Caption *

[Kadie]

President Bush, right, meets with Benin President Boni Yayi, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

[AndyA]

1. What is that big spot under Bush's left eye?

Age spot? Liver spot? Never noticed it before, maybe they didn't do a good job with his makeup today.

[elehhhhna]

3. That's where he poked his face with his straw during Margaritafest last night

or maybe a little tiny paper umbrella?

[lyonn]

6. Good one!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

2. * wondering - "where the fuck is Benin?"

[Lautremont]

4. (thinking) "Heh heh - Boni."

[Rosemary2205]

5. Hey - Is Bush autistic?

It just dawned on me. Shifty eyes, looking people in the mouth. No eye contact. Having so many problem verbalizing........

Is it possible?

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Unlikely

Many people with autism show signs of excellence in other areas such as memory, cognition or creativity. * has never shown any signs of excellence whatsoever.

[valerief]

12. No, just oddtistic. nt

[LeftishBrit]

13. I'm sure not; his problems seem to be at the totally opposite end

Autistic people are usually not able to manipulate others in any sophisticated way, and often quite literally 'cannot tell a lie', because they perceive the world in a literal way, and do not have enough 'theory of mind' to understand how beliefs can differ from reality.

To be slightly flippant about it: autistic people often cannot deceive or understand deception; Bush cannot do or understand anything else.

[Rosemary2205]

21. My husband is on the spectrum

and he too struggles with the difference between the fantasy in his own head and the reality of the world. He is much more comfortable in the world he creates for himself over the real world. He has trouble with eye contact and he has trouble verbalizing. And he does the same thing Bush does with manipulation. He plays games with facts thinking it will help him get what he wants, but he is totally incapable of reading the reaction he is getting in response. All he can see is the end result of whether it works or not. So SOME on the spectrum CAN exhibit these qualities.

I don't know if Bush is autistic or not - but obviously he wired up "different".

[WI_DEM]

8. "hee, hee, isn't bonnie a girl's name?"

[notadmblnd]

9. Too bad he's got hair.....

cause I sure would like to rub his head.. he.. he.. he

[skip fox]

10. W. is "thinking": "Nobody who really knows me would call me a racist!

Like Boni Yayi over there. He seems really white inside a lot of the time. Just like a real person . . . Geez, with a name like that, I'll bet he got teased in school."

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Wonder when he's gonna start singing

"Tears of a Clown"? What, you mean that's not Smokey Robinson?

[Warpy]

14. "Y'say that commie from South whatever's gonna die? Good

Gawd is still lookin out fer me, wouldn't let me have to face nothin bad from all them commies in the Senate."

The smirk is back. He must've heard about Johnson.

[Chimichurri]

15. I'm so stoned right now...

[zreosumgame]

16. 'you people all look alike, are you Obama?'

[Ganja Ninja]

17. Bush: "I'm just thinking what Michael Richards was saying."

[QuestionAll...]

18. "are there black people in Benin?" nt

[RedStateShame]

19. I can't believe I'm meeting with THE Carl Weathers!! I lovd him in "Predator!"

[Starbucks Anarchist]

20. "If he grew a beard, he'd look just like Condi."