Everyone's Talking About Bernie Sanders' Finger Wagging in Last Night's Debate

[Stuckinthebush]

http://www.glamour.com/inspired/blogs/the-conversation/2016/02/everyones-talking-about-bernie

HA! Senator Jazz Hands gets panned in Glamour:

Amid the morning-after pundrity, there is one thing from last night's debate that people from almost every political viewpoint can agree on: Bernie Sanders wags his finger a lot. He used it to scold Clinton; he used it to signal to the moderators that he wanted to speak; he used it to express his disgust with the 1%. It was... unusual.

The Washington Post made a helpful video compilation.

It's notable though, that Sanders was shaking his finger at women. He was the only man on stage (!), along with Secretary Clinton and moderators Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill. In that context, the finger wagging came off as especially imperious and condescending, as noted by many on Twitter. Some saw it as an example of mansplaining, though his supporters mostly just found it hilarious.

[Cha]

1. Oh, so some are talking about BS's demeanor.. finally!

Thank you!

Amid the morning-after pundrity, there is one thing from last night's debate that people from almost every political viewpoint can agree on: Bernie Sanders wags his finger a lot. He used it to scold Clinton; he used it to signal to the moderators that he wanted to speak; he used it to express his disgust with the 1%. It was... unusual.

[NurseJackie]

6. People are beginning to notice...

... and they're noticing the same things we've been pointing out for months! (... and having posts hidden for as well. But there are no "alert buttons" and juries to silence the media and pundits.)

[Cha]

7. It's surreal that it's finally happening, Jackie.. after having the information

censored for so long!

[NurseJackie]

2. I have always, ALWAYS, found it to be one of his most ANNOYING traits.

In my opinion, it's a sign of overt disrespect and implied superiority. It suggests to me that he sees himself as an authoritarian "parental figure" who needs to "scold" and put someone in their place.

Perhaps he doesn't see it this way and maybe he doesn't believe it himself, but that's how it comes across and I find it to be EXCEEDINGLY off-putting.

[livetohike]

5. Same here. He thinks he's superior to everyone. I don't need

to be lectured by him. Glad Hillary lectured him about his allegiance to President Obama and the Democratic Party. She did it without finger pointing and wildly waving her arms about.

[CajunBlazer]

9. Well, most of the "PURE" do feel superior

After all, the rest of us are.... "IMPURE"?

[livetohike]

10. It is Lent, LOL.

[Cha]

25. Ye-ah!

[mcar]

3. Maybe because it's just the two of them now

Or maybe it was more pronounced. Next to Hillary's calm demeanor, it was really off-putting.

[livetohike]

4. How is that "unusual"? He is always that way and it's disgusting. What is wrong

with him? It's so annoying that I don't look at the TV when he is speaking. Mute the sound and look at his body language. He looks manic.

[riversedge]

24. He did look very frustrated

[peggysue2]

8. Finger waggling

Sanders has done this from the start, the finger waggle. As if he's trying to get a waiter's attention, someone quipped. I think it's more like trying to wave down a cab. Whatever. A quirky habit for sure.

But the finger waggle is an instrument to interrupt, to add and have the last word. Which is rarely illuminating. Frequently, the gesture is followed by a ramble off topic or to paraphrase something Hillary has already said. This is particularly the case when the subject of foreign policy comes up. Sanders is simply not prepared on the subject and he hasn't taken the time to inform himself. That's why Hillary's close was so effective: I am not a one issue candidate. The differences were glaring.

A good night for Hillary. Bernie? Not so much.

[CajunBlazer]

11. The constant gesturing with both hands gets to me

Most people use gestures with both hands to emphasis important points. Sanders does it all of he time like he is conducting an orchestra or playing bongo drums. Even if I supported him it would be very annoying after a while.

Someone had a neat clip in which they inserted bongo drums in front of Sanders while he was really emphatic with his two handed gesturing and it really looked like he was playing the drums - hilarious! I wish I could find that clip. If anyone can locate it please post it here.

Oh wait, Google is an amazing tool!

Bernie playing bongos:

[peggysue2]

13. Hah!

Oh, too funny, Cajun. Hadn't seen that before. Thanks.

[BlueCaliDem]

15. Hahahaha! Entertaining find, Cajun! Loved it!

Thanks for sharing.

[Stuckinthebush]

20. This made my day!

You win the internets

[Politicub]

21. Omg - lolololol!!!

I shouldn't have watched that while I'm eating. I almost did a spit take because it was so funny.

[Lucinda]

12. Senator Jazz Hands?

Thank you for the link...when I stop laughing I'll give it a read!

[pandr32]

14. He is condescending, and rude as hell!

Certainly not a "presidential" demeanor at all. He seemingly is dismissive of everything and everyone. This dude's mind is closed tight--he already thinks he has figured everything out. Over the years he has changed his stump speech reference from "millionaires" to "billionaires" and he awkwardly inserts some references to POC and women that come off like afterthoughts. His campaign people have obviously instructed him to include references to these groups.

[hamsterjill]

16. To me, last night he looked like he was about to lose it.

His face was red and he was coughing. I seriously hope the gentleman is not ill - and I mean that, even as I support Hillary. I don't wish Bernie Sanders bad.

Hillary came off as much more in control. In command. Of the two, she is the more capable. Presidents of the United States do not have the option of "losing it" no matter what they go up against.

[fleabiscuit]

17. Religion and religious expression comes in many forms. (Deja-vu all over again.) eom

[onehandle]

18. As a man I can tell you that finger wagging is a sure fire way to quiet down the ladies.

...heh.

[Politicub]

19. Downright bizarre

There were only the two of them on stage, and they were taking turns speaking.

Bernie was a clownish version of Rubio combined with Jim Webb last night. He was like Rubio by only sticking to one robotic message. The Webb finger wagging and whining about getting a chance to speak also was practiced by Sanders.

At least it made sense with Webb, albeit he still looked small. Webb was trying to interject because there were MULTIPLE SPEAKERS. With Sanders' finger wagging, it looked like he was asking for the check or shooing women, the LGBT community, Hispanics and African Americans from the zone of purity that surrounds him.

[Gothmog]

22. The finger pointing was getting old

[katmille]

23. Not to mention the rudeness

Of the grimaces while Hillary was speaking, the constant little burps of attempting to interrupt, the annoying habit of always needing to have the last word. Jonathan Capehart and Paul Begala both mentioned that.
He was very hard to watch. Even harder to listen to -- with his one-note mantra.
Hillary rocked!

[Cha]

26. I just saw it with the sound muted.. thank you very much. I didn't see the debate

so this was quite illustrative of what all the finger wagging talk was about.

Not what I want to see in my POTUS.

Thank you, Stuck~

[SylviaD]

27. Are we allowed to criticize any aspect of Saint Bernie Sanders? n/t