I think the whole arm debacle is kind of silly. Do we really have to watch our arms that closely so as to not accidentally perform any tabooed arm gestures?
Well,
we don't, generally,* but there's be an argument that public figures in front of crowds might want to be a bit more aware of how what they're doing (intentionally or not) can be interpreted than the average joe blow. Like, yeah, I'm not going to let a POTUS get away with accidentally doing a nazi salute (or just much of anything that looks
like it, really) in germany or somethin'. You get less chances to say oops on stuff that bloody basic when you're a major politician.
It's perhaps unfair, but considering the amount of power these people are jockeying for I'm not sure the heightened standards aren't appropriate, particularly when it comes to those sorts of communication issues. If you can't manage to
not make easily misinterpreted arm gestures, I'm probably going going to count that as a point against, m'self, at least if you're on a stage or addressing the nation or whatever. There's a lot of things I'll consider mitigating circumstances or relatively irrelevant for a politician but that's kinda' really basic in the worst sort of way for a public figure. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's something that you look at a politician, particularly one that's going to be doing much that involves interpersonal communication, and think
maybe they need to find a less public position to help the country out and it might just be a good idea to keep them far far away from anything involving public speaking or diplomacy or things of that nature.
*Though sometimes, yes, you kinda' do. You
may have trouble convincing an authority figure or whathaveyou that you
weren't intending to flip them off when you incidentally extend your middle finger for whatever other reason, ferex. Pointing, adjusting glasses, whatever. I've actually got in trouble a couple times in my life for not paying attention to the latter, heh.