When he spoke, he seemed to pause for abnormally long periods, and his eyes would shift as if he was listening to something. I thought perhaps he had a miniature earpiece by which somebody was helping him. Is this a common tool that presidents use?
Well President Palmer used one at a live debate in a recent episode of 24…
I didn’t notice anything in his ears either. My guess is that the long pauses in his responses were because it was a live news conference and he didn’t have much advanced notice of the specific questions that were to be asked.
I imagine by now they have developed ear pieces that are nearly undetectable. Wouldn’t surprise me if he had one in though it certainly didn’t help him any, the man bumbled his way through the entire thing, it was embarassing.
Well, if it was noticable, this would be a pretty dumb question, wouldn’t it? Sorry I didn’t fill in all the blanks for you, but technology has advanced to the point where it is possible to wear a listening device that is indetectable. It was difficult to see my grandfather’s cheap hearing aid unless you looked real closely, and he died 10 years ago. So I’m thinking that the president of the US would have access to somrthing slightly more advanced. I could be wrong though.
geeeeez, that’s why I suggested that he might have a brain implant. :rolleyes:
I thought he always does that – every time he talks it’s like he’s listening and repeating. It explains some of the stumbling and mis-speaking. I think the guy is just an empty suit.
Gotta put something in that head of his…
Would it be feasable for a member of the press corp to carry a little wide-spectrum radio receiver to record any hypothetical prompting? Or would that open them up to prosecution for espionage or somesuch?
Based upon his performance, we can rule out “help”. Unless he lined up a helper who was an unprepared, ineloquent, babbling moron.
Sometimes, it appeared more like he was reading from a prompter in his podium. Perhaps an aide was typing in key phrases to previously rehearsed responses, or an outright answer for the President to read? Is this a possibility?
More likely that he was straining to recall the wording that was given to him in his prep-session. “Now Mister President, when a press member asks you about <this subject>, you say <this vetted answer>.” Making sure he told the literal truth, regardless of how much he needed to spin it.
I seriously doubt he had any real-time ear prompting. There was a portion of the Q&A where he was grasping for the word “kidnappers” or “hostages” or something of that nature (I forget). He was hemming and hawing like mad hoping it would come to him. I remember the episode because I yelled the word at the screen to release my frustration with his grasping. He never did find the exact term he wanted, but fudged around the concept. If he had a real-time earpiece prompter, they would have fed him the word.
I would accept this answer more easily than an earphone, since teleprompters are already in widespread use, and universally accepted by press and audiences. Even the little reflectors that appear are now ignored.
And as an experienced Toastmaster, I have to say it’s considerably easier to read a script or notes while speaking than to listen to verbal prompts while speaking.
Now, that said, it’s technically possible to insert a receiver and speaker in the tooth, and use bone conduction, thereby eliminating any visible sign of a receiver or earphone.
Voice: And from now on, George, stop looking for WMDs!
GWB: It IS God!
I always believed Bush ultimately follows the voices in his head, myself.
Aren’t all these press conferences scripted anyway? I thought that was standard practice…
He couldn’t possibly have been reading from a teleprompter.
His lips weren’t moving.
I don’t think the questions were scripted by the Whitehouse, or the questions vetted beforehand. His staff likely prepared him for possible questions, but based on GWB’s responses I’d have to say he didn’t have pat answers memorized.