Bush Sr.'s Infamous Gesture

Sometimes a candidate says it worst when he says nothing at all. As Bill Clinton talked with an audience member during the country's first town-hall debate in 1992, cameras caught George H. W. Bush checking his watch. Evidently, some habits are hard to kick; at the 2008 Republican National Convention, cameras once again caught Bush Sr. checking his watch — this time during his daughter-in-law's speech. (Bush wouldn't be the last candidate whose silence trumped his speech. Al Gore's endless sighing during the 2000 debate against George W. Bush sparked endless mockery, as did his decision to leave the podium and come within inches of Bush during a response).

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