Is it an affectation that they’re trained to deploy? (If so, why?) Or is it just a natural thing that happens in the very specific circumstance of being a politician on the campaign trail, and that’s why no one else seems to do it?
I don’t think I’ve seen it in any other context 🤔
Cheers!
They all go to Ivy League colleges, and they all take the same public speaking classes.
It’s a big club, but we’re not in it.
This is the real answer.
No the real answer is that literally nearly every possible configuration of your hands and movement is offensive and rude to some culture, person or religion.
It’s fucking damn near impossible to find ANY that are actually safe.
This has been a problem of public speaking for longer then America has been a country, and longer then the ivy leagues have been a thing.
Public speaking hand gestures go back literally hundreds of years.
Okay but the reason they all do it today is because they went to the same rich people colleges and courses. The reason those courses teach these things may have historical background, but that’s not what we’re referring to here.
It’s a wand. They are actually enchanting you, the first spell always makes the wand invisible. That’s why you never see it.
My guess is that they’re accustomed to holding note cards and it’s just a reflexive stance after a while
Public speaking is a performance and like any performance some people are good at it and some become good at it and some aren’t really good at it.
Because concertina hands are too nazi-ish
In my non edumacated knowledge, they pretend to whip the heard into believing what they spew.
It’s zuck’s new toy /s
I wanna say I’ve heard that be referred to as the “Clinton thumb” since Bill Clinton did it a lot when president.
I’ve heard that before too but being an old bastard, I’m pretty certain Clinton didn’t do it until after he was debating Bob Dole. Bob Dole used this gesture because he held a pen during debates. And he held a pen in his non-dominant hand because he had an injury in WWII and the way his hand curled made him look weak.
I remember it as a Dole gesture originally, too
They learn it at The Bohemian Grove.
It’s not a fishing rod, it’s something much more personal
Like… your favourite PH2 driver?
Torx is superior. I could accept Robertson as well.
It is. But everyone needs a dedicated PH2. With torx, a bit set is the better approach.
Get them from Vessel Tools, best screwdrivers I have ever used.
I just recently got a PZ2 driver from Vessel for my Honda. It was remarkable how nice it was to use compared to a Phillips screw and driver. I felt so much torque could be applied while the grip stayed rock solid.
Also learned PZ screws are often used in cabinetry, and lo and behold, all my kitchen cabinet do in fact have that tell-tale X mark to indicate they are Pozidrive screws.
I’ve still not had the opportunity to use a square drive Roberston screw, but would still like to use them for something one day.
I get my drivers from Ironside, and bits from Bosch.
You got me thinking. Pretty sure I do this when addressing groups, like teaching a class in the workplace. Maybe I finger point in place of the fishing rod? Next time I hold a talk, I’m going to record it.
It’s more of a public speaker thing than just a politician thing, but… Well, politicians are all public speakers, so it makes sense that that’s the context you’ve seen it in.
It’s literally a practiced gesture - public speaking makes use of some gestures that telegraph well to crowds, but seem unusual otherwise. IIRC, that fishing rod grip is an alternative to gesturing with a fist - it looks less aggressive, but gets the point across.
There are very few configurations of the hand and fingers that aren’t offensive to someone. This one is one of the last few remaining, with “thousand points o’ laght”, a list that doesn’t include “yuge” or the double “okay” sign.
So everyone does it.
“How dare you insult me with your flaccid mockery of a fishing pole grip, you will pay for your insolence”
It’s so other lizard people know.
Actually it’s only a small part of the secret handshake that lets you into Epstein island. But it is a prerequisite.
It’s the I’m-pointing-at-you-with-a-pen-but-I-forgot-my-pen gesture.
