Last night, I took a good, hard look at my changes in attitudes (but not changes in latitude) since my father died in May.

While Dad was alive and fully cognizant, able to carry on a conversation, I acted as a “devil’s advocate” defender of our U.S. President, Obama, against the following accusations of Dad:

1. Narcissist — Obama’s only personal accomplishment, his wealth, is based on his autobiographies, which, as biographies go, are usually full of fabrications and myth/legend making material
2. Inexperienced — never finished a term in office, “fast-tracked”
3. Socialist — the Affordable Care Act was just the start of socialist, entitlement approach to governing
3. Pot smoker — the Commander-in-chief should lead by example and not have violated any laws voluntarily, especially as it relates to “recreational” drug use
4. Aligned with the Clintons, known associates of the Russians and most likely Communist sympathizers
5. No military experience — prone to misunderstanding the need for a standing army, air force, navy, etc., to protect interests both foreign and domestic
6. No foreign policy experience — prone to major lapses in relationships with other governments and inability to respond to disasters/flare ups on a timely basis
7. No business experience — lack of business ownership meant the President would be more inclined to redistribute business owners’ wealth as if the earnings were socialist/communist-owned
8. Part of the Chicago political machine, as corrupt as most big city politicians can [probably] be
9. May or may not have been born in the U.S., which is sufficient doubt to question all the President’s qualifications
10. Born of a non-U.S. citizen, especially a Muslim — will align his politics with non-U.S. interests first

We are all allowed to have personal beliefs that clash with popular opinion.

Obama’s first term in office was not a total disaster but we did see some of Dad’s worries above come to fruition, with many in the Secret Service and military display a total lack of regard for respect of their duties to country, family and self, reflecting an attitude that must start at the top, as all organizations do.

Are sex scandals a Democratic specialty?

Yes, Obama is an inexperienced narcissist but he also has a keen set of thoughts and had been involved in assembling a team in his first term that contributed to an economic recovery (only history will show us how much).

Obama carries a lot of international goodwill because of his mixed family heritage, which the U.S. has promoted as a form of foreign policy — part African, part Malaysian, part Hawaiian, part Muslim, Part Christian, part American — but has also contributed to division in domestic policies.

I understand narcissism. I write a blog, after all, with my name, not yours, on it. However, I have chosen not to put myself front and center in the public arena.

I tried to convince my wife last night that Obama is a black Reagan in his mix of government policies. My wife tried to convince me that Obama is no Great Communicator.

I voted for neither one so my perspective is biased against both the Gipper and whatever nickname we’ll end up giving Obama (the gray-haired skinny one?) but my argument is the same.

Bottom line: labels don’t change the fact that our government is intruding more and more into our private lives, including our thoughts and family relations, arguments as perennial as grass growing cycles.

In other words, enough about current politics — on to the future!