# Thought I recognized that facial expression **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082 "2012-10-18T00:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nazarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nazarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nazarene)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/1 "2012-10-18T00:18:39Z")
During the debate last night, there was a few times when Obama got this really intense look on his face, that’s unusual for him. A sort of controlled fury where it looked like he might be on the verge of losing his legendary cool. I found some examples [here](http://cdn.eurweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/romney_obama_debate2012-med.jpg), [here](http://weaselzippers.us/wp-content/uploads/154249302-550x366.jpg) and [here](http://blogs-images.forbes.com/giovannirodriguez/files/2012/10/Screen-Shot-2012-10-17-at-8.05.50-AM.png). I remember it particularly during the Bengazi “act of terror” exchange right about when Obama said, “please proceed, Governor.” Like I said, it was an unusual expression for him, kind of scary even, but I thought i had seen it at least once before. After some thinking, I remembered where I’d seen it. It was [here](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Obama_and_Biden_await_updates_on_bin_Laden.jpg). I know one thing, if I worked for Barack Obama, that’s an expression I would never want to see. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/2 "2012-10-18T00:23:55Z")
God that really is a very scary expression \<\_\<. Actually very chilling. I’ve seen that press photo several times but never really noticed it until you just pointed it out. ETA: I might have nightmares!!! I need to stop looking. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/3 "2012-10-18T00:49:05Z")
I think that’s just his inner self screaming “Let me out, let me at him!” while his business self is saying “Not now. Once we’re out of office, you can say everything you’ve had to keep to your self! For now, just sit back down and be quiet.” I could never be a POTUS because my inner self would burst out with “You’re so full of sh\*t!” so often that I’d be impeached pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/4 "2012-10-18T01:01:33Z")
He looks like he is mentally imaging all the various horrific things he wishes he could do to Romney. As a sort of tension relief, of course. I’m not actually implying Obama is a serial killer. (Never can tell what people will take too literally in this forum). ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/5 "2012-10-18T01:26:37Z")
I wonder what kind of post-president Obama will be. Will he go the Bush Sr and Jr routes and just kind of fade away, or will he be more like a Clinton/Carter and still be very involved and influential in diplomacy and politics? For some reason, that face makes me think he won’t want to disappear. I don’t know though! ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/6 "2012-10-18T01:38:42Z")
He ain’t goin’ nowhere. He’s with us for the duration, maybe as Clinton’s Co-President of the World. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/7 "2012-10-18T01:45:24Z")
I actually don’t think those three facial expressions from the debate look anything like the other one. ---
**Author:** ![Nazarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nazarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nazarene)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/8 "2012-10-18T01:45:27Z")
Interesting question. I don’t get the sense he needs the ego gratification of the spotlight, but I also think he’s the type that needs to be busy and involved with something. He’s got that super-achiever mentality. I think he would probably follow a lot of the Clinton template. Write a book, do some speaking tours and find a particular cause to throw himself into. I could see him doing something like chairing the UN too. I guess he could go back to teaching law, if nothing else panned out. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/9 "2012-10-18T01:49:35Z")
> [@Nazarene](#): > > A sort of controlled fury where it looked like he might be on the verge of losing his legendary cool. > … > I know one thing, if I worked for Barack Obama, that’s an expression I would never want to see. Huh? Really? “Controlled fury”? He looks like he’s thinking, “I really do not have time for this nonsense”, but I would not call it controlled fury. Maybe those moments look different live. (I will agree he definitely looks like he wishes he could still send a recalcitrant child to her room.) ---
**Author:** ![Nazarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nazarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nazarene)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/10 "2012-10-18T01:52:13Z")
I couldn’t find a shot of the exact expression I was talking about. It would kind of only flash for a second. Those were the closest I could get. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/11 "2012-10-18T02:05:54Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I wonder what kind of post-president Obama will be. He needs to do at least one comedy tour titled “This is what I really wanted to say” ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/12 "2012-10-18T02:23:19Z")
> [@Enkel](#): > > I think that’s just his inner self screaming “Let me out, let me at him!” while his business self is saying “Not now. Once we’re out of office, you can say everything you’ve had to keep to your self! For now, just sit back down and be quiet.” > > I could never be a POTUS because my inner self would burst out with “You’re so full of sh\*t!” so often that I’d be impeached pretty quickly. What you need is an anger translator. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2\_lc0M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2_lc0M) ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/13 "2012-10-18T02:28:14Z")
> [@Nazarene](#): > > I couldn’t find a shot of the exact expression I was talking about. It would kind of only flash for a second. Those were the closest I could get. Okay, I heard what you are talking about occasionally, a tone of voice. ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/14 "2012-10-18T02:30:50Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > What you need is an anger translator. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2\_lc0M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2_lc0M) Okay, now I want Luther to be part of the next debate. That would be so funny! ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/15 "2012-10-18T02:38:06Z")
> [@Nazarene](#): > > I know one thing, if I worked for Barack Obama, that’s an expression I would never want to see. It would be FAR worse if he had that expression while pronouncing your name at a press conference. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/16 "2012-10-18T02:42:58Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > As a sort of tension relief, of course. I’m not actually implying Obama is a serial killer. (Never can tell what people will take too literally in this forum). Of course he’s not a serial killer, that’d be ridiculous to say. The things he does to those bodies is **art**. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/17 "2012-10-18T03:09:28Z")
Romney would have burst into flames if it were not for the protective counter-stare by his [son](http://imgur.com/a/odbCj). ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/18 "2012-10-18T03:43:24Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Romney would have burst into flames if it were not for the protective counter-stare by his [son](http://imgur.com/a/odbCj). Oh dear Og. I WILL have nightmares tonight!!! ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/19 "2012-10-18T08:37:01Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > What you need is an anger translator. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2\_lc0M](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qv7k2_lc0M) Holy shit, how did I not know about that? Thank you! “I AM NOT A MUSLIM!” ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082/20 "2012-10-18T11:02:44Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Romney would have burst into flames if it were not for the protective counter-stare by his [son](http://imgur.com/a/odbCj). He was in power saver mode. They need to upgrade him to that smirk like Mitt gets so he’s not so scary. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-i-recognized-that-facial-expression/638082.md?page=2)