I don’t know how many of you saw Bush’s brief remarks this morning about the death of President Ford. First of all, he looked like he had just been dragged out of bed. He had bedhead and looked very bleary and tired. Second of all, I think he blinked 13 million times in the under three minutes he dedicated to our former President’s legacy. I could not find a direct link to the video through YouTube or anything else. But you can view it by going to C-SPAN and scrolling down to the Video/Audio recent programs section. Click on Pres. Bush Remarks on the Death of Fmr. Pres. Gerald Ford (12/27/2006). You need Real Player to play C-SPAN clips. Watch it and then think about this.
Increased blinking is often a sign of physical or psychological stress. People blink more when angry or excited, for example. And one of the earliest studies in blink research determined that anxiety can increase the blink rate: While courtroom witnesses were under hostile cross-examination they blinked much more frequently.
Richard Nixon is a case in point, says Stern, who first became interested in blinking during the Watergate era. “President Nixon’s blink rate markedly increased when he was asked a question he was not prepared to answer,” Stern says. “His speech was well-controlled and did not manifest other symptoms of anxiety, but you could see it in his eyes. Most politicians have learned to disguise feelings except in ways they cannot inhibit.”
Our President is stressed out. Big Time. I don’t know whether that is a hopeful sign or not. Given his track record, I’m guessing not.
