The McCain Tongue Jut

[BurtWorm]

By Sean Quinn from FiveThirtyEight.com:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/09/tongue-jut.html

Last night on The Colbert Report, Dr. Stephen T. Colbert (DFA) noted that John McCain was doing something peculiar with his tongue. The upshot of the joke was that McCain was repeatedly sticking his tongue out like a reptile.




While the late-night laughanistas were having their fun, as a professional poker player I instantly recognized an increasingly well-known poker tell that I’ve been able to use to my advantage at the table.

Retired FBI agent Joe Navarro, a Bluff Magazine columnist and author of Read ‘Em and Reap, a book on poker tells culled from his professional interrogation experience, has written about the “tongue jut,” which is exactly what McCain was doing in the Colbert debate clips. Its significance?

Tongue-jutting behavior is a gesture used by people who think they have gotten away with something or are “caught” doing something. I have seen this behavior in flea markets both in the United States and in Russia, among street vendors in Lower Manhattan, at poker tables in Las Vegas, and in business meetings. In each case, the person made the gesture – tongue between the teeth without touching the lips – at the conclusion of some sort of a deal or as a final nonverbal statement. This behavior has several meanings – depending on specific situations – but is usually associated with one of these: I got caught (taking candy from a drawer), gleeful excitement (look at what I just did, Mom), I got away with something (and I didn’t get caught), I did something foolish, or I am naughty.

Naturally, this made me curious as to what exactly McCain was saying when his tongue jutted. So, today, I watched a replay of the whole debate tape.

A few examples:

“Greed is rewarded. Excess is rewarded.”

“I have a fundamental belief in the goodness and strength of the American worker.”

“I don’t believe we’re gonna go back to the Cold War. I am sure that that will not happen”

“... loss of all the fragile sacrifice that we’ve made of American blood and treasure which grieves us all.”

...

[npincus]

1. that is SO funny....

LMAO... :rofl:

[jenmito]

2. I noticed that and was so happy to see Colbert pick up on it! It was so funny! Also...

I noticed that all I ever see is McCain's bottom teeth when he speaks. (And he has NO upper lip, either.)

[PearliePoo2]

9. I can't help but zone-in on his lower teeth

They are small, yellow and unattractive.
I don't know if they are his or if he has a plate.
Either way, he needs some mouth work and teeth-whitening.
(OTOH, he may remind people of poor Grandpa who stopped taking care of himself and started doing weird icky things as he got older)

[npincus]

3. he's not the only one...

[mckara]

4. If My Tongue Had Been Where McCain's Has Probably Been...

I wouldn't want it in my mouth, either! Yuck!

[Demit]

5. He did it again in the Des Moines Register interview, when he talked about Palin's experience.

[PearliePoo2]

11. I noticed that too

GROSS.
Now, I find myself watching him intently (blaahh) to see if if his weird mouth ticks are increasing in frequency.

[BurtWorm]

6. kick

[City Lights]

7. That's so disgusting.

I was always grossed out when Junior spit gum into his hand, or ice cubes back into his glass, or cleaned his glasses on some lady's skirt, but McNasty showing us his tongue is the grossest of the gross. :puke:

[PearliePoo2]

8. It reminds me of

some fish I had in my aquarium that hung out on the bottom sucking algae.

[Cosmic Charlie]

10. he reminds me of Barty Crouch, Jr.