Obama didn't write the speech, and he uses a Teleprompter

[grasswire]

Okay, now that I have your attention.

People here are either in a silly state or sadly uneducated about politics.

Obama (like other major players) doesn't write his speeches. A POLITICAL TEAM crafts the speech. Parts of it are POLL TESTED to see if the desired effect is achieved. People trained in the art of propaganda work on it. Political hacks are on the team. Yes, the speech is crafted from the basis of his thoughts. But any eloquence, any brilliance is the intellectual product of the hacks and the team. This is how it always is.

(How do I know? I worked as a speechwriter in Washington for a major player -- a household name. But everyone should understand the process after watching Bush's team craft his utterances, or even by watching West Wing.)

Further: Obama uses a TELEPROMPTER! He reads the speech from the Teleprompter. His delivery is also crafted -- honed in many sessions with the team.

Further: I would wager that this speech has been in the box for some time now. I'd bet my best cat that team Obama knew he would need to deliver this speech at this particular juncture when things got hot, and wrote most of it quite some time ago. A skeptical person might even think that team Obama was happy to have the Wright opportunity to do it.

And so to be all goo-gooey about him as some sort of god and savior is really silly. Really naive. Really anti-democratic, even. Americans must have no kings, no man-gods. Not even Elvis.

Obama's just a man who can read a speech well. The rest -- the vision, the leadership, the unity -- has to be taken on faith. Just like the divinity of Jesus. Don't be bamboozled, hornswoggled or foolish.

And no, I'm not a Hillary supporter. Just a realist.

[peace13]

1. And you are certain that he had no part in writing it? n/t

[grasswire]

67. where did I say that? (eom)

[jeffrey_X]

185. When you said, "Obama didn't write the speech"

WTF

[polpilot]

117. He delegates. Great presidential material. Ready from day one. Red phone, blue dress whatever.

[grasswire]

154. oh, but people get mad if you say that

They scream if you say he doesn't do it all himself.

[wiggs]

2. Obama writes most of his speeches, he says. Unless proven otherwise, I'll buy

that he is responsible for at least the tenor, wording, thrust and style.

Your point?

[grasswire]

23. go here

http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756/output/print


It's all about Obama's speechwriting team, headed by Jon Favreau.

[stillcool]

136. You have no idea...

who wrote the speech Obama gave today. You are making shit up.

In His Candidate’s Voice

The speech lit a fire. Meet Obama's editor.
Richard Wolffe
Newsweek Web Exclusive
Updated: 7:22 PM ET Jan 6, 2008

Jon Favreau has the worst and the best job in political speechwriting. His boss is a best-selling author who doesn't really need his help, having written the 2004 speech that catapulted him onto the national stage. At the same time, the same boss also happens to be capable of delivering a speech in ways that can give his audience the goosebumps.

But Barack Obama is more than a little busy campaigning across Iowa and New Hampshire right now. So it was Favreau who led the team that wrote Obama's victory speech in Des Moines last week—a moment that prompted the TV pundits to drop months of skepticism about Obama's candidacy to make breathless comparisons with the Kennedy era.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Obama's communications director, Robert Gibbs, called Favreau after Kerry's defeat and asked him to talk to the newly installed senator. "We're looking for a speechwriter," Gibbs told Favreau.

"Why?" asked Favreau.

"If there were 48 hours in a day, we wouldn't need a speechwriter," Gibbs said. "But he needs to work with someone."

Favreau met with Obama and Gibbs in the Senate cafeteria in the Dirksen office building on Capitol Hill on the senator's first day in his new job. Obama didn't want to know about Favreau's résumé, but he did want to know about his motivation.
----------------
The pitch worked. Favreau and Obama rapidly found a relatively direct way to work with each other. "What I do is to sit with him for half an hour," Favreau explains. "He talks and I type everything he says. I reshape it, I write. He writes, he reshapes it. That's how we get a
finished product.

"It's a great way to write speeches. A lot of times, you write something, you hand it in, it gets hacked by advisers, it gets to the candidate and then it gets sent back to you. This is a much more intimate way to work."

Some speeches are much more the product of the candidate himself. Obama e-mailed Favreau his draft of his announcement speech in Springfield, Ill., at 4 a.m. on the morning of the campaign launch last February.

