Edwards' Blinking >>>

[Stephanie]

I am a fan of John Edwards, and I spotted a problem last night that I think is really affecting the way he connects with voters. It's the rapid blinking he does when he speaks. Is that a tic? Bad contacts? I think the blinking prevents people from hearing what he's saying. It gives a subliminal message, we associate it with lying. Edwards is telling the truth and speaking from the heart, no doubt in my mind, but this rapid, fluttery blinking gives the opposite impression, subconsciously. I wish I could get my hands on him and coach him for a few hours. I'd get him to connect and end the blinking. Am I wrong?

[AndyTiedye]

1. That's Not the Sort of Thing You Can Just Stop Doing With a Few Hours' Coaching

[lynnertic]

2. And it certainly isn't a coke jaw. n/t

[Stephanie]

3. It depends on what's causing it.

If it's his contacts then it will take less time than that.

[trueblue2007]

106. COMPLAIN.....COMPLAIN

GEES..................AIN'T NO BIG THING!

Yeah....let's dredge up all the crap about all the other DEM candidates. This tearing apart people is juvenile.

[bpeale]

4. funny, i didn't notice that. i don't think it makes a difference.

[Stephanie]

5. you don't need to notice it for it to make a difference

that's the problem

[bpeale]

6. doesn't affect how i feel about him

and i don't think it affects other people either

[Stephanie]

73. but you like him because you know what he stands for

what if you were watching a Dem debate for the first time and didn't know anyone's positions? I think some people will just dismiss Edwards as insincere and stop listening because of the blinking. It's a subliminal sort of TV effect, like the famous debate where Nixon was pasty and drawn and Kennedy was robust and tanned. People react viscerally to details they are not even cognitively aware of.

[bpeale]

98. i don't actually watch because i'm usually preparing dinner

i listen from the other room

[Adelante]

7. Actually he has a lot of grimaces and ticks

It doesn't seem to bother people, though. I remember in 2004 his tongue kept darting out as he spoke. I haven't noticed that especially this time, but I don't see every appearance.

[Cameron27]

16. I hated that darting tongue thing, ewww I'm glad

he stopped it.

[jenmito]

47. I've seen him still doing it. Also, it always looks like he's chewing

when he's saying nothing or making a smile. Very weird facial movements. Another thing-he rolls and closes his eyes when he thinks he made a strong point.

[IA_Seth]

96. Yeah the eye closing thing...

I do think his mannerisms are distracting. The tongue darting thing and the closing of the eyes when making a point really bug the heck out of me.

And then there is Obama's looking off to the side of the stage when he makes a point. It's almost without fail. Not nearly as annoying, but nearly as predictable.

I haven't noticed anything about Hillary yet, but I'm sure she's got something (as I am sure I do as well).

[jenmito]

46. I noticed that, too, as well as...

constantly touching/rubbing his face. I can predict every time he's going to do it. But his tongue thing REALLY bugs me, too.

[DesertRat]

99. Actually you mean tics

not ticks

;-)

[Adelante]

102. Thank you for that

My spelling online has become atrocious - I worry about it :(

[question everything]

8. I thought he was squinting.. perhaps facing the sun

The other day he was on Lou Dobbs and he did not do this.

But I agree that it was distracting yesterday.

[CTyankee]

9. Perhaps he has light sensitivity and just can't help it.

I imagine those lights must have been pretty strong.

[TwilightZone]

10. Probably contacts.

I once read that people with contacts tend to blink about twice as often as people without.

Allergies also tend to cause excessive blinking. At least they do with me. :)

[Tyrone Slothrop]

11. I don't trust him because of it

The blinking coupled with the Southern accent and the "everything's great" message automatically trigger thoughts of televangelists and used-car salesmen.

I realize that it's not fair, but I have an almost visceral distrust of everything that comes out of his mouth.

:shrug:

[polichick]

17. LOL

Televangelists and used-car salesmen ~ I know it's not nice, but that is too funny!

[Clark2008]

22. What does the Southern accent have to do with it?

Even though, as a Southerner, myself, I think his sounds a bit forced.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

26. Dunno

No disrespect to the South intended -- the accent just automatically makes me think "religious". I don't know why; I'm assuming a lot of the televangelists (Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell et al) and super-religious people I saw on TV/met when I was younger were Southern (probably Southern Baptist)???

