What their bodies said
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Wednesday October 08 2008
PRESIDENTIAL debates are often as much about body language and aesthetics as they are about issues and substance.
White House hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain went back and forth in last night's debate, often pointing at each other in accusatory fashion while walking around and speaking directly to the audience.
Both candidates chafed at the rules of the debate, which their campaigns had jointly agreed, and agreed partway through to loosen the format and allow further rebuttals.
McCain and Obama hugged at the end of their debate, but what other examples of unusual body language were there?
The Republican candidate, who avoided looking at his opponent in their fist debate, directly addressed Obama and referred to him as "that one".
He sometimes came too close to audience members, a few of whom appeared uncomfortable by his distance.
McCain did not always know where to stand when Obama was speaking, settling at one point on a position of leaning with one hand against the high chair.
The Democratic candidate referred repeatedly to his opponent as "John" during the first debate, but called him "Senator McCain" throughout most of yesterday's exchange.
He waited patiently during McCain's attacks, comfortably perched on his stool, often smiling in seeming wonderment about what he was hearing.
Obama at times appeared irritated and occasionally paused or sighed before giving his answer. He was less inclined to make jokes than McCain, whose own attempts at humour sometimes worked and sometimes didn't.
