Why does Dubya blink so many times?

[Christa]

I watched his speech now :hurts: and I tried to blink every time he does - I could not keep up.

[rman]

1. probably because he is lying. nt

[Christa]

2. giggling uncontrollably here

:evilgrin:

[Neil Lisst]

26. Actually, you're exactly right. It's an avoidance mechanism.

Very common.

[Atman]

3. He only does that when he's lying.

When he's telling the truth (or talking about baseball or killing things), he can recite a sentence fluently, with no missteps or twitches or blinks. Likewise, when he speaks before the UN, his Texas accent goes away. The man is a total fraud.

[Doctor_J]

19. No, you're thinking of moving his lips

[Lautremont]

4. Yes indeed - blinking is a well-known signifier of lies.

To paraphrase a recent movie: "What's that dribbling out of the corner of your mouth, George? Oh, just bullshit again."

[Tom Joad]

5. Why do people focus on such trivia?

[gratuitous]

16. A paucity of any other information

This is not exactly the most transparent administration in U.S. history. Like the Kremlinologists of old, who tried to divine who was in and who was out in the Soviet Union based on who stood where during a parade, folks try to figure out what the Bush administration is up to using whatever information is available, like the rate of Stupidhead's blinking.

[Neil Lisst]

38. Because they know it's not trivial.

If you do not know the relationship between telling lies and blinking, now is a good time to cure that.

[musical_soul]

6. I'd blink too if....

I didn't want people seeing what's in my eyes.

[bluedeminredstate]

7. He obviously has a disconnect with what

he says and what he thinks. It's unnerving to watch especially when the media pump up this little, weasely, vindictive, inarticulate simian-like "man" as such a tough guy. Christ, he can't control his own eyes, and we're supposed to trust him with the country???

[CJCRANE]

22. Even worse - he can't even protect his own face... nt

[rfranklin]

8. Don't pick on him!

Would you pick on a retarded person?

[sam sarrha]

12. He has an IQ of 90. just slow, not retarded.. but should still know better

[meti57b]

9. contact lenses?

[sam sarrha]

10. he could be on anti depresents or amphetimines for his heart condition

[graywarrior]

11. Because he's a blinkin' idiot

[FSogol]

15. LOL (nt)

[BigYawn]

27. LMAO how did you make that???

[graywarrior]

35. I stole it like from someone else on DU

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. His eyelids are tied directly to his lie glands.

He lies, he blinks. Simple as that.

[Botany]

14. because he is lying

[DavidDvorkin]

17. It means nothing

Body-language analysis is on a par with phrenology. Where are the studies supporting any of it?

Bush may have dry eyes or light-sensitive eyes.

Anyway, we don't need blinking to tell us he's lying.

[WhereThereIsFire]

21. And what about his sniffing nose ...

did anybody catch his "performance" at the Kennedy Center Honors? He was slunk so far down in his chair his spine must have been touching the front edge of the chair ... kept putting his finger against his nose and sniffing ... just like in the debates. Eyes glazed over until Beyonce came out on stage in "just a little red glitter" and a body stocking ... he perked right up for that. Laura looked sort of gushy over Robert Redford, one of the honorees, but Georgie didn't even look over his way. Just gave him mock golf applause. What a lowlife!

But, NO BLINKING ... his mouth was shut ... so, there MUST be a correlation! Something to do with the windup key in his back??????

[PWRinNY]

32. His mouth may be shut

But don't tell me those lies aren't still going on in his little thoughts! So even if his mouth isn't moving, he's still lying... and blinking.

[WhereThereIsFire]

40. Or totally zoned and in his own little drugged out world.

[rasputin1952]

30. There have been quite a few studies on body language, and most of

them bear out many consistent behaviors. There is the usual defense posture of crossing one's arms, lack of eye contact, and several other aspects of body language are pretty ocvious. I too question some of the things that have been stated as fact, but blinking/lying has been established for quite some time.

I was a Medical Platoon Sergeant in the Army, and I KNOW body language is far from phrenology...:)

[DavidDvorkin]

34. Do you have any references or links?

I don't mean that as an undermining challenge. I, too, read things but can't dredge up references when asked. If you have any, though, I'd appreciate them.

[snowbear]

42. He blinks because he is a..............

[AZBlue]

18. It's a known body language cue that you are lying.

[Doctor_J]

20. Either trying to hear what Rove's telling him to say,

or trying to keep from tumbling over.

[butterfly77]

23. because he's lying and his brain can't catch up with his lies...

[jokerman93]

24. he's blinking because

He's blinking because the world just got the drop on him.

[CJCRANE]

25. For President under duress, body language speaks volumes:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/11/AR2005101101577.html

Excerpt:

"When the questioning turned to Miers, Bush blinked 37 times in a single answer".

[tinfoilinfor2005]

28. Morse Code.

He is sending a shopping list to his drug dealer and liquor store.

:rofl:

:patriot:

[Marie26]

29. Anxiety

Rapid blinking is a sign of nervousness. Most people do blink more when they're on TV, because it's sort of stressful. But Bush blinks all the time. The man is just a collection of tics at this point - blinking, jaw jerks, leg bouncing, etc. Bush acts like a big-shot, but I think it's mostly to cover up the fact that he feels afraid most of the time. Classic bully.

[tom_paine]

31. It's the lying

http://faculty.ncwc.edu/toconnor/315/315lect09b.htm

[Marie26]

36. Interesting link

Nonverbal cues that signal deception:
- speech hesitations and pauses; thinking through what to say; no apparent spontaneity
- inrease in the number of shrugs; leg and foot movements; eye blinking, nervous stroking
- hyperventilation, breath holding, sighing, flushed appearance

yep, that's Bush alright.

[TrogL]

44. so erudite people are deceptive?

speech hesitations and pauses; thinking through what to say;

I speak slowly and carefully. I compose before I speak. What I have to say is often complicated and detailed.

I must be a terrorist.

[Marie26]

45. Must be

I think it's more the blinking, leg shaking, flushed appearance etc. that's supposed to signal deception. People who are telling the truth tend to be very straight-forward & direct when they speak. Liers need time to keep things straight in their head & make sure that the story's making sense, so they'd probably need to pause often.

[Lisa]

33. those are gills, not eyelids ... he needs the extra oxygen ...

... to keep from passing out, when he's under stress. (Okay, so I stole this idea from "Men in Black".)

[WhereThereIsFire]

43. Yeah, talk about a need for hyperbaric chamber ...

boooshie certainly needs more oxygen to the brain.

[ddeclue]

37. Software glitch...he's a beta model...

Doug D.

[Skittles]

39. because snakes do not have moveable eyelids

his beady eyes just don't know what to do with eyelids

[JeffR]

41. Because if you're always so hung over

you feel like your eyes are going to bleed, it's the only way to avoid messing up your tie.