Bill Clinton led with his thumb. Winston Churchill is known for the V-for-victory sign. And LBJ was a world-class pointer.
By Karen Heller Karen Heller National general features writer for Style Email Bio Follow March 16 at 3:21 PM Beto O’Rourke’s launch of his presidential campaign on Thursday became more a call to arms — his constantly gesticulating ones — than the message he wanted to convey.
Nonverbal communication matters. It often matters far more than the words being uttered, according to specialists. A candidate can say little, but the body never stops talking. Addressing massive crowds of the faithful, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini weaponized their hands, punching and finger wagging, to choreograph their exhortations.
Expressiveness can be an advantage, he added. “Deceivers typically omit hand gestures. They withhold information,” Givens said, like poker players. Authenticity is crucial to winning voters, according to former Democratic political consultant Robert Shrum, a veteran campaign strategist who worked on the Gore and Kerry presidential bids. “When you talk about coaching people, you can’t make them who they’re not,” Shrum said. “It’s so clear this kind of gesturing is part of O’Rourke’s communication pattern. JFK was constantly gesturing, pointing his finger. So does almost everybody who is an effective communicator.
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