Letter to the Edtor: Watch, look and listen?

To the Editor:
Has anyone really looked at politicians’ hand gestures? As we know there is a whole field of study on body language, but allow me to take liberty here with some “political posturing.”
For convenience, I have arbitrarily grouped them into four types. The first of the four types is an open hand with fingers slightly splayed; the second, finger pointing; the third, is four fingers pressed into the heal of the hand.
The open-handed gesture indicates the politician is virtually, and figuratively, petting their audience. Finger pointing can only mean the listeners are being accused of something they did or did not get while being petted. When a politician’s fingers are pressed into the heal of their hand it likely means there are members of the audience they would like to grasp by the scruff of their sorry necks and have them removed from the premises.
Then, there is the fourth very popular hand gesture that is as frustrating as it is confusing, the dismissive waive of the hand. This gesture requires a limp wrist and some practice for the speaker to avoid hitting a microphone or messing up their hairdo. The dismissive hand wave is frequently accompanied by a fake smile and forced chuckle. When I see this gesture I suspect the politician is trying to convince us there’s a way out of some corner they are backed into.
So, just for fun, let’s all watch and really look at our politicians during this election cycle... even if we may not be listening.

Ann Gallagher
a.k.a. Catfish Annie
Waukon