Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:53 pm

Post subject: Does Mitt Romney have Asperger's Syndrome?

I am vaguely following American politics, and it seems very plausible to me that Republican candidate Mitt Romney has some kind of high-functioning autism. He is often described as being like an alien, or a robot, finds odd things to be amusing, and genuinely seems to have an extremely simple, naive personality. He was an "energetic child", and he has achieved success in a field that most people would find boring (venture capitalism).

He is often accused of "having no convictions", or "having no personality", which reminds me a lot of many people with Asperger's syndrome. He simply is not an ideologue, and just wants to try to do his best.

But the clincher was when I saw this clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHaMqHh5NZ4

Everything about this clip screams "Asperger's" to me. He is actually being quite genuine, but the way he describes his feelings is very odd. His description of "the right height for trees" reminds me hugely of the sort of thing that aspies say. Also, he clearly had a special interest in cars, and is probably not exaggerating when he says that he had a photographic memory for them.

I think that he is a very misunderstood figure. He isn't a heartless monster, he's an aspie who maybe has a very naive idea of how the world works.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591338)

A few aspie traits does not make an aspie.

I agree that Mitt may have some aspie traits. Most venture capitalists have some of those traits because you have to be very analytical and super smart. But there's more to him than that.

Most of the things you noted appear to me to be very NT and normal.

- his audience understands what Mitt means by the right height for trees. Mitt lives in Mass. now. The landscape is different. Mitt is relating very normally to his MI audience that it simply feels like home when he visits back in MI.

- Mitt's car obsession is the same as nearly every boy who grows up in lower Michigan. With several auto companies headquartered there, nearly every kids' parents worked for one of the auto makers AND carried a special pride for their family's brand loyalty and American cars in general.

- oh, and Mitt's dad was CEO of a car company (American Motors) before he became governor of Michigan

- Mitt likely has a wicked memory; however, knowing various parts of cars is easy when you are around cars every day and all the kids talk about the new features in each car coming out.

- the accusation of "having no convictions" doesn't come from normal business people or politicians. it comes from tea party types who see the world very black and white. Mitt does not see the world black and white. He's a good manager who listens to the input of others before making a decision. Mitt is also realistic to not promise something that it's within his control, e.g., lower gas prices. those kind of promises make candidates look like idiots.

- his video came across as very genuine and warm to me. It sounds like he did a decent job of connecting with his audience in that splice. . .and you likely aren't like the people in his audience there.

- Mitt's very successful family life is another key that would exclude him from a diagnosis. and his enduring relationships with old classmates is another sign of reasonable social skills.

- if Mitt comes across as boring and naive, I think it comes from 1) being very, very careful that the wrong statement in the press can really, really hurt like what happened to his father's political career, 2) living a Mormon life can be exclusionary since there are so many family and religious obligations that aren't with non-Mormons, and 3) he didn't have the typical high school and college experience of most boys because of his religion (e.g., no drinking or carousing).

I'm glad you felt open enough to ask. Hope that some of the ideas above suggest information that you were not aware of.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591340)

If their was anyone in this campaign that even remotely seems to have Aspie qualities it would be Newt Ginrich. Very aloof, in your face. Its all about Newt and no one else...very egotistical. His passion and background in History is often adopted along the campaign trail. He has a matter of fact quality to his views.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591346)

I am vaguely following American politics

venture "capitalism?"

most people would find boring?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591391)

If anything, aspies tend to have excessively rigid and formal worldviews and very strongly held convictions. While their take on how the world works can be a bit one-dimensional, I think it would be inaccurate to call them "naive"

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20592147)

Why Romney is the way he is

Asked Mar 23, 2012, 09:14 AM — 28 Answers

Like Daryl Hannah, Dan Akroyd, probably Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Keanu Reeves, Al Gore, and many others, Mitt Romney probably has Asperger's syndrome.

He's very smart, but as an Aspie he has trouble connecting with people, and it's why he seems to have no empathy for the common man, why weird comments come out of his mouth (HE knows what he is saying but no one else is quite sure what that is), why he doesn't see cause and effect which means his judgment can be poor with over-simple/under-thought-out solutions (e.g., traveling with his dog on the car roof), why he has a forced and barking ha-ha-ha laugh (typical of an Aspie when he knows a laugh is expected), why he is able to really zero in on something he loves and be successful in a very structured career, why he moves awkwardly and appears stiff. Please read up on Asperger's and you'll see what I mean.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591378)

"why he doesn't see cause and effect which means his judgment can be poor with over-simple/under-thought-out solutions"

Yeah, if there's anything that screams "shitty judgment and inability to think things through because you only see black and white and don't understand cause and effect", it's graduating from HLS/HBS, founding Bain, and becoming a multi-multi-millionaire businessman.

Serious question, politicalthreading aside: how fucking legitimately, sub-average-IQ unintelligent do you have to be to write something like that?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#21194702)

I have never heard of these people being considered aspie. Has anyone?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20591428)

http://www.salon.com/2004/10/30/bulge_5/

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=1937847&forum_id=2#20593475)