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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI think Mitt has Aspergers Syndrome
Last edited Fri Sep 14, 2012, 08:40 AM - Edit history (1)
After reading the article and Mitt and the Homeless women he advised to go home and call #211.
The First question that popped in my mine was, "What is wrong with this man?"
Then it hit me Aspergers. That is the only way he can be consistantly socially inept.
So I thought ok Heather you gone to far you can't be thinking that, put it out of you mind. But this morning I yahooed "Mitt Romney Aspergers Syndrome"
and look what I found http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=AnpZzamigubAT1DxoZSFJpCbvZx4?p=mitt+romney+aspergers&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701
Apparently, I am not the only one thinking this. This would explain so much, the mean sprited jokes he thinks are funny. His inablity to connect with people. The make him human issues his campaign is having.
And is inability to connect empathically with a Women standing right infront of him who just became homeless in an instant.
I am not posting this to make light of Autism or Autistic people, my youngest son is on the spectrum. I truely believe this is what's wrong with Mitt. And I think he has gone his entire life undiagnosed. And if someone is Running for President with any kind of health issue we need to know about it. He could say the wrong thing to a world leader and we could all pay the price for it.
UPDATE:
Since posting this question, I have found out that Mitt Romney suffered a severe head injuryin France, while dodging the draft he supported during the Vietnam war. So now I believe he is brain damaged. To all those upset by my speculations, that is not my intent. And I Sincerely Apologize to all of you.
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ananda
(28,864 posts)nt
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)
Cleita
(75,480 posts)His past behavior, from the bullying haircuts and strapping the dog on the roof of the car points to a person with a narcissistic personality who has no empathy for any living being. He can be charming and sociable, but has not one iota of kindness or caring in him.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)about going to another country with guns blazin'. We already did that for 8 years.
Actually 12 but the last four have been a clean mission. Romney wants to pick a fight with Putin
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)and Aspergers. I have seen psychologists in criminal forensic settings mistake the latter for the former. For example, Aspergers people show a lack of empathy because they don't "get" social interactions & nonverbal cues. They often have deep knowledge about eccentric topics, which they like to talk about at length, thereby prompting the careless evaluator to score them as "grandiose," etc.
Pithlet
(25,089 posts)People with Aspergers have difficulty with social interaction and nonverbal cues. They often show a lack of empathy, or what appears to be a lack of empathy because of this. But they aren't sociopaths. They don't lack empathy. That is the misconception that leads people to think that Romney may be have Aspergers when he acts like an entitled Asshole. People with Aspergers do have feelings. They do love people. They do care about other people. We have Aspies on this board. If they didn't care about people they wouldn't be DUers. Romney told that woman to go home and call 211 because he's just like Barbara Bush, who didn't want to bother her beautiful little mind about it. Does she have Asperger's too? I doubt it.
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)even a recognized diagnostic category in the DSM-IV. Thanks to that, I've learned to restrain myself to using the term only in instances where the label is clearly meant purely as a figurative epithet and not as some sort of diagnostic.
Interestingly, IIRC, the related term 'psychopath' is a label found in the DSM-IV.
You and Jackpine are definitely appreciated by us laypeople 
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Take a person with Asperger's (and let's assume he's not psychopathic.) Say that person says or does something offensive, and another person reacts by being visibly upset. The person with AS won't read the facial expression and body language of the person he offended, so he'll be oblivious to the consequences of what he did. But if you intervene, tell the person with AS "Hey, that wasn't cool what you said. Did you see how that person reacted? He's really upset!" At that point, the person with AS will understand, his empathy will kick in, he'll feel mortified, and he'll probably apologize.
A psychopath, OTOH, knows when the person he offended is upset - he's really good at reading emotions. But he's like Dick Cheney. You tell him "Hey, that wasn't cool - that guy's really upset." and he says "So what?"
Pithlet
(25,089 posts)Thank you. I think Romney truly just doesn't care, which is why he had no problem sucking companies dry and laying off people, why he doesn't care what happens to people when Federal funds are cut, and why he was clueless when dealing with the woman who lost her home. A lot of people don't. It's not all that uncommon a trait in some people. They're ruthless. Some of them are indeed sociopaths. It's nothing at all like Asperger's.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)I am on the spectrum (diagnosed Asperger's) and you have summed it up beautifully. Aspies are generallly very compassionate - living as different in a neurotypical world does that to us - but not "empathetic" when empathy is properly defined as reacting to nonverbal social cues.
liberalhistorian
(20,818 posts)aspies not having any empathy. They may have difficulty with social cues and little social sense, but that does not at all translate into not having any empathy or emotions. It simply means that they understand and express themselves differently. Just because they don't experience it in a so-called "normal" way doesn't mean that they do NOT do so. In fact, many people who have good social sense can be some of the nastiest, most mean-spirited fuckers I know. My son is an aspie and I assure you that he does have empathy and emotions, just in a bit different way. And it hurts him terribly to be constantly considered a psycho or criminal-minded simply because he DOES have it.
And DO NOT get me started on "psychologists", so many of whom do NOT at all understand AS and are too eager to lump people into categories with little thought. Some of them I've known no little to nothing about AS, but spout off as if they do simply because they've read a couple of articles. They're doing a lot of damage to aspies. A LOT of damage. Such as the dipshits who consult for that hate group FAAAS which, if it had its way, would lock my son and his fellow aspies up and throw away the key. My son was in tears once reading up on them, asking me "why do these people hate me so much when they don't even know me"?
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)due to issues with social cues. Some other posts on this thread are right on.
DonCoquixote
(13,616 posts)First off, I am an aspie.
We simply do not process things the way most do, but even though we often have trouble expressing emotion, we DO feel it. Yes, we do empathize, even though we are not equipped to show it, and less equipped to deal with it, especially as people do not realize that our brains run like overclocked engines, tension we cannot process leaves us looking idle or aloof, but yes, there is a reason many of us in less "enlightened" ages killed ourselves.
