Politico: Obama Doesn't Go Anywhere Without His Teleprompter...

[posty 2,296]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/19663.html

 

President Barack Obama doesn’t go anywhere without his TelePrompter.

 

The textbook-sized panes of glass holding the president’s prepared remarks follow him wherever he speaks.

 

Resting on top of a tall, narrow pole, they flank his podium during speeches in the White House’s stately parlors. They stood next to him on the floor of a manufacturing plant in Indiana as he pitched his economic stimulus plan. They traveled to the Department of Transportation this week and were in the Capitol Rotunda last month when he paid tribute to Abraham Lincoln in six-minute prepared remarks.

 

Obama’s reliance on the teleprompter is unusual — not only because he is famous for his oratory, but because no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small.

 

After the teleprompter malfunctioned a few times last summer and Obama delivered some less-than-soaring speeches, reports surfaced that he was training to wean himself off of the device while on vacation in Hawaii. But no such luck.

 

His use of the teleprompter makes work tricky for the television crews and photographers trying to capture an image of the president announcing a new Cabinet secretary or housing plan without a pane of glass blocking his face. And it is a startling sight to see such sleek, modern technology set against the mahogany doors and Bohemian crystal chandeliers in the East Room or the marble columns of the Grand Foyer.

 

“It’s just something presidents haven’t done,” said Martha Joynt Kumar, a presidential historian who has held court in the White House since December 1975. “It’s jarring to the eye. In a way, it stands in the middle between the audience and the president because his eye is on the teleprompter.”

 

Just how much of a crutch the teleprompter has become for Obama was on sharp display during his latest commerce secretary announcement. The president spoke from a teleprompter in the ornate Indian Treaty Room for a few minutes. Then Gov. Gary Locke stepped to the podium and pulled out a piece of paper for reference.

 

The president’s teleprompter also elicited some uncomfortable laughter after he announced Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as his choice for Health and Human Services secretary. “Kathy,” Obama said, turning the podium over to Sebelius, who waited at the microphone for an awkward few seconds while the teleprompters were lowered to the floor and the television cameras rolled.

 

Obama has relied on a teleprompter through even the shortest announcements and when repeating the same lines on his economic stimulus plan that he's been saying for months — whereas past presidents have mostly worked off of notes on the podium except during major speeches, such as the State of the Union.

 

Ari Fleischer, a former spokesman for George W. Bush, said while it’s entirely a matter of personal style, using a teleprompter at these smaller events has its drawbacks.

 

“It removes you from the audience in the room,” Fleischer said. When speaking from notes, Fleischer said, the president can pick up his head and make eye contact with those in the audience, as opposed to focusing on the teleprompter to his left and right.

 

Bush, Fleischer added, “would use the teleprompter for his major big events, but when he would travel around the country or do events, he would almost always work off of large index cards.”

 

The White House says Obama’s point of reference is insignificant.

 

"Whether one uses note cards or a teleprompter, the American people are a lot more concerned about the plans relayed than the method of delivery. This is not always true of the media," said Bill Burton, deputy press secretary.

 

Obama has never tried to hide his use of a teleprompter. It was a mainstay during the final months of his campaign. He brought it to county fairs and campaign rallies alike — and once had it set up in the ring at a rodeo.

 

In a break from his routine, Obama did not use a teleprompter during his pre-Inauguration speech at a factory in Bedford Heights, Ohio — and his delivery seemed to suffer. He paused too long at parts. He accentuated the wrong words. And overall he sounded hesitant and halting as he spoke from the prepared remarks on the podium.

 

As president, the stakes in what he says are higher. Governing is not campaigning, and, as a former first-term senator, Obama has not held a previous elected position where his words carried even close to this level of influence.

 

“In this kind of environment, you don’t want to make mistakes — on the economy you’re talking about doing things that affect the markets,” Kumar said.

 

But be it extra precaution, style or a mental crutch, Obama has shown in the past that he needs the teleprompter. And while he still has his prepared remarks placed on the podium in a leather folder, the White House has shown no sign of trying to wean him off of it.

 

Before Obama entered a room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Wednesday to announce his crackdown on defense contracts, a CNN reporter asked an Obama aide if the teleprompter could be moved further away from the podium or lowered. The answer was an unequivocal ‘no.’

 

“He uses them to death,” a television crewmember who also covered the White House under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush said of the teleprompter. “The problem is, he never looks at you. He’s looking left, right, left, right — not at the camera. It’s almost like he’s not making eye contact with the American people.”

