Most Americans got their first, raw look at Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on the debate stage Tuesday night, but now the media is helping spin his appearance as a good thing.
The vice presidential debate saw Walz and his opponent, Republican vice presidential candidate and Sen. J.D. Vance, square off on several heated topics.
One thing both viewers and experts noticed were the eyes of Walz — and how they seemed to flare up at times over the course of the debate.
A body language expert wrote for Politico that Walz’s deer-in-the-headlights look was actually a sign of the progressive governor’s “passion.”
Joe Navarro said he is “a body language expert with over 50 years of experience,” 25 of which were spent working with the FBI.
“I’ve used my expertise in the endlessly subtle science of nonverbal communication to help ferret out spies and put away criminals,” Navarro wrote.
But on Wednesday the former FBI expert turned his “skills” toward analyzing the vice presidential debate.
“Walzâs wide eyes showed his passion,” Navarro wrote.
The general public seemed to disagree, saying the windows to the governor’s soul were more akin to “crazy eyes” than anything hinting at passion.
“I’ve become friends with school shooters.” -Tim Walz
I mean, Iâd believe it. Heâs got the liberal crazy eyes! ð pic.twitter.com/ojqDSnHA5y
â Terrible Quality Memes (@BadQualityMemes) October 2, 2024
Walz has those crazy eyesâ¦.Just weird man pic.twitter.com/40ChNx3FZP
â Warrior Big Mouth (@warriorbigmouth) October 2, 2024
Navarro offered another explanation for Walz’s bug-eyed expression.
“When Walz felt especially passionate about something, he’d open his eyes wide as saucers. Eye-popping can sometimes be a sign of surprise, but for Walz, it simply revealed his emotional intensity,” Navarro wrote, pointing to Walz’s debate exchange covering abortion.
The body language expert said Walz’s expression has roots in the very dawn of humanity.
“Early humans would have made such facial gestures to communicate strong emotions, like ‘danger is close,’” he wrote. “For Walz, it gave extra weight to his feelings and held our gaze.”
Walz’s Charles Manson-like gaze was not the candidate’s only action that won a glowing assessment in the Politico article.
Did Walz lose the debate?
When Walz pointed at the camera, Navarro said it was “like Uncle Sam in those old ‘I Want You’ posters” and secured viewer’s attention despite the potential accusatory nature of the gesture.
Navarro also wrote Walz’s furrowed brow was a bold and powerful way to say, “No way, that’s not right, and I am going to challenge you on this.”
Vance’s “precision grip” and the placing of his hand over his heart were noted by Navarro, who also warned the candidate’s beard could be seen by many as “negative, conveying aggression and opposition to feminist ideals.”
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