Bruce Benidt
Jon Austin
tcarideo
Joe Loveland
Gary Hornseth
EMM
mjtankenoff
Mike KeliherNon-verbal Trumps the Verbal — Bill Down, Hillary Up
While Hillary Clinton gave her victory speech in Indiana, Bill was over her right shoulder looking grim. She was saying she was going on, that her Indiana victory broke the tie between Pennsylvania and North Carolina, that she was going to win the White House.
But when verbal and non-verbal messages are in conflict — we always believe the non-verbal. You can say all you want in words, but we watch what your body and your face say. And Bill’s face said it’s over. She’s toast. Dead woman walking, as Charlie Quimby said on his great blog, Across the Great Divide.
A couple of times Bill perked up — once when his wife called on supporters to send money, because he’s seen his speech earnings slip away to campaign consultants. But he could smell the rot, and it showed on his face.
– Bruce Benidt
Filed under: Communications, Media, Politics | Tagged: Hillary Clinton, Politics
Agree Brother Bruce. I just don’t understand why they put Bill in that shot. For some he’s a detraction, and for nearly all he’s a distraction. To me, his presence always makes her look like the warm up act.
I find myself much more interested in Bill’s half-hearted effort to be annonymous than in Hillary’s words. It’s utter torture for him to remain mum in the background. Of course, it also wouldn’t hurt if Hillary’s words went beyond the speech’s 53rd “I’m a fightin’ for the workin’ people!” proclamation. Seeing HRC transform herself into the Archie Bunker candidate is about the most amazing metamorphisis I’ve seen short of the Discovery Channel.
But we won’t have to put up with it much longer. I expect she’ll concede the nomination around Thanksgiving.
And here’s the Washington Post’s “Fact Checker” blog awarding Bill Clinton its coveted “Geppetto” for meritorious truth-telling — earned, in this case, without saying anything.
(This contrasts with the “Four Pinnochios” rating the Tuzla deal earned. )
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/05/a_geppetto_for_bill_clinton.html
Did you do the “volume down” test mentioned on the WaPo blog article, Hornseth? I did. It looks like Bill and Chelsea are listening to Hillary give a eulogy.