# Bob Dole... WTF???? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721 "2001-10-26T04:27:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/1 "2001-10-26T04:27:18Z")
What the hell is up with Bob Dole always clutching, what appears to be, a pen in his right hand?? I have been to the movies a lot this past season, and was infinitely inundated by that Britney Spears Pepsi ad. At the end of the ad, Bob is sitting with that pen in his hand, and says “easy boy” to his dog. And I am left thinking: “He’s supposed to be watching tv, drinking pop, and chilling with his dog, WTF does he need a pen for?” Also, the other night I was watching a SNL re-run, and Norm MacDonald was impersonating Bob Dole, and again he (as bogus Bob) was clutching that damn pen. Is this supposed Bob Dole’s “gimmick?” (e.g.: Schwarzenegger has “I’ll be back,” and The Rock has “The People’s Eyebrow,” Carson had the golf swing, and so on…) ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/2 "2001-10-26T04:49:08Z")
Well, Bob Dole has a war injury that affects the movement of one of his hands, so maybe he holds the pen so that it doesn’t look so totally bizarre that his hand is clenched all the time? Just a guess, I actually have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/3 "2001-10-26T04:51:33Z")
Jesus, MSK. Are you trying to put your foot in your mouth in every forum? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/4 "2001-10-26T04:53:56Z")
Actually, Bob Dole lost part of one arm during the war. What you are seeing is a prosthesis. I guess they put the pen in their in the attempt to make it look more realistic, or perhaps he can control it enough to write with that arm, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/5 "2001-10-26T04:54:02Z")
Due to a war injury, Bob’s right hand is highly screwed up. He can’t do much of anything with it, and it hurts when people touch it. Unfortunately, he’s a politician – a job that involves lots of handshakes. He carries the pen so that nobody ever reaches for his right hand, and he can use his left as the “glad hand.” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/6 "2001-10-26T04:55:33Z")
MsWhatsit is correct. though it’s not that he can’t move his hand, it’s that it’s very painful to do. While he was Senator he would mostly schedule meetings in the morning because you did NOT want to meet with him by the afternoon. At that point, the pain would get quite strong and he would be very irritable. Anyway, MSK, that answers the question, somewhat. He does it as a gimmick, I suppose, but mostly out of habit and as a way of coping with his disability. I’m not going to berate you for this thread. You asked, while sarcastically, out of ignorance, and that’s what this board is designed for. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/7 "2001-10-26T05:01:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ShibbOleth \* > \*\*Actually, Bob Dole lost part of one arm during the war. What you are seeing is a prosthesis. I guess they put the pen in their in the attempt to make it look more realistic, or perhaps he can control it enough to write with that arm, I don’t know. \*\* Oops, this is not Bob Dole’s prothesis. Apparently he did not lose the arm, just the use of the hand. Here’s more on the pen, from the Washington Post: > [@](#): > > Fifty years he’s dreamed of repairing himself, and still the right arm hangs limp, emaciated, 2 1/2 inches shorter than the other arm, his fingers molded around a black felt-tip pen all day to keep them from spidering open. ---
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/8 "2001-10-26T05:12:46Z")
I honestly never knew, nor suspected, that Bob Dole had any form of disability whatsoever. I always thought he was just a “regular” guy. I guess that shows how much attention I pay to politics and poilitical figures. :o Sorry, folks [sub]quietly motions voguevixen aside, “We need to talk.”[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/9 "2001-10-26T05:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MagicalSilverKey \* > \*\* > > [sub]quietly motions voguevixen aside, “We need to talk.”[/sub] \*\* No thank you, MSK. If I wanted to talk to you I wouldn’t have you on my AIM “block” list. ---
**Author:** ![MagicalSilverKey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@MagicalSilverKey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicalSilverKey)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bob-dole-wtf/89721/10 "2001-10-26T05:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by voguevixen \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by MagicalSilverKey \* > > \*\* > > > > [sub]quietly motions voguevixen aside, “We need to talk.”[/sub] \*\* > > No thank you, MSK. If I wanted to talk to you I wouldn’t have you on my AIM “block” list. \*\* voguevixen, I’m not ceratin what inspired your motive, however,I am remorseful that you feel this way and have taken said action. FWIW there are no hard feelings on my end.