True to his latest book title, The Audacity of Hope, Obama is the rare candidate running in '08 whose characteristic emotional state is upbeat. Only Richardson, Romney and Huckabee could likewise be described as primarily positive based on their tendency to smile, and of them Obama's smiles are the truest, longest and the most common. Is Obama so upbeat as to seem naive or out of touch with America's mood? Probably not, given instances when his mouth will tighten up in signs of anger as he discusses the war in Iraq or what he describes as other ill effects of a Bush Administration. Nevertheless, his freshness lives in his smiles and it will be interesting to see if they survive the rigors of the campaign trail.
Facing Off With the Candidates
Candidates in the 2008 presidential race never seem to stop talking, but is it possible that what their facial expressions tell us IS MORE revealing than what they actually say? In a TIME.com experiment Dan Hill, a recognized authority on facial coding, looks into each candidate's eyes for clues to their innermost thoughts.