Susan Collins has Spasmodic Dysphonia

[obamanut2012]

Last edited Wed Sep 19, 2018, 10:41 PM - Edit history (1)

Which is why she talks the way she does.

Her fake "moderate" views are disgusting, and she is loathsome in her support of Trump and his policies and nominations. Snark at her about that, not because of her very real condition.

I have been seeing a lot of folks make fun of her voice lately, and it really isn't a good look. I am hoping folks just don't know about her spasmodic dysphonia.

[handmade34]

1. thank you

we have enough to be angry about in their politics... I despise judging people for physical features or involuntary conditions...


I dislike all bullies, no matter their politics

[obamanut2012]

10. Yeah, agreed

My uncle has this condition, and he gets mocked in public all the time when he talks.

[RockRaven]

2. I was aware of her speech/voice differences, but did not know whether or not she had a diagnosable

condition. It is good to know.

I'm sick of the media pretending to take seriously (or worse, actually taking seriously) her BS supposedly thoughtful votes and her BS supposedly moderate positions.

She is a garbage-Senator -- she is a pile of garbage disguised as a human being who very unfortunately happens to have been elected Senator. Get her the f*ck out of the Senate, Maine people.

[obamanut2012]

11. She sucks, esp since she is such a poser

"Oh, I am so moderate and nice! hahhahah not really!"

[USALiberal]

3. We should never make fun of appearance or looks or medical issues. nt

[obamanut2012]

12. +1

[Hekate]

4. This. I used to work with an elderly woman who had this condition. I didn't know what it was, but...

...I treated her the way I would have a stutterer: patiently waited for her to say what she had to say.

[obamanut2012]

13. Exactly!

[WillowTree]

5. You're a Class Act, obamanut. Thank you.

[obamanut2012]

14. Gosh, thanks

Seriously!

[AlexSFCA]

6. she is so not genuine, not sincere. Why she keeps winning elections?

she doesn’t even have much of a charisma. No one knows what she actually beleives in.

[Adrahil]

7. Maine elected Paul LePage..... TWICE. NT

[obamanut2012]

8. It is a mystery to me, too!

[Hekate]

19. Small State Syndrome. Also, check her financial backers; I have no idea who they are. nt

[grantcart]

9. I knew she had something but didn't know what

Could it be that such a condition amplifies a person's insincerity?

[obamanut2012]

15. lol I doubt it

But, she sure as hell keeps getting more insincere and bonkers every year.

[superpatriotman]

16. It's what she says, not how she says it

that make her a member of the opposition

[phylny]

17. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. does as well

I'm a speech therapist, and way back when (this may have changed), it was thought it got worse with fatigue or stress. There is some treatment for it, including Botox, and voice/speech therapy after Botox treatment. I don't work with adults anymore, and have never worked with someone who has SD. There is no cure.

[obamanut2012]

18. That's interesting about the botox

I wonder if my uncle is aware of that.

[Horse with no Name]

20. They can do a quick test to see if it will be effective

They do a test injection with lidocaine.
If there is temporary relief with that, Botox should be effective.

[kwassa]

21. Dianne Rehm suffers from this as well

https://dianerehm.org/shows/2000-11-03/spasmodic-dysphonia Spasmodic dysphonia is a neurological disorder affecting the vocal cords and the production of speech. There is no cure, but there are ways to treat it. Diane Rehm was diagnosed with the condition in 1998. She and her guests discuss the latest research and treatments for this little-known disorder.

https://dianerehm.org/shows/2000-11-03/spasmodic-dysphonia

[AdamGG]

23. and still hosted great discussions for years n/t

[dewsgirl]

22. I didn't know what it was called, my 6th grade teacher had

the same voice issues. I have assumed SC had the same illness.

[AdamGG]

24. The Democrats need to recruit a strong Maine candidate for 2020

and out this faux moderate, the same way Elizabeth Warren knocked out Scott Brown.

[Roadside Attraction]

25. All the more reason . . .

. . . to set a mandatory retirement age for members of Congress.

Without even trying, I recall at least two Senators still "serving" at over 80 years old:

-- Thad Cochran (MS) retired at 81. For his last few years in the Senate, he clearly did not understand anything going on. Staffer sat with him and voted for him.

-- Strom Thurmond (SC). Born in 1902, retired from the Senate in 2001 -- that's age 99. For his last 15 years, he was the model of a "doddering old fool."

Currently, eight senators are between 80 and 90; seventeen are between 70 and 80.

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_senators_by_age.html

[KY_EnviroGuy]

26. K&R. Agreed, thank you.

Let's keep it on policy and performance, not appearance or physical characteristics.......

[Charlotte Little]

27. While I agree with you...

I can't help but point out that your argument is within the "bring a butter knife to a gun fight" realm.

Trump made fun of a disabled reporter, which should have been a deal breaker. No doubt. And, no, I don't think we should stoop to his level. Absolutely not. And shame on anyone who has (don't do it again, please).

But - and this is important - Collins is a snake, a liar, a phony, and someone who very much intends to vote for a man who could, quite literally, cause lives to be lost. So, please, save your empathy and kindness for someone who isn't lying about giving a shit about women (and minorities). And instead, call her out for the evil piece of shit she is no matter what physical condition she suffers from.

Please.

[backscatter712]

28. When I hear Collins speak,

The thing that ground my gears (aside from her disingenuous right wing politics) wasn't really her speech patterns. It was more the condescending tone of voice. Not sure if this was something I misread because of her voice condition, or if I detected a whiff of contempt in her voice when she makes public statements. It seemed as if she was a schoolmarm lecturing a bunch of kindergarteners. That's what she thinks of us plebes.

Am I off base?

[diva77]

29. If someone has a medical condition such as hers, you would think they wouldn't be busy conspiring to

yank the social safety net away from the 99%. The disconnect she has between her condition and empathy for others is alarming and worthy of mention IMHO. Do people think it's not ok to joke about Dick Cheney not having a heart when that monster has major cardiac problems?

[Raine]

30. Thank you... nt

[Mike Nelson]

31. Thank you...

… I didn't see the offending posts, but they are not welcome. I'm in the minority of people who find her voice appealing... it's very unique, and I quite like Susan Collins' voice. However, I don't always like what she says...