 

Wednesday’s event posed another scenario photographers and television crews have to work around. Obama had five others join him at the announcement, including Sen. John McCain. The takeaway shot was of Obama and McCain. But the teleprompter on Obama’s left was almost directly in front of McCain.

 

“You couldn’t get a good angle on him with McCain,” said a White House photographer who also covered Bush. “So if there’s someone else important in the frame, it’s hard to get a shot without the teleprompter.”

[Snoopy1 0]

He's got a lot nicer teleprompter than we use.

[wiffleball 4,645]

“It’s just something presidents haven’t done,”

 

WTF? Who the fock wrote this? Is he functionally retarded?

[remote controller 133]

He is horrible without it.

[Vikings4ever 496]

He is horrible without it.

 

His Q&A during the stimulus address was great evidence of it. He... would... pause every few... words.... so he didn't... make... a mistake.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

 

His Q&A during the stimulus address was great evidence of it. He... would... pause every few... words.... so he didn't... make... a mistake.

 

Heaven forbid that the President of the United States should measure his answer and speak deliberately when asked a question.

 

I mean, I miss the days of a functional retard inventing words every other sentence. At least that was entertaining.

[remote controller 133]

 

His Q&A during the stimulus address was great evidence of it. He... would... pause every few... words.... so he didn't... make... a mistake.

He has to to avoid the ....uhhhhhhhhs, and the ummmmmmms. He cannot think on his feet and get the words out. He needs to write it down and read it.

[wiffleball 4,645]

 

His Q&A during the stimulus address was great evidence of it. He... would... pause every few... words.... so he didn't... make... a mistake.

 

His pausing is a little offputting, but I like the fact that he's actually a deliberative guy. He's at least thinking. I compare that to how quickly Palin answered her questions - but had nothing to say. Still, he should be coached out of that. You listen to the question. You wait. ... Until you have composed a complete answer in your head.

 

Rahm's been around a long time. He should be on top of this shiit, but there's been a few rook mistakes like that that surprise me.

 

But given what he's gotten done / proposed in a short period of time, a few..pauses...to actually THINK.... Isn't the worst thing in the world.

[Strike 3,979]

Heaven forbid that the President of the United States should measure his answer and speak deliberately when asked a question.

 

I mean, I miss the days of a functional retard inventing words every other sentence. At least that was entertaining.

 

Agreed. Both lied so it's not like we were getting anything of value from their conferences. Might as well be entertained.

[kutulu 1,548]

As soon as his speech writer types something up and his teleprompter gets back from the shop, Obama plans on addressing these allegations, stat.

[posty 2,296]

His pausing is a little offputting, but I like the fact that he's actually a deliberative guy. He's at least thinking.

 

He is pausing to try to sound more center than as a socialist...

[KSB2424 3,083]

Much to do about nothing really.

[Vikings4ever 496]

His pausing is a little offputting, but I like the fact that he's actually a deliberative guy. He's at least thinking. I compare that to how quickly Palin answered her questions - but had nothing to say. Still, he should be coached out of that. You listen to the question. You wait. ... Until you have composed a complete answer in your head.

I would have no problem if he would pause before he started answering. But his constant pauses in midsentence makes it seem like he's so afraid of a Bushism that he'd rather spend half his speech saying nothing than making the occasional slip of the tongue.

[pimptastic69 0]

I would have no problem if he would pause before he started answering. But his constant pauses in midsentence makes it seem like he's so afraid of a Bushism that he'd rather spend half his speech saying nothing than making the occasional slip of the tongue.

 

Meh. No one cares that he drank a beer at the Wizards game, I'm sure no one will care if he lets a "know what I'm sayin" slip out.

[FranksTanks 0]

He was just speaking live, they panned out a few times and the teleprompters were no where to be seen.

http://www.healthreform.gov/video/room1.html

 

So I guess the title of this article only applies when applicable.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I wonder if he has one in his bedroom so he can tell Michelle goodnight without a dozen uhs, and ums.

[NewbieJr 540]

 

Keep reaching, guys. eventually, something you post will actually be relevant. What's next? An article about how his socks don't always match?

 

Fight the good fight, fellas.

[posty 2,296]

http://yzss6g.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pSzW...eOvalOffice.jpg

[surferskin 30]

Obama’s Crutch — Why Is He So Afraid of Speaking Without a Teleprompter?

