Kerry; Drop the Thumb On Finger Gesture When Speaking...

[JSJ]

...you know, that little physical flourish made famous by Jack Kennedy during his speaking engagments, and made obnoxious by every politician since? If there's one piece of body language that spells, "I'm a disingenuous political hack" any better than this, I don't know what it is. And, I hope you don't either. Anyway, I'd rather you keep your hands behind your back, when speaking, than to continue pointing that little thumb and fist at potential voters who may also agree it's time to bury Jack's signature hand jive, effective though it may have been some 40 years ago. Capice?

[fearnobush]

1. Who cares - you'd call him stiff if he had his hands tied.

[JSJ]

3. you like the thumb pressed to finger thingy, huh?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. You sound DWP....

Drunk While Posting.

[gospelized]

2. i don't mind it

i think it's good body language.

the closed fists shows strength. and the thumb is assertive; like you're pointing at your audience without pointing your finger at them.

[WindRavenX]

7. bingo

I think his body language is superb; Gore was a little too, ah, static, but Kerry seems always at ease when speaking. This will be conveyed well during the debates.

[Jim Sagle]

4. I don't give a fuck and neither does anyone else but you.

[JSJ]

5. too soon to tell, but let's see what John K thinks...alrighty?

In presidential politics, image is everything. Or haven't you heard that, before?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. Yes, image is everything...and who's that guy Kerry's running against?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. JSJ; Drop the lecturing tone when posting.

[JSJ]

10. even if i was doing that, i'd still tell you to stuff it nt

[Tim_in_HK]

11. All politicians do this

It's how they get around pointing, which is rude.

[JSJ]

12. the gesture is worn-out and 'pointless' nt

[abrock]

14. Cram it JSJ, you've got nothing worth listening to.

[JSJ]

16. my post was addressed to senator kerry, son- now move along nt

[Tweed]

20. Shouldn't you send a letter to him then? This forum is for DU members

I think you need to move along if you don't want to address us. It's funny to refer to someone in the third person when addressing them.

[JSJ]

22. oh no, you're free to read and comment all you want...

...but this is for Senator Kerry's personal consideration- I've heard Kerry and/or his people read DU. And I directly addressed Kerry in the thread starter so I don't know how you interpreted that to be third person, funny or not. And, I have addressed most of the comments, so far. Now, take your own advice and...move along, son.

[abrock]

21. Son? Are you one of those Zell Miller democrats?

[JSJ]

23. 'son' is a term i use for those i perceive to be young...

...but, I'll stop using it with you if it offends. Now, don't you get truly offensive by asking if I'm a Zell democrat. That's not nice.

[phrenzy]

15. Keyes

I agree - the gesture reeks of a disingenuous political pantomime. Say what you want about Shrub, but the people have bought his 'personality' - and that is largely to the way he carries himself. Kerry is more 'dignified' which for some reason is looked at as a liability these days due to the repuke anti-intellectualism vibe.

I would honestly prefer he point. Show some anger and fire.

Believe it or not. The best orator and speaker at this time that I know of?

ALAN KEYES.

As much as I gag on his words... the man can deliver them powerfully.

[JSJ]

18. you are correct, sir- you and i are both correct and doubtlessly so nt

[juajen]

13. I say let him do what he wants.

He's doing great!!! Besides, I like that gesture.

[LittleClarkie]

17. He's gonna do what he's gonna do

If he doesn't do what he normally does, he will become self-consious and even more stiff.

Eh, so he has a thing for JFK. He always has. The first JFK is the reason he got into politics in the first place.

I don't care. I don't care that he looks like Johnson with better hair.

I don't care that alot of the time he moves like Disney is operating him from back stage.

I want the best MAN, not the best image, as president.

I'm not voting for "Mr. Congeniality" here.

[incapsulated]

19. It may annoy you but all of them do it and...

If pointing is rude, it would be even worse when you have fingers as long as Kerry does, heh.

[npincus]

24. I agree- or maybe he should hold a pen

like Bob Dole

[JSJ]

25. or, maybe he should be holding a ball bat and start...

...slugging some out of the park.

[npincus]

26. or just give 'the finger'- whenever he says the Chimp's name

[JSJ]

27. he oughta have one of those stadium foam hands...

...to display the mid-digit at Bush's banshees where appropriate.

[Sugarbleus]

33. ROFL!!!! Well said

That's it. Here's another one, put a wand in Kerry's hand and let him sprinkle fairy dust around the room... Oh,oo, how about putting a top hat on him and some tap shoes and let him do a little Fred Astaire....LOL

Meanwhile, we need to put some MORE straw behind Numbnuts Bush's ears, smear a little more cow shit on his fine Connecticut(LOL), and shove him onto the GD stage with a pitchfork...

What a dumbass topic this is... Geeez

[bowens43]

28. I've seen some silly attacks on Kerry but this may the silliest.

[JSJ]

30. this IS NOT an attack... just a little jape from the bleachers is all

It should more appropriately be called constructive criticism expressed sincerely in the hopes that a superficial change by the candidate might make a differenece.

[Piperay]

29. I never even noticed

any finger gesture :shrug: guess I was too busy actually listening to what he had to say.

[JSJ]

31. shameless kick

[Mr Blond]

32. LOL! That's something I've noticed about politicians too...

...but then again, I'm an anal retentivie FREAK!!

But yeah...Lots of them do it and it bugs me. I guess they do it in order to keep from pointing their finger while addressing the audience? Which can be construed as rude, I guess...

Try it sometime...Try speaking without using your hands. Yeah, it irritates me, but I don't think there is an alternative.

[Judi Lynn]

34. The only people I've ever known who find form far more important

than content were Republicans.

Serious people tend to be a little more involved than it takes to get obsessed with surfaces, appearances, images.

Shallow? Stupid? Low attention threshhold? Republicans.

Did anyone hear, by the way, last week, the admission that Republicans actually aim their message at under-educated Americans?
No shock there.

[WyLoochka]

35. Vacuous thread

We're all a bit more stupid for having read it. I'll remember the author and not waste time reading his/her future posts. At times like this, I wish we had a way of kicking a thread down instead of up with a response.

[mrgorth]

36. I agree

If you want to point, point just like everyone else. It reminds me of Gephardt.