Do boys tend to start building identity by modeling men? Pretty much. Is that a good thing? I'm gonna have to say no.
The point is that the process is instinctual. So, whether or not it is a 'good' thing is meaningless. It simply imposes upon us the responsibility to be good role models. Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen.
My point is that there's literally (not figuratively) no evidence of any such instinctive process. We simply do not know if the effect is nature or nurture. Male and female are facts of the species. Man and woman are constructs. You can't assemble the thought "Boys unconsciously look to men as role models" without first understanding the construct exists. It's equally likely that boys look to men, not as "role models" so much as "clues as to how the construct works."
Its not the same thing. If instinct is involved in the latter, its no different than the instinct to bang on pots. There is a thing. What happens when I poke the thing?
Clinton has issues but there's no reason, yet, to trace those issues to abandonment. Certainly no reason to trace them to lack of a penis weilding authority figure. They might derive from Clinton being kind of a jerk. Or maybe they come of Clinton being short, scrawny, bookish, and younger sibling to a "non-standard" person. Kids are cruel to that which is different, and Clinton is pretty much different in all aspects. Also: ginger.
Whatever your theory of mind, children want approval from their elders. Claire's behavior would suggest that Clinton is constantly on the cusp of that from her. She disapproves, vociferously, but then adds a sideways compliment. That doesn't explain anything other than their relationship. One, standard, sibling rivalry.
Beyond that, Clinton has shown a "Lack of boundaries" and a "Tendency to try to share his excitement in inappropriate ways." In short, he's a fairly typical man (Even in the QCverse. Martin is atypical of male characters...shit, he's atypical of characters. Pretty much the only other character to show his level of reserve is Henry. The apple didn't fall far, if it fell at all). As a human male with no interest in sportsball, I can tell you that other human males--and more than a few females--don't grasp that it's not an appropriate topic with me. For sometime I managed to run in groups of like minded humans, but there was always someone who had to geek out about the Worldbowl or Super Series. Clinton happens to geek out about something that the majority doesn't care about. He's a sports fan in a town full of rabid ballet enthusiasts.
He's still got issues, but he's never actually done anything worse than things Sven, Angus, Steve, and Dale have done. He just catches more shit than most of the cast.