Today I was on CNN Headline news and Fox news talking about Senator McCain’s Body Language as he responded to the New York Times story of his alleged affair with a lobbyist. The big question did him have and affair and did that because him have any improprieties with public policy. Bottom line is this statement did not indicate that he did. Unlike the Roger Clemmons Testimony I analyzed last week were Roger in which Roger was angry and upset and had multiple deception cues like Drawbridge tongue and lip erasures McCain was even and calm in his responses. Not to calm and restrained not angry…extremes on either emotional end would have made me suspicious as when someone is lying their behavior tends to go to the extreme of their normal demeanor.
While McCain did not show clear deception cues he did have a few telling and rather interesting nervousness cues. First in his statement. “At no time have I ever done anything to betray the public trust … or make any decisions ... anything ... public.
He vocally punched up the words ever, anything, public, decisions and the final public.
He also pushed his head forward as he said most of those words. The most punched was the word public on public trust. Politicians and liars choose their words carefully. He didn’t make any DECISIONS... to Betray PUBLIC trust. This still leaves him an opening to have had actions that betrayed a private trust.
Next discussing the New York Times article, McCain said “…I am very disappointed in the New York Times article It’s not true. He used the contraction It’s rather than it is not true. Lies tend to want to emphasize the no or that not in this statement he used that contraction of a truth teller. In the next question did his staff talk to him about appearing to be to close to a lobbyist he said nodded his head no first then said no showing his feelings before saying his feeling an indication of honesty. Asked, “No meeting ( with staffers about it) ever occurred he again shook no then said no and as he did he showed his one small tell of anger shut his mouth tightly to hold in his mad face and then his cheeks puffed up with all the surprised anger.
Did you ever have such a relationship (romantic) he shuts his eyes says no shuts his eyes again them grimaces. Showing his displeasure with being asked the question but no clear indications of deceit. Concerning a relationship. When asked, “Do you feel that in?
Terms of your relationship you were closer with her than others? He responded by shaking his and simultaneously saying not and his voice got softer on the no, showing their may be a question in his mind about what Closer Relationship with other might mean. Think of the significance of Clinton’s word choice I did not have sexual relations with that women. But even these cues did not show clear deceit.
As he talked about the letters he wrote to the FCC his voice and body language were calm, again no restrained or overly tense as he said he explained why he did nothing inappropriate. He certainly was telling the truth about that.