Now, do I believe Mitt may have a lot of issues, yes, especially as his family rewarded him for acts of violence, and fed him full of grandiose notions of being a savior. Is there are lot of unresolved anger probably, Hell yes, but there is a fine line between the sort of illness that come about because you were raised wrong, and that which is biochemistry, no less chemistry than making pills at a pharmacy.
Like I said, I know you did not mean anything bad, but many times we do need to speak up because we know some fool will, to quote Kipling "take the truth you have spoken and make a trap for fools."
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)I have done assessments of people with Aspergers and know full well that they (you) have consciences, and that was sort of my point--that superficial examination by a psychologist with a confirmatory bias set for "Antisocial" will often result in misperception.
I wasn't careful in my original comment, but I'm sort of glad for my error because it gave so many people an opportunity to point out the difference between the appearance and the reality with a clarity I couldn't have managed.
elkepelka
(4 posts)Ask an Aspie sometime, it's time to put this fallacy to rest.
sofa king
(10,857 posts)Just look at the criteria necessary for a diagnosis of:
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
I think that Romney may hit enough of the criteria named for Mitt to be diagnosed as having either one of those disorders (particularly if Mitt's conduct disorders manifested before age 15).
Apparently the shrinks call this "co-morbidity," and they are not happy with having two diagnoses for one person. They are in the process of revamping NPD for the DSM-V:
http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=19#
But for the moment, Mitt Romney to me is George Bush, only smarter, AND Dick Cheney, only more evil. With a guy like that, you shouldn't be asking if he's going to try to steal the election. You should be asking how he plans to do it.
Pleasant dreams, everyone.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Mittwit is not one of us. He's a pure sociopath.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)It's an insult to peopel with Asperger's Syndrome to suggest than Mitt is one of them. He's simply a sociopath, as are his followers. I don't think any of them have any excuse otherwise.
PCIntern
(25,552 posts)I am in absolute agreement.
randome
(34,845 posts)liberalhistorian
(20,818 posts)lack of understanding social cues does not mean not caring about them or the feelings of others. Once it's pointed out to an aspie how someone feels about something, which they might not have been able to read, most of them care and are able to feel empathy and emotions. A sociopath, otoh, which is what I believe rMoney is, knows and understands, he JUST DOESN'T CARE. PERIOD.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)I was worried I would get roasted too. It's still early. :lol:
PCIntern
(25,552 posts)Page 7. Mitt Romneys Problem
matt819
(10,749 posts)He might very well suffer from Asperger's. It's not a bad assessment from a lay person. After all, we are all trying to figure this guy out. After all, it's more than a little spooky that while the RW base will support and vote for him, they stand with us on the left in not liking him at all. So the question you raise, and answer with Asperger's, is not unreasonable.
But I would throw my hat in the ring with the sociopath assessment, or narcissistic personality disorder. In that world, only one thing counts: Mitt. Everyone else is a prop. It's not that he doesn't care about veterans, or the homeless, or even fellow down-on-their-luck republicans because they are veterans or homeless, or on the skids republicans. He doesn't care about them because they are not him. He is all that matters. He didn't care about his wife's horse and his performance in the Olympics. Because they have no impact on his life. His wife and kids assert that he is a great husband and father, but the stories they tell are as cardboard as he is. There is no there, there.
And now we're seeing more and more commentary about Mormonism, in which mendacity plays a central role. It seems his father was able to find a balance between Mormonism's "teachings" and life in the real world, Mitt has not. This is a frightening combination.
Mira
(22,380 posts)it was one of the most enlightening threads on MRomney I have read - and if you have a link to it pm it to me if you would when you have a spare minutes - since I have wanted to re-read it since.
Thanks in advance.
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)Mira
(22,380 posts)coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)Elizabethan today!
reformist2
(9,841 posts)nc4bo
(17,651 posts)his medical records?
My - what an odd thing to say hmmmm...?
Seriously though, I have no idea what's wrong with Mitt besides being a rich asshole but realy who knows - he refuses to release anything.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)
BeyondGeography
(39,374 posts)We know the lack of tax returns is designed to hide something. It's not a giant leap of logic to assume the same about his locked up medical records.
ann---
(1,933 posts)release medical records, are they? I mean, it would be nice if we knew what we were getting in the WH and most candidates DO release them once they're nominated. We'll see.
nc4bo
(17,651 posts)as to his health. I don't believe they were 100% complete and it was a quickie but he did.
They don't have to release tax returns either but it's par for the course and any candidate who hesitates or refuses to do so is going to get some well deserved questions as to why.
He's running for POTUS. I'd think that he'd release any and everything that would help ease the minds of voters, no problem. In addition, when you take into consideration that Mitt AND his Party are STILL trying to define their candidate, all the more reason to release a deluge of information that could fill in some blanks.
Instead, he basically tells anyone asking a question he doesn't like shut up.
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)Mitt's gait. It got some of us wondering if he has a neurological problem like Parkinson's Disease, etc.
I never thought about his medical records mentioning something like Aspergers Syndrome.
Kahuna
(27,311 posts)Heather MC
(8,084 posts)onenote
(42,704 posts)Heather MC
(8,084 posts)I am not the first to think it, and I won't be the last. even the Aspie Community website asked the question. My reasons for coming to this conclusion maybe objectional, but I am not alone.
onenote
(42,704 posts)anymore than the fact that there probably were other people who shared Frist's "diagnosis" of Terri Schiavo.
liberalhistorian
(20,818 posts)JUST DOESN'T CARE. He's a sociopath, not an aspie. When you point out social gaffs to aspies, they will generally understand and usually care about it and people. Sociopaths, however, understand perfectly well, they just don't give a shit. My son is an aspie and I see this with him all the time. He is NOT, however, a sociopath, which is what rMoney is.
Do not immediately equate social "oddness" with AS.
