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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDeath by Split Screen: The First Presidential Debate and the Romney Smirk
A lot of words were tossed back and forth tonight, but it wasn't the words that determined the winner or loser. It was the camera. Poor Romney. When the president spoke, we got a split screen with Romney on the left. Now, if you know anything about neurophysiology, you realize that our two eyes see the world in very different ways. The left eye feeds information to the right brain---which judges facial expressions. That means every time that Romney smirked---you know, that little self satisfied look he gets with his mouth stretched tight and his eyes all beady and squinting---it went straight into my right brain, which said What a dick!.
As I was taking notes, I made note of the smirks. I counted thirteen of them. That means thirteen opportunities for the collective right brain of America to say to itself What a dick!
Not the impression Team Romney was striving for, I think.
While I am on the subject of body language, was it just me or did Romney morph from stiff to rabid bear to rabid weasel? As the 90 minutes passed, his speech became increasingly pressured. His stutter---
"B--b--but..."
---became worse. Sadly, the only time he showed any real enthusiasm was when describing the way that regulation is strangling business. This, we could see, was something he cared about. Business strangulation is a pretty serious crime, in Mitt Romney's eyes.
Kept waiting to hear those zingers that Team Romney promised us.
Substance wise, this debate was Romney's to lose, since the economy that Bush left in the toilet is still trying to crawl out of that toilet. However, if I did not know either man and if I did not speak English, I would have remarked upon Obama's sincere expression and his spontaneous smiles. And I would have wondered what kind of used car the fast talking, tight lipped squint eyed man to the left was trying to sell me.
Note to Team Romney---next time give your man a wire. Not to feed him facts. He's good with facts. Every time he smirks send him an electric shock. Maybe you can break him of that habit.
klook
(12,134 posts)Is that what Rmoney looks like when he's trying to feign a wise, world-weary smile? *shudder* Really creepy.
bklyncowgirl
(7,960 posts)porphyrian
(18,530 posts)TuxedoKat
(3,818 posts)his supercilious smirk is not endearing.