Is President Bush Autistic?

[leveymg]

It seems to explain a lot, including Dubya's self-identification with a peculiarly talented basketball team manager.

Bush and J-Mac



Bush congratulates the basketball player with autistism-Jason McElwain (J-Mac) after his big game a few weeks ago.

Is it a photo-op for Bush because his poll numbers are so low, or because Dubya really identifies with Jason? Here's a link to the Autism Society of America. http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WhatisAutism

He shows a lot of the symptoms:
"Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain, impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities."

[rodeodance]

1. I read something a while ago--about a learning disability- but Barbara

did not want him to be labeled as such (so many of them)-- so he was never treated. Falls in the category of a 'family secret"

[Dulcinea]

70. I read that he's dyslexic.

I doubt he's autistic, but I don't know enough about autism to speculate.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Don't confuse ignorance with autism.

[mmonk]

3. No.

[leveymg]

6. You explain the similarities, then.

It's uncanny.

[mmonk]

32. I don't see the similarities.

Are you autistic or are you around autistic persons all the time?

[Gormy Cuss]

54. Brain changes due to his long "youthful" period.

I'm not diagnosing him, just offering an alternative that has been suggested by people who do know how to recognize such changes. If you see video or W when he was running for governor he was much sharper than he was running for pres, and he's duller now than he was in 1999 too. It's a pattern of diminishing capacity.

[lumberjack_jeff]

57. There are no similarities

People with autism are characterized with an inability to understand the state of mind of those around them. Most can barely differentiate facial communication - disgust looks the same as humor. Few people with autism could become successful politicians. Even fewer could become successful politicians through the kind of emotional manipulation that Bush has used.

Perhaps I'm just really offended that my first-grader might be compared to someone as scummy as the President of the US.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. More likely

Asperger Syndrome, which is a form of Autism.

[leveymg]

8. Ding. Ding.

Hit it dead center.

[Spider Jerusalem]

21. Highly doubtful.

He's too social, too outgoing, and too intellectually incurious, all of which is generally contrary to commonly observed traits of people with Asperger's Syndrome (I'm an Aspie myself, so I have some basis for this opinion). Dyslexic? Probably. Narcissistic personality disorder? Maybe. But he almost definitely doesn't have an autistic spectrum disorder.

[leveymg]

25. Thanks for that insight.

:hi:

I still think there's something organically wrong with him, and it's similar enough to autism to ask the question. Is there something else that's related?

[Spider Jerusalem]

33. Well...

Diagnostic criteria for narcissistic personality disorder:

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. requires excessive admiration
5. has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
9. shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

[leveymg]

39. I'm not sure that hits it right on the head for him.

He doesn't seem to have overweaning grandiosity or vanity, and he's avoided the higher-status people around his father. His sense of entitlement is something that he was born with that's been reinforced by Poppy's retainers. He certainly has good reason to be intimidated by people of genuine intellect and achievement.

Intellectually, he's a borderline dull-normal. He doesn't seem clever enough to really be able to manipulate the people around him, but I've read that he can be abusive when he perceives any disloyalty. He is deeply suspicious of people from backgrounds that differ from his own. His overriding allegience seems to be to his family and clan-group, and independent thought and deviation from expectation might be painful for him.

No, narcissistic personality disorder doesn't explain it all with him. Something else is wrong there.

[ProfessorGAC]

49. Geez, Those Symptoms Seem Pretty Generic

I'm sure there's more into a diagnosis than those symptoms, but i would think nearly everyone who is extroverted exhibits those 9 on occasion. Some probably a lot more often than "on occasion". I know i do. (Although i don't think i lack empathy. I feel for others nearly all the time. And i don't think i'm particularly exploitative, at least beyond the realm of the ordinary person who wants what they want.)

I don't think i'm NPD, either. But, if i was, i probably wouldn't know it, would i?
The Professor

[Spider Jerusalem]

51. "Pervasive" is the key word here.

Exhibiting SOME of these traits "on occasion" isn't quite enough to meet the criteria; and the condition is considered pathological when one's social interactions are defined by some combination of these characteristics.

In any case, the parlour game of "guess how Bush's head is fucked" is a meaningless exercise, anyway...it'd take psychiatric diagnosis in a clinical setting to accurately assess his psychological makeup.

