A perverse mix of authoritarian and freethinking impulses left Larkin with nothing unequivocal to rebel against or love.

But that stability gives scope to the authoritarian impulse.

The reason Mr. Chávez survived the challenge, despite his authoritarian impulses, is not hard to figure out.

Opposition leaders have seized on such lapses to suggest that a second term would see Mr. da Silva giving in to authoritarian impulses.

Mr. Miller's insightful and inciting questions bring out sympathy, perplexity and even some authoritarian impulses.

However, the political order that modern-day Islamic fundamentalism seeks to restore draws on the most regressive, authoritarian and anti-democratic impulses.

His authoritarian impulse is more than just an impulse.

He has since so rankled Washington with his leftist agenda and authoritarian impulse that American officials blamed Mr. Chávez himself when he was briefly ousted after deadly street protests in 2002.

Thus far, though, "Chavez has acted as a restraining wall to those around him who have authoritarian impulses, whether they are military men or from the old left," Mr. Petkoff continued.

Washington's challenge will be to figure out how to help curb Mr. Ortega's authoritarian impulses without pushing him into Mr. Chávez's arms.