Bush on Today Show: The Disarming Smile

[donco6]

Today with Matt Lauer, Bush was being interviewed, and he constantly uses an old debate trick that signifies to me that he's terrified. It's the Disarming Smile. You use it when you have absolutely no comeback to a point, so you're forced to fall back on charm. Sometimes it works, and it's worth a shot. In his case, it's all he's got. He uses it constantly throughout the entire interview. It's annoying as hell. Very unpresidential.

Will he use it at the debates? Undoubtedly. Will it work? It did last time. How do you combat it? You get in their face and ask them why they're smiling. It takes the tool away completely.

[prodigal_green]

1. Typical chimp behavior

Chimps will bare their teeth in a grin-like facial gesture when frightened.

http://www.lessonsforhope.org/abc/show_description.asp?abc_id=41

<snip>

Jane's observation:
When a chimpanzee is suddenly frightened he frequently reaches to touch or embrace a chimpanzee nearby, rather as a girl watching a horror film may seize her companion's hand. Both chimpanzees and humans seem reassured in stressful situations by physical contact with another individual. Once David Greybeard caught sight of his reflection in a mirror. Terrified, he seized Fifi, then only three years old. Even such contact with a very small chimp appeared to reassure him; gradually he relaxed and the grin of fear left his face.