Charles M. Blow, the “visual Op-Ed columnist” for the New York Times, has discovered a magical ability to plumb the inner workings of President Obama’s psyche:

On the other side stands Obama — solid and sober, rooted in the belief that his way is the right way and in no need of alteration. He’s the emotionally maimed type who lights up when he’s stroked and adored but shuts down in the face of acrimony. Other people’s anxieties are dismissed as irrational and unworthy of engagement or empathy. He seems quite comfortable with this aspect of his personality, even if few others are, and shows little desire to change it. It’s the height of irony: the presumed transformative president is stymied by his own unwillingness to be transformed. He would rather sacrifice the relationship than be altered by it.

As Bob Somerby points out, it’s a close approximation of the faux mind-reading style pioneered by Maureen Dowd. Like her, it may make him rich and famous, but as a matter of fact it’s baseless speculation. As such, I’ve added my own suggestion for the appropriate visual to accompany the column above.