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DirkWillems
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15 Mar 2010, 11:02 pm

There are very few for me that I personally believe may have it.

One, which I'm sure will probably get me my fair share of criticisms, is George W. Bush.

If you just listen to the way he talks, his movements, his words, his comedy... Everything about him to me says Aspie. Especially that joke about gynecologists not being able to practice their love for women. It was the most inappropriate thing that I probably would have said in a speech as well.

Then there was the Japanese incident when he was speaking in Japan and he goes to open the door and it was locked and it just seemed strange his behavior once he saw the door was locked.

He just always had that insecurity speaking in front of others that really made him appear uncomfortable at times, the stuttering, it all just spoke to me that he was horrible in front of people and generally gave people bad impressions of himself through his difficulty in social interaction. Everything about him speaks Aspie to me.



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16 Mar 2010, 12:02 am

Bush? Come on, the man's a politician. How in the world do you propose to charm a countryful of people into voting you into office--multiple times--while being in the lowest 1% of social skills?

A local election--yes, I could see a decent businessperson elected to office, or a specialist in some field appointed to a committee related to that field and ending up maybe even in the Cabinet. But a large-scale election, with today's charisma requirement? No. The skill set simply doesn't match. It would have to be a very, very unusual Aspie indeed to manage a political career based, as the President's generally is, almost entirely on one's public reputation.

If we ever had major Aspie politicians, we probably had them before 1900, when politics weren't nearly as much of a media circus. Some people have mentioned Jefferson, for example.

If you find AS politicians, you'll find them as either specialists who got into politics because of their specialties, or in fields where election doesn't depend on your public image or your ability to charm the people who can pull strings for you--that is, appointed positions and some positions in small-town politics.

The most likely position for an Aspie in the political world would probably be as a judge. Becoming a lawyer is not at all impossible for an Aspie with the right sort of talent; and if he were to be good enough at debate and at analyzing the law, he might be appointed as a judge easily enough--and, I think, be generally a benefit to the legal system, approaching issues from the angle of fact rather than trying to figure out who had the most trustworthy face.


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nancydrew
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16 Mar 2010, 12:15 am

Yes, possibly Kristen Stewart. I have heard speculation about Michael Jackson before, but that makes me nervous.



DirkWillems
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16 Mar 2010, 12:17 am

Researchers have long suspected Adolf Hitler of Asperger's as well. He was, in my opinion, the most talented politician of the 20th century. The social interaction your right is a detriment to the Aspie people, but if you're one of the rare few who can overcome it, you can go far. This is certainly a possibility but will only likely be possible for the most intelligent few who are able to feign social fluency. I would not underestimate these people. Aspies are some of the most intelligent people on Earth and there is a handful of every bunch that have the capability to do well on stage.



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16 Mar 2010, 1:38 am

DirkWillems wrote:
He just always had that insecurity speaking in front of others that really made him appear uncomfortable at times, the stuttering, it all just spoke to me that he was horrible in front of people and generally gave people bad impressions of himself through his difficulty in social interaction. Everything about him speaks Aspie to me.

I honestly doubt that this is actually something more than performance. He traded on a "folksy" image that was strongly contrasted with "elitist intellectual liberals". The gung ho folksy "salt of the earth", it's not polished but it's real kind of image was popular and I believe deliberately cultivated, (highly ironic given the family he comes from).

He certainly appears quite confident seeming and socially fluent in unscripted moments. A film made by a young journalist when he was campaigning to be a governor seems to show him as confident and socially fluent. He jokes around, commands the centre of attention (where he appears blissfully comfortable), is overtly charismatic, shows no anxiety and seems to thrive on social interaction which he pulls off quite well.

I suspect that if he errs a bit on the side of inappropriateness from time to time, it is more do with being surrounded by sycophants. Being surrounded by people who act as though everything you do is admirable and better than appropriate may contribute to a loss of perspective on what is and is not appopriate.

It's not impossible, but based on his demeanor and behavior during non choreographed and "frank" moments, I find it less than likely.



zen_mistress
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16 Mar 2010, 2:01 am

Ive heard of different hypotheses about George Bush. One was that he had a sort of language disorder, which made him mix stuff in his mind up all the time.


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Villette
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16 Mar 2010, 3:27 am

he's not the smartest cookie out there, and might have a superiority/inferiority complex which is common to less sophisticated people.



