After all, practice may not make perfect.
After five Republican presidential debates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis still can't bring himself to smile, but he often did during Wednesday's showdown with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley. , their faces naturally light up when they go on the offensive, body language expert Chris Ulrich told The Paper. post.
Viewers of the final Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses, narrowed down to just two candidates after front-runner former President Donald Trump again refused to participate, watched DeSantis and Haley. I was able to take a closer look at its strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies.
“Now that it's a dynamic situation where it's just the two of them, the camera is more laser focused on them,” Ulrich said. “We look at their shortcomings.”
For DeSantis, that meant more shots of him grinning, which Ulrich explained looks forced because his cheekbones and eyes don't meet his mouth. But it also meant he could concentrate his attacks and deliver “very powerful” blows to Haley.
“I think the only time he really laughed was when he attacked,” he said. “When he makes the grab, we can see a genuine smile because he gets applause for it. And they hit — the attack was effective.”
For example, Ms. Ulrich appeared confident and natural when Ms. DeSantis launched one of the strongest attacks on Ms. Haley that night, saying, “You can kick an ambassador out of the United Nations, but you can kick an ambassador out of the United Nations.'' “We cannot kick them out of the United Nations.”
“That was a powerful moment for him that was really powerfully conveyed through open gestures,” Ulrich said. “And after delivering it, he has a self-righteous spirit, a kind of sense of contempt.”
In the five debates, DeSantis appeared more composed, but repeated many of the body language missteps seen in earlier faceoffs.
“DeSantis' consistent flaw is that he's nervous, he's anxious, he doesn't know what to do,” Ulrich said. “His body can sometimes detract from the importance of his message, and he just can't laugh when attacked.”
Meanwhile, Haley spent most of the evening grinning. It started almost at the start, and only emerged after DeSantis made her first attack in her opening remarks, calling her “a foul mouth.”
Haley, the second most popular candidate in the Republican race after Trump, has soared up the rankings in previous debates. But the new stage setup placed Haley within arm's length of her opponent, which could have taken Haley out of the match, Ulrich said.
“We saw body language we'd never seen before. [from her] It was similar in other debates, probably because there was only one other candidate on stage, and maybe because she didn't have an answer to some of these attacks.” said Ulrich.
“We're seeing more contained body language, more grins, more body language that undermines the dignity that she has built in previous debates,” he added.
While some of DeSantis' jabs seemed to hit home for her, Ulrich said Haley's dismayed expression likely struck a different note for her supporters and those on the fence. .
“If you like Haley, you look at that smirk and think, 'Yeah, he's undermining her.' He's trying to undermine her as a candidate,” he said. “If you're wary, you think, 'Wow, she's worried about this and it seems like it's driving her crazy.'”
Additionally, the former South Carolina governor seemed less empathetic than in previous debates, a trait that sets her apart from other Republican presidential candidates. But part of the reason may just be that this was the fifth debate in as many months, Woolwright said.
“Think about it. When we look at presidential candidates, we're looking at 'Are these people competent?'” “Can they handle an attack?” “Are they likable?” Can you have it? And can you empathize with us?'' Ulrich said. “In other debates, she expressed empathy on the abortion issue, but now all of those answers are well-worn.”
Overall, Ulrich said, neither candidate truly won the debate, at least in terms of body language, and both candidates looked much more polished than they did in their first appearance. , he said.
“We're seeing more sophisticated politicians than we did when there were eight people on stage,” Ulrich said. “Both showed strength in moments, but they also had moments of weakness.
