Body Language Experts Disagree On Biden's Aggressive Debate Performance, Say Ryan Was Nervous
October 15, 2012
U.S. News & World Report - 'While displaying anger/threat in his responses, the vice president nonetheless mitigated some of this aggression through verbal politeness, several times referring to Ryan as a 'friend,'' says Erik Bucy, a professor at Texas Tech University's college of media and communication, calling Biden's complex responses a form of 'aggressive-belittlement.'
Nonverbal communication experts almost uniformly agreed that President Barack Obama's passive performance in the first presidential debate could serve a case study in what a candidate shouldn't do. But Biden's range of expressions during the VP debate last night—from smirking to teeth-baring to grins—is getting mixed reviews.
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"While displaying anger/threat in his responses, the vice president nonetheless mitigated some of this aggression through verbal politeness, several times referring to Ryan as a 'friend,'" says Erik Bucy, a professor at Texas Tech University's college of media and communication, calling Biden's complex responses a form of "aggressive-belittlement."