Mitt is just an over privileged, entitled, arrogant twit. It certainly would NOT explain the mean spirited jokes. And he apparently does connect with people. It would be very difficult for someone with even mild Asperger's to lead the type of company he led- which requires a shitload of social interaction. Nor does his telling the woman to 211 indicate he has Asperger's. It doesn't even tell us much about that specific interaction.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)He's never had to relate to others as equals because he grew up with a silver foot in his mouth.
https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/08/10-7
Psychologist and social scientist Dacher Keltner says the rich really are different, and not in a good way: Their life experience makes them less empathetic, less altruistic, and generally more selfish.
In fact, he says, the philosophical battle over economics, taxes, debt ceilings and defaults that are now roiling the stock market is partly rooted in an upper class "ideology of self-interest."
“We have now done 12 separate studies measuring empathy in every way imaginable, social behavior in every way, and some work on compassion and it’s the same story,” he said. “Lower class people just show more empathy, more prosocial behavior, more compassion, no matter how you look at it.”
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)Has a nice ring to it.
Not amenable to medication, it will be treated instead with Cliff Claven's aversion therapy...
valerief
(53,235 posts)
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)ineptitude.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)Social psychologists are making an argument that Occupy Wall Street protesters have been saying for months: Many rich people just aren't in the habit of thinking of others.
According to researchers at the University of California-Berkeley, people who grew up in economically comfortable circumstances are less attuned to the suffering of other people. In multiple trials that involved both questionnaires and physical-response tests, the researchers found that young adults whose upbringing involved some degree of financial struggle were quicker and more likely to register signs of empathy than young adults who came from affluent backgrounds.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/22/rich-people-lack-empathy_n_1165425.html
Besides, Aspergers is also indicated in many cases by a particular ability in other areas such as mathematics. Where does Mittens show any such characteristic, other than ruining peoples' lives?
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)I don't doubt that rich people lack empathy - the question is, these kids of rich people - are they like that because sociopaths are more likely to be rich and by way of genetics, pass it down to their children or do they simply become that way as a function of being rich.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)The UC Berkely study in the linked article specifically suggests that the lack of empathy displayed by the rich is due to the protected environment of their upbringing, not genetics.
While there are traits that may come in part from genetics - shyness and alcoholism, for example, Aspergers isn't automatically indicated by an asocial or antisocial behavior. It would be absurd to suggest that all or even most of the wealth class is composed of Aspies.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)and yes, it's genetic also.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)by the 'neurotypical' regarding behavior they think is 'different' is a discrimnatory and foolhardy act.
You are qualified to diagnose Mitt as an asshole, nothing more. Don't drag Aspies into it.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)I don't think you have to be a medical doctor to see some of the signs. Just saying.
Pithlet
(25,089 posts)Being an entitled out of touch asshole isn't one of them.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)to get him help because I noticed there was an issue with his development. And most people who get diagnosed with this Syndrome, often times the first person to notice there may be a problem is not a qualified Dr. it's a parent or a teacher. then the child gets taken to a Qualified person.
I am merely observing Mitt Romney and that is all the Qualifications I need to believe this man may have some deeper issue beyond just being an Asshole. imagine how would a person turn out who is raised with entitlement issues, has a sheltered world view because of his religion and has never been diagnosed with a social disorder but he has one. What kind of man might he grow up to be?
Pithlet
(25,089 posts)You interact with him every day. That's a bit different.
But my main problem with your post is it spreads a misconception that so many of us fight so hard. That's why I'm a bit surprised, honestly. I have a son with Asperger's, because of him I've had the pleasure to get to know many others. I don't see it in Mitt Romney. Could he have Asperger's? It's a possibility. I have no idea. I don't see it, personally, but I'm not his doctor. I think it's unlikely, though. All I see is extremely rich out of touch Republican. And equating that with Asperger's only serves to reinforce a negative stereotype. The responses to this thread show that it does. That's unfortunate.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)if he is he didn't get the help your child is getting. And my son has gotten. As a mother it was not easy for me to look at my gorgeous 2 year old and think something's not right. but I had to except that something wasn't right and my son needed additional help.
I think that if Mitt Romney has Aspergers syndrome he never got help for it because, they just couldn't face that 1 of their sons had a problem. I don't think that reflects negatively upon your child in anyway. or anybody else's child who gets help for Aspergers syndrome.
I think he has learned over the years to attempt to compensate for his issues, that is why he has become the man he has to become today. that is why a lot of people think what's wrong with him. Or say, why can't he connect. Even his own son said something to the effect of dad may not be able to empathize with you but he can solve the problem. not a direct quote.
I am not the first person to say it. and I know I won't be the last. I hope that if you hear this spoken of again you will not feel compelled 2 related it to your child in anyway. I am not saying this to try to politically insult Mitt Romney. as I said I was just trying to answer a question that popped up in my head "what is wrong with Mitt?"
cali
(114,904 posts)your evidently playing this ugly game because of YOUR need to believe that Romney has deeper issues than being an entitled, out of touch man.
Mitt's history doesn't fit at all with Aperger's.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)aboutaspergers.us/2012/02/22/does-mitt-romney-have-aspergers-syndrome-politics/
I am not the first to think it, I doubt I will be the last
elkepelka
(4 posts)gimme a break - if you've seen the outrage in the rest of the community over your supposition, you'd realize that the "Asperger's Community" is pretty pissed off by the armchair diagnosing going on and equating Romney's behavior with Aspergers.
Robyn66
(1,675 posts)From an Aspie Mom!!! Great post! 
Robyn66
(1,675 posts)I am getting very upset with the rampant ignorance on this thread. Aspergers and autism is much more complicated than what is being discussed here.
MH1
(17,600 posts)Aspie's tend to be loners and don't form the relationships that he had to have formed with the other kids who helped in that incident.
NO WAY is Romney Aspie, based on that incident alone. And if you review his business history you will find plenty of other examples that debunk the "Romney is aspie" theory.