[Adelante]

59. It's more the twang, right?

Not a soft drawl, but a hard twang. Speaking as a native New Yorker, I don't know too much about the regional accents down there. Are there more than the two, by the way?

[marions ghost]

109. LOL

There are LOTS of regional southern accents. I can just about tell you what state a person is from if they have a real true southern accent. Further south ya go the slower for one thing. Coastal is different from mountain. Western is different from eastern. Etc.

But aren't there lots of northern accents?

[Adelante]

112. Yes, there are

:D

I can tell Pittsburgh from New York or Boston from New York, say, but not too many other northern accents and I don't know if they have names like drawl or twang.

[DesertRat]

97. He sounds just like my husband's family

Who are from the same area of NC. BTW, your kids are beautiful. :)

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Egnever]

84. Southern is a race?

wow!

[venable]

81. he hardly is saying everything's great

in fact, I'd say he has taken the lead on diagnosing and decrying the sorry state of affairs.

In 04 he was the smiling positive fresh voice.

He has grown way past that, and is speaking from his own perceptions, and he sees an America that has lost it's way. He's right.

[JDPriestly]

12. I hadn't noticed. I think he connects very well.

[Peregrine Took]

13. Me either.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. His blinking bothers me, too.

I automatically want to "read" it as being less than honest, even though that may not be the case.

It has gotten in the way of me really hearing what he has to say and being able to judge him more effectively.

[Stephanie]

23. exactly my point

I find it really distracts from his message

[calteacherguy]

15. Funny, when Clark ran some people saw a problem with his non-blinking.

I remember it was brought up quite regularly. I'll have to look close the next time Clark is on KO and see if he blinks...

[FrenchieCat]

18. Difference is that Not Blinking a lot is associated with telling the truth.....

while blinking rapidly is associated with lying
but those in the middle cannot be typified as easily.

Differences in Blinking Between Truth-tellers and Liars

[Cameron27]

19. God Frenchie,

you've got to be the most well researched poster here, lol. :thumbsup:

[PurityOfEssence]

30. No effort is too great when Edwards slagging is to be done

I wonder how Clark's dreamy and steely gaze was when full-frontally lying about Kerry's and Edwards' voting for Bush's tax cuts...

[Cameron27]

57. What the hell are you talking about.

This thread is filled with posters who are not 'Clarkies,' who've noticed the eye twitch, tongue darting and other facial tics, and FrenchieCat provided some interesting information. Wes Clark isn't running and has nothing to do with this thread or even the fact that many of us simply don't like John Edwards as a candidate.

If Clark never existed, my opinion of Edwards would be the same. But that's beside the point of this particular thread that was started by a non-Clarkie.

[PurityOfEssence]

88. She never misses a beat

That's what.

[FrenchieCat]

91. Oh...I miss much, and in fact comment very little these days considering.......

However, I've noticed that I always have an Edwards supporter hot on my trail ready to slap me down with a personal attack each time I post any reference to John Edwards.....that's what. Edwards is a human politician, not an unreproachable icon. Get over it! :eyes:

[Catchawave]

58. Oy. Time to take the tape off?

I met Wesley Clark and Tom Rinaldo last weekend, and they agree, we need to raise the bar on discussions here.

[venable]

82. good for you Catchawave

they, and you, are right.

the bar has sunk quite low, indeed.

I think if Michelle Malkin were a democrat, she'd be right at home here. that's scary.

[Adelante]

60. Do I remember correctly, Frenchie?

There was also something about a correlation between brain capacity and not blinking? Maybe that wasn't it, but something like it.

[FrenchieCat]

92. I remember reading a couple of articles about that.....

Interesting, if brief, article about how our brains apparently shut down when we blink - this down-time occurs during the 15 times per minute in which we blink, which when averaged up comes out at 9 days per year, or two years of an average life-span when our brains revert to flatline mode.

It is supposed we don't notice this shutting down, as the incidents are so quick, although to me this illustrates the possibility that consciousness runs as a standalone, rather than as a physical product of the brain and its electric processes.

