# Why Do So Many Politicians Point With Their Thumbs For Emphasis?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 6, 2004, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976 "2004-01-06T08:34:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/1 "2004-01-06T08:34:45Z")

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Anyone have any idea which politician started this practice? Is it relatively new? Or has it been around for ages?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![trabi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecae2f/32.png) [@trabi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trabi)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/2 "2004-01-06T09:27:34Z")

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Do they? I hadn’t really noticed.

Just a wild guess, but possibly it’s something they’re trained to do by their PR consultants. Perhaps its considered less confrontational/rude than pointing with a finger. I remember seeing a documentary ages ago which mentioned that from Thatcher onwards a lot of British politicians went to classes on what gestures to make when giving speeches etc.

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**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/3 "2004-01-06T11:38:55Z")

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Pointing with a single finger is considered a “weak” gesture. I’ve noticed public speakers using a doubled-fingered point instead. I’ve not noticed the thumb thing, does GW do it?

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**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/4 "2004-01-06T11:48:56Z")

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Is it because using a thumb to point means you can simultaneously make a fist? You are signaling purpose and direction (the pointing) and strength (the fist).

Of course, the whole pointing thing is riddled with phallic symbolism. 🙂

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**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/5 "2004-01-06T12:23:07Z")

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I deny the premise. Please demonstrate that more than oh… a half-dozen politicans do this regularly.

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**Author:** ![Zoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6de8d8/32.png) [@Zoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoff)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/6 "2004-01-06T12:56:44Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by trabi_  
> Perhaps its considered less confrontational/rude than pointing with a finger.

I read an article several years ago that said this was the reason. Pointing the pointer finger at the crowd is interpreted as confrontational/aggressive/rude so they point with thumbs which give emphasis without turning off the crowd.

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**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\
**Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-politicians-point-with-their-thumbs-for-emphasis/222976/7 "2004-01-06T16:13:09Z")

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I read the same thing **Zoff** did I guess. Pointing is confrontational;pure fist is aggressive; thumb pointing is tempered assertiveness and optimism.