I can understand needing it for speeches before congress, large campaign speeches, national televised addresses…but for a photo-op at an elementary school?
His handlers must not trust him to speak off the cuff.
Uhhhhhhh, ummmmmm, uhhhhhhh, hello.
You guys know all Presidents use teleprompters, right? You act like Obama is some kind of pioneer.
Who gives a shit? How many Harvard Law degrees do you have?
So far as I know, Presidents rarely give any sort of speech without a teleprompter. I’m not sure there’s a story here (although I’m sure Fox News will explode in righteous fury).
Do you really want him to waste his time by speaking off-the-cuff? Because that probably involves more preparation time, with Obama thinking about what he’s going to say, than using a speech-writer to draft something, Obama checking through the draft and making some revisions, and then using a tele-prompter rather than commiting the thing to memory. It’s certainly not evidence of Obama having “minders” who control what he says.
Obama has been criticized for relying on teleprompters a bit too much. The Onion even spoofed it:
To be fair, though, he may be speaking to a school, but there are reporters there who can easily turn anything he says into a front page news issue. Ask Dan “Potatoe” Quayle how an unscripted minor goof at an unimportant school photo op can turn into a major political issue that haunts his administration for months.
In my opinion, its not an indication of time wasting or time efficiency, it’s a sign of lack of confidence in his own ability to convey a message in his own words.
Sure there are reporters there, but they aren’t permitted to ask questions. The man hasn’t held a press conference in over 6 months.
And I have seen numerous past Presidents speak in public without the use of teleprompters.
This. The crowd he appears before is not the issue. If it’s a public appearance, the ultimate audience is the world.
It is also not beyond the realm of possibility that he has begun to suffer from ‘stage fright’. It can be an acquired problem.
People with stage fright can have hugely embarrassing pregnant pauses and say nonsensical things in their moment of panic. Having a teleprompter prevents that and can be greatly reassuring to the speaker even if not used (i.e. it’s there if you need it).
In fact, I’m surprised it’s not more of a problem for big name politicians, but obviously there must be some selection (against it) going on.
Obama may need a teleprompter, but at least he doesn’t need three exclamation points.
Okay, but he’s not those guys. He is who he is. Some people, like Obama, don’t do well speaking off the cuff. One of the most effective and eloquent preachers I know delivers wonderful sermons, but in an ad lib situation he sounds awkward and hesitant. Apparently Obama needs a teleprompter to do his best in a public speaking situation. I don’t see what the big deal is.
He thinks through what he’s saying and uses pauses and “uh’s” while speaking extemporaneously. Because he makes fleshed out, nuanced thoughtful statements when speaking without a script instead of reverting to instant auto slogans, obfuscating non-sequiturs and prefabricated, all purpose platitudes, that makes him a dummy.
See, I just don’t get the big whoop about the teleprompter. Anyone in major media uses one: it has all the pertinent speech, right there in order, arranged so you can view it facing the camera. What’s he supposed to use, index cards on the podium? That isn’t efficient at all, and makes no sense, really. In a heavy speaking schedule, with all technology available, it’s easier to have it all on the teleprompter. It’ not some sort of mesmerizing droid bot, it’s just like paper notes; a simple tool, and better for eye contact.
And, Obama is excellent at speaking off the cuff from what I’ve seen, so I don’t get this uhhhhmmmm thing at all.
Defending him at every turn is a sign of a complete lack of objectivity.
His teleprompter use is comical. It should be bipartisan comedy.
The likes of Hubert H Humphrey, while never a president was still a wonderful speaker, are laughing at this pretender. All we heard for the last two years was what a wonderful speaker Obama was as compared to GWB. So really, IMHO, we have two Presidents in a row that are lacking in their public speaking abilities. One was a just a horrible speaker and the other can’t speak unless he’s reading a script.
Moving thread from IMHO to MPSIMS.
Why does having or not having a degree have anything to do with speaking ability.
The real reason for this is simple, presidents don’t want to be caught saying something stupid.
No president in the last 50 years and probably longer, gives any kind of true interview. They have it all laid out. I could talk to Mr Obama and in ten minutes make him look like an idiot. I could do that for GW Bush or any president.
No president wants to take a risk at looking dumb. Look at the offhanded comment of Jimmy Carter, talking to his daughter Amy about world affairs.
It’s all for show and they aren’t gonna let any smart aleck, like myself, get an edge in to ask a “real” question
I’ve got to say I agree. If it was Bush doing this, he’d be getting chewed up and spat out here.
Bush did do it, and nobody cared.
in the best of times I’m not a big fan of Presidents filling their day with school visits. With the whole country circling the drain I would prefer future photo-ops take place at the White House.
quick. call Reuters. someone on the internet has an inflated opinion of his abilities! :dubious:
I highly doubt you could make Obama, or probably even Bush, look like an idiot.