# You're kidding right? Obama needs a teleprompter to give a speech at an elementary school!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576 "2010-01-26T21:56:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/61 "2010-01-27T16:36:15Z")
This thread reminds me that, apparently, finding anything laughable about Obama is equivalent — somehow – to approving of Bush. Tis all too common here on the SDMB. I always expect more of the SDMB, but whenever anyone points out anything about Obama, Bush is a few words away in the next post. If your watermark for Obama is Bush, get a new watermark. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/62 "2010-01-27T17:49:40Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > \*\*Magiver \*\*is clutching his pearls over the president making public appearances, and I’m the one that’s knee-jerk. Gotcha. He’s the President of the United States, not a royal figure head with nothing to do. He has a job and it’s not the principal of a school. He’s not running for office yet he just wasted a day touring a factory in Cleveland when we have real problems in this country. He let the health care debate spin out of control to the detriment of his own party setting the whole process back. It gets old when a President who chastises private jets for CEO’s drives around the country in a 747 giving speeches to children and factory workers. He’s accomplished nothing in a year. ---
**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:** [January 27, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/63 "2010-01-27T18:03:02Z")
I trust you’ll compose the same rant for every president who has ever made public appearances while in office. You’d better get busy; you only have 43 more to go (ok, 42, you can just do 1 for Grover Cleveland). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/64 "2010-01-27T18:29:31Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I trust you’ll compose the same rant for every president who has ever made public appearances while in office. It’s not every appearance and yes, I’ve already stated my displeasure with other Presidents. Do you see a need to tour factories and schools? what was accomplished? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/65 "2010-01-27T18:35:11Z")
Ok, Don Quixote. Good luck in your crusade to keep politicians from appearing in public. Not for nothing, but I think you’ve got a pretty long row to hoe. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/66 "2010-01-27T18:50:15Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Ok, Don Quixote. Good luck in your crusade to keep politicians from appearing in public. Not for nothing, but I think you’ve got a pretty long row to hoe. You can’t use absolutes as an argument. I never said that Presidents shouldn’t make public appearances. There should be a purpose for the use of someone’s professional time. These events cost money and take up time. I’ll ask again, what was accomplished by touring a factory and a school? ---
**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:** [January 27, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/67 "2010-01-27T18:56:55Z")
Nothing. Big deal. Presidents do shit like this all the time. Get over it. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/68 "2010-01-27T19:01:30Z")
> [@Mindfield](#): > > Why is this even an issue at all? There isn’t a single person who speaks to a press scrum, a television camera, or a board of directors whose speech hasn’t been prepared beforehand, and whether they speak from a memorized script, 3x5 cards, or OMG TELEPROMPTER!, it’s still all canned. If you’re shocked by this, then wait 'til I tell you about water! What? What about water??!1!? :eek: ---
**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:** [January 27, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/69 "2010-01-27T19:08:13Z")
Fish shit in it! ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/70 "2010-01-27T19:09:12Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > What? What about water??!1!? :eek: I has, stuff, in it. I can’t say more right now, men in black suits are already knocking on my door. Send me a private message and just pray it’s not too late! ---
**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:** [January 27, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/71 "2010-01-27T19:15:55Z")
Whoops. Loose lips, I guess. Forget I said anything about the fish. You don’t know me. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/72 "2010-01-27T19:15:58Z")
OMG!!!1!! You’re kidding, right? There aren’t enough exclamation points in this thread to fully demonstrate the outrage!!!111!!!eleventyone!!! ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/73 "2010-01-27T19:22:50Z")
Like oh em gee did you hear what the prez did? He was like totally using a teleprompter in front of the press! Like I just about died when I heard that! ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/74 "2010-01-27T19:27:15Z")
I think ubiquitous teleprompters are a sign of our “new technological age”. You say something, it’s instantly out there to (potentially) millions of people.Technology has transformed everyone with a mobile phone into a potential news reporter with a global reach. It makes sense that as the potential grows for instant transmision of every word uttered, so does the necessity of carefully scripted appearences (however seemingly small and inconsequential). If every single word I said was going to be broadcast instantly all over the world, you bet your bippy I’d be using a teleprompter, too. And I don’t even have anything to lose. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/75 "2010-01-27T22:59:58Z")
> [@Winston\_Smith](#): > > If every single word I said was going to be broadcast instantly all over the world, you bet your bippy I’d be using a teleprompter, too. And I don’t even have anything to lose. what if nobody heard the message because of the venue but saw the pictures? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576/76 "2010-01-27T23:06:14Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > what if nobody heard the message because of the venue but saw the pictures? Come on, nobody could possibly be that ridiculous. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-kidding-right-obama-needs-a-teleprompter-to-give-a-speech-at-an-elementary-school/526576.md?page=3)