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| Image Courtesy: ABC News, USA |
It was a super-storm in the making for the citizens of the United States and political analysts (even outside USA). Current president Joe Biden Jr. chose to drop from the presidential race and the pressure started building up.
A televised presidential debate provides the voters a unique opportunity to make up their minds for or against the candidates after watching them answering the questions and attacking or countering each other on the debate stage.
The first-ever televised presidential debate took place between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy on 26th September 1960. Its importance has only grown over years and debaters are likely couched by professionals.
Along with many body language experts interested to analyze, I'm sharing own summary about this epic debate. Also, this the first-ever or inaugural article of this new blog, created on 11th September 2024.
A) Preface: The facts
According to political analysts and opinion polls, most voters have already decided whom to vote. Hence, this debate aimed for especially those who were undecided until watching the full debate or 'super-storm'.
An indicted citizen, a former president and a seasoned businessman Donald J. Trump (age 78) was going to clash with a former California senator and a public prosecutor Kamala Harris (age 59).
Donald Trump has served as a president himself. He had a huge experience of presidential debates, first with Hillary Clinton and second with Joe Biden. He clearly had a big advantage.
Kamala Harris is serving as a vice president herself, under the Biden presidency. However, she had no experience of presidential debates. It's likely that she might have been couched well.
Also, this was the first time when Trump and Harris were sharing the stage. Harris was given the opportunity to talk first and Trump won the toss to give the final closing statement.
B) The Debate
1) The truly positive start
In last presidential debate, two opponents didn't say "Hello!" or shook their hands together. Trump entered on the debate stage as if there was nobody to look at while Biden was looking at him only, with a faint smile on his pale face.
There were two presidential candidates of a large democratic nation and this wasn't a positive start on the side of Donald Trump. Don't forget that even two sworn enemies never miss to look at each other before starting their fight.
Unlike the last debate, this debate started positively. Trump and Harris shook their hands together before reaching to their respective podiums. Indeed, it was a positive start, well suited for mature and experienced opponents.
2) Bravery and Shake-up
Trump is a huge in size and almost a foot taller than Harris. Also, Harris wasn't allowed to use any means that allowed her to look taller than what she actually is. In the result, it was a handshake between a giant man and a short lady.
Actually, the handshake wasn't a mutual initiative at the center of the state if you closely observe the way they engaged in it. Harris took initiative and went closer to Trump for it. She clearly took a tactical advantage of an empty space.
Her 'territorial invasion' and 'shaking up the reluctant giant' ended with a winning smile of her face as she was walking back towards her podium. Perhaps, it was the moment when she established herself as a brave opponent.
3) Trump's Body Language
Trump is an articulate speaker. Among millions of people, impersonators and body language experts; he's famous for perpetual pout, bold hand gestures, air-sucking speech pauses, tightly-pressed-lip smirks, chin lifts and head tilts.
Throughout the debate, Trump kept his face and eyes pointed towards moderators for the most time. As Harris was talking, he was giving expressions on his face as if he was constructing counter-arguments in his mind in real-time.
4) Harris's Body Language
Overall body language of Harris is almost poles apart from Trump. Especially, Harris is famous for her broad smiles, nasal voice (speak through nose) and multiple accents. Her expression of contempt is subtle, often mixed with a smile.
While looking at Trump for the most time as he talked, Harris mostly gave expressions of surprise, bafflement, disbelief, evaluation and denial on her face. Without speaking, she was often asking "What?" and "Really?".
C) My Final Thoughts
Throughout the entire debate, Donald Trump was assertive through words and hand gestures. On the other hand, Kamala Harris was visually more connected with her aged opponent.
Overall, Kamala Harris was more offensive and facially reactive than Donald Trump. Also, she succeeded in making Donald Trump uncomfortable at a few occasions.
[#Special Note: Aforementioned is what I personally summarized after my 3-hour long analysis of the YouTube video clip of the debate.]
A televised presidential debate provides the voters a unique opportunity to make up their minds for or against the candidates after watching them answering the questions and attacking or countering each other on the debate stage.
