from what i remember, they are coached to do it because pointing is seen as too aggressive but not making any hand gestures is too robotic. so its a way to make a non-aggressive emphatic hand gesture.
this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2025
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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!
Which, ironically, makes them seem even more robotic
Only to people who are actually paying attention to a lot of politicians and likely looking exactly this up.
For the majority of the public? it is just "good public speaking".
I miss Obama and other politicians who could actually speak.
Yeah.
Although I recently heard him on Marc Maron's podcast, and was rather disappointed.
He's still far, far more lucid than most other politicians, but he came off as wildly out of touch, which I didn't recall him being 10 years ago.
Oh well, that's the match of time for you.
Well, the man's retired so he can be I suppose? When (if?) I'm able to retire, I plan on being as out of touch as possible :D
you don't remember him ordering grey poupon? Like a french aristocrat?
Oh that's right!
And now I'm remembering his scandalous tan suit!
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Marketing is always the answer.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chironomia
They are taught by "experts" that pointing is an ugly aggressive hand gesture.
It's silly how some of them do this while simultaneously pushing ugly and aggressive policies.
Gotta make those policies seem friendly and non-aggressive!
They’re squeezing their hands like that so they don’t accidentally do the nazi solute again.
That's neat.
Why does that article contain no references more recent than 1806 though. Is it called something else these days? It seems like there should be more modern information on the practice.
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It's one of many gestures that are used by trained public speakers as non-verbal communication cues. Here are some examples, including the one you asked about: https://qz.com/work/1093701/a-guide-to-ted-talk-hands-seven-signature-moves
There are many more beyond those. Using hand gestures in public speaking has been around since at least classical times.
Nobody likes being pointed at. The fist point, then, is a way to underscore an important point without the scolding, accusatory associations of a raised index finger—because it uses a thumb instead. Clinton Thumb works best when paired with an intellectually complex point, making it a TED talk favorite. “It is articulating that you’re focusing on something, and that you’re grasping it cognitively,” body language expert Joe Navarro told Business Insider.
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They all go to Ivy League colleges, and they all take the same public speaking classes.
It's a big club, but we're not in it.
I wanna say I've heard that be referred to as the "Clinton thumb" since Bill Clinton did it a lot when president.
I've heard that before too but being an old bastard, I'm pretty certain Clinton didn't do it until after he was debating Bob Dole. Bob Dole used this gesture because he held a pen during debates. And he held a pen in his non-dominant hand because he had an injury in WWII and the way his hand curled made him look weak.
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There are very few configurations of the hand and fingers that aren't offensive to someone. This one is one of the last few remaining, with "thousand points o' laght", a list that doesn't include "yuge" or the double "okay" sign.
So everyone does it.
"How dare you insult me with your flaccid mockery of a fishing pole grip, you will pay for your insolence"
If you work for a large company, ask around if there is a toastmasters group. If so join it and you will be let in on all the secrets of public speaking.
It's the I'm-pointing-at-you-with-a-pen-but-I-forgot-my-pen gesture.
It’s not a fishing rod, it’s something much more personal
Like... your favourite PH2 driver?
Torx is superior. I could accept Robertson as well.
It is. But everyone needs a dedicated PH2. With torx, a bit set is the better approach.
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Its what you do when you naturally want to point but dont want to be seen as rude and aggressive.
Correct answer right there. Politicians and business people are very aware of their body language. Another rule is never touch your face. When they do, photographers will snap a picture. In the photo they will look frustrated
It's a wand. They are actually enchanting you, the first spell always makes the wand invisible. That's why you never see it.
It's more of a public speaker thing than just a politician thing, but... Well, politicians are all public speakers, so it makes sense that that's the context you've seen it in.
It's literally a practiced gesture - public speaking makes use of some gestures that telegraph well to crowds, but seem unusual otherwise. IIRC, that fishing rod grip is an alternative to gesturing with a fist - it looks less aggressive, but gets the point across.
Jerking themselves off to the idea of fucking their citizens over
Trump just channels his childhood accordion lessons. He doesn't even realize he's doing it.
I always thought it was so comedians can do impressions of them.
"People who are more emotive with their gestures than me must be fake"
"People who are less emotive with their gestures than me are robotic lol"
Most people hold both of those views but have wildly different levels of emotiveness... The result? Posts like this
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.
this could be total bullshit but i wouldnt know. seems legit but ya know? lacks references but has the air of authority
I’m a practicing occultist, so my knowledge of the gesture is from that angle. I’m at work right now, so I can’t drag up the best sources at the moment, but here’s a Wikipedia article about it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_sign
And here is a Wikipedia article about hand gestures that mentions the “Clinton Thumb” under the single handed gestures section:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gestures
I believe I first heard the Masonic political connection from Lon Milo DuQuette, who I believe is a Mason as well as a practicing occultist like myself. He has over 1000 videos on occultism on YouTube, and I think I probably heard it from there as well as other sources about occult hand gestures.
For the record, I’m not saying it is an occult gesture to imply any conspiracy—just that the history of Masonry and other occult interests in politicians over history have led to certain themes and gestures blending in to the common political vernacular.
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Public speaking is a performance and like any performance some people are good at it and some become good at it and some aren't really good at it.
Oh that?
Thats the motion you make when fanning through dollar bills, one handed, to count em.
They're doing a pavlovian reflex everytime they need to remind themselves where their money comes from, and how its time to focus in on delivering ~~shareholder~~ lobbyist value.
You have to do something with your hand. This one's pretty neutral, because it's nothing.
The "counting money" gesture? You still have to ask this?
Remember Biden's "I did that!" (lying) stickers that were placed on gas pumps by maga freaks? It's trivial to put your political opponent in an ad where they are saying something they're not, because pointing is seen as an aggressive gesture by the people coaching them for speeches, debates, etc. So they do the silly thumb-point for emphasis recommended by political strategists...
They learn it at The Bohemian Grove.
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