A colossus in his own mind, Obama counts his every utterance historic. Nixon, who bugged his own White House, was aware of voice-activated recording machinery coming to life every time he opened his mouth. Obama imagines armies of worshipful historians sitting up straight and scribbling furiously every time he opens his. Ordinary politicians speak to their constituents. Obama speaks to the ages.

Contrast the ease with which Obama dismisses sixty years of proven nuclear deterrence to his months-long agonizing over the commitment of additional troops to Afghanistan. Compare his high moral posturing on nuclear arms to his untroubled comfort with targeted assassinations by unmanned drones. Weird doesn’t describe it.