[democrattotheend]

42. When did he say he writes most of them?

He wrote his 2004 convention speech, and I believe he wrote this one. But I don't think he writes most of them...how does he have time? He has a speechwriter, but I think it's cool that he is able to write his own speech once in a while.

[Mz Pip]

3. So what? n/t

[redqueen]

9. I think it's to water down enthusiasm.

[islandmkl]

4. "Obama's just a man who can read a speech well."....

and W can barely make a coherent sentence.

WTF is your point...beyond the obvious?

[grasswire]

14. W isn't running.

You may not have noticed.

[Nine]

121. Actually, Bush has given at least one very good speech.

At least by DU standards. It was the speech he gave several days after 9/11. I know it was well received here because I remember many DUers, including some highly-respected ones, saying what a great speech it was. I remember thinking at the time, "So his speechwriters did a good job - so what?"

[Orsino]

207. The other candidates, presumably, are just people who read speeches less well.

:eyes:

[Bolo Boffin]

5. "some sort of god and savior"?

That's not how I view him.

"just a man who can read a speech well"?

You have Barack Obama confused with someone.

[grasswire]

69. okay, pal

You show me the evidence of other accomplishments. Not the hope for accomplishments, but the real accomplishments.

[Bolo Boffin]

205. Now you have me confused with someone.

I'm not your pal. I don't even know you.

Here's a good place to start on Barack's accomplishments.

http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/03/08/fact_check_on_new_york_times_s_1.php

[CatnHat]

195. personally

I'll wait for the "real second coming."

. . .what I find amazing, Obama knew all along the character of his pastor and did absolutely nothing; now after being called out; he knew he had no choice. I don't call that inspiring. I call that trying to save his own political career.

[Bolo Boffin]

206. Your personal incredulity means nothing to me.

You have no knowledge of how Barack Obama has responded to Rev. Wright over the years. You have no reason to think what you do. You simply find it politically expedient to do so.

If you took Obama at his word, then it's clear Obama has shared his differences with Rev. Wright over the years.

[kwassa]

6. How do you KNOW that he didn't write the speech?

You don't, do you?

And it could be easily his own written words on the Teleprompter. Didn't occur to you, did it? Public speakers of all types do this all the time.

[2rth2pwr]

7. watch him giving a speech, he swings back and forth, left to right

so he can he read the teleprompters on either side of him and appear as if he is addressing both sides of the audience.

[Georgie_92]

8. He did write it !

[Bullet1987]

15. Uh-oh...plagiarism again?

[PoliticalAmazon]

150. Plagiarism--like Hillary's stealing of Mondale's Red Phone ad?

Like that?

[RDANGELO]

10. I have heard that he does in fact write his own speeches.

He also wrote his book. I thought this speech was encredably honest. He left it all on the court.

[democrattotheend]

18. He wrote his 2004 convention speech, and I think this one

He has a speechwriter, so he doesn't write all of his own speeches, but he definitely wrote his 2004 convention speech himself, and I read yesterday that he was planning to write this one himself too. I am sure he received feedback from his speechwriter and other staff, but he definitely has written speeches himself.

[grasswire]

36. I'm sure he has input -- but that doesn't mean he's working alone.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756/output/print

He has three writers: Jon Favreau, Adam Frankel, a 26-year-old who worked with Ted Sorensen on his memoirs, and Ben Rhodes, a 30-year-old who worked with Lee Hamilton on the 9/11 commission's report.

[democrattotheend]

11. I read somewhere last night that he was planning to write it himself

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/us/politics/18wright.html?bl&ex=1205985600&en=159a0f4776d53b1c&ei=5087%0A

I think I read it somewhere else too.

And I know that he wrote his 2004 convention speech himself. http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech/

[Johnny__Motown]

12. But the speech writers write what they are told to write, the tone of the speech is His alone

The message is His alone, even if the specific words used are not all his

[grasswire]

49. sorry, but the answer to that is no.

The political hacks vet the speech for blunders, and insert poll tested portions. They frame the message. The writers polish the rhetorical tone. And they influence the candidate, too. Remember how Bush's speechwriter Michael Gerson convinced him that he was the chosen one to confront Islam? They shape policy.

The message is not his alone. The words are not his alone.

[revolve]

71. Did you even read the article at the link you posted?

[LisaM]

That's an interesting analysis re having the speech in the box

now that you say it, it makes so much sense. It seemed to me, too, that he was waiting for a moment to deliver a seminal speech on race, and the opportunity presented itself to him this week.