See, I can "Dr. Frist" also. Except - I'm right. Romney may have "asshole syndrome" but that is NOT the same as Asperger's.
And it IS offensive to suggest that he could be an example of that group of people, who legitimately have a different way of relating to the world and other people, but are generally not cold-hearted assholes like he is.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)would be a big sign he didn't have Aspergers. To have to dream up these incidents, and cooperate with other kids and get THEM to help him do some bullying...definitely not an Aspie trait, imo.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)I am dx'd Aspergers. Aspies do NOT do that kind of shit. Rmoney is a narcissist/sociopath.
K Gardner
(14,933 posts)
Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)I see Mitt meeting people's eye-to-eye all the time. I'm Aspie, I promise you, he couldn't do that if he was Aspie. That's Aspie-101 and if you have a son on the spectrum, then you know that. If you don't, then you shouldn't be diagnosing anyone with Aspergers. To say that bad jokes, and a lack of empathy are the only signs of Aspergers is a form of "racial profiling" (and would you like anyone saying that about your son?) And yes, I'm really offended. Here's a few more signs you may want to know before you diagnosis again (from here) which are the positive traits of anyone with Aspergers. You will note that Mitten has NONE OF THEM.
1. Attention to detail – sometimes with painstaking perfection (Yeah, Mitt was so good with the details when he was governor; that's why he left Mass. in such a mess)
2. Focus and diligence – has an ability to focus on tasks for a long period of time without needing supervision or incentive is legendary. (Yeah. Mitt doesn't need supervision or incentive...)
3. Higher fluid intelligence – scientists in Japan have recently discovered that Aspergers kids have a higher “fluid intelligence” than non-Aspergers kids. Fluid intelligence is the ability to find meaning in confusion and solve new problems. It is the ability to draw inferences and understand the relationships of various concepts, independent of acquired knowledge. (Oh, yeah, Mitt does this all the time!)
4. Honesty – the value of being able to say “the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.” (Do we need to say anything else?)
5. Independent, unique thinking – people with Aspergers tend to spend a lot of time alone and will likely have developed their own unique thoughts as opposed to a ‘herd’ mentality. (Again. Do we need to say anything more?)
6. Internal motivation – as opposed to being motivated by praise, money, bills or acceptance. This ensures a job done with conscience, with personal pride. (Once again, do we need to say anything else?)
7. Logic over emotion – although people with Aspergers are very emotional at times, they spend so much time ‘computing’ in our minds that they get quite good at it. They can be very logical in their approach to problem-solving.
Mitt's not Aspie. I promise you, if he was, us honest, logical Aspies would tell you. WE can rightly diagnosis ourselves and each other.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)....they are not doctors. I just don't think that someone who only sees particular signs of the syndrome but not others is qualified.
I have Aspergers. And by way of "signs" that means I'd happily and honestly cop to it if Romney was "one of us." It takes one to know one, and when I look at Romney, I don't see one. I don't see one because though he may have elements that look like Aspie (lack of empathy, bad jokes), he has others that completely disqualify him. And unlike so many other "non doctors" here, I'm not going to diagnosis him for having a couple of the signs but missing others that are far more telling, far more important and far more decisive in such a diagnosis.
That's be like seeing someone with a rash and diagnosing him as having scarlet fever rather than just a skin problem. What other symptoms typical of scarlet fever does he have? Likewise here. What other symptoms typical of Aspergers does he have? As it turns out, few if any.
pnwmom
(108,978 posts)is much more clearly attributable to full-blown grandiose narcissism.
I see nothing in his personality that would more likely be Asperger's than a really nasty version of narcissism. It's impossible to describe how self-centered narcissists can be; but it's to such an extreme that they have no conception of the reality of other people's separate thoughts and feelings.
They see other people as either devotees who feed the narcissist's need for praise, or as problems to be fixed, or enemies to be crushed. But they can't see them as real, living human beings with their own hearts and minds.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)to what he believes will get him what he wants tells me that is not really it. narcissists know how to play it all, he lacks that, absolutely.
i do not know enough about AS, just talking what i see with the man
Pithlet
(25,089 posts)I'm tired of people DXing Asperger's every time someone acts like an asshole. It's beyond offensive.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)and I am certainly not a Dr.
It's merely a thought I had, and I yahooed it and found I wasn't the only thinking that way. As I stated my youngest son is on the Spectrum for Autism, so I am not in any way attempting to make light of Aspies.
I was merely trying to answer my own question "What's wrong with this man?" you say "Asshole" I think "Aspergers"
byeya
(2,842 posts)didn't like it, that's all.
You are asking a good question and perhaps someone qualified can make an informed guess.
Agreed.
I can diagnose...I can do anything I want to do. Sorry if that offends anyone.
foo_bar
(4,193 posts)I can tell just by looking, especially the way he winces whenever someone asks him a question. Sure, I don't know anything about the pathophysiology of ouchy toothy thingy disorders, but I think other laypeople on the internet would agree with me, and it's a free country after all.
Anyway, according to the (execrable) DSM-IV:
http://autism.about.com/od/aspergerssyndrome/f/dxcriteriaforas.htm
In terms of pop psych stereotypes:
Related to this trait, is the “perception” of high morality, high values and a strong natural sense of justice among those people with Asperger. These facets are typically allied to a tendency to interpret things literally, meaning that judgements are less prejudicial insofar as they based more on fact, as opposed to, personal preferences and prejudices.
For someone with AS it means being less liable to act dishonestly or unethically. It may also mean passing judgement in this area on others from a strong sense and perspective of self-righteousness. The latter is important and involves a lower ability to discern the emotional or ulterior motives of others due to lesser “Emotional Intelligence”.
http://www.aspergermanagement.com/honesty-integrity
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Yeah, that doesn't really fit with Asperger's.
I think he's a psychopath.
randome
(34,845 posts) msanthrope
(37,549 posts)that has made the news and is gonna turn to you and say "You think that horrible person has (insert your kid's diagnosis here?"
