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Is it an affectation that they're trained to deploy? (If so, why?) Or is it just a natural thing that happens in the very specific circumstance of being a politician on the campaign trail, and that's why no one else seems to do it?
I don't think I've seen it in any other context 🤔
Cheers!
Esoterically speaking, it is a modification of the sign of the fig—a vaginal hand symbol indicating that you are creating with your words. The traditional sign of the fig has the thumb placed between the index and middle finger, which you see Bill Clinton do a lot. Others put the thumb on top, I imagine for plausible deniability of being satanic or something. The gesture is very old, going back to Ancient Greece or earlier.
Historically, politicians have been influenced by groups such as the Masons and the Rosicrucians who would have been aware of the meaning of these gestures, and then it filters down over time to become standard political gestures for people who aren’t aware of their origin.
The gesture is very old because, and I know this is a wild unsubstantiated theory, it's a pretty natural and organic way to hold your hand when speaking to or before a large group? I suppose magic makes more sense.
These gestures aren’t exclusive to any particular group—part of the reason they last is that they are easy to discover multiple times and use in multiple ways, plus they seem somewhat natural. It’s similar to how the “devil horns” gesture can also be seen as an owl, a longhorn, or an I Love You. They’re multi-purpose, which is part of why they end up being commonly used.
I’m not suggesting that everyone who uses the sign of the fig is using it in a Masonic or occult way, but rather that some politicians probably picked it up from that background and began using it, and then it was copied by other politicians who liked their style. Eventually, it just becomes a standard political gesture, and only some politicians would be aware of its roots.
It’s possible that they just came up with it independently and copied each other, but if that were the case, I’d expect to see more closed fists with the thumb around the fingers mixed in rather than them synchronizing to the thumb on top (the “fishing reel” as described in this post). This is just my theory—I never had the chance to ask Bill Clinton where his thumb gesture came from, but it aligns with what we know about the connections between American politics and Masonry.
Edit: Here is a good photo of Clinton with his thumb on the middle finger. He did it more commonly in his earlier years, later changing it to the thumb on top with his pointer knuckle jutting out as a base:
https://media.gettyimages.com/id/50372601/photo/bill-clinton-and-hillary-rodham-clinton.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=i2AwLQrnLVW64MFRCNF1_fRJN2D_gNeVo5PE-7L_sFM%3D
And Clinton likely picked it up from Bob dole..
The Wikipedia article that talks about the Clinton thumb theorizes it is from JFK.
Fair. I appreciate your reasonable and informative reply to my admittedly more than a bit snarky post!