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"I don't get too high when I'm high, and I don't get too low when I'm low."

That's Barack Obama, on "Fox News Sunday," responding to the prompt: "What have you learned about running for President? What have you learned about yourself?" He says: "I've learned that I have what I believe is the right temperament for the presidency."

Here's the video of the show in 5 parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The quote above is at the end of the last segment. [ADDED: Transcript.]

This point about his temperament is interesting. It seems to implicitly criticize the reputedly hotheaded McCain. It also puts a positive spin on a quality of his that I've been thinking of as: phlegmatic.

From the Wikipedia article on the four temperaments:

A phlegmatic person is calm and unemotional. Phlegmatic means "pertaining to phlegm", corresponds to the season of winter (wet and cold), and connotes the element of water.

While phlegmatics are generally self-content and kind, their shy personality can often inhibit enthusiasm in others and make themselves lazy and resistant to change. They are very consistent, relaxed, rational, curious, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality, the phlegmatic has many friends. However the phlegmatic is more reliable and compassionate; these characteristics typically make the phlegmatic a more dependable friend.

Maybe that is the best temperament for a President.

McCain is choleric, right? Hillary too!

Choleric corresponds to the fluid of yellow bile, the season of summer (dry and hot), and the element of fire. A person who is choleric is a doer and a leader. They have a lot of ambition, energy, and passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were cholerics. On the negative side, they are easily angered or bad-tempered.

They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Uh oh!

Full post as published by Althouse on April 27, 2008 (boomark / email).