I hope on that day you empathize with me.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Aspergers, Alzheimers, narcissistic personality disorder.
We have enough to go on to attack Romney. Fabricating psychiatric diagnoses is not necessary and lame.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Armchair psychology is a crock. It takes hours of testing and observation to develop conclusions worth entertaining as possibility.
PCIntern
(25,552 posts)But I feel the same about your reply...
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)human being she is, even if she can't look you in the eye. She's the kid who is trying to show you how much she cares, how much she feels...and sometimes she can only cry or shut down. She's the kid who cares about animals so much she wants to be a vegetarian, and who takes exquisite care of her black lab because she loves him.
Mitt Romney simply doesn't give a shit. That's the difference between Aspies and Mitt.
AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)PCIntern
(25,552 posts)I wrote a whole post which I have erased and so I just want you to know that I feel that Mitt has two issues: he is fundamentally mean and uncaring AND he has some aspects which may place him SOMEWHERE on the spectrum. I am in no way casting aspersions upon anyone else who has been diagnosed. I happen to have more familiarity with this condition than I really care to discuss on this site, and have been dealing with a family issue since I was born in this regard.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)
grantcart
(53,061 posts)http://aboutaspergers.us/2012/02/22/does-mitt-romney-have-aspergers-syndrome-politics/
It seems to be a legitimate question and the OP phrased in a respectful tone.
Perhaps you could turn down the pedantic patronizing tone and deal with the substance of what is being said.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)And the site you cite isn't part of any community...but it does have great autism swag for sale!!!!
grantcart
(53,061 posts)Ah asserting a baseless conclusion in a definitive and rude voice as an alternative to having a real opinion.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/caleb/blog/2012/05/does-mitt-have-aspergers-symptoms-i-think-so-least-some-important-ways
Personally I don't think he has it because one of the other symptoms of Aspergers is scrupulous honesty and Mitt does not have that.
The point, which you failed to gain from my or others reply is that having a different opinion is not a license to be rude and condescending but it is a license to discuss as it has since David Schuster made the observation. Google now has references 4 pages deep.
The only thing without substance in a discussion forum is a person who asserts that there is no discussion to be had and relies on the rudeness of their voice rather than the substance of the argument.
Again, because I understand that subtle distinctions are not your strong point, I don't think that Mitt has Aspergers I just don't think that the OP should be insulted because she thinks he does.
lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)Aspbergers does NOT explain his antisocial behavior.
Robyn66
(1,675 posts)I seem to be saying thank you to a lot of people. Aspergers Syndrome is a very complex thing and it is terrible to see it tossed around this forum by people who dont know what they are talking about. I dont care what some people say the "aspergers community" is saying. First of all, the primary thing with my daughter is that she is honest to a fault so Romney being such a liar is out of the Aspi club immediately. There is far too much armchair diagnosing going on here.
madokie
(51,076 posts)PCIntern
(25,552 posts)Iknow many rich rich people from my work...Rmoney is special...
That's nice.
madokie
(51,076 posts)Like snowflakes or hailstones no two people are alike
If I would have said that like all people who live a privilege life then that would be correct but I didn't
At any rate
Peace
Have a great weekend
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)I think he's a sociopath.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)It was written after the confrontation with Perry during one of the debates.
<snip>
So it was rad to see him get pissed. He still moves and speaks like his desire to become President is a side effect of his Asperger’s Syndome, but at least we know there’s somebody in there. Act enough like Mitt Romney isn’t talking, and he will finally remind you that he is. First he will put his hand on your shoulder, like you are his son, and then he will tell you that your behavior is not in line with your ambitions, like you are his son. And if there’s one thing Republican voters like, it’s Dad.
<snip>
Interesting comments, as well.
Brickbat
(19,339 posts)Jesus Christ, I'm sick of this crap. Pathologizing Republicans is just stupid -- it lets them off the hook for being assholes, and is an insult to people who have real problems.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)n\t
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)either mittens had no interaction with his dad or mittens decided not to follow in his dad`s footsteps.
no matter what or how he`s a sociopath .
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Many of the baby boomers who thrived during the Reagan revolution, became self entitled yuppies. The belief that having lots of money is a virtue has driven the people of that generation who have power.
intaglio
(8,170 posts)Look at his walk (when he is less aware of being filmed) his posture listen to his voice when he was singing "America, the Beautiful"
Start with the walk; short steps slightly hunched over, very short arm swing but more on one side than another and his head pushed slightly further forward than looks comfortable.
Posture, stiff with unnaturally controlled movement, "robot like"
Now his voice and ignore the lack of key listen instead to the inability to sustain a note.
There seems to be a cognitive deficit where he cannot remember what he has said.
I'm not a medic but these could be mistaken for the very early signs of early Parkinson's Disease.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)he has stood up to try and imitate the walk. and comments on it. he said after he first noticed, he started watching for the walk.
the man is stiff straight leaning his back, back or something. i havent paid attention, but hubby keeps talking about it.
nadine_mn
(3,702 posts)mean, I know and I apologize.
IDemo
(16,926 posts)Same syndrome between Chimpy and Mittens: an utter lack of empathy for those without financial security. Nothing more.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)Rather than Asperger's. I'm familiar with Asperger's, I just don't see it in Romney. I see someone who uses people and throws them away, or doesn't acknowledge them at all.
SDjack
(1,448 posts)to recover some prestige hacked away by Eastwood. All he had to do was express to the LA mom his sadness for her misfortune, that we would follow up with Jindal to assure that she got some speedy help, encourage the American public to donate immediately to relief agencies, and give a vague promise to make the future more secure. Instead, he conveyed the message "Whoa! You have obviously mistaken me for someone who cares. Why don't you call FEMA and ask Obama to help you?"
grantcart
(53,061 posts)It may not be Aspergers but it is something.
Its not just an emotional dissasociative thing it appears that he connects with innanimate objects or spatial relationships.