I am not a big fan of his pre-packaged type of delivery, but then again, I am not one swayed by speeches.

To compare it to King's speech is (to me) a little ludicrous, since King's speech came in front of hundreds of thousands of people, and was the culmination of a movement and march that had been going on for some time. Moreover, King had used parts of the speech before, and had earlier delivered a similar speech in Detroit. He also chose many Biblical phrases, and used a 'preacher' style of delivery that, IMO, worked for HIM because he was a minister and was operating parallel to the political world rather than running for office.

I appreciate the OP's post, because it disseminates very nicely some thoughts I had.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Hieronymus]

16. Now, this is from someone who really hates Obama. Wow

[grasswire]

59. not at all

To say that would mean that I also hate Al Gore, John Kerry, Bill Clinton, JFK, etc., etc., etc.

How is it hate to speak the truth?

Politicians and major players use speechwriters and Teleprompters.

I think Obama's kind of cute -- especially when dancing with Ellen Degeneris.

[Eric J in MN]

128. What is your point about teleprompters? Is reading a speech on paper better?

Senators should devote their time to memorizing speeches?

[grasswire]

151. nope

Fans and supporters should just acknowledge the fact that politicians DO read from Teleprompters, especially when giving major addresses.

It is a mean thing to deny one's candidate the liberty to use those tools by claiming he doesn't and attacking those who say he does.

[Eric J in MN]

166. I've seen Obama give speeches in which he didn't seem to be using a teleprompter.

Are you saying he uses one for his stump speech at rallies?

[EffieBlack]

182. Stump speeches are given several times a day week after week

Candidates don't read their stump speeches because they've memorized them - any reporter covering a primary candidate can mouth the words with them since they've heard the exact same speech countless times.

But important, one-shot speeches such as this one and the speeches that Obama gives on his victory nights are different. They're prepared in advance but there's no time to memorize them and it's critically important that he get it right, so he reads them. Nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, I appreciate seeing a politician who is willing not only to be careful about his words, but that he cares enough about and has enough respect for his audiences that he's willing to put in the time and thought necessary to convey just the right message to them.

[RememberWellstone]

17. Correct

He does speeches, he is not the saviour of change for racial equality in America, he is benifitting from it.

[mmonk]

19. I believe they said he worked on this one.

Can speech writers really know what to say regarding his experiences and relationships in this particular matter? They can only work to help perfect it and give advice in this case through discussions with him. And no, I'm not naive and I'm familiar with speech writers and how they can make or break a candidate.

[Abacus]

20. According to Marc Ambinder, he wrote it himself

working on it for two days and nights.... and showed it to only a few of his top advisers.

[hedgehog]

39. I was just going to post that myself.

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/

scroll down to "speechwriter of one"

[Cha]

56. Great Abacus, I was going to look

for that when I came back from work tonight. I read that yesterday that Obama was up till 3am working on it.

Nice try by the op to spin a discredit for Obama..says a lot.

[OhioBlue]

21. you're not a realist - you're ridiculous

to try and downplay the importance of the speech today is ridiculous.

and your cynicism is noted, however, Obama does write many of his own speeches. so, while many speeches may be written by a "team", I'm quite certain that Senator Obama had the majority of control of this speech.

[butterfly77]

22. Grasping ...

if he can write a book he can write a speech...

[stellanoir]

Just because you have had that experience and that it is the norm,

doesn't necessarily preclude that he isn't a naturally gifted, eloquent writer, and orator.

Yoo hoot

There are always rare and treasured exceptions to conventional wisdom and political practices

His speech was really drawn from myriad of personal experiences.

I don't doubt that he has editors and uses teleprompters.

So who doesn't?

That's really no biggie.

That speech was hardly crafted by political hacks exclusively.

It was far too genuine and soulful for that.

Happy hackin' to you.

[Poll_Blind]

24. The commentator on CNN's internet video feed said Obama wrote most of...

...his speech.

PB

[mac2]

29. You are going to believe the media?

[Poll_Blind]

38. LOL!

:rofl:

PB

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

25. So you're a McCain supporter?

nt

[grasswire]

40. No, I support John Edwards or Al Gore.

I'm afraid of Hillary AND Obama.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

53. They're not in the race...

You get Hillary or Barack. You're calling for Barack to drop out? You're a Hillary supporter.

