A Smart Politics analysis of the first presidential debate finds that President Obama blinked at a rate of 70.8 times per minute while speaking and tallied 1,000 more blinks than Mitt Romney during the broadcast. Romney blinked at a rate of 52.8 per minute.
“Various external factors can contribute to elevated blinking rates, such as wearing contacts or, in this case, perhaps the bright lights of the staged televised event. And, of course, some individuals may experience an increased rate simply due to nerves or being placed in an uncomfortable situation.”
The Daily reports that Boston College psychophysiologist Joseph Tecce has
found that since 1980, the candidate who blinks the least during the
televised debates has gone on to win the popular vote.
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