Who Won the GOP Presidential Debate — When It Comes to Body Language?
By Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy, August 7, 2015
When you’re trying to win the trust of the American people, body language counts more than we realize. “Non-verbal cues are at least as important as verbal cues in determining whether or not voters feel comfortable with a candidate,” political consultant Bill Pascoe writes in the American Spectator. “Standing up straight (or sitting up straight) projects strength and respect (subliminally, voters connect with it) — it implies time in the military (which is viewed as a strong positive for most voters); maintaining eye contact with those you are addressing is key (voters pick up on how interested or uninterested you are by watching what you appear to be looking at); rolling of the eyes and/or facial expressions while another candidate is answering a question convey lots of information about what you’re thinking, and what kind of a person you are.”
So, in the all-important body language category, who were the true winners of Thursday evening’s debate?
“Nonverbally (through his body language) Donald Trump won Thursday’s Republican presidential debate,” body language and nonverbal communication expert David Givens writes in the Guardian. “His hand gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice dominated, and made the competitors seem ineffective, even wimpish.” Continues Givens, “In all the candidates save Trump, hand gestures — which accent words and show emotional conviction — were weak, ephemeral and often hidden from view along the body’s sides or behind the podium. Trump’s gestures, in contrast, were strong, extended, forceful, and open to view, which is to say, very visible. In short, he convinced via nonverbal actions, while his competitors seemed weak — wimpish, again — by comparison. On TV, Donald’s big gestures, big hair, big hands, big jaw, big face and pugnacious lip pout clearly trumped the other candidates’ smaller hand gestures, boring, close-cropped hair, smaller hands, weaker faces and jaws, and unexpressive facial expressions.”
Jennifer Rigdon, a nonverbal communication expert at the Washington University in St. Louis Olin School of Business, told Fox 2 Now, in St. Louis, that, based on her read, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker came across as incredibly nervous, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee were the surprise winners with their demonstratively confident appearances.
Rigdon also called attention to Trump’s shrug heard across the world (or at least, American television screens) in response to Sen. Rand Paul’s attack on him at the beginning of the debate, commenting on how Trump “takes up a lot of space” with his hair, gestures and expressions — all factors that indicate extreme confidence and a “dominating” presence.
When it comes to Jeb Bush, Rigdon noted that the former Florida governor frequently shook his head “no” while giving affirmative answers — sending a confusing message to voters about his opinions and authenticity.
Speaking with CNN, Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to President Obama, agreed that Bush seemed to flail under the bright lights, saying, “He was nervous, halting, and just painfully uninspiring.”
Another vote for Bush as the loser of the night came from CNN contributor Tara Setmayer, who said, “He came across as unsure, defensive and aloof.”
Rigdon called Christie “folksy” and “relaxed,” explaining that he “brought the audience in” with his lean into the podium during his first remarks of the evening, “inviting them to like him.”
She gives similar accolades to Gov. Scott Walker for the way he looked straight at the camera and talked about himself in the third person — also both indicators of inviting viewers in and asking for their votes nonverbally. Yet, he lost points for authenticity in the way his words came across as over-rehearsed.
Dr. Ben Carson’s frequent handclaps inward indicate the opposite, however; Rigdon says his gestures suggest “some kind of internal struggle” and an overall discomfort and lack of confidence in his own beliefs.
The winner according to Rigdon? Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who, in her opinion, seemed incredibly calm, relaxed present — and, most importantly, presidential.
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