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sufi
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17 Jan 2008, 4:12 pm

Do you think there have been any Asperger Presidents?

Maybe Teddy Roosevelt?


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KimJ
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17 Jan 2008, 4:16 pm

Thomas Jefferson seemed autistic to me
(American Sphinx by Joseph Ellis discusses his personality and biography, he does not once raise the issue of autism at all, though-that's my interpretation of his biopic)



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17 Jan 2008, 4:17 pm

Thomas Jefferson is speculated to have had Asperger's. I can see why.



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17 Jan 2008, 4:17 pm

Try John Adams and John Q. Adams. There are those who think Thomas Jefferson may have been an Aspie, as well, but I'm not so sure...


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17 Jan 2008, 4:18 pm

Jefferson.

Most definitely.


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woodsman25
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17 Jan 2008, 4:18 pm

Well... not sure if their were any aspie presidents only cause of the amount of interaction a president must have with people, advisors, voters, cabinent, party officals.

I know Nixon was very reclusive, he taped everything not that that means much and he spent lots of time alone in his office not wanting to be bothered.

when I think of others I will add to this post, it had been a few years since my last history class, hehe.


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17 Jan 2008, 4:35 pm

In the days when what little campaigning there was, was accomplished by printed media, we had a few... The Adams, and Jefferson as someone already said. A couple of others are possible, maybe Jackson, he had a truly volcanic temper. Martin van Buren maybe. In today's world, where everything is "out" there instantly in the media, youtubed to death and distorted beyond belief by opponents, I don't think an Aspie would have a prayer of getting into high office. POSSIBLY, if he were a war hero, it might carry him into office.... The only other route I could see would be a VP who succeeded to the office by a fluke. It's a shame. There are some very gifted Aspie's out there who could make things MUCH better than they are right now. They wouldn't stand a chance of getting elected.


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17 Jan 2008, 7:46 pm

Eamon de Valera an American born President of Ireland is thought to have been an Aspie.



2ukenkerl
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17 Jan 2008, 9:24 pm

agmoie wrote:
Eamon de Valera an American born President of Ireland is thought to have been an Aspie.


ell, something tells me eamon IS an irish name, but they let foreigners be president in ireland?



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17 Jan 2008, 10:29 pm

Richard Nixon was president when I was in high school. He resigned the summer before I began college. I sometimes suspect he may have been an aspie.


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hyperbolic
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17 Jan 2008, 11:03 pm

2ukenkerl wrote:
agmoie wrote:
Eamon de Valera an American born President of Ireland is thought to have been an Aspie.


ell, something tells me eamon IS an irish name, but they let foreigners be president in ireland?


Prior to 1929, Ireland did not exist as an independent country, so maybe they waived the requirement.

As for the Presidents of the US who might be Aspies, most probably are not, but it is not impossible that some were. Thomas Jefferson had an obsessive personality and a tenacious intelligence, but I am not sure. He was Secretary of State for a time, which is a very important diplomatic role and hence not for the socially faint of heart. I recently watched a biography on Andrew Jackson, which dispells any notion for me that he was an aspie. He was a darned successful trader of horses (even though he abhorred political horse trading) and was a popular fellow in Nashville, with the ladies and just the town in general. Jackson's dislike for backroom politics was just a result of his personality and upbringing, not a social disability. Calvin Coolidge was known to say very little, so I would place my bets on him as being an Aspie. Nixon can be considered one of the more cerebral presidents, along with Clinton and Carter. However, he was also quite paranoid and that was his downfall--as it is the downfall of other politicians elsewhere in history. But I am not very inclined to think Nixon could have been an Aspie. His testy exchange with Nikita Kruschev proved he could handle a social situation of that kind. And work with China was indicative of social finesse.



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17 Jan 2008, 11:16 pm

If anyone, I'd say John Quincy Adams, but that's just from what we covered in American history class. I don't even remember a lot of it anymore...


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17 Jan 2008, 11:40 pm

hyperbolic-I realize those you mention as being "social" had diplomatic skills, and even popularity in some cases. Benjamin Franklin was also a gifted diplomat and INCREDIBLY popular, particularly with the ladies. It took be over 40 years but I learned how to do the "diplomat" route and be popular, for whatever that's worth. I'm apparently very well liked in my company, which I find funny because I can barely stand spending time with most of the people who seem to like me quite well. It's a spectrum. Jackson, Jefferson and Franklin just to mention a VERY few could not have accomplished the things they did if they hadn't made accommodations with the NT world. I have, others have, I suspect that in some of those cases, they did as well. To find out if they displayed any real telltale signs you'd have to examine a good biography that had real evidence from their childhood. As I recall, Franklin did not have it easy.


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18 Jan 2008, 4:42 am

sufi wrote:
Do you think there have been any Asperger Presidents?

Maybe Teddy Roosevelt?



I read Thomas Jefferson had it. There is even a book called Diagnosing Jefferson.

I have read in other aspie groups about Nixon might have had it too.



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19 Jan 2008, 7:54 pm

I remember reading a book when I was high school giving a very good argument for Thomas Jefferson being an Aspie. It shocked me a bit because I had always idolized him, part of that being that he reminded me of myself in personality, behavior and anti-"pomp-and-formality" sentiments. Now I know why he reminded my of myself! :lol:

I'd also guess that J. Q. Adams and perhaps Calvin Coolidge were aspies.


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