In anycase let's not do a science experiement to see what it would be like to have someone with his condition in the most powerful job in the world.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)from walking on his tip toes and with a corn cob up his ass his entire life.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)relevant, and a good possibility in Rmoney's case. I've been accused of having a mild case of it, lol, and I kind of see bits of me in Rmoney, though I am very capable of compassion (unlike him).
Wouldn't surprise me at all. It's not a moral failing or character defect in itself, but it makes one eminently unsuitable for work that requires diplomacy and stellar communication skills.
cali
(114,904 posts)of a state calls for just the skills you claim he doesn't have- and like it or not he was clearly successful.
He's just an entitled asshole.
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)among other automatic movements. Romney was just on TV making loud and very noticeable lip smacking sounds. I'm sure he's been told of the problem but yet he can't keep it under control. I'm not a doctor.
starroute
(12,977 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)seabeyond
(110,159 posts)on expressions. like he had to stand in front of a mirror to learn what expression to make. it is almost painful for him trying to put on a face of sincerity and feeling. really odd
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Not autism-spectrum.
Antisocial/psychopathic spectrum. The man has literally no conscience and no empathy. He behaves like a predator on his fellow human beings.
valerief
(53,235 posts)Many of them suffer from the same lack of compassion. They can't all have Asberger's, can they?
hfojvt
(37,573 posts)Wrong?
I believe that I have Asperger's as well - but I don't really consider it to be a defect.
Sure, I may not know how to relate socially, but that mostly means that I don't know how to play the games that other people play. But in many ways, as I look at it, I believe I am a nicer person than some of those people playing those games, and also a more honest person than some who seem to be able to fake it.
"What is wrong with this man?" is a bullsh*t thing to think when what you really mean is "Why isn't he like the rest of us?"
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)he would very probably not have been able to run a business or run for governor of Massachusetts. And it doesn't really explain very much of anything; I have Asperger Syndrome (I was diagnosed as an adult by the Autism Research Centre at Emory University); and speaking as an autistic adult I don't really see that behaviour as being recognisable (kids on the autistic spectrum are more likely to be on the receiving end of bullying than to be bullies themselves, for instance).
CK_John
(10,005 posts)
nolabear
(41,984 posts)1) I've armchair speculated about that myself. On casual look he has some symptoms.
2) It's never a good idea to diagnose anyone without a complete workup and even then you can get it wrong. Would that psychological diagnoses could be as exact as physical ones, but until we get far better at seeing how the brain/mind functions in a real way, we have to circle the field a lot and try to close in on a diagnosis. And even then it doesn't mean much. There are many personality types within neurological types.
3) There are numerous non-Aspergers type syndromes that aren't neurotypical and involve similar physical attributes to his.
4) Doesn't matter. I agree he appears to be socially awkward and empathy impaired. That can come from so many puzzle pieces coming together in so many ways that we can't keep count.
So I do understand the speculation, but be sure it's kept in the realm of speculation. The bigger problem is that he's the figurehead of a very big, VERY pathological (imo) social movement that sees in him the ability to get what they want at the expense of others. That's where the real danger lies.
valerief
(53,235 posts)
Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)I'm a so-called "NT" and used to be pretty awkward myself....still am to a point. But I wasn't ASD; these problems really came from a somewhat sheltered and dysfunctional family life, not to mention my ADD(sadly, my parents thought it a brilliant idea to stick with school psychologists. Unfortunately for me, they weren't all that good at their jobs, and they kept me in SpEd for most of my life, especially when I really needed to get back into normal class schedules.....it really screwed me good.)
starroute
(12,977 posts)My older son has (or in in some areas had when younger) a number of what are commonly listed as characteristics of Aspergers: difficulty picking up subtleties of body language and tones of voice, trouble making eye contact, a certain obsessiveness, talking about his own interests at length, bad handwriting and trouble tying shoelaces, oversensitivity to stimuli, occasionally a "robotic" way of speaking.
But when we were taking him around to psychologists and asked about Aspergers, we were immediately told, "Oh, definitely not. You can tell just by looking at him." In his case, it turned out to be attention deficit plus some other stuff that make it harder for him to handle outside stimuli -- which he often coped with by deliberately tuning out -- and more preoccupied with his own inner "chatter."
But one of the problems was that because he's very smart, none of his teachers ever suggested that we might get professional help, even though he struggled in certain areas. His first grade teacher complained that he couldn't stay on task for 10-15 minutes like the other children, but concluded "that's just the way he is." In high school, I asked his gifted teacher about the possibility of attention deficit and she said, "smart kids get bored in class a lot and their minds wander."
In Romney's case, I suspect there's something similar at work, except that instead of intelligence, it's money. That is, he's got some form of social deficit -- which might or might not be Aspergers -- but because of his background, he was always indulged and never had to actually deal with it and learn how to get along with people.
LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)People with Aspergers are poor at lying and manipulating people. Mitt is very good at these activities, sadly.
Mitt has little experience of social interaction with people outside a particular group (basically well-off Americans) and it shows: he appears out-of-touch when dealing with poorer people or foreigners - he certainly got off on the wrong foot with us Brits! But he is obviously socially skilled within his own group - e.g. he was able to get his party to nominate him for the presidency, despite his being a member of a religious minority, which is not, I would guess, something very easy to achieve.
I would say that it's rather insulting to people who do have Asperger syndrome, to compare them with someone like Mitt!
BanzaiBonnie
(3,621 posts)coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)Asperger's be co-morbid with other psych disorders? Asperger's is part of Autism but can it also be co-morbid with Anti-Social Personality Disorder? (I don't have any formal training in the field, but had a step-daughter diagnosed with early onset Bipolar and had to undergo a crash course.)
Thank you for posting, btw. I don't believe you deserved any of the hostility directed your way for what is only a hypothesis.
nolabear
(41,984 posts)(dx=diagnoses)
Diagnoses are fine but they don't nearly reach the level of complexity of human beings. We try but even dx can change as we learn more and more is revealed. It's a hard field.
