I've watched both of them - and I see where everyone is talking about, but I really do not think it was intentional.
The main reason is, he has extremely long, thin fingers - "piano fingers" my mom would have called them. Before I gained all my weight, my fingers looked much like his (and I do play the piano - I can reach over an octave), my 3 children have the same types of fingers.
The reason I put this picture up (other than I love showing off my daughter every chance I get!) is because she is
supposed to be "shooting" her fingers at the cheer judges. But if you notice, her middle finger is kind of sticking down. Her coach is always getting onto her about her fingers sticking up at odd angles.
My piano teacher was constantly rapping my fingers for sticking up in the air when they weren't on the keys.
Both of my sons (one is 17, one is 5) will scratchg their noses with their middle finger or push his glasses up with his middle finger - because it is the longest.
Mu oldest son has Asperger's and gets really upset with people when they laughg at him for using his middle finger, because he doesn't realize he is doing it and means nothing by it.
I did NOT want Obama as my President, but I'm not going to be upset about little things like this. We can probably find TONS of pictures of other Presidents doing similar things, but it is just not worth the time to go looking. I think it is simply an unconcious motion. But I bet whoever winds up being his Press Secretary brings it to his attention now, and we won't see it anymore!
