That's necessary but not sufficient. Trump is egotistical. not the same as Narcissist.
There are Freepers here who have had actual Narcissists in their lives. It's a far far darker thing than just arrogance.
Trump's bragging is backed up with actual work and accomplishment as opposed to entitlement, and he calls foul when something is foul. Many of us agree that what he has called foul is foul. You can disagree with that, but to call out Colorado for being foul is not victimhood, to call out Cruz for sleeping with the establishment - you can disagree (I think you'd be wrong) ... but it's a very valid case.
Sorry, Trump is not a Narcissist. Now, if you just want to call him egotistical, brash, and too much of a salesman, feel free ... but you'd be arguing with success. That YOU find him noxious may be more of a commentary on yourself than him. I would argue that it is.
There are sharp parts of Trump's personality. But you're not going to spend much time with him, what you care about is what he accomplishes. Now, you can look at what he's accomplished, and you can look at what Ted's accomplished ... and I won't tell you which to pick ... but I WILL tell there is a vast difference.
Don't be too concerned about how your president accomplishes things, so long as it's not immoral or bad for Americans. Striking you as obnoxious is not immoral. Sleeping with enemy is both immoral, TRULY self-centered, and bad for Americans.
Be sure to ask yourself: Trump wears everything on the outside - what you see is what you get - ugly at times, but authentic.
REAL Narcissists go undetected until they've ruined everything - primarily the serenity of those around them, through repeated small, medium and large betrayals - which incidentally are always justified (like working with the establishment.) The Narcissist is especially skilled at hiding his selfish intensions -> sometimes he himself does even know he has them - he just sees the whole world as 'about him.'
So 'Narcissist' ... the clinical, destructive kind ... the name begins to resemble not Trump, but another candidate, who presents one way (AntiCartel) and yet behind the scenes is sleeping with the Cartel.
Think about it. Remember -> the Narcissist's motives are hidden. I guarantee there are 2 in your life - friends, coworkers, maybe even family, and they are not the 2 you think they are - not the braggarts. They are the ones sucking the life out of you, but you can't figure it out because they seem like such wonderful people who deserve your help.
They get away with it because we normal people just don't think like them ...we can't imagine they are doing what they are doing - and even for them, it's semi-conscious, so there is no shame in their hiding, lying, betraying. What benefits them IS what's good to them, there is no intervening moral or ethical though process or gut check. "I want so I will take. Others won't approve, so I will hide it."
Cruz is not a wysiwig is he? No, not at all - he's a schemer - and he thinks he knows better than you what's best "for the country" ... but notice that he benefits from all of it.
With men - watch their actions, not their words. Standing up and reading Green Eggs and Ham is not, in itself, what I would call an action, because it's just as easily interpreted as 'pre-presidential-run-positioning-and-pr'.
Won't tell you to support Trump - I AM - but do consider those things. I have run Trump through my 'is this man a problem psychologically' filter and I don't see it ... but you have to run them through yours. From your comment -> you haven't been had yet (or at least you didn't ever discover it) by a narcissist or sociopath. Cruz sets off all the alarms. Doesn't mean his is ... but in comparison, Trump sets off none of them ... other than the 'I wish this guy would stop plugging himself' thing.
Excellent comments and I totally agree.
Very good points tinyowl!
Thank-you for your well written post, the voice of experience. I appreciate your approach, too.