Moonwalk
(2,322 posts)joke that you would see a bully like Romney as having Aspergers syndrome. A person like Romney, able to socialize and get others to join him in doing terrible things, is exactly the sort who will be bullying your son for his inability to fit in with the crowd.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Now, as candidate for President, he wants to give the nation a haircut...
Robyn66
(1,675 posts)I have a daughter with Asperger's syndrome. She is brilliant and although she has had difficulty with empathy and public interaction in the past she has ALWAYS been a person who cared deeply for those around her even though she didn't always know the right way to project it. She was always a hugger, and as she grew she cared for and protected those younger and more disabled than she is. She has more compassion for disabled and people many who would cringe away from She jumps in. She has survived a life time of bullying to be in the National Honor Society and one of her many ambitions has been to be a pediatrician with Doctors without borders.
I will contrast with my brother who has never been diagnosed and who I believe 100% has aspergers. In spite of this wonderful Romney care in Massachusetts there is no way for him to get a diagnosis and the help he needs apparently. He is also out of touch, a cellar dweller at my fathers house and has his cat and is a huge wrestling Dr. Who and Star Trek nerd. He is a blast to be around and I just adore him. Again there are a lot of things that make him not fit in to society but through it all he is a very loving individual.
Is Romney on the spectrum and undiagnosed? WHo knows, it seems he had a family of people who would have noticed something was off even though there was no such thing as Autism discussed at the time. Being on the spectrum is extremely complicated and people on the spectrum do not have PSYCHOTIC TENDENCIES that is a disgusting and bigoted thing to for anyone to say. People tend to throw the label of Autism and Aspergers at everything and it is far from that easy.
Romney is a privileged rich man who doesn't give a shit about the rest of us. I dont think there is anything more than that.
dawg
(10,624 posts)There are other conditions that involve a lack of empathy - conditions that have scary names and that we normally associate with serial killers and CEO's. I would look to one of those diagnoses instead.
People with Aspergers are notoriously bad liars. They'll tell you that your breath smells bad, that you look like you've gained twenty pounds, or that you're not as pretty as the last girl they dated. They don't do this to be mean, they are just stating facts. But Mitt's very nature is to tell lies. He's a social chameleon who changes his positions to suit whatever audience he is trying to appeal to.
Not everyone who acts socially awkward has Aspergers. Some just aren't used to rubbing elbows with the "common" people.
liberalhistorian
(20,818 posts)and I know plenty of aspies and they are in no way like rMoney. You DO realize that there's a big difference between Asperger's/autism spectrum and being just a plain 'ol sociopath, right? The two are NOT the same, not at all. Nor is being an out-of-touch jerk the same as AS. I'm really tired of every jerk being equated with AS and I'm really tired of all of the negative propaganda against AS, promoted especially by that hate group FAAAS (Families of Adults Affected by Asperger's Syndrome).
And rMoney is out-of-touch because that's the way his privileged, sociopathic ass was raised.
Robyn66
(1,675 posts)I am so glad some other parents are speaking out on this one! 
dawg
(10,624 posts)This thread is a little insulting to people with autism-related conditions.
liberalhistorian
(20,818 posts)And I'm getting really tired of the knee-jerk aspie diagnosis for anyone who's mean-spirited or a jerk or sociopathic. And negative, ignorant media portrayals and lack of info among psychologists doesn't help much at all.
JohnnyLib2
(11,212 posts)
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)you'd think a pro would understand the difference.
DotGone
(182 posts)Robyn66
(1,675 posts)I'd like his take on this one!
Plus I miss seeing him!
Rex
(65,616 posts)Is it too hard to accept that RMoney is an elitist asshole that will NEVER have to work a real day in his life? Is that really hard to believe? I don't think so.
There really is a 1% out there and they hate us.
rock
(13,218 posts)So what! 
KT2000
(20,581 posts)what people think of him.
He has always been better than everyone else.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)
For one thing, all of my jokes are funny.
For another, if I were running for President, you would not only be voting for me, you would be knocking on doors and phonebanking for me!
edit: There is nothing "wrong" with me, or your son. Hans Asperger himself described what he was studying as not a disease but a stable personality trait.
renie408
(9,854 posts)I would be voting for you.
In fact I would probably make it a point to vote for someone I thought has Aspergers (assuming I liked what they were standing for) because I think finally we'd be getting someone who would do a damn good job because that's how it's supposed to be done, not half-assed, but done right and done fairly! Problem is, I don't think an Aspie would tolerate the crap that goes on with presidential campaigns and all the dirtiness that goes on etc. We'd be in damn good shape with an Aspie president, IMHO. We'll be in horrible shape if the Romney/Ryan ticket wins because unlike Aspies, Romney doesn't care a hoot about fairness and what's right- that should be a pretty good clue right there that Romney's no Aspie whatsoever, he doesn't give a damn about the rest of us.
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)
and to the KamaAina '16 campaign.
Kalidurga
(14,177 posts)People are understandably confused by Mitt's behavior. It is so far outside the norm. It is even outside the norm for a lot of rich out of touch people. He is such a jerk that we search for an explanation. Surely no one can be this much of a jerk without a reason. So, we look for signs of some kind of disorder that would explain this level of jerkitude. This is very common with people who are nice, they want something to be wrong with the jerk that explains their being a jerk without it being their fault they are a jerk.
But, Mitt just happens to be a world class jerk. He doesn't have a reason for it, he is just a jerk. His parents by most accounts were good people, I have seen that written here by many people. His dad appears to have been honest at least as far as politicians go. His mom ran for office once and surely modeled good behavior in that she showed women are equal to men. Romney doesn't appear to have any of the good traits of either of his parents. He doesn't as a matter of fact appear to have many good traits at all. He is spoiled, arrogant, out of touch, I think he is stupid, others disagree. He might be good with numbers. He has a lot of money, some say it's because he is good at business. I think that he only has a fraction of what he could have had if he actually built those businesses back up that he instead destroyed. But, he is risk adverse so instead of taking a risk and building those businesses he stacked the deck so that he would get a profit no matter what happened. Not a bad business plan, but it is a horrible way to deal with people.
