# Did Clinton have outside help during the debate? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 28, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114 "2016-09-28T13:16:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/1 "2016-09-28T13:16:33Z")
I’ve just seen on Facebook that in a recent speech Clinton was wearing what appeared at first glance to be a pendant ear ring but if you zoom in, is actually an earpiece, presumably with the transmitter / receiver in the small pendant. So I’m wondering if she got outside help during the debate? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/2 "2016-09-28T13:20:06Z")
Oh goodie. Another conspiracy theory. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/3 "2016-09-28T13:21:46Z")
> **[Hillary Clinton Wore Secret Earpiece During First Presidential Debate?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-secret-earpiece-debate/)** > > A video purportedly showing a wire running down Hillary Clinton's back was shared as proof she wore a secret earpiece during the first presidential debate. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/4 "2016-09-28T13:22:25Z")
Most likely bullshit: > **[Hillary Clinton Wore Secret Earpiece During First Presidential Debate?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/clinton-secret-earpiece-debate/)** > > A video purportedly showing a wire running down Hillary Clinton's back was shared as proof she wore a secret earpiece during the first presidential debate. The photos I could find did not show an “earpiece” at all, but a supposed wire running down her back under her clothes, which was either for the lapel mike she was wearing or the cloaking device that prevents us from seeing her true lizard form. I’m leaning towards the latter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/5 "2016-09-28T13:25:21Z")
I heard she was actually wearing a device that suppresses any coughs. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/6 "2016-09-28T13:29:03Z")
No. But Dubya was definitely wearing a ham radio under his suit jacket during the 2004 debates. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/7 "2016-09-28T13:29:26Z")
…And everything old is new again. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/08/hillary-clinton-earpiece-speculation-conjures-the-ghost-of-george-w-bushs-back-bulge/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/09/08/hillary-clinton-earpiece-speculation-conjures-the-ghost-of-george-w-bushs-back-bulge/) > [@](#): > > But it was also true in the immediate aftermath of a general election debate in 2004, when bloggers thought they spied a bulge under Bush’s suit coat and suggested it was part of an electronic system to feed answers to the president. Among the first to promote the theory was a blog called Cannonfire, which still exists and is currently part of the Hillary-Clinton-has-a-secret-medical-problem crowd, “reporting” Thursday that the former secretary of state is an alcoholic. Like True Pundit, it is not considered a highly credible source. > > The notion that Bush was wired wallowed for days in the corners of cyberspace. Someone created a website called [IsBushWired.com](http://IsBushWired.com). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/8 "2016-09-28T13:33:06Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I heard she was actually wearing a device that suppresses any coughs. I heard that it was a gizmo that produces strange behavior in mics that are positioned 12 feet away from the device. And produces strange behavior in the users of said mics that are also 12 feet away. Plus it was built in Mexico and imported without paying any tax. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/9 "2016-09-28T13:54:06Z")
It was part of the appearance-suppressing technology that makes her look human instead of like a lizard from space. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/10 "2016-09-28T14:08:55Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I heard she was actually wearing a device that suppresses any coughs. Bah. Robotussers are a myth! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/11 "2016-09-28T14:22:38Z")
This is why she’s having trouble walking; the weight of all the devices she carries around under her coat. Let’s see, she wears a secret defibrillator, a secret anti-epilepsy implant, a secret transmitter, a secret earpiece… I think she’s more machine than man at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/12 "2016-09-28T14:30:26Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > … I think she’s more machine than man at this point. Now I REALLY can’t wait to vote for her! All hail our powerful new cyborg leader! ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/13 "2016-09-28T14:31:34Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It was part of the appearance-suppressing technology that makes her look human instead of like a lizard from space. If Hillary were a space lizard she wouldn’t be trying to stop global warming. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/14 "2016-09-28T14:37:05Z")
It’s probably [the earpiece George W Bush supposedly wore in 2004](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18734-2004Oct8.html) ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/15 "2016-09-28T14:40:41Z")
Wow. Trumplings are getting terribly desperate, aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/16 "2016-09-28T14:43:37Z")
In the next debate, there should be a simple new rule to make sure no one is wearing any hidden communication devices. Both candidates must appear nude. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/17 "2016-09-28T14:43:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It was part of the appearance-suppressing technology that makes her look human instead of like a lizard from space. Post 4, dude. Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/18 "2016-09-28T14:48:54Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Post 4, dude. Sheesh. You only say that because you’re a space lizard trying to hide the truth. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/19 "2016-09-28T14:49:39Z")
Meanwhile, for the OP: the debates are administered by a non-partisan [Commission for Presidential Debates](http://www.debates.org/), and the ground rules are agreed upon long in advance. Although I don’t have time to search for the actual rule, it’s dead certain that the ground rules would include whether or not the candidates are allowed to have an audio feed from offstage coaches. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114/20 "2016-09-28T14:51:27Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > You only say that because you’re a space lizard trying to hide the truth. Well, aside from your misspelling ‘troof’, I admit it, you’ve got me. Hisssss… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-clinton-have-outside-help-during-the-debate/767114.md?page=2)