There is no explanation as to why the brain should function in this way, so perhaps its the brains way of making something like a 'restore point', whereby we can easily recall prior events by flipping through memories in approximate 4 second 'chunks', rather than attempting the same by extracting specific details from an entire life of memories contained as one huge giga-recall store of everything we know.
http://remotecentral.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_archive.html

Blinking Causes Brains to Go Blank
The expression, "Don't blink or you’ll miss it," has taken on a new, more literal, meaning. Researchers at the University College of London (UCL), led by Dr. Geraint Rees, have found that areas of the brain actually shut down every time we blink.
<>
It was discovered that brain activity in areas that are active when people become conscious of visual events or objects in the outside world were suppressed during blinking -- even though the light falling onto the retina remained constant throughout the blink.

The UCL scientists conclude that the brain's ability to shut down during blinking is a neural mechanism that protects us from the constant distraction and discontinuity that otherwise would result from the frequent mini-blackouts.

Lost in the Blink of an Eye

The average person blinks about 15 times per minute. So, even though the mini-blackouts are instantaneous, they add up to about nine days per year -- or up to one or two years of an average lifespan.

The years are literally lost in the blink of an eye.
http://38.114.164.202/content/view/1358/

[Adelante]

103. Ah, yes

Not brain capacity but stimulus entry to the brain.

[Laurab]

105. Remember Darth Cheney hardly blinks

or, as I saw when the Daily Show did a little bit on Cheney and Nancy Pelosi during one of *'s speeches. They were counting the blinks and Cheney almost NEVER blinked, while Nancy Pelosi blinked a lot, probably because of the lights. It was scary.

The fact that he may not be human might account for it, and of course he wasn't talking, but I'm sure he was thinking about lying.....

I haven't really noticed Edwards blinking to the point of it being distracting, but now I probably will - I just wish they all would stop using the expression "folks" - a couple of them (including the one I'm leaning toward), do it all the time, and it just reminds me of king george a little too much.

[Totally Committed]

31. Right, Clark didn't blink enough....

Edwards blinks too much. But, he has nice hair.

Dodd's hair is white.

Biden's hair is plugs.

Obama's not "black" enough.

Richardson is overweight. And boring.

Kucinich is short.

Hillary is not only "your girl", but also Bill's wife.

Mike Gravel is "crazy". "Looney-Leftie". Okay.........

Gore is too wonky.


Let's face it, superficiality may NOT be the best way to judge a candidate. But, we are still better than the other side:


Mitt thinks his sh*t is ice cream and campaigning for him is equal to enlisting in the service and serving your country.

Fred Thompson has a very young, very busty, blonde new wife. He's manly as hell and she ran out on her medical bills. Rumor is he's too lazy for a run, and she's such a control freak, they can't keep any campaign staff anyway.

Tommy Thompson's only claim to fame is people may get him confused with the manly FRED Thompson.

Mike Huckabee lost a ton of weight but still doesn't believe in evolution. Do we really need an "Emotional Eater" in the White House? Especially one who thinks the FenPhen he used to lose weight was created by God and had nothing to do with science?

Rudi Giuliani also has a high "testosterone factor" (according to his wife) who apparently doesn't know how much he loves dressing as a woman. His daughter supports Obama (or, at least she did until she was threatened with disinheritance), and his son pretty much hates his guts. No one likes his wife (his THIRD). This is the Family Values Candidate, no doubt.

Sam Brownback and Duncan Hunter. No one can remember which is which. The Religious Right might back one of them if they can be convinced they're not the same person.

John McCain is the answer to the question "What happens when a conservative war hero hugs a batshit crazy POTUS too close to the Transmutation machine?" Very high Ich factor.

Tom Tancredo thinks we need to make friends in the Middle East by nuking all the Muslim Holy Sites pre-emptively and that all "illegal Mexicans" should be rounded up and "sent home". I would hazard a guess that he has a problem with people who are brown, but that would be minimizing just a tad.

Ron Paul. What do you get when you cross Mike Gravel with Lyndon LaRouche, and that guy from "My Favorite Martian"?

Did I miss anyone?

TC

[calteacherguy]

75. LOL. That's funny.

:rofl:

[Totally Committed]

85. Hey, thanks!

:hi:

TC

[PurityOfEssence]

93. Love the Ron Paul description

Deadly.

[Totally Committed]

107. Thanks!

Doesn't he remind you of that guy from "My Favorite Martian"? LOL!