 

By John R. Lott, Jr.

Author, Freedomnomics/Senior Research Scientist, University of Maryland

 

Late night comedians have had a difficult problem. Presidents are usually the source of most late night joke, but comedians are having a hard time finding any material to make jokes about President Obama. This isn’t anything new, it was also true during the campaign.

 

Possibly they just need some help. Could you imagine if Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush had used a teleprompter to answer questions during a press conference? The late night joke writers wouldn’t have let it go until the President gave in to the merciless ridicule as he was painted as an idiot who couldn’t tie his shoes without being fed instructions on how to do it.

 

While people who watched Obama’s first national press conference noticed his use of a teleprompter to give his initial presentation as well as in answering questions, the media and late night joke writers completely ignored it. The American Spectator notes that in many events:

 

…down to many of the questions and the answers to those questions … [t]eleprompter screens at the events scrolled not only his opening remarks, but also statistics and information he could use to answer questions.

 

Apparently, Obama is looking to install a computer screen into the White House podiums so that, according to one Obama advisor, “It would make it easier for the comms guys to pass along information without being obvious about it.” [Emphasis added.] Obama’s aides would put together answers to a large number of possible questions so as soon as a reporter asks a particular question the computer screen could flash talking points to remind Obama how he’s supposed to respond to that question.

 

Finally the Web site Politico broke the silence this week and pointed out that not only has “no other president has used one so consistently and at so many events, large and small,” but that it has become an embarrassing “crutch.” The comic potential with the examples provided by the Politico article seem endless.

 

For example, when Obama was introducing Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head Health and Human Services, there was an awkward silence between Obama’s and Sebelius’ presentations as everyone had to wait for the teleprompters to be lowered to be moved out of the way. In other cases, it has apparently been quite obvious to everyone at certain events that the teleprompter is there only for Obama and not for any of the other speakers.

 

It is kinda sad when audiences notice the jokes that the late night comedians miss.

 

But there is one advantage that Obama gets from the teleprompter. He can always blame whoever wrote the answer when they turn out to be wrong.

 

 

Wow, can it be more obvious that this guy is just an empty suit? Now his staff is feeding him answers at press conferences?? Holy shat.

[GettnHuge 1]

He has to to avoid the ....uhhhhhhhhs, and the ummmmmmms. He cannot think on his feet and get the words out. He needs to write it down and read it.

 

I disagree, between the uhhhss and ummmmms without the prompter he might actually say the truth.

spread the wealth around

[Rattlesnake 0]

 

Keep reaching, guys. eventually, something you post will actually be relevant. What's next? An article about how his socks don't always match?

 

Fight the good fight, fellas.

 

It's funny how people have gotten so used to politicians (on both sides) immediately answering questions, with the standard party lines, and they believe that means that the individual is somehow correct or more competent. Because someone pauses to think and process, this means that their answers are less credible.

 

Obama's 100 times more intelligent than all of the dolts on this board combined.

[Recliner Pilot 61]

Obama's 100 times more intelligent than all of the dolts on this board combined.

 

Since the only dolts on this bored are the Obamabots you may be right...........still doesn't mean he is smart.

[posty 2,296]

It's funny how people have gotten so used to politicians (on both sides) immediately answering questions, with the standard party lines, and they believe that means that the individual is somehow correct or more competent. Because someone pauses to think and process, this means that their answers are less credible.

 

Obama's 100 times more intelligent than all of the dolts on this board combined.

 

He is pausing to sound more center instead of telling everyone his socialist beliefs...

[surferskin 30]

Actually, now it looks like he's pausing to read the "correct" answers.

[RLLD 3,455]

He is horrible without it.

 

Agreed. If their goal is to inspire confidence, he should not be allowed to speak without it. We are so accustomed to observing him speak with confidence and cool that watching him struggle without the teleprompter sends the signal that he is unsure. Additionally, you can see a direct comparison between he and Bush sans the teleprompter, and hopefully his handlers understand the rap Bush got for his non-teleprompter speaking....lol

[Recliner Pilot 61]

I swear if someone hacked into his teleprompter they could have him tap dancing and singing Mr. Bojangles.

[Lackman 0]

And I'm Barack Obama. Go fock yourself, San Diego.

[Vikings4ever 496]

I swear if someone hacked into his teleprompter they could have him tap dancing and singing Mr. Bojangles.

Or pull a Charles Barkley