Watching the SOTU Speech on ABC ...(Pelosi clocked a good 25-30 eye blinks per minute)

B&C ^ | Tuesday, January 23, 2007 | Joel Topsik

[IrishMike]

Did they really need to drag World News anchor Charles Gibson all the way down from New York just to do a stand-up intro with the Capitol dome over his shoulder? George Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz were in separate locations, so it wasn't as though he was joining them in the studio. Having just visited the slushy and dreary capital yesterday, I feel for him.

Maybe standing outside in the cold is what led Gibson to fall into what by now should be an eminently avoidable journalistic trap--remarking on the wardrobe of a female newsmaker.

As he and his colleagues noted the historic significance of Rep. Nancy Pelosi's presence on the dais as the first woman speaker of the House, Gibson said that he and Stephanopoulos had shared a laugh earlier about whether she and Vice President Cheney would coordinate their outfits. I haven't checked the transcripts from years past, but I'm quite certain Gibson--or any of his colleagues--never joked about Dennis Hastert conferring with Cheney about tie patterns. (And I'll bet Katie Couric had the sense to avoid it, having been the subject of much sartorial scrutiny herself.)

What was worth commenting on, however, was the contrast in blinks per minute between Pelosi and Cheney. While Pelosi clocked a good 25-30 blinks per minute, Cheney barely mustered 3 or 4. If energy conservation is a personal virtue—as he once said so dismissively—Cheney is a saint. The man functions admirably on standby power.

[yldstrk]

Bat the lashes--what a loon........

[SamuraiScot]

an eminently avoidable journalistic trap--remarking on the wardrobe of a female newsmaker.

How wonderfully PC, to run in terror from the truth. As if women didn't obsess about clothes, and as if absolutely everything they wear to an important appearance weren't thought, fought, and fussed-over in advance, including speculation over what other women will be wearing.

Critics' self-consciousness about this is so dorky. It's a sex difference. It will be with us until Christ comes again. Appreciate it, enjoy it, and get used to it. It's part of the story. It's part of reality.

[mware]

20 to 30 per minute hell, I counted them three different times. They were 60, 80, and 84 beats per minute.

[Mercat]

ping

[Miss Didi]

Drudge has this story posted about the Queen's rapid batting of the lashes. Must be the botox. Also a shot of McCain snoring.

[Mercat]

I compared the Pelosi blinks to Cheney's blinks. Hers were 10-12 and then Cheney would blink twice, very quickly and then Pelosi would blink at least another 10 before Cheney blinked again. At first I thought it was contacts but there was no redness or other signs of irritation so I think she was just very very nervous.

[mware]

I was thinking it might be turrets.

[Miss Didi]

Try this experiment: pull back the skin on the sides of your eyes very tightly. You will blink like crazy. It's her many face lifts that cause her to do this.

[Mercat]

the other possibility that just occurred to me is that she has had lasik surgery and has dry eye syndrome. hmmm.

[Miss Didi]

Good point. Whatever it is, I just wonder if the many talking heads will dare mention it today.

[wolfcreek]

She has to consciously blink because her body won't do it automatically. That camera angle provided a hidious background.

[whatexit]

As bad as her blinks were, I was even more distracted by here constant working at whatever was stuck in her teeth!

[IrishMike]

As bad as her blinks were, I was even more distracted by here constant working at whatever was stuck in her teeth!
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I'm hopeful that the average American Joe and Jane looking at the SOTU from their homes are bewildered.

[khnyny]

I thought it was one of the funniest scenes in DC that I've seen in awhile, lol. I commented last night too about the difference in demeanor (and blinks per minute) between Cheney and Pelosi. She was so hyper, she made me nervous just watching! Pelosi was also doing weird things with her mouth too, unconsciously. She really needs to lay off the java.

[whatexit]

"Pelosi was also doing weird things with her mouth too, unconsciously. She really needs to lay off the java."

Hmm, kinda reminds me of old Tom Arnold interviews, now that I think of it...

[VRWCmember]

Hmmm, where was bj clinton before the SOTU?

[whatexit]

It was also interesting to watch what she clapped for and what she didn't.

Of course the most telling was the Dems would not stand for Victory, when W mentioned it. Hopefully the public noticed too.

[whatexit]

LOL. That thought actually crossed my mind last night, but I was thinking Hillary, not BJ.

[auto power]

Pelosi was actually "batting her lashes" in code to the terrorists...

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Re: Pelosi's outfits...I don't think she 'dresses' herself (ie., standing infront of the closet thinking 'what should I wear to the SOTU?' More likely, she employs a stylist who does her shopping and puts together appropriate ensembles per Nancy's calendar. The very rich are indeed quite different from the rest of us.

As for the blinking...no glasses, so unless she is an opthomolic miracle, she wears contacts, that coupled with an eye 'lift' or two makes the blinking a constant.

[IrishMike]

Pelosi was actually "batting her lashes" in code to the terrorists...

