Who Just Got Angrier: Joe Biden or Nancy Pelosi?

If fireworks during the Impeachment hearings aren’t enough evidence that our nation’s politics are super-heated nowadays, welcome to a pair of unlikely outbursts. The first arose because of Joe Biden being confronted by a MSNBC-watching voter in Iowa at a town hall meeting regarding his son’s role in Ukraine. The second was due to Nancy Pelosi being asked by a conservative journalist after a press conference about whether she “hates” Donald Trump.

120919-03 Joe Biden Head Down120919-01 Nancy Pelosi Anger

Which of the two Democratic leaders got angrier, and what have we learned or confirmed regarding their personalities and political chops? The answer to first question is Pelosi. Twice, she showed a more intense version of anger whereby the lips press together so tightly that a bulge forms below the lower lip. But that’s not all. Whereas Biden’s eyes mostly narrowed in anger, the other really vital emotional “grace note” here is that Pelosi showed disgust repeatedly, with either her upper lip flaring or else her lower lip pulling down and sometimes out as well.

120919-02 Nancy Pelosi Disgust

What’s the bottom line here?  Who proved more savvy in a moment of ire? Who displayed the best political chops?

Biden lost at least twice over, first by so often showing sadness (eyes closed, head bowed) in response to the voter’s concerns. It was as if he was surrendering to disappointment at being asked a legitimate question as to what kind of expertise his son brought to the board of that Ukrainian gas company that justified his compensation. Second, deriding a voter (who dislikes Trump) is far worse than brushing off a hostile journalist. Biden might be “proud” of his son’s judgment in taking the easy money, but who will second that motion? Did the gas company hope that by hiring Biden’s son the Obama administration might go soft on it in rooting out corruption?  That seems like a fair assumption, though it’s hardly a major scandal (especially given how Trump’s kids and Jared Kushner behave).

120919-03 Joe Biden Head Down

As to Pelosi, she managed to smile as often as she was angry or disgusted. She showed backbone and fire proportionate to the Constitutional stakes involved. And her disgust was entirely on-emotion, entirely in keeping with invoking her Catholic faith and, hence, revulsion regarding the President’s lack of ethics. Who’s the Democrats’ best street fighter among these two leaders?  Hands down, it’s Pelosi, whose eyes go wide (taking in information, ever alert) while Biden often resorts to closing his own.

120919-04 Nancy Pelosi Eyes Wide