TC

[TwilightGardener]

20. I'm not a big Edwards supporter, but I honestly hadn't noticed.

There's really nothing about him that sets me off. Obama (MY guy) needs to lay off the "uh's" however--it is distracting. And Hillary can make my blood run cold with some of her mannerisms.

edit to add: Richardson always looks constipated. Like he's very uncomfortable, in a colicky, intestinal way.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Edwards' ticks have always bothered me........superficially speaking.....

and to some degree, they do take away from the presidential image he actually has. It most likely does distracts from what he says for some folks. I'd add that The darting tongue was the worse, but it seems that he has mastered some control over it.....and I will say that getting that mole removed from his lip a couple of years ago was a good thing, because it was also distracting based on where it was located.

Funny how little things like that can affect one's image and the perception that voters get based on them. It must be that one has nothing to look at but one's face while they speak.

But I will conclude that although there are some reasons that I don't support John Edwards at the moment, his ticks, as distracting as they might be, are not one of those reasons.

[Stephanie]

24. it's not a reason for me, either

but I do think it affects the way people perceive his message - I think he will reach more people, get his points across better, if he can tone down the blinking. it's more than a distraction, it's disturbing on a subconscious level.

[MalloyLiberal]

44. Yeah George Bush is a real hottie

[PurityOfEssence]

25. Conditions must have been miserable there yesterday

You're right, this is an ongoing problem of his, and a lot of it can be summed up by an old analysis of casting: it's often better to cast someone of average looks than someone pretty, especially in a leading role. The reason is this: when you see someone who's quite good-looking, with continued viewing you see more and more defects (mole on the lip, speaking out of the side of his mouth, odd jutting lower-lip when thinking) and the net effect is a diminishing of the first impression.

Someone who's a bit odd-looking (like Kucinich) looks better with time: sparkling eyes, comfortable facial gestures, joyous smile and other traits make him look more appealing with time. (Hey, he's pretty appealing-looking to start with, unless one needs rawboned, chiseled macho looks...)

Back to my main point, though: that must have been horrible there yesterday. It was obviously hot, the wind was kicking up and the lighting looked terrible. (Was it all just natural light?) Everyone looked horrible; it was like "The Attack of the Seven Dorian Grays". What a mess; the only ones who didn't look certifiably horrible were Obama and (for some reason) Biden. The skin tones probably helped a great deal for those two: black skin fares better without fill lighting, and the desaturated pastiness of Biden's complexion seemed to keep wrinkles from showing. The rest looked dreadful. Shoot that Lighting Director (where the hell's the IATSE when you really need them?) if there was one, and if not, just stop the day exterior venues.

As for the facial tics, they're not going to help and I hope they don't become more of a problem.

The sound system was dreadful, too. Hell, IATSE is an AFL-CIO operation; what the hell's going on here? If there was one gathering that should have been technically competent, it should have been this one.

[Cameron27]

29. Oh yeah, I think they all were feeling the heat

and it showed in everyone's performance, except for Kucinich. Really a bad choice of venue IMO.

[eridani]

119. With Kucinich it's a photography thing

He can be downright radiant in person, and it's directly correlated with distance.

Never noticed Edwards having tics; I'll admit to being a geek with a low social IQ though.

[npincus]

27. it wasn't me!

[npincus]

28. Yes, and Hillary's nodding when others speak

is truly grating.

[FrenchieCat]

35. Unfortunately for you, there is a difference.......in terms of folks' perception

on this versus the quick blinking.

Good communication is based on good listening.

Nodding. Nodding is a sign of acknowledgement. It is not a sign of agreement. Use your head to convey you are paying attention.
http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt05072.shtml

http://www.essays.cc/free_essays/f2/csk79.shtml

The nodding actually conveys an air of dominant confidence.....in that she has no fears or lacks security by acknowledging what is being said, and does. So I venture to say that the nodding actually works in Hillary's favor, as it conotates confidence and leadership.

Context is the way the message is delivered and is known as Paralanguage - it includes the tone of voice, the look in the sender's eye's, body language, hand gestures, and state of emotions (anger, fear, uncertainty, confidence, etc.) that can be detected. Although paralanguage or context often causes messages to be misunderstood as we believe what we see more than what we hear; they are powerful communicators that help us to understand each other. Indeed, we often trust the accuracy of nonverbal behaviors more than verbal behaviors.