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YES !!!!!
Because the NSA have her and Pat Leahys cell phones tapped

[COUNTrecount]

As for the blinking...no glasses, so unless she is an opthomolic miracle, she wears contacts, that coupled with an eye 'lift' or two makes the blinking a constant.

Don't forget these.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

LOL...oh for the glue to give way...

[GoldCountryRedneck]

Pelosi was also doing weird things with her mouth too

Loose false teeth? Bridgework out of alignment?

Kinda reminded me of an 'ol cow chewing it's cud....

[RightWhale]

The sound system seemed about to break out into massive feedback starting about halfway through. The Pres was disconcerted but slogged through the rest manfully anyway.

[Proudcongal]

I'm betting O'Reilly's body language expert will weigh in on Pelosi's weird behavior.

[Yaelle]

I noticed that too. And at times she seemed to be gnawing on something. At other times, she appeared to be attempting a disgusted facial gesture but could not achieve it.

[Xenalyte]

When I got out of rehearsal last night, I found a text message from my most Democrat buddy: "Cheney looks like he's planning another hunting accident."

[Xenalyte]

Eeeew, was she sucking her teeth? How astoundingly ill-bred.

[TLI]

As bad as her blinks were, I was even more distracted by here constant working at whatever was stuck in her teeth!

She probably was sub-vocalizing a pack of lies. check this out...

http://members.aol.com/nonverbal2/eyeblink.htm

Neuro-notes. We blink faster when excited because eyelid movements reflect bodily arousal levels established by our brain stem's reticular activating system (RAS). Emotion from the limbic system stimulates the RAS to act on our midbrain's substantia nigra, which releases the excitatory chemical, dopamine, to the superior colliculi (Karson 1992:417). Thus, we bat our eyelids faster in courtship (see LOVE SIGNALS III), when speaking in public (see STRANGER ANXIETY), and when lying (see DECEPTION).

[IrishMike]

And at times she seemed to be gnawing on something. At other times, she appeared to be attempting a disgusted facial gesture but could not achieve it.

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Like she had something stuck in her teeth.

[Proudcongal]

She was obviously having a hard time playing nice -- all those evil thoughts in her head had her looking and acting so uncomfortable.

[linn37]

The few times that I caught a glance of her she looked like she needed to use the bathroom,I wonder if she has a spastic bowel.

[Jeff Chandler]

She was helping out. The room heater was set up too high, so she was fanning W.

[Screamname]

They were talking all day about this on the radio today, just about every talk show I tuned into. One was trying to decide if she was snorting blow right before. lol! I tell you, it wouldn`t suprise me in the least if she was.

This woman is seriously bugged out and steps should be made to determine if she is in fact on drugs with all these faces she makes..All this is hardly a suprise though..

Check out what I posted yesterday on another thread right before the speech:

**LIVE Thread - State of the Union Address [starting at approx. comment 400]

Posted by Screamname to johnthebaptistmoore On News/Activism 01/23/2007 5:43:24 PM PST · 175 of 2,790

She`s going to be very distracting, especially when she pulls her usual psychotic looking bug eyed expressions...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772549/posts

[Screamname]

One guy on the radio was saying it was cocaine, and he was serious, that you in fact do that when you are on that stuff.

I tell you, I said it many many many times before; Politicians are public SERVANTS employed by the GOVERNMENT and paid by the TAXPAYER, and with every other government job, city job, state job, whether it be the cops, the FBI, firemen, etc etc...they ALL have to take drugs tests!!! WHY the hell are the ones who can most severely affect the public with their decisions exempt from that test?? Because they are voted in? Bullshiet! All the more reason to test them so as to see if the person elected is what the people got and not some junkie or some drunk who drives cars off of bridges.

[khnyny]

[Loose false teeth? Bridgework out of alignment?

Kinda reminded me of an 'ol cow chewing it's cud....]

Too funny. With Pelosi's money (and generous gov't health benefits), you'd think she'd at least get good dental care. Also, I hope you know that now every time I see Pelosi, I won't be able to get that cow image out of my mind, lol.

[Red_Devil 232]

Cheney looked very composed, intent even. Watching the chamber for reactions ... gaging the opposition!

As for Pelosi ... I have never seen a person smile like she does. Her lips are pursed then a flash of the teeth (are they false?) then the lips are pursed almost immediately and she repeats it ...

kinda like a shark moving in for a bite!

[Red_Devil 232]

"... I wonder if she has a spastic bowel."

Of course she does, it is attached to her mouth! Via butt and tummy tucks along with other unspeakable tucks!

[GoldCountryRedneck]

I won't be able to get that cow image out of my mind...

Nor I ...

[Red_Devil 232]

Hmmm, where was bj clinton before the SOTU?

Hillery looked like a manikin! Or a Bobble Head Doll! Was she actually there, or was it just a DUmmmie I saw? I just thought here head looked a little larger than it should.

[beyond the sea]

Pelosi clocked a good 25-30 eye blinks per minute

I didn't think Pelosi Galore could blink.

Now, since those eyes do close, I guess she can also sleep.