Obama: 'New York girlfriend' was composite

Editors’ Note: The original version of this post inaccurately stated that Barack Obama had not revealed creating composite characters in his book, “Dreams from My Father.” An update to the post was added that Obama had acknowledged using composite characters in a reissue of the book.

One of the more mysterious characters from President Obama's 1995 autobiography Dreams From My Father is the so-called 'New York girlfriend.' Obama never referred to her by name, or even by psuedonym, but he describes her appearance, her voice, and her mannerisms in specific detail.

But Obama has now told biographer David Maraniss that the 'New York girlfriend' was actually a composite character, based off of multiple girlfriends he had both in New York City and in Chicago.

"During an interview in the Oval Office, Obama acknowledged that, while Genevieve was his New York girlfriend, the description in his memoir was a “compression” of girlfriends, including one who followed Genevieve [Cook] when he lived in Chicago," Maraniss writes in his new biography, an excerpt of which was published online today by Vanity Fair.

I think everyone fantasizes about meeting the right person who is a combination of their favorite traits in others of the opposite sex. But, only a narcissist goes a step further and lies about having a girlfriend/boyfriend who is actually the fantasy, and not a real life person. It is an immature, emotionally stunted mind of a narcissist that lives with that fantasy and goes as far as to claim it was real.

Narcissists are usually emotionally stuck in their teen years, around the age of 13-15 or so, and spend the rest of their lives seeing things from that high school sophomore perspective. Most often it is because of rejection that they felt at some time, and as we all know, Obama had a very dysfunctional family and a mother who left him with grandparents who didn't seem to be particularly happy with the arrangement. (Ever wonder why Stanley Anne kept his sister and not him? I bet Obama does.)

In the early teen years kids are going through all sorts of emotional changes, including sexual fantasies, and surging feelings of fluctuating high self-confidence and low self-doubt. It is a process that we all go through, but narcissists, particularly, seem to never outgrow it. Something stops them from growing up and dealing with realities, feeling comfortable with themselves, and advancing to having a more mature ability to develop adult relationships and set goals. So, like Obama, they continue to live in the lies they have told that they feel protects them...like a "fog" of their own imagination.

Even if Obama later admitted that the "New York girlfriend" was not real, it probably wasn't until someone (probably Michelle, LOL) challenged him about the tale.

Yes, from the beginning, it was obvious that Obama was/is like that teen aged smiling, sharp-tongued, ridiculing, and quick-witted street kid, or class clown who boasted too much and could be alternately charming and disturbing. But who also who made us laugh (sometimes with him, often at him).

Unfortunately, as he became accomplished at selling the artificial persona he created, so many people who have never encountered the cleverness of a narcissist found Obama's behavior "charming" and "refreshing." Narcissists are, at first (before being discovered for their lies), very appealing. However, when people remain duped and they have willingly turned control (or, in Obama's case, our country) over to an emotionally immature, lost, and overly sensitive fraud, it is often hard for those "normal" people to accept they have been fooled. They cannot admit that they let themselves believe a man who has spent his life creating a false image of himself and who has lived in fear of not being "liked" or appreciated.

I would imagine that his family, also, has often struggled with the conflicting stories and personalities that Obama has created for and about himself. For children, as they grow up, living with a narcissistic parent is like living with an alcoholic. They keep silent about things that are disturbing or perplexing, afraid to ask questions, afraid to tell anyone what their life behind closed doors is really like. For example...when Obama was campaigning for Senator, it was widely advertised that he was born in Kenya. Michelle even admitted it in speeches. Now, the story is that he was born in Hawaii. Wouldn't that make a child wonder about their own heritage? Wouldn't a child wonder why Daddy's records for school, health, etc. have to be kept hidden? Wouldn't a child think...if Daddy was such a great student, why not tell the world? No wonder no one in that family smiles very often and they all seem so aloof.

As with all narcissists, if Obama is accomplished at anything it is that he works hard to control everyone in his environment and has perfected the practice of being a proficient and convincing liar. Being able to jump from one lie to another, and do so without any hesitation, is a characteristic that all Narcissists work to develop for their own self-preservation and to maintain power over others. Obama clings to anything or anyone who continually feeds his 15-year old ego, believes his lies, and helps him protect himself from the emotional doubts he harbors and the fear of being exposed. An adult who operates from the stunted emotional development and deep seeded fear like Obama has is, indeed, both dangerous and pitiful.

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