Barack Obama wowed a crowd in Tucson a few days ago. He’s a natural. Here’s how he works any crowd — my observations and photo in a Montana rally a while ago:
Putting aside the dialog — because political dialog is never all that truthful — I watch Obama work the room. He’s a fundamentally charismatic person, handsome and slim and graceful, with a repertoire of measured gestures. He’s always in motion as he talks — shifting the microphone from one hand to the other, back and forth, and using the other hand like a dancer would, to connect himself to everyone and to draw everyone to him.
The Obama arm extends, with the hand in a relaxed fling, then the hand abruptly points — as if he’s pointing to a fact he knows. Thumb up, he’s counting a first point in a series. Then forefinger extended, he counts the second point. Then sweeping his arm around he includes all the facts. When a guy in the audience poses a skeptical question, Obama extends the arm toward the guy open-handed like a welcome. Then he retracts the arm and uses it to touch his own gut as he refers to himself, a physical demonstration of gut-level honesty. Then the arm extends upward with the palm patting a point in the air. All very smooth. He’s a natural, no doubt enhanced by training from professionals and plenty of rehearsals over the years.