2 of 3

Write now Article Tools

I hope by now you have noticed that your opponent-Sen. Barack Obama-has a special edge that you can't quite lay your finger on.

I watched Sen. Obama on the stump. This man thinks on his feet. He never sounds like he's reciting canned lines. He sounds like he's spinning answers in real time, on the fly.

I saw him parry and slash in an interview with reporters. He's limber on his feet, able to work several ideas at once. He can follow a train of thought-and leave it hanging to answer a tangential question-and then resume and finish his thought. I noticed these things about Sen. Obama and I said to myself: "He's awfully limber. You don't suppose he's l-"

Then I had my confirmation. I saw a picture of Obama signing a t-shirt at a rally. All at once, I understood why Sen. Barack Obama would be so difficult to you to beat-he's left handed.

So what? Yes, I know. You're right handed, Hil. So, it's anathema for you to think that Bill and all these other lefties like John McCain and Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have this special, secret edge.

The true reason for handedness is not known. However, if being left-handed were neutral or detrimental, evolution should have long ago eliminated all left-handed humans. That leaves the possibility that left handedness may have some kind of beneficial effect, that they have some kind of advantage. One theory I have read suggests that left and right-handed people process information differently, for example:

In this theory, right-handers solve problems using analysis, or the process of breaking the problem into its pieces and examining each piece in turn, hoping to thereby understand the problem.

In this theory, left-handers solve problems using synthesis, or the process of connecting the dots to understand the big picture, hoping to thereby understand the problem.

These differing approaches to problem-solving are said to make right-handed persons (with their linear-sequential processing style) uncomfortable jumping to new tasks until they have completed what they are working on now. The left-handed person (with their visual-simultaneous processing style) are perfectly comfortable jumping from one task to another, picking up where they left off and not losing any of the threads. It is this ability that makes lefties like Sen. Obama so formidable.

You've seen this processing style with another left-handed guy-Hil-named Bill Clinton. There's a man who can think on his feet.

Now that lefty Obama is getting help from Oprah Winfrey (yes, lefty) he may be even harder to beat.

For more information on left handedness click here<

Learn more about this author, Tom Hunter.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Why a left-handed Obama will beat a right-handed Clinton?
We want to hear your view. Write now!