Will we ever have open aspie president?

[Username MechaRFK]

I would say maybe but leaning towards no on this question. Though I suspect Calvin Coolidge and Thomas Jefferson were on the autism specturm. I've heard rumors about Al Gore being a aspie, though this is like the Bill Gates being a aspie.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Depends. In mild cases, it's usually something not very easy to notice in adults. A more severe case (still mild by autism standards) would likely never win.

[Username MechaRFK]

Depends. In mild cases, it's usually something not very easy to notice in adults. A more severe case (still mild by autism standards) would likely never win.

What do you mean by severe aspergers?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Like you said, Thomas Jefferson is speculated to have been one, but he died before it was coined. (Right?)

Anyway, most people with it are nerds or sociopaths. Neither of which have a chance being president. (Well, Obama is a nerd, but he can't be one.)

[tpfkaw]

Coolidge is the most obvious.  I don't think any of the others.

[hcallega]

Some historians have labled Washington as down right autistic.

I think the biggest problem with have an aspherger President is that it's significantly difficult to run a campaign if you're socially awkward. That's not to say it can't or has not happened, and it will in the future. But it's much more difficult for a politician to read voters if he or she is not incredibly socially strong, much less diagnosed with a mental dissability.

[Username MechaRFK]

BTW, Teddy ran for office twice, so I thnk someone with Aspergers can run for president.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Asperger's isn't necessarily a disability so much as a disorder. It of course makes one a bit weaker with their social skills, but one effect is that they become much more passionate about certain things. This, of course, can be a massive boost.

[redcommander]

Coolidge is the most obvious.  I don't think any of the others.

Coolidge probably suffered from depression, rather than having autism. He did lose several family members at a young age, and one of his sons died during the early part of his presidency. Plus he was an excellent public speaker when he wanted to be, but was quite withdrawn in his private life. 

[Username MechaRFK]

Asperger's isn't necessarily a disability so much as a disorder. It of course makes one a bit weaker with their social skills, but one effect is that they become much more passionate about certain things. This, of course, can be a massive boost.

[hcallega]

Asperger's isn't necessarily a disability so much as a disorder. It of course makes one a bit weaker with their social skills, but one effect is that they become much more passionate about certain things. This, of course, can be a massive boost.

I agree, for the most part. Passion is a major skill for a politician, but perhaps less so for a Presidential candidate. Candidates like Bill Bradley or Steve Forbes who are deeply interested and informed about particular issues generally get branded as "geeks" by the media and large chunks of the electorate.
This brings up a further interesting point. Last month, I attended a David Brooks lecture. He spoke briefly about the "vertical and horizental" relationships. Politicians excell at vertical relationships. They can persuade those under them to support them, and they are good at appeasing those above them. But they struggle at horizental relationships, as they generally move up quickly and spend little time at each level. So they're pretty awkward in the traditional sense, but great at moving crowds and voters.

[Hatman 🍁]

BTW, Teddy ran for office twice, so I thnk someone with Aspergers can run for president.

And how did that go for him? He had a combined vote total of 589.

[minionofmidas]

Yeah well, if you classify every minor deviation from some stupid norm as a mental condition, eventually you'll have Presidents with diagnosed mental conditions as there'll be nobody else left. Jeez.

Now, a severely autistic President, that'd be a sight I'd pay to see.

[Username MechaRFK]

BTW, Teddy ran for office twice, so I thnk someone with Aspergers can run for president.

And how did that go for him? He had a combined vote total of 589.

True. But if someone that had everything we see in our politicans appears in our aspie, then I think he can do well. One great thing about aspies would be that they are not corrupt and won't really lie.

[Thomas D]

What did Nixon have? I've read a lot about him being very shy. Not sure if it was anything more then that.

[Username MechaRFK]

What did Nixon have? I've read a lot about him being very shy. Not sure if it was anything more then that.

Nixon had never been dignosed with any disorder/disability. Nixon did have autistic traits but I think he suffered from some other disorder and not autism/aspergers.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Nixon was likely a psychopath.

[Username MechaRFK]

Nixon was likely a psychopath.

What I was thinking of. Nixon is the most pysychopath president we've ever had in office and I'm shock Nixon was never dignosed with the disorder.

[minionofmidas]

Nixon was likely a psychopath.

What I was thinking of. Nixon is the most pysychopath president we've ever had in office and I'm shock Nixon was never dignosed with the disorder.

Of course he wouldn't be. Most psychopaths never are. (Seriously. The study of psychopathy always focussed on the violent ones that largely populate prisons. The traits that distinguish them from the non-psychopathic prison population are what was used to define the disorder, but are but a subset of the traits that distinguish them from the population at large... they are also the same traits that distinguish your typical successful money person from the population at large. The difference between them and the prisoners come down largely to higher intelligence and parents' income.)

[All Along The Watchtower]

For the sake of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, psychopaths =/= Asperger's or autism.

Psychopaths are very smooth in their social skills on a superficial level. But they lack empathy.

Asperger's/autism have empathy, but they have trouble interpreting social cues and consequently, have trouble demonstrating empathy.

It's the difference between not knowing how what is appropriate in social situations (Asperger's), and knowing, but not caring (psychopathy).

Anyway, Nixon was very likely on the autistic spectrum.

[redcommander]

What did Nixon have? I've read a lot about him being very shy. Not sure if it was anything more then that.

Probably paranoia or schizophrenia.

[minionofmidas]

Nixon pretty much neither knew nor cared.

[Username MechaRFK]

Nixon pretty much neither knew nor cared.

[Stranger in a strange land]

What did Nixon have? I've read a lot about him being very shy. Not sure if it was anything more then that.

Nixon probably suffered from some combination of depression and paranoia, but there's no way he was on the autism spectrum. He was way too skilled at reading people and manipulating them to have been autistic. Also, he may well have been a sociopath.

And also, it's very unlikely we've had, or ever will have, a president with Asperger's. Just like 95% of people on the Internet who think they have Asperger's don't and are just nerds, most of the people who have been mentioned on this thread as potential candidates for Asperger's or the autism spectrum were just depressed, introverted, or socially maladroit.

[The Mikado]

http://www.amazon.com/Madness-Civilization-History-Insanity-Reason/dp/067972110X