I am with the camp that does not think difficulty with social norms is a giftedness issue, although I do think there is a significant portion of the gifted community who either doesn't care about or is unaware of how to follow social norms.
Giftedness and social skills can be linked, however. My DD is a total rule-follower and her first focus in school (before academics) is to fit in and make new friends. I was not like that; I find DD is much more aware of the people around her than I was as a student.
And so DD chooses to apply her giftedness to social situations as well as academic and intellectual pursuits. Parents of her peers describe her as a diplomat. She seems more aware than other kids her age of the "politics" involved on the playground and how saying a certain thing in a certain way might get one child in trouble (and then rephrasing), etc.
She uses her social awareness effectively in battles with her parents, also. I often find myself envying her tact, interpersonal ease, and negotiation skills.
DH and I were both in gifted programs as kids and neither of us are nonconformists, so I'm sure that behavior has been modeled to DD. But she definitely gets her "other"-focus from DH; I spent more time in my own little world, I think. Moving around a lot forced me to snap out of it and learn to adapt, however.
That said, I don't know that there are a lot of people who LOVE office politics, etc. But as you note, there really is no escaping it. Even a stay-at-home mom ends up navigating the politics of parent/teacher organizations, communication with coaches, volunteering in the classroom, etc.
But perhaps the blessing is that gifted kids are capable of quickly assessing a situation and breaking it down, so many of them may be especially competent at figuring out the rules of social situations and following them -- if they choose to set their minds to it.
