# Where's he hiding his teleprompter?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 25, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569 "2012-01-25T03:09:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/1 "2012-01-25T03:09:23Z")

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It doesn’t appear that Obama is using a teleprompter this time. He sure is doing a good job if he’s not. 😉

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/2 "2012-01-25T03:22:16Z")

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I’m sure he’s using one. Every president since Nixon (at least) used one for the State of the Union. It would be remarkable if he didn’t.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/3 "2012-01-25T03:32:30Z")

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It’s there, one on either side. I could see it in the long shots.

And you can see it [here](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/us/politics/state-of-the-union-2012.html?hp), on Obama’s right.

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**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/4 "2012-01-25T03:35:55Z")

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His other right.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/5 "2012-01-25T03:39:49Z")

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Teleprompters are almost transparent from the rear. It’s the blur in postcards’ link.

You can’t see the other one in that shot, but there are always two, one on each side, so the speaker can turn naturally to the audience seated around him rather than needing to stare straight ahead into the camera.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/6 "2012-01-25T03:41:27Z")

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I don’t think it(they) is in a different position from any other State of the Union speech in recent years.

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheres-he-hiding-his-teleprompter/610569/7 "2012-01-26T00:10:07Z")

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[Here’s a clear picture of it.](http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/01/24/us/20120124_SOTU-5.html)

For those who don’t know it’s piece of polarized glass on which the scrolling words are projected and can only be seen from a certain angle in the front.