[ProfessorGAC]

52. I Concur Completely

Besides, we're not even sure if there's anything even up in that head of his.
The Professor

[Dorian Gray]

64. I don't get the autistic

similarities at all.

[DoYouEverWonder]

29. Actually, I agree with you

but if he had a form of autism, that would be it.

He's not dyslexic either, his disability is more global.

However, he does fit the bill for a broad range of psychic disorders, including narcissistic personality disorders. Basically he's stark raving mad and everyone knows it.

[leveymg]

41. Okay. I guess barking mad captures it.

He definitely exhibits personality disorder and possibly underlying organic brain damage or dysfunction.

[FlaGranny]

55. My grandson has Asperger syndrome also

and I would say you are correct. My GS is extremely intelligent and curious about everything, just a bit inappropriate, and does not do well in a school environment. I do agree, though, that Bush* does show inappropriate in-your-face behavior, as in his fascination with bald heads.

[lumberjack_jeff]

58. Agreed

Dyslexic and sociopathic, yes. But not ASD.

[Javaman]

65. Also Adult ADD...nt

[JohnKleeb]

71. Right I got AS too and I dont thikn he has it

Its hard really to imagine any politican having it honestly.

[ladjf]

5. No. And if this is an attempt at humor, it isn't a good one.

[leveymg]

11. Sadly, the joke is on us.

[ladjf]

26. I don't understand you comment. What is the joke?

[leveymg]

28. That someone so profoundly ill was pushed into the Presidency.

I'm not sure ill is the right word. Challenged? Stupid? Disabled? Rotten? Whatever it is, it's gotten markedly worse in recent years with the stress of the job and age.

[Javaman]

66. Sounds like Louis the 16th...

a dull witted monarch who preferred working with locks then being the leader of anything. His fascination with shiny objects lead him to bankrupt France by buying one of only two green diamonds in the world at the time. France, already low on cash due to the support of the American's in their revolution against England, was further plunged into debt with the purchase of the diamond.

[Heidi]

7. Calling him autistic would be

giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[mmonk]

9. I've been around autistic people all my life

since my son is autistic and there is no commonality. If this is meant to be humorous, try again.

[leveymg]

13. Asperger's?

[mmonk]

18. My son is on that spectrum

and is a student at NC State.

[PA Democrat]

24. Agreed. My daughter who has autism abhors Bush and everything he stands

for.

People with autism have difficulty reading the emotions of others, but that does not mean they are incapable of feeling empathy. My daughter gets very upset by images of the ongoing massacre in Iraq that Bush has brought about.

My daughter spent a large chunk of her childhood working painstakingly hard to develop language and other skills which are affected by her autism. It is an insult to compare her and the millions of other people with autism who have labored tirelessly to deal with their disability with a lazy, drunken, drug-abusing, arrogant asshole.

[leveymg]

50. Please see my comment #45, below.

Allow me to apologize to you, as well - I didn't mean to insult people with Austism by asking whether Dubya might be autistic.

[driver8]

63. Excellent post, PA Democrat...

That last line in your post says it all.

[whitestarz]

53. Amen!

I've been house mother of 2 group homes where the majority of the residents was autistic...I fail to see the humor in this, also.

[madaboutharry]

10. No, I don't think so. But,

there is speculation that he exhibits symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome. Or maybe he is just stupid, which autistic people are not.

[Bridget Burke]

19. Babs eventually decided to lay off the gin when she was pregnant.

Bush does show some "damage."

Of course, many of us are not perfect. But, with caring parents, we learn to deal. Bush's Dad is a bit of a cold fish & was away on business a lot. As for his Mom:

[Vinca]

12. IMH(nonmedical)O, he's completely and totally insane.

He makes a special trip to see the kid in the people's expensive jet burning the people's expensive fuel for the sole purpose of exploiting the warm and fuzziness of the J-Mac story. As I watched, all I could do was wonder how much money he's cut from autism research.

[mmonk]

15. Both money and rights.

I have a feeling ADA/IDEA will be history soon with the type of "judges" making it to the courts. New cases that should qualify for social security disability income will be denied as well. It's a perversion that he exploit the kid for political gain.

