We’re sorry, we don’t mean to distract from the real substance of President Obama’s sit-down with Bret Baier of Fox News (mostly Baier asking about “deem and pass” and other process issues and Obama responding evasively) … but honestly, we do. Because in some ways ways in which we decline to elaborate what we’re about to discuss is more important. And if not important, then just odd.
What we’re referring to, probably with unwarranted levels of suspense at this point, are the first seventeen seconds of the interview, during which President Obama bobs his head nonstop as Baier asks his opening question. Sure, nodding is a normal thing to do during a conversation; it communicates to the person you’re talking to that you’re paying attention (even though you’re probably not). But this takes reflexive nodding to new heights. Obama starts out with one big nod — or a “quarter-bow,” as the Corner would call it — and then just proceeds to nod his head continuously until he speaks, save for a brief hesitation at the 25-second mark. By our count, it amounted to 28 nods in total.
Maybe he just has that Lady Gaga–Beyoncé song stuck in his head, with the phones? Or he could be watching something entrancing in the background. Seriously, it was getting so creepy, we thought for a moment Baier was going to ask a little demon child to wish Obama into the cornfield. Only if he’s seen that episode of The Twilight Zone, though.
