This morning Barack Obama gave another speech regarding the Fiscal Cliff. It he expressed optimism - and after a report in the late afternoon pointed towards failure, it appears with less than three hours to go some semblance of a deal has been reached. In his speech this morning, the President displayed a nonverbal illustrator which he uses well - the Split-Finger Fastball (note the video above at 0:42). This body language gesture derives its name because of its similarity to the hand configuration adopted during that particular baseball pitch. It is a very good alpha-beta hybrid. A less aggressive cousin of the "Dominant Spider", it has the advantages of being assertive, authoritative and confident without being overbearing (e.g. over-alpha). In contrast, far too many politicians and others in leadership positions use the index finger (forefinger) point without knowledge or empathy skills of just how cross-culturally offensive and rapport destroying it is.
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1871: Barack Obama Explains His "Private Sector is Doing Fine" Comment - The "Dominant Spider" vs.The "Split-Finger Fastball"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2161: Body Language of the Third Presidential Debate - Barack Obama and Mitt Romney - What Did They Do With Their Hands When They Weren't Talking?
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2132: Variations on a Theme - The Palm-Forward Dominant Spider (The Claw) vs. The Split-Finger Fastball
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2078: Mitt Romney's Taxes and Harry Reid's Accusations
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2121: Mitt Romney's 47 Percent, his Body Language - and the Hidden Video
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2052: Dialing Up Empathy and Sincerity - Mitt Romney's & Barack Obama's Response to Aurora, Colorado "Batman Shooting"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1915: Mitt Romney's Response to Supreme Court's Decision on "Obamacare"
Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 2061: David Cameron Defends London Olympics against Mitt Romney's Remarks - Alpha Dominance and Illustrators - Matching Hands and Feet as Sincerity Amplifiers
