Dr. Sanity provides wisdom:

"Acquired Situational Narcissism"

The always-informative Dr. Sanity provides her expert opinion on why some of our "esteemed" elected officials act as they do:

There is a description of a disorder called "Acquired Situational Narcissism" which seems to apply to many of our elected officials. If you take someone with a few narcissistic traits (and what politician doesn't have them?) and put them in a situation where they are adored, worshipped, and make to think (by the adoring and worshipping staff) that they are the center of the universe; and that words from their mouth are the font of all wisdom and knowledge--you would get something similar to the grandstanding meatheads we see every day on our TV screens.

JB here: Be sure and read it all. Hat tip to sheepcrib.blogspot.com