconscious is working on here? I was told by an archytypical astrologer, we are in realm of change, The radical age of information, similar to the sexual revolution of the 60’s.
Thanks for the blogs, my Fixations have been called to action, It is my ego defence. I suspect if these early defences where not there I would be worried.