The other day while combing through Gov. Rick Perry's Twitter feed (we make our own fun, don't judge) we were jolted by a shocking revelation. Perry, the man with the best head of hair in professional politics, the guy who will burble every advantage in a debate but still manage to pose for a great mug shot, is terrible at the fine art known as the political photo-op.
Perry has been in the political arena for many moons now, so we've always just assumed he had already acquired all of the ridiculous-but-necessary skills required to make it in professional politics. Politicians wishing to appeal to enough of the populous to actually obtain office are more often than not skilled at kissing babies (among other things), shaking hands and smiling with absolute plastic sincerity while posing for photos that are studies at the art of insincere sincerity.
But, judging by his own Twitter feed, Perry seems to have lost the knack. Whether he is throwing his arm around a fellow politician, posing with supporters or just standing against a wall, he almost always looks like he's about to have to take a math test. Don't just take our word for it though. The proof is in the tweets.
In the photo below, Perry is posing Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko, and he could not look any less comfortable if his suit was held together by stick pins pushing directly into his skin.
Met w/ Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seko and talked abt how to expand our economic ties (and baseball) pic.twitter.com/yGP3t7VLgc
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) September 8, 2014
So, so awkward:
Thanks to the Iowa State Troopers working at the fair. Great group of guys! pic.twitter.com/OL0PA6fXvK
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) August 12, 2014
Sort of (but not really) smiling with Florida Gov. Rick Scott:
Proud to be in Fl supporting @ScottforFlorida. A gov who has proven his ability to create jobs and improve education pic.twitter.com/hwTvQmMw5e
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) September 4, 2014
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Not even bothering to smile:
Proud to stand with Tom Thomson, son of legendary former Governor Meldrim Thomson @AFPFNH event in Manchester, NH pic.twitter.com/1eDgkzJ1ei
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) August 22, 2014
And then we realized -- these photos are the ones being tweeted because he's probably always like this in photos! It was a revelation so profound it was downright Newtonian. (Gravity exists! Perry is human!) After all, if Perry really takes such awkward photos on a regular basis, he probably is a real live human under all that hair, and one who -- despite his chosen profession -- doesn't much like to get his picture took. Go figure.
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