Posts with the tag Barack Obama

In each face to face human interaction there is an observable energy transmitted via body language and non-verbal cues. More and more I find myself getting "real" content by reading between the lines on peoples foreheads. Interpersonal communications experts confirm that body language is responsible for roughly 80% of what we communicate.

Will this new information help us pick our next President? Can the way a candidate speaks, change our attitudes more than What he/she actually speaks about? Some might argue that they make their political choices based solely on issues and facts rather than personality, or general demeanor. In a Nation focused on the "looks" of runway models, super heroes and celebrity glamour, it's hard to imagine anyone as completely immune to the powers of a candidate's public speaking skills and basic like-ability. So what does this mean for Barrack and John?

I have been reviewing video of each candidate -- sometimes without volume to access what they are saying sans words. McCain seems to hold a commanding presence during his speeches, with plenty of podium hitting. His brow furrows in an aggressive expression frequently, and he has a token micro-squint that he breaks out at tough moments. During verbal pauses, he blinks in rapid succession while simultaneously creating a "semi-forced" toothy grin. Face coding experts say blinking can equal lying. While answering questions he often wanders around the podium a bit. Perhaps this is an effort to literally get "closer" to the audience, showing that he is a straight talker.

As I reviewed video clips of Obama, I noticed a look of quiet self confidence (though some might see it as a look of quiet self righteousness). He lifts his chin just slightly, while giving a barely discernable half squint. Is he looking into the future? During loud applauses from raucous crowds, he lifts his hand, controlling the commotion with calm body-leadership. Obama does not move around the stage much, mostly staying grounded behind the podium. His brow can furrow during serous moments but more often it is neutral and relaxed, showing that there is hope.

Take a look at the candidates, no really. Turn the volume down low on the TV and just take a look at there body language. There body language speaks so loudly that you don't even need to hear the words. Read between the lines in their foreheads.
Over the past couple of months, a discussion on the core issues facing Americans has pretty much fallen by the wayside during the presidential campaign. Americans expect an adult debate on foreign policy, the economy and health care. Instead, the 24-hour news cycle is obsessed with one candidate's middle name and who's most at home taking shots at a bar.

It's not surprising that people are getting fed up.


Fortunately for those of us who relish meaningful policy discourse, Senator John McCain is hitting the road this week to trumpet his plan for reforming the nation's broken health care system.

As a primer for the headlines that are sure to come, I thought it might be important to highlight some questions about the Senator's core policy prescription; tax credits to spur the purchase of private insurance.

Prior to the questions, however, let's review some important facts about Senator McCain's intimate relationship with the insurance industry.

Over the past dozen years, Senator McCain has raised about $3.5 million from interests tied to the insurance industry. Just shy of forty lobbyists from the industry are listed as fundraisers, co-hosts of events, or staffers for the Senator. Furthermore, several high-ranking members of the McCain campaign staff are high-paid lobbyists for insurance interests. (The campaign finance and lobbying figures are based on Public Campaign Action Fund analysis of data obtained from the Center for Responsive Politics).

With this primer, three questions come to mind for the Senior Senator from Arizona.   Read More »
Barack Obama's speech from Philadelphia today was a eulogy on the twentieth century's conversation on race. Seeing a candidate - a Presidential candidate no less - pen a speech that holds the mirror up to all of America, equally, unashamedly and nakedly, made me exhale deeply and say, "finally."   Read More »
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