[grasswire]

68. WHERE did I call for Barack to drop out?

Now I know you people are nuts.

[supernova]

26. So what?

It's still a good speech.

Normally I might agree with you about the speech writers and the teleprompters.

However, I think this particular speech is more than the sum of its generated parts.

BO also delivered it well. You can't fake that sense of "yes, this is my experience as I see it." Whether or not he personally wrote all of it, or even some of it, it's clear he identified with every word of it. There wasn't a part of it that wasn't true for him.

And no, I'm not looking for a demigod to support, just a man who thinks and responds to the world around him in an intelligent way.

[Alhena]

27. HE WROTE EVERY WORD OF THIS SPEECH, JERK!

[mac2]

37. Hate to be the messenger...

http://www.newsweek.com/id/84756/output/print

[LSK]

52. 1st paragraph says he wrote his 2004 speech

So that link proves nothing.

[mac2]

81. He didn't do as he said after that speech either.

[SammyWinstonJack]

144. And if he manages too get himself elected, he won't bring hope or change.

How many disillusioned obama supporters will be crying the blues then? Oops!

[grasswire]

41. and you know this how?

Does your mom know you're using the computer?

[VolcanoJen]

51. So how do you feel about Ambinder's "Speechwriter of One" post?

Do you still feel that Obama's speech was written by a team of writers, and you're comfortable setting aside all evidence to the contrary?

I've read a lot of wonderful pieces about Jon Favreau (not the guy from "Swingers" either ;-)), but Ambinder and the New York Times say this speech was written solely by Obama.

Do you agree with them, or are they now lying/being lied to?

[Alhena]

65. BECAUSE THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID SO BEFORE THE SPEECH

I can understand English, and the commentators made a point before the speech started to say "Obama's advisers emphasize that he wrote every word of this speech himself over the last 2 days."

[mac2]

28. Obama meets with the staff of the Chicago Tribune and

someone writes his speeches. Those who are looking for a change and leader want to believe so badly. He is a creation of the press and his spiritual leader.

I'm a realist too.

[dionysus]

30. with no due respect, you're full of shit on this one...

[GarbagemanLB]

31. One of the commentators said he would be writing the speech by himself. Thanks for trying!

[SunsetDreams]

32. NO you are not a realist...

you came here to be divisive, you couldn't find anything wrong with the speech, so you want to try and belittle him by saying he didn't write it. Then you try and say there was a teleprompter, was there one on each side of the room, and in the back? Give me a break!

He wrote his own speech, that is a fact. He was up late in the night the last two nights writing it.

So I'll repeat a few words of the speech YOU say he didn't write. "Not this time"

Welcome to ignore.

[TheDoorbellRang]

76. "Not this time" -- perfect answer

I'm tired of all the prestidigitation in every campaign, too. Petty distractions for petty people. Obama is right -- we've got real stuff to deal with, so these small-minded attempts to denigrate him with crap like this?

Not this time.

[zulchzulu]

33. OMFG! THIS IS HUGH11!!!! HE USE A TELEPROMTPRE!

:puke:

[blogslut]

34. prove it

Prove he did not write this particular speech.

[dionysus]

35. you're full of shit on this one

[Poll_Blind]

43. And, and, the teleprompter uses 90% of the same transistors as a DIEBOLD VOTING MACHINE!

  COINCIDENCE?!?!?

:rofl:

PB

[EFerrari]

44. That's silly. If you have worked with writing teams, you know

they all work differently and are used differently by principles.

And to say he is a guy who can read a speech is also silly.

Maybe you should offer your services to the Clinton campaign. They need help.

[SaveAmerica]

171. pssst, maybe he already has!!

[EFerrari]

192. LOL!

Well, there is that!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

45. Most politicians have a say in what they speak! Even Hillary!

[grasswire]

62. read for comprehension

Nobody said he didn't have a hand in it.

[otohara]

46. OMG, This is Huge News to Learn Teleprompters

are commonly used by politicians. DU is lucky to have a member with some experience in politics to tell us how silly and uneducated we are.

BTW, even you with all your vast experience have no idea when that speech was written.

