Political Figures with Asperger's/Autism

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Thomas Jefferson (According to the book Diagnosing Jefferson)

Al Gore (According to some online sources)


Based on the documentary Fog of War
Robert McNamera definately had alot of autistic traits. He possibly has it.


Do you know of any others?

Al gore does so much public speaking, how can he have it?

Yes, he got up and spoke in public a lot. He also had the nick-name 'the wooden man.' I have social anxiety and have taken part in public speaking competitions (even won some). Really, it was more like drama than anything else - it was an act. It didn't cure my social anxiety, and I still often get nervous in meetings when they go around the room and people just say something simple like who they are, what they do, etc. Really banal stuff that doesn't mean squat, but if I am not practiced and in the persona, I tend to choke.

Dan Aykryod is an Actor an has it. I have it I do stand up comedy.

Al gore also talks slowly like me.

Gore is a Tennessean, and we Tennesseans have no real reason to talk fast.

I heard that about Thomas Jefferson.

I think Hugo Chavez could be a good candidate. He had some off the wall projects planned.

robert mcnamera should be shot in the face (see: operation northwoods).


so should al gore (see: an inconvinient truth then actually do research on the claims gore has made)

President Calvin Coolidge? They called him Silent Cal because he didn't talk much. There was a famous exchange that went:

Woman: "Mr. Coolidge, I've made a bet against a fellow who said it was impossible to get more than two words out of you."

Coolidge: "You lose."

He once met George Halas the Coach of the Chicago Bears and told him he loved animal acts.

Temple Grandin gives lectures and presentations all the time. Autism or AS does not mean we can't be eloquent and fearless in front of crowds.

Merle

I'm fearless b/c my lack of gravity of situations. A slightness of naive basically keeps me on stage be it drama or speech or my upcoming valedictorian next month.

Coolidge video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... rQLS1_irBA

The rhythm of his speech is very predictable and peculiar.

I have been researching and think that Al Gore is most likely on the Autism Spectrum.
The main refutation to these claims that I have heard is regarding the fact he has done a lot of public speaking.
I don't think Aspergers impairs the skill of public speaking as it does most other forms of communication. From experience I have noticed I am an extremely confident and articulate public speaker and have been willing to stand up and deliver presentations to large halls of people, including my local mayor.

I think some factors of his history seem to point to Aspergers. What I've read of his college years in particular, like not understanding protesting a war at a private university and that he was "astonished" that his anti-war friends would hatefully jeer at him due to wearing military uniform.

He also seems like many professional autists I know, "trained" in social interaction and still relatively mechanical in appearance.
Also the language he used in his youth is much more logical/autistic, which points to obvious social training during his political years.

In addition, I would point to his strong conviction and passionate zeal regarding what he considers social justice. This seems to be very common amongst Aspies.

I'm not fond of DXing living public figures without a good reason.

I don't know much about "Silent Cal", but I'm of the belief that we've had at least 2 US presidents that might have been on the spectrum.

There's at least one UK prime minister in the last 250 years who might meet the critera, through there might be a cultural difference that would impact a hypothetical DX.

There is only thing worse the diagnosing public figures from a distance with autism spectrum disorders- and that is---resurrecting five year old threads!

But since we are on the subject MacNamara might be an aspie.

Elected figure (people who have to get votes and are not appointed) I suspect are rarely aspies.

Both gays and aspies want to claim Lincoln. I think both groups are wrong to claim him.

I doubt any american president was an aspie, but Jimmy Carter approximates what an aspie presient would look like if one existed.

Last edited by naturalplastic on 23 May 2013, 4:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.