People speak at 100 to 175 words per minute, but they can listen intelligently at 600 to 800 words per minute (WPM). Since only a part of our mind is paying attention, it is easy to go into mind drift - thinking about other things while listening to someone. The cure for this is active listening - which involves listening with a purpose. It may be to gain information, obtain directions, understand others, solve problems, share interest, see how another person feels, show support, etc. It requires that the listener attends to the words and the feelings of the sender for understanding. It takes the same amount or more energy than speaking. It requires the receiver to hear the various messages, understand the meaning, and then verify the meaning by offering feedback.
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcom.html

Gender studies show that women and men communicate using different styles, but may use either gender style if there are situational status differences. Considering the universal gesture of head nodding as a submissive form of expression, this study investigated head nodding by observing female and male college students in positions of subordinate and equal status. We observed head nodding (N= 452) in classroom interactions between professor–student and student–student dyads. Overall, women nodded more than men and students nodded more to professors speaking than peers speaking. In addition, female and male students nodded equally to professors speaking, but men nodded less to peers speaking than did women.
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2004.00152.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=pwqu

[npincus]

36. unfortunately for me?

I'm voting for the nominee- Gore is my pick and he's not running.

The last exceprt calls the head nodding gesture a "submissive form of expression"- that's the aspect that bugs me. As a woman, the eager head nodding seems like a submissive gesture, and I think she should be careful about that, looking like she's an agree-er and not a leader. My view.

Very interesting post-thanks.

[FrenchieCat]

37. I meant the fact that you find it grating, although in actuality it conveys an aura of

active listening...which in itself conotates the fact that she his truly listening and cares about what is being said.

[npincus]

39. I guess my glass was half-empty on that one.

I'll think it over! :)

[jenmito]

69. Strange that she never nods when Obama speaks...

Well, not strange at all, really, but noticeable.

[FrenchieCat]

89. Maybe he's not one of the ones that she's planning for her cabinet..........

:shrug:

[Meldread]

32. Agreed.

I love Edwards but most of human speech is non-verbal and completely subconscious. Blinking, licking your lips, looking away, often makes you look like a liar. I do not think that is the case with Edwards but it is a problem and does distract from his message. The problem with the eye blinking is that when you are talking people want to look you in the eyes. Their attention is focused on your face, but they want to make eye contact. His blinking prevents that.

I am not sure of the cause, but he is blinking way too much even for someone you'd consider a liar. I think whatever the problem is it should be curable. It is either bad lighting (bright lights shining right into his face), allergies (medicines you can take for that), contacts (you can fix that) or a nervous habit (it is difficult but that can be fixed too). Whatever the cause, it should be addressed.

Also, the same goes for Obama's "ahh's" and "umm's". He has such a wonderful voice. It is a speaker's voice, one that is both strong and carries well. Those "umm's" detract from what I believe is one of his best features (aside from being tall and good looking). He has the perfect voice for a President and a speech giver, but the "ahhing" and "umming" needs to end. Toastmasters International might be able to hook him up with someone, as they help people who do a lot of public speaking, and this is one of the things they focus on a lot.

[goodgd_yall]

It's kind of comforting

to see 2 major candidates suffer from public speaking problems like the rest of us. But at the same time I'm surprised they haven't dealt with them by now.

[Meldread]

43. I agree. It's perfectly natural.

Edwards blinking may come from the same thing that causes Obama's "uhhing" and "ahhing", a combination of nervousness and trying to think. Imagine having thirty seconds to respond to a complex issue. Every word you say is going to be dissected again and again. If you say the wrong thing it could crush your campaign. You have lots of people counting on you to do well. There is a lot of pressure there. A lot.

Most of us would be nervous just standing in front of a crowd of thousands and thousands of people, let alone the millions watching at home. However, none of us could imagine what it is like to be scrutinized so closely. It's precisely for that reason that anything that distracts from their message should be corrected. They are under heavy scrutiny. They are both good men, with strong character, and anything that distracts people from hearing the message they want to portray should be eliminated or minimized.

[goodgd_yall]

67. When I watch the candidates in debate

I'm awed by the ability to come up with cogent answers at the drop of a hat. I'd have a brain freeze.