[leveymg]

17. That fits the pattern all too well.

Do you think Rove came up with this? I still think Dubya feels a real connection with Jason. There's something very resonant about seeing the two together.

[PA Democrat]

38. The Republican House tried to trash IDEA

just 3 years ago. The version of the reauthorization bill pushed to the floor of the House for a vote with no hearings, no input from advocacy groups, on the first day of the invasion of Iraq was an abomination. It would have set back the educational rights of kids with disabilities by almost 30 years.

John Boehner, chairman of the House Education and the Workplace Committee is no friend to people with disabilities. His staffer told me that parents of kids with disabilities should basically just shut up because our kids are being given the opportunity to go to school out of the "kind-heartedness of the American people". He also assumed that I paid no taxes, because he screamed at me, "Is it YOUR money?" What a pig.

Bush and his band of Bible-thumping hypocrites can go straight to hell.

[NNN0LHI]

14. Ate up from the booze and coke n/t

[flordehinojos]

16. to label bush as AUTISTIC would be to excuse him from so much of his

arrogance and so many of his crimes. BUSH IS A SOCIOPATH WHOSE BRAIN HAS BEEN FRIED BY THE USE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL in addition to the fact that he is an arrogant ass. yesterday he was using the autistic boy as one big photo-op for bush.

[leveymg]

20. Is it possible that he's all those things?

He has mild Asberger's, fried himself in his wasted youth, and was chosen for this job precisely because he is a psychopath?

[mmonk]

23. Like I posted earlier,

I really don't see it.

[hobbit709]

36. Hey now

I've fried my brains in my time on drugs and alcohol too but i don't do the stuff he does.
I've been so fried I've had to look at my ID to see who I was but it never made mo do the shit he's done.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

22. Nope. Just naturally, and happily, stupid.

[Frustratedlady]

27. I heard Justin A. Frank, author of "Bush on the Couch," describe

his assessment of what happened to Bush during childhood and how it has affected his life since. There were many other examples mentioned. It was complicated, but understandable and made sense. Much centered around the untimely death of his sister, and that he was pretty much left to his own devices after her death. I was in the car and only heard the beginning, so I don't know what medical conditions he mentioned nor do I know his credentials.

The author was the guest on a local talk show a month or so ago, and I only heard the first portion. I meant to get the book and read it in-depth, but forgot.

Has anyone read it?

[Warpy]

30. Wernicke-Korsakoff

Google it. If that aint Idiot, what is?

Remember, he talked just fine when he was debating Ann Richards and calling her the drunk that he actually was. The film of that debate is online. The difference between the man in that debate and the punch drunk oaf in the White House is amazing.

[leveymg]

37. I've thought his deterioration in recent years is over-medication

or perhaps just a psychological breakdown under stress. But, when I see that photo of the two together, there really seems to be some organic similarity.

[KnaveRupe]

31. * is all idiot, no savant. n/t

[fujiyama]

34. Bush is willfully ignorant

and led a spoiled life, where he took advantage of none of the opportunities given. He coked up, boozed up, and then "found Jesus" when it was convenient. He got to Yale as a legacy and got through HBS the same way. He started a business which was saved by daddy's buddies. He likely was guilty of insider trading as well.

Claiming Bush has a real genuine disability is likely an excuse. He very possibly does have some sort of speech impediment though. Maybe he is dyslexic. I don't know, but I don't think he's autistic.

Plus, often times autistic kids show a passion or deep interest in one subject. Or atleast that is the case with many with Aspergerger's. Bush has never showed any such passion or interest in anything.

I think the guy is a willfully ignorant prick for the most part. That's the impression I get. He doesn't know. He doesn't care to know and if he doesn't want to know, he'll ignore. He seems to be an arrogant bully as well, not usually attributed to those with autism.

