In her mind, I think it means he was under the spell/influence of his father.
I know the libs are having a field day with this on Face Book. I refuse to get into the discussions.
They go off every time a new book comes out. They will burn themselves out, and then move on when the next supposed "tell-all" book is published. They are so shallow that they grasp on to anything because they hate the President so much. They are like kids on Christmas Day, that play with their new toys for a short while, and then toss them aside when something new distracts their attention. They're looking for instant gratification, think they get it, then realize it really didn't do the trick, and then wait, panting, for the next tidbit to come forth.