DavidM
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16 Mar 2010, 4:24 am

Gill Bates, the inventor of Wicrosoft Mindows: go looksee at the video of him bobbing like rainman on Youtube. 8)



pensieve
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16 Mar 2010, 7:12 am

Villette wrote:
he's not the smartest cookie out there, and might have a superiority/inferiority complex which is common to less sophisticated people.

He has an above average IQ though. People think he's stupid when he really isn't. I don't like the guy (lefty here) but I always hated it when people made fun of the way he talked, because I talk the same way.
I did suspect he had AS but it could have been anything. If he had an LD I don't think he'd have such a high IQ.

I suspect my prime minister because 1) he has an autistic brother and 2) He speaks so much more articulate than other politicians (just look at John Howard).

I see Kevin Rudd as the quiet nerd and Tony Abbot as the popular jock. Really don't want Abbot to win the election. 1)He's a Liberal and 2) he's a douche.


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Tintinnabulation
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16 Mar 2010, 12:26 pm

It crossed my mind that Bush might have asperger's syndrome a little while ago. While I don't know enough about the man's personal life to say one way or another, one thing I can say is that his career choice and/or his success should not be used to determine whether or not it is an apt diagnosis. It's not as if one can say that all entertainers, politicians, musicians or whatever are unaffected by AS.



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16 Mar 2010, 12:44 pm

I would suspect that Leonardo DiCaprio has it because whenever he does and interview, he always looks down. He is also very withdrawn at parties and carries that one-track mind in the environment.

Other celebs who I would consider would be Johnny Depp and Michael Jackson for sure.



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16 Mar 2010, 1:31 pm

I read that Daryl Hannah was diagnosed autistic as a child. Not sure where she falls on the spectrum now. I would have never thought that about George W.Bush though.



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16 Mar 2010, 2:11 pm

There's a bit of speculation that Tim Burton may have Asperger's. He's pretty much an artistic genius, and doesn't fit in with society. My friend sent me an article that said that even his domestic partner Helena Bonham Carter suspects him of having it.



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16 Mar 2010, 5:29 pm

nancydrew wrote:
Yes, possibly Kristen Stewart. I have heard speculation about Michael Jackson before, but that makes me nervous.


That's who I thought of too, she really flatlines.

As far as Bush goes that was all an act, old video of him shows his true personality. They are doing the same thing with Sarah Palin now, the whole writing on the hand thing was so staged. Middle america hates liberal 'elitism' and deifies politicians that the 'liberal elites' call stupid, it's the quickest way to get an army behind someone, make it appear they are being mocked by the 'liberal' press...too bad people who should know better fall for it every time.



DirkWillems
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16 Mar 2010, 8:43 pm

alana wrote:
nancydrew wrote:
Yes, possibly Kristen Stewart. I have heard speculation about Michael Jackson before, but that makes me nervous.


That's who I thought of too, she really flatlines.

As far as Bush goes that was all an act, old video of him shows his true personality. They are doing the same thing with Sarah Palin now, the whole writing on the hand thing was so staged. Middle america hates liberal 'elitism' and deifies politicians that the 'liberal elites' call stupid, it's the quickest way to get an army behind someone, make it appear they are being mocked by the 'liberal' press...too bad people who should know better fall for it every time.


Except the same night she made fun of Obama's teleprompter and tried to hide the fact she had words on her hand. Whatever attack she receives from the press is well-deserved.



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17 Mar 2010, 6:23 am

pensieve wrote:
Villette wrote:
he's not the smartest cookie out there, and might have a superiority/inferiority complex which is common to less sophisticated people.

He has an above average IQ though. People think he's stupid when he really isn't. I don't like the guy (lefty here) but I always hated it when people made fun of the way he talked, because I talk the same way.
I did suspect he had AS but it could have been anything. If he had an LD I don't think he'd have such a high IQ.

I suspect my prime minister because 1) he has an autistic brother and 2) He speaks so much more articulate than other politicians (just look at John Howard).

I see Kevin Rudd as the quiet nerd and Tony Abbot as the popular jock. Really don't want Abbot to win the election. 1)He's a Liberal and 2) he's a douche.



People say he's stupid based on the choices he's made such as the war and how he handled Katrina. You can have a high IQ and still be dumb.