The first-ever televised presidential debate took place between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy on 26th September 1960. Its importance has only grown over years and debaters are likely couched by professionals.
Along with many body language experts interested to analyze, I'm sharing own summary about this epic debate. Also, this the first-ever or inaugural article of this new blog, created on 11th September 2024.
A) Preface: The facts
According to political analysts and opinion polls, most voters have already decided whom to vote. Hence, this debate aimed for especially those who were undecided until watching the full debate or 'super-storm'.
An indicted citizen, a former president and a seasoned businessman Donald J. Trump (age 78) was going to clash with a former California senator and a public prosecutor Kamala Harris (age 59).
Donald Trump has served as a president himself. He had a huge experience of presidential debates, first with Hillary Clinton and second with Joe Biden. He clearly had a big advantage.
Kamala Harris is serving as a vice president herself, under the Biden presidency. However, she had no experience of presidential debates. It's likely that she might have been couched well.
Also, this was the first time when Trump and Harris were sharing the stage. Harris was given the opportunity to talk first and Trump won the toss to give the final closing statement.
B) The Debate
1) The truly positive start
In last presidential debate, two opponents didn't say "Hello!" or shook their hands together. Trump entered on the debate stage as if there was nobody to look at while Biden was looking at him only, with a faint smile on his pale face.
There were two presidential candidates of a large democratic nation and this wasn't a positive start on the side of Donald Trump. Don't forget that even two sworn enemies never miss to look at each other before starting their fight.
Unlike the last debate, this debate started positively. Trump and Harris shook their hands together before reaching to their respective podiums. Indeed, it was a positive start, well suited for mature and experienced opponents.
2) Bravery and Shake-up
Trump is a huge in size and almost a foot taller than Harris. Also, Harris wasn't allowed to use any means that allowed her to look taller than what she actually is. In the result, it was a handshake between a giant man and a short lady.
Actually, the handshake wasn't a mutual initiative at the center of the state if you closely observe the way they engaged in it. Harris took initiative and went closer to Trump for it. She clearly took a tactical advantage of an empty space.
Her 'territorial invasion' and 'shaking up the reluctant giant' ended with a winning smile of her face as she was walking back towards her podium. Perhaps, it was the moment when she established herself as a brave opponent.
3) Trump's Body Language
Trump is an articulate speaker. Among millions of people, impersonators and body language experts; he's famous for perpetual pout, bold hand gestures, air-sucking speech pauses, tightly-pressed-lip smirks, chin lifts and head tilts.
Throughout the debate, Trump kept his face and eyes pointed towards moderators for the most time. As Harris was talking, he was giving expressions on his face as if he was constructing counter-arguments in his mind in real-time.
4) Harris's Body Language
Overall body language of Harris is almost poles apart from Trump. Especially, Harris is famous for her broad smiles, nasal voice (speak through nose) and multiple accents. Her expression of contempt is subtle, often mixed with a smile.
While looking at Trump for the most time as he talked, Harris mostly gave expressions of surprise, bafflement, disbelief, evaluation and denial on her face. Without speaking, she was often asking "What?" and "Really?".
C) My Final Thoughts
Throughout the entire debate, Donald Trump was assertive through words and hand gestures. On the other hand, Kamala Harris was visually more connected with her aged opponent.
Overall, Kamala Harris was more offensive and facially reactive than Donald Trump. Also, she succeeded in making Donald Trump uncomfortable at a few occasions.
[#Special Note: Aforementioned is what I personally summarized after my 3-hour long analysis of the YouTube video clip of the debate.]
Hmmm! Little if no thought given to the fact that Harris had done her research and knew how to score points getting under his skin. This was a tactical victory for Harris because she understands that in the real world body language is just one strand of behaviour and it’s words that reign supreme. Her point about people leaving his rallies was classic out of the blue hook which he took.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely from the walk over to force a handshake to the tactical way she fed in trigger questions and the fact she used her personality to convey her silent feelings whilst he spoke was pivotal in throwing him off script and into his defensive mis-truths. She knew the bear and where to poke him - his ego.
ReplyDelete