[Meldread]

80. So would I.

I always suck when I am being timed. When I know a clock is ticking my brain locks up because it tries to put out too much information too fast. :P

The result is I would probably end up looking dumb. However, candidates practice a lot before going on TV. They under go lots of drilling and sometimes even have the questions a moderator is going to ask before hand. That gives them time to think and then deliver answers.

Personally, I like the debates that are more like a conversation. No timers involved, just a moderator who puts forth an issue to be debated, and each candidate debating with each other. One candidate says something, the other responds asking a question in an attempt to make a point, the other candidate responding to that... of course that works best when there are only two or three. More than that and people just get shut out.

[goodgd_yall]

33. Edwards blinking and Obama halting

I think he does it when he's finding the words to express his thoughts. I tend to not focus at whom I'm speaking when I'm thinking hard too. I never noticed him doing it that much before. But he would benefit from coaching because those little things are used to slam a candidate, unfair as it is. Btw, Obama was having trouble finding his words last night too. I wonder if that is going to be a problem. I chalked it up to fatigue, but that means he needs to learn to pace himself.

[FrenchieCat]

38. Re: Obama's halting "umm...."s

Hesitations, or pauses in speech are an area of major interest because they always occur and can influence the meaning as well as the perceived credibility of the speaker. Pause lengths can be manipulated by the responder to the conversation depending on how quickly cues for feedback are responded to, and the nature of the social situation. Pauses are not evenly scattered through speech but occur as punctuation markers, before conjunctions, before relative and interrogative pronouns, after direct or implied questions and when parenthetical references are made. In oral speech only about 55% of pauses fall at these grammatically relevant times and the rest are indicators of stress or difficulties in coding information. Some pauses are filled by repeats or stutters or 'ums', while other pauses are silent. Unfilled pauses are usually associated with more concise, stylish, and less predictable linguistic formulations. Filled pauses tend to occur in long winded statements which are usually more predicable. Filled pauses may function to reduce anxiety and be a mechanism for dealing with higher levels of emotional arousal. Using the filled pause may allow the speaker to maintain the conversational floor, but at the cost of reducing the quality of performance.
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/epc/srb/cyber/zel4.html

This would conclude one to think that silent pauses might be more effective to Barack Obama in his public responses to questions.

[avrdream]

41. I love your research Frenchie.

I haven't seen many live events this year since I'm living in Australia but I do remember that tongue thrust thing JE did before. In the debate clips from this year, I have also noticed Hillary's head nods and Obama's pauses. None of these have changed my opinions on the candidates.

[smalll]

54. let me second avrdream here -

This is one of the best things about DU - we have so many people like you here who make DU a fun learning experience. Fascinating stuff!

For me, yes, I don't like Edwards and like to rag on him now and then, I will admit, mainly because I think he is a totally insincere person.

What gets me most about Edwards just facially is the smile he can make at times after he makes a good point -- it's an asymetric smile, and just seems real smug, but in a different way than W's smug look. W looks smug because he's thinking "I have power." -- he's thinking like, "Yeah, maybe you don't like what I just did but fuck you, I'm still the President of the United States."

Edwards' smug look is kind of sexual even, and comes across as "Yeah, I know you want me bitch." I find it highly disconcerting and innapropriate.

[FrenchieCat]

56. Thanks! I learn a lot from DU as well.......

:thumbsup:

[goodgd_yall]

64. I wasn't referring to his thoughtful pauses, but his halting beginnings

At the start of his responses, he seemed to have a little challenge finding the words. And this is why I thought he might be fatigued.

[demobob12]

34. .

i noticed that too wierd

[Contrary1]

40. It could be something as simple as dry eye. n/t

[MalloyLiberal]

45. I've seen pictures of Edwards with glasses

He probably has contacts.

[Stephanie]

49. that's my best guess

it's no good - he has to get them changed asap.

[benny05]

48. Three reasons

1) Contacts
2) Each podium had an AC unit, which probably made his eyes dry
3) Bright lights

Personally, I wish he would wear glases a little more often. He looks fine in them.

He did well last night. Wish you all could have seen him at Yearly Kos. He was electric.

[Stephanie]

50. he does it under other circumstances

I saw him speak live in a small room under fine conditions and he was blinking away - it's either contacts or a tic of some kind.

