CONFRONTED WITH A debate challenge from John Kerry, President Bush blinked. And blinked, and blinked, and blinked, and blinked. And the cutaway camera shots that Bush’s handlers did not want the networks to broadcast also caught an embarrassing smorgasbord of smirks that graced the President’s face as Kerry made his case. “Normally, excessive blinking is a sign of discomfort,” said Barbara Laskin of Laskin Media, a Manhattan communications training and consulting firm. “He was uncomfortable and defensive and his blinking and body language reflected that.

“Convinced that Bush’s grimaces are campaign gold, the Democratic National Committee spliced together a video, set it to music, dubbed it “Faces of Frustration” and placed it on its Web site. But frustration isn’t the only thing Gerard Nierenberg, author of “How to Read a Person Like a Book,” saw. “When someone is not sure of the truth, their eyes blink rapidly,” he said. Bush’s eyes didn’t betray him until the end of the debate, said Joseph Tecce, a psychology professor at Boston College who taped the debate and then counted the blinks. Both candidates blinked at a normal rate of 30 to 50 times a minute for most of the back-and-forth. In fact, Kerry blinked more than Bush. But when it came time to sum up, Bush’s blink rate skyrocketed to 109 times a minute while Kerry’s held steady at 48. Unfortunately for Bush, “the last impression is what sticks with people,” Tecce said. Bush’s body language also undermined him, especially when Kerry was speaking, the experts said. The President looked peevish, his shoulders slumped, and at one point he issued a sigh that was nearly Al Gore-worthy in its intensity. “It surprised me he didn’t try to look more engaged when Kerry was talking,” said Maxine Fiel, a Long Island-based communications consultant. “He knew the cameras would be on him. “Maybe he was tired. Maybe he should have taken an afternoon nap.” csiemaszko@edit.nydailynews.com

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