I don't think he has any kind of mental disorder that explains his behavior. He is so devoid of the qualities that make a person likable that I almost feel sorry for him. Almost, he could try to cultivate those human qualities at any time, but he chooses not to. He is a good example of the poor little rich boy. He has a lot of money, but no real friends. I don't think his family even likes him. They tolerate him because he pays the bills and they get nice things.
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)sent to boarding school blocks away from his home..
Grew up overly entitled, but probably "neglected"
Even if he had exhibited symptoms of a disorder (any disorder), it probably would have gone unnoticed and probably untreated.
What I see when I look at him., is entitlement, greed, and an uncaring person.
Whatever agreement Ann made with her fate was probably settled long ago when he started raking in the dough.
She gave birth to five, but lived with SIX "boys", in exchange for living quite a nice lifestyle. Many women have stuck around for far less.
I see Romney as the flipside of GW.. Both owe their status to their predecessors, yet each considered themselves to be self-made. Where GW played the buffoon to cover up his insecurities, Mittens does the opposite. Neither cares one bit about anyone but themselves. They both like to be the "decider", and neither will allow dissent or accept responsibility when things go sour.
Brigid
(17,621 posts)A lifetime of being an entitled asshole possibly combined with neurological problems caused by that car accident? 
Fire Walk With Me
(38,893 posts)High intelligence without compassion and love to reign it in from selfish, destructive acts is called "bad intelligence", the intelligence of predators. He is a predator. Selfish, self-obsessed, without qualm regarding how his self-improving actions harm others. In fact, that may be the icing on the cake. This is sadism on top of predation.
Odin2005
(53,521 posts)Robyn66
(1,675 posts)THis thread is making my head hurt. There is so much bad theory and ignorance being slung around it is sickening!
elkepelka
(4 posts)Wow, so you think Aspies are mean spirited? You are practically as bad as Joe Scarborough and his take on James Holmes being an Aspie. Do you see your son as mean spirited? Poor kid, that you think so lowly of his character!
How about Romney is just plain out of touch and clueless and it has nothing to do with whether he's an Aspie or not- He has been so insulated from the real world his entire life, he has no idea what the real world is and what real people are like- this has nothing to do with having Aspergers-- I can' t even say it's all due to his upbringing, because his father was certainly not like this, I think it's just a flaw of his character and nothing to do with Aspergers.
I live in a house full of Aspies - not one of them would ever even consider voting for Romney because of how out of touch he is- I would think they would have a pretty good idea whether he was "one of them" and not one of them has even raised the possibility.
You owe the Aspie Folks a huge apology. Stop making blistering generalizations like that- you do much more harm than good by these kinds of remarks. I'm getting really sick and tired of NT's making remarks like this, you have no idea what harm it does to folks on the Spectrum.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)I have a son with Autism. In my personal experience children with functioning autism/aspergers are much more sensitive that normal kids.
Mean spirited jokes? Nope. Attacking a gay kid and cutting his hair? Nope. Destroying peoples lives to enrich themselves? Nope. You couldn't get my kid to do anything like that even with a gun pointed at his head.
marew
(1,588 posts)I was involved during my career in evaluating kids for special school placements so I've been around the Autistic spectrum quite a bit. Also Romney recently asked the following question about the flood waters: "Did the water come from the sky, or the rivers, or the ocean?" What awkward phrasing! Shows major deficits in cognition, I suspect.
OregonBlue
(7,754 posts)doesn't know how to express himself in traditional ways and he does not pick up on the normal social clues.
Romney is not autistic, he is selfish and entitled. Typical "silver spoon" baby.
I find this entire post offensive.
be still and know
(12 posts)
REP
(21,691 posts)ENOUGH with with DIY diagnoses based on limited observations by laypeople!
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)clips of Rain Man. I was so reminded of Romney I nearly fell off
my chair. (I'm not making any kind of a joke about it)
courseofhistory
(801 posts)Here is another possible example...
[URL="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/17/1110907/-Mitt-Romney-s-Driving-Killed-Leola-Anderson-His-Cover-Up-Tale-is-Proved-Dishonest"][SIZE="3"]Mitt Romney's Driving Killed Leola Anderson. His Cover-Up Tale is Proved Dishonest[/SIZE][/URL]
Mitt Romney lied to the family of the woman he killed (?)
I'm asking if anyone has further information on this as corroboration or refutation. I'm not saying anyone's version is the truth but at the very least if Romney did say the priest was dead (who he said caused the accident that killed Anderson), it was a lie because he is obviously still alive and there is a picture of him recovering in the hospital.
Picture of Bishop Jean Vilnet recovering:
[CENTER][IMG]
[/IMG][/CENTER]
He seems to be alive and recovering in the above picture.
[QUOTE]Immediately after the 1968 accident, Mitt Romney recruited a small group of other missionaries to help him put the blame over on the other driver. He was under severe pressure as his father, George Romney, was running for president... (they've been asked not to speak about it to the media, etc.)
...
Romney claimed that the "priest" was going 120 kilometers per hour on a "mountain road." In fact, the Bishop was either stopped or coming to a stop in a left-hand turn lane.The photo of Vilnet's Mercedes indicates a head-on collision; he was not turning.
As noted above, someone did die in that crash: A woman named Leola Anderson, a passenger in Romney's overcrowded vehicle. She wore no seat belt. Her family believed Romney's lie about the drunk priest who didn't live to take any questions. (but he did although if people were told he was dead, they wouldn't have sought him out to question him).[/QUOTE]
Picture of the still alive dead Bishop (age 90):
[CENTER][IMG]
[/IMG][/CENTER]
