He Looked Presidential, She Looked Mayoral

(CBS)  Not everything Joe Biden and Sarah Palin said during the vice presidential debate was conveyed in words. Body language counts, too.

On The Early Show Thursday, body language and political imagery expert Joe Navarro, author of "What Every Body Is Saying" and a former FBI criminal profiler, offered his observations of the candidates' non-verbal communications during their face-off.

"I thought they did really well," Navarro told co-anchor Harry Smith, "you know, so much different than the presidential debate we just saw, where you saw a lot of tension, you saw a lot of distancing between the major players. Here ... they shook hands very closely. They deliberated for quite a bit of time. And there was a significant difference in how they cease addressed each other: They faced each other.

Asked by Smith if Palin seemed more aggressive in terms of how she addressed Biden, Navarro responded, "I think she had an agenda of things she had to get out verbally. And so, you know, she was trying to get that message out. Aggression? I don't think she was as aggressive as some people thought she might be."

Biden, said Navarro, "looked very confident. He looked very attentive to details. He was -- it was a great performance. We've seen him before Congress before and he's always very dynamic, and he held to very short statements, so it was -- somebody got a hold of him! But we listened time to him, because he changed his (sometimes longwinded) manner."

"On the other side of the coin," Smith remarked, "there was a very low bar for Sarah Palin to get over. There was a lot of curiosity how she would do. She didn't so well in some of these interviews the last week or two. What'd she do last night?"

"She did remarkably well," Navarro replied, "and I'll tell you why. Because there was a national/international audience. There was so much pressure on her. Joe Biden is a tough person to go up against and she held up extremely well."

"There was a lot of sort of nervous smiling last night," Smith said.

What did Biden's smile tell Navarro?

"We use that nervous smile to shield us when we're under a little bit of stress and so forth. Everybody does it, and some people hold it longer than others, but it's very useful for that."

Smith said, "The pundits graded it as a draw. But on the overnight polling, it tended to favor Biden by a significant margin. Why would that have been?"

"One of the things we look for is comfort and discomfort," Navarro explained. "He made us feel comfortable. He looked presidential. She looked mayoral."

[june4x4]

I would hope that the people could see what is in front of them. Obama/Biden and Osama Bin Ladin, I mean what is the difference? Our Government put Saddam Hussain into office, and now we are going to put Obama in office. I should hope not. As far as our economy is concerned, it is not going to matter who gets into office. Our Government will make all final decissions, the President''s are just puppets following along with what our Government tells them.

[lolosalazar]

Do you really think Obama is ready to be President? Come on people, he is no more qualified than Palin, yet you question her abilities? What a laugh! And how childish to make fun of soemone''s choice of words...then again, that seems to be the LIBERAL way!

[david393071]

As a foreigner told me, ""U" Stupid of America, means USA." I almost shot him. I thought he was an insurgent. I had my pistol to his head. Panicked he explained. He was right.

All of you are going to elect a President and Vice President based on appearance. Not on Performance (record). Not what they say, not what they look like, but what they have done.

So now you want to elect another President and Vice President based on appearance, like the President Bush (both of them). Yes, "U" Stupid of America.

Look at who owns the Politicians, Lawmakers, Justice Department, US Military, etc.. Corporations Incorporated at Delaware protected by the Court Of Chancery.

Especially, who owns the two corporate lawyers. What are lawyers trained to do? Twist the facts to match what they want the facts to be. Trained in oration.

[LFforMcCain]

The American people need to know what socialist & radical views Mr. Obama may be harboring beneath his fine teleprompter speeches. Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel did a wonderful piece on Obama & his radical friends tonight. Please explain why no one in Obama-medialand is willing to do the same! John McCain & Sarah Palin have every right to help us see the light & put down the kool-aide before it is too late for our country! The information on Obama is all too clear & easily found. Why do you spend more time trying to knock McCain out instead of protecting the American people from the radical left!? You%u2019re supposed to report the news, not sway the election.

[kopana]

Carly---

If it is beauty you seek in a potential leader...then you are just another one of the stupid masses that send their children off to war that has no known purpose, gets to pay more taxes than the rich or super rich, has trouble affording education for your offspring, has no real health care in the event you are ever really sick...You are one sorry individual, if you think Ms. Palin really gives any intellectual thought about our nation and it''s people...she is power hungry,(one to expand constutional powers to VP position, stupid in her ready assessment of the BUSH and MCSame position that US Troops may never see an end date to the WAR....THE mission there has been a dismal failure we have managed to destroy a country and their culture(ie., the IRAQ Museum was destory after thousands of years that its treasures were intact by the Iraq people. Please get more informed about the issues and do not be brainwashed about the Ms. Palin and her supposed beauty. (First, please be for real.... she is a 40ies year old women of five kids for gods sake....)I would rather have Ms. Clinton who is far superior in experience, intellect, and wisdom) VOTE SMARTER, OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[dibs977]

And all during the debate with Biden, Palin''s bangs were caught on the eye lashes of her left eye---very distracting---like a lot of high school girls do---keep their bangs long and in their eyes---please please---get that woman out of office forever. Golly gee but she is a hateful, stupid, power hungry mess.

[dibs977]

Golly gee---but she is a maverick--you getcha. What a creep Palin is. And she did not say, "May I call you Jo?"---she said, "Can I call you Jo?" Poor grammar. It seemed like she was trying to intimidate him or somthing---right off the bat. But the move lacked dignity and respect for the situation and her motive seemed cheap. Please--Stop the insanity. How anyone can vote for that woman is beyond me---and folks, there are many women who are much prettier than her, everywhere---I just don''t get it that some people keep talking about her looks. If she was not a governor, no one would even think twice about her looks. Nothing special.

[redsongia]

I love Joe Biden ;)

[loudyk]

Palin IS mayoral(of a town only, not a city) and she''ll never be anything more. When she gets back to Alaska, she''ll probably just finish out her term and not be re-elected. The folks up there are probably feeling pretty snookered right now....yea, you betcha! wink*wink.

[jsalern3]

CarlyLaine: We get it. Your problem is that you don''t speak English or understand numbers. Those of us that learned our numbers in school can figure it out. Calm down and drink some nice hot tea. Those bad Republican were''t really your friends, but they will be gone son.