[Catchawave]

65. Good grief Steph....

Hillary shrieks, Obama stammers, Kuch snarky, Biden blowhard, Dodd boring, Gravel grumpy, Richardson babbles....why not start threads on all the imperfections so the GOP takes it away from us again? :shrug:

Honestly, point me to the perfect candidate, and I'll vote for him/her.

[Stephanie]

70. I support Edwards.

Until Gore jumps in Edwards is my candidate. I wish he had scored more points with the crowd in the debate last night, and I think this odd tic he has is preventing him from connecting with the audience. It's not about perfection, it's about improved performance and getting the message out. I'd like to help Edwards do it better. As for all of your other characterizations, they did not come from me, so what is your point?

[Catchawave]

79. It's blinking Stephanie, not support

You are a far more gifted and respected DUer to post such drivel. Find an issue or policy for us to discuss :hi:

[Stephanie]

94. You're so full of condescension you completely miss the point.

Don't tell me what to do.

:eyes:

[eridani]

120. This may actually be helpful

If the candidates have staff keeping up with this stuff, maybe they can talk the candidates into getting the obviuos stuff fixed.

[ToeBot]

51. Know what bothers me - all the head nodding on The Daily Show.

Why do all the regulars have to nod their heads so frequently when they begin a segment, it's maddening.

[FrenchieCat]

55. Head nodding means intense interest in the subject being discussed, i.e., good listening.

Folks may be very interested in what is being said on the Daily Show....is my guess.

Sounds like a positive for the show, IMO. :shrug:

[illinoisprogressive]

52. never noticed it. I personally think it is a couple things together that hurt him

But, the worst thing was:
the media totally swiftboated him. What should have been a cute little blurb story has been an ongoing and damaging story the media has pushed constantly. The haircut. It should have been some gossipy little paragraph and look, it won't die. The media totally swiftboarded him.

[Stephanie]

53. well that's no surprise

that's why he needs to be able to speak directly to the people, and why I think this blinking thing is a serious problem. I mentioned it to a friend on the campaign but she's not near enough to the candidate to get the msg to him. They must be aware of it. I can't imagine it hasn't come up before in post-debate analysis by his people.

[Pyrzqxgl]

61. Well I think someone who doesn't like Edwards thought up this thread.

A lot of bullshit here folks, mostly directed at a pretty good guy.

[FrenchieCat]

62. So are you calling the DUer who prefaced the post with

"I'm a fan of John Edwards....." as flat out liar? Because I think that you are wrong.

The man blinks rapidly; for good or bad or of no note. In other words, it is simply a fact.

[Stephanie]

71. precisely the opposite

nice language, btw.

[saracat]

114. Odd that all the research is being done by an avowed Edwards"hater".

The idea is definately being "planted" to distract from both the man and his message.Pretty underhanded technique if you ask me. Now people who don't think Edwards blinks will be looking for it or trying to read dishonesty into his statements! Because that is exactly what this "researcher" is trying to convey.It is really such a shame that Democrats will work so har to bring down one of our most "electable " candidates.

[surfermaw]

63. I noticed this some time back, I think he picked it up

from an older person, I am in North Carolina, was born in Georgia and raised in Georgia. Never have I seen any one in Georgia do the blinking thing, but I have seen this in some older North Carolina people... I would say it is a habbit, thay maybe should be brought to his attention

[surfermaw]

68. Let me add a little more on the blinking of the eyes

As I told you I am in North Carolin, this blinking from some people of interest to me, my thinking is that they do that when they think they have accomplished something, or told someone like it is. I noticed the blink after he had spoken well on a subject.

[Stephanie]

72. this is what I;m wondering

It almost looks as if he's doing it for emphasis. It could be just a habit that does not serve him well on television.

[Adelante]

104. Now that is interesting

So it could be a cultural thing, as you say a learned habit, and not a physical tic. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Sparkly]

66. Campaign ad: He "can stare the worst in the face and not blink..."

I thought that was an unfortunate choice of words.

[AtomicKitten]

74. last election it was the mole, now it's the tic

I TOLD YOU NOT TO LOOK TOO CLOSE AT THEM!!!!

[polichick]

83. Maybe they could do the next debate with...

...bags over their heads!