[thereismore]

35. bush** is feeding off of this nice young lad. He has no shame. nt

[mmonk]

40. Autism.

I've been around it for 21 years. My oldest son is autistic (either Asperger's or on that spectrum). I've been around families who have autistic members of all varying degrees. Autism has never crossed my mind concerning bush and believe me, being around it as much as I have, I can identify autistic people in shopping malls, grocery stores, etc. For those insisting he is, why? Because he speaks in a simple and direct way? Because at other times, he has a tic? Autistic people may speak little at all or they may speak incessantly. But they don't tend to speak as he does. They also tend not to have as much facial expression when they speak. When they speak, it tends more toward breathy, not sharp and short. But the things is, symptoms can vary depending on the degree. They tend towards self stemming in many ways. They have alot more empathy for the world around them though some may appear aloof (they have more empathy for people around them than people have for them). Though they may be of average or better intelligence, autism affects the way they can communicate that intelligence. Many people around you may be autistic and you may not know it. If you can't see their autism, why are you sure bush is?

[leveymg]

45. Notice I put a question mark after my sentence: Is Bush Autistic

Thank you for clarifying what Autism is and isn't. I trust your insights, and am prepared to accept that Bush isn't technically autistic. The fact remains, there's something very wrong with him, and his illness probably has several contributing factors.

The earliest motion picture footage I've seen of him dates from the mid to late 1970s. He was noticably much more expressive and better coordinated. Whatever is the source of his dementia, it's degenerative. That's another reason to rule out Autism as the cause.

I apologize. I did not mean to insult people with Autism by asking whether Bush might be autistic.

[mmonk]

46. I didn't take it as an insult.

I just wanted to explain in some way why the thought never occurred to me and why I didn't think so based on my experiences. So I don't see it, but who knows what is wrong with bush? Something's there but I can't put my finger on it.

[atommom]

42. No. He is NOT a normal human being, but that is not his issue.

I vote for mental illness, coupled with brain damage and assholism.

[Bridget Burke]

43. Another "no"....

You seem to treat autism as a joke.

My first cousin is autistic--we are both close to Bush's age. Back then, autism was not understood. My cousin was diagnosed as deaf, then retarded. Finally, they called him autistic. In those days, there were none of the behavioral treatments that enable some autistic children to deal with the real world.

My cousin never became verbal & has been institutionalized for many years. He visits his family from time to time, but seems happier at his "home."

[newportdadde]

44. Have you ever seen his Texas Gov debate video?

Personally I think the guy is in the early stages of dementia.

If you have ever checked out the video comparison between his 2000 debate with Gore and his debate for Gov of Texas it is like two different people. He was actually a pretty decent speaker in the Texas debate, no stumbling etc, the change is quite amazing.

[Untermonkey]

47. That's not a very nice thing to say...

Autistic people deserve much better.

[Ilsa]

48. No, and I have an autistic son.

Bush has psychiatric problems. Probably dyslexic. Seems to be narcissistic and cruel. He doesn't have any empathy for others.

[Atman]

56. I was more intrigued by his jerky movements and stupid comments

Okay, the silly comments are normal for Bush...but in this case, they seemed even more juvenile than usual. "I call him J-Mac. heehehehe" with the rapid head turns...it really creeped me out. Really. It always disturbs me to watch Bush, but this particular performance was as if I was watching someone with some serious disorder.

[earth mom]

59. Hell no!

* is a sociopath. That picture of * and Jason makes me sick. :puke:

People with Autism are NOT greedy, ruthless, power hungry, or selfish. They do NOT lie, cheat or steal to get what they want. They have big hearts and innocent souls. Sure they live in their own worlds, but it's not the corrupt, evil and ugly world that * lives in.

To say that * is Autistic is an insult to people with Autism.

Autistic People are the Good vs. the Evil of *.

[mandyky]

60. Are you trying to make excuses for George?

My son is autistic spectrum, and GDub is just a spoiled former frat boy cheerleader who has no empathy for others. He is a narcissitic SOB sociopath. Even autistic kids, like my son, can be trained to notice others, and consider their feelings. Unfortunately, GWB can't because his Mom's theory is not to worry her "beautiful mind" about the costs of her idiot son's mistakes.

[leftofthedial]

61. isn't just being a sociopathic moronic asshole enough?

[Yollam]

62. Is that the word they're using for "asshole" these days?

Bush is a petulant, childish sociopath. He doesn't strike me as autistic.

[Deja Q]

67. I posted something similar once and got flamed to hell and back...

Nice to see you're getting treated like a human being.

x( x(

[MissB]

68. Nope.

Drug addled brains are far different than autistic brains. Please don't insult autistic people.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

69. * is not autistic. He's emotionally retarded. eom