Charleston, SC

Friday, January 11, 2008

The pundits are going wild with Hillary's moment of humanness. Was it real or was it part of a well managed act? The answer depends on whether or not you view her favorably or unfavorably. The thing about body language is that it is a double-edged sword. At the pivotal moment she was exhausted, down in the polls and extremely frustrated. Watching her entire body on television, everything said to me that it was a real moment. It gave us insight into her that we have not seen before. This moment could have just as easily backfired. You do not want your president to appear weak especially in meetings with world leaders. Hillary knows this. If it had been staged she also knew that it would be replayed and replayed in order to show her unfitness for the White House. It was real.

John McCain's constant employment of the phrase, "My friends," is also a type of body language. Although the actual words technically are not, the vocal inflection and the mental image of Ronald Reagan that he hopes to conjure up are. He repeatedly shows pictures of himself with Reagan. He wants us to see Ronnie not John McCain. McCain's channeling of Reagan is carefully choreographed and everybody knows it. Every Republican candidate has tried to paint himself as the reincarnated Reagan. McCain has done the best job of it. Like Hillary's tears this strategy can backfire. Reagan's second term was far less illustrious than his first and sadly ended with the revelation of Alzheimer's disease. McCain needs to be careful.

These images matter greatly. Who can forget the fallout from George Bush Sr. looking at his watch during the Richmond debates or the current Bush with the huge banner behind him, "Mission Accomplished?" In this day when everyone with a picture cell phone is a potential reporter there is no down time. The candidates are constantly under scrutiny. They know that their next gaff will show up on the internet instantly and then it has a life of its own.

Charleston, SC

843-556-2310