[AtomicKitten]

86. I heard someone talking about painting them all gray and numbering them

but I would insist they wear their "sponsorship" NASCAR-style

[AtomicKitten]

113. the "someone" was MrRobotsHolyOrders

probably the best screen name on DU IMO

[eridani]

121. Or they could just take the names off the ballot

http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~hsp/32_Kucinich.shtml

I betcha we'd elect Dennis Costanza in no time at all!

[Stephanie]

76. video here >

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x45982

[calteacherguy]

78. Most likely contacts, seems to me.

Can't hardly seem to be able to keep his eyes open. I know the symptoms, I wear contacts myself.

[calteacherguy]

77. Remember that thing Kerry did with his tongue?

Always licked his lips. I HATED that. I think it was doubtlessly off-putting to some voters.

[politicasista]

118. And he still got more votes than any other Democratic presidential candidate in history

So it must not have been that off-putting when you count the number of times Bush's blinking, smirking, and misspeaking were ignored by the media.

No one is perfect. Every politician has their habits or imperfections.

[Skip Intro]

87. I really hadn't noticed it.

I think he should sharpen up his speaking, but I hadn't noticed his blinking.

[David Zephyr]

90. I don't get the blinking thing. It doesn't bother me.

The debate was not a good one for any of our candidates, although I think Dennis Kucinich finally got his message out and, because I agree with his message, I was happy with that.

Edwards didn't have a particulary bad night. I don't think any had a "bad" night.

The words were there, but the music wasn't.

[Stephanie]

95. Exactly

I'm trying to help Edwards with the music. The blinking is undermining his performance.

[tuvor]

100. I was nicknaming bush "blinky" in 2004.

Fraudulent election notwithstanding, it didn't seem to hurt him significantly. At any rate, I don't recall it coming up in the news, nor on DU except by myself.

[New Earth]

101. omg

no offense, but WHO CARES! This kind of crap pisses me off till no end. Who cares about stupid mannerisms, it's about the character of the candidate (and of course if they can speak coherent English, in complete sentences). I HATE when the talkshows who discuss focus on this meaningless, superficial stuff. :mad:

[galloglas]

108. It's a problem, alright

The cold, non-blinking stare (Wesley Clark) can be controlled (to an extent).


But, looking one right in the eye and non-blinking saying "______________
__________________________________" (you fill in the blanks), creates the subconscious impression that a person is telling the Truth.

Simply because, in every day life, it is one of the best indicators of someone being truthful.

On the other hand,looking one right in the eye and blinkingly saying "________________________________________________" (you fill in the blanks), creates the subconscious impression that a person is lying.

Simply because, in every day life, it is one of the best indicators of someone lying.


Edwards has a problem. It is not unlike the un-made-up, sweating Nixon versus the make-up wearing, cool-as-a-cucumber Jack Kennedy in 1960.

Someone in the Edwards camp needs to make a wake up call to some else.

[marions ghost]

110. well I know that's the usual perception

that blinking goes along with lying ("studies show...")

But actually I have much more trouble with the non-blinking stare, like Cheney, Gonzales, Tony Snow et al.

"Cold looks" have few blinks IMO.

Blinking makes someone look a little more emotional, which I like.

Jus sayin.

[galloglas]

116. I understand, but

AG, and all the opthers are "practiced" at "straight-eyeing" someone.

The subconscious seldom thinks to separate the professionals from thosde we see everyday (the ones upon whom our subconscious trains)

[marions ghost]

117. so then

if Edwards is more like those we have trained on, shouldn't we be more comfortable with that rather than less? Or do we also subconsciously associate him with "the professionals" and therefore find him
different, or lacking by comparison?

Hillary seems to have mastered the straight in the eyes unemotional expression, and maybe that unnerves her detractors, who dont like it in a woman.

Maybe it's the gender roles thing--Edwards looks a little nervous and emotional for a man, while Hillary doesn't look enough like that to suit some people.

Nuances I realize, but that's the topic here...these candidates really are being heavily scrutinized.

[Stephanie]

111. precisely

that's all I'm saying.

[Alexander]

115. Pelosi blinked a lot during the 2007 SOTU - does Edwards wear contacts?

Too much blinking makes you look dishonest. Too little blinking makes you look scary.

He could just be nervous - if I were a presidential contender, I'd be nervous too.

[penguin7]

122. No improvement here

I know this is superficial, but he can't win an election with this problem. The GOP will not ignore it.