Old Democrat spoke...

[Nightshade]

H.L.Mencken (born 1880 - died 1956) was a journalist, satirist, critic and registered Democrat.

Mencken wrote the brief editorial comment below while working for the Baltimore Evening Sun, which appeared in the July 26,1920 edition.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and complete narcissistic moron."

- H.L. Mencken, the Baltimore Evening Sun, July 26, 1920

[snoopy]

You could expand the dig to all government positions with a high degree of validity...

I'm not convinced that the problem is entirely narcissism. (It's definitely not lack of intelligence on the high-profile government official's part - they have to play the game with an amazing degree of precision.) In my opinion the root of the problem amounts to dishonesty. We, as members of the public, tell ourselves that we're better than we really are, and we excuse our self-deception (and over simplification) because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Similarly, we vote officials into office based on their willingness to tell us what we want to hear in simple soundbites and their ability to make us forget that their answers don't really acknowledge the complications of reality.