[grasswire]

91. better clue in your less sophisticated fellow supporters, then

Because some of them are burning with rage over the suggestion that he uses a Teleprompter. Those are the people I'm addressing. The ones who are really doing him a disservice by being blind fans rather than thoughtful advocates.

[babylonsister]

47. Wrong. Go here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5139232

[Cha]

48. I read the other day that one of aides

said he was up till 3am Monday workin' on it. I have to get ready for work now but I'll look for that later.

Your post is so full of itself that Obama couldn't possibly have written it so we'll see. Of course he has speech writers who help ..I read that article too. But, he's also a writer and he's not used telepromters in the past and if he used one today, so what?

[chknltl]

50. Hey! You! Get Off Of My Cloud! eom

[Blu Dahlia]

54. OMG OBAMA HAS A LOW IQ??!!??

:eyes:

[NastyRiffraff]

55. He may or may not have written part of it..

He probably didn't write all of it. But that's not the real issue. I can write a stirring speech, too. I can even write one that will "play well" even if I don't believe in 100% of what I write. That's what speechwriters DO. Good ones can craft a speech that reflect the speaker's "voice" so it sounds natural coming out of his or her mouth. I acknowledge Obama is very good at reading such a speech and delivering it.

However, today, whoever wrote all or part of that speech, Obama didn't deliver as he usually does. I have no idea why, and I'm not going to speculate. He didn't seem (to me) to be "engaged." He seemed flat and almost distracted; a contrast to the stirring words of the speech.

There are those, of course, who will disagree vehemently, and that's fine. There are those who will call me a traitor or worse. Admittedly, I don't like Obama's speaking style; he's never stirred or moved me. But he usually shows more animation than he did today.

[Tatiana]

61. He was not speaking at a pep rally. He had an appropriately somber tone for a somber subject. n/t

[NastyRiffraff]

63. I didn't expect him to give a Come to Obama speech as he normally does

Somber is one thing; flat and distracted is another. He struck me as being the latter. He's usually better at this sort of thing, whether I agree with what he says or not.

[yellowcanine]

57. Wait - your "proof" is that you worked as a speech writer for a "major player"?

If you don't see the silliness of that logic - well ok then, you are correct (at least in your own mind). The convenient thing for you is there is no way of proving it so your pontification can't be rebutted.

[Catherina]

58. LMAO. Don't you guys ever get tired of sucking sour grapes? n/t

[PerfectSage]

60. Maybe Obama should hire Bush's speechwriter: Andy Dick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj04NG7qfug


GObama!
Go Dean's 50 State Strategy!
Go Grassroots!

[Catherine Vincent]

64. How dare you!

For that, your penance should be three hail marys and one act of contrition. :)

[ficus1]

66. "I am a professional speechwriter and I refuse to believe that

any politician can ever write their own speech." You're not a realist, you just have an inflated ego.

[TexanDem]

70. Untrue - CNN even reported he DID WRITE it himself -- staff only reviewed it

[Sulawesi]

72. This OP has been discredited...he wrote it, why not pull the OP...

[grasswire]

93. censorship!! that's the ticket!

This candidacy appears to be attracting the fascist element of the Democratic Party.

Criticize Obama supporters, get silenced. What's next? Waterboarding for dissenters?

[Cha]

122. No censorship ..you've made a complete fool

of yourself and I want everyone to see it.

[Cant trust em]

73. If this is true for Obama, then it must be true for all candidates

No one writes all of their own speeches. They hire people who share their vision and work with them to develop that vision into a sellable point to the public. I look at the presidency as the Executive Director of a large non-profit organization. The ED gives direction on what services we provide and what our organizational culture will be. The ED then hires people to fulfill that vision. Those people do that work and provide their own input. The employees will have influence on the vision, but if that influence is radically different than what has been proposed by the ED then those people will probably not be working for the organization for too long.

[grasswire]

88. that's right.

You are correct. But some people apparently think that every honeyed word drips from the lips of the candidate, unshaped by others, unpolished by others, impromptu.

[RiverStone]

74. A realist?

A real buzzkill.

Can't help but rain on the parade eh?

Naysayers aside, Obama's speech today was one of the most historic ever on race in these United States. It affirmed the positive and if you want realistic, listen to his words. Probably the most honest speech about race since the days of MLK. Ironically, Bill Clinton gave a few damn good speeches in his day which included words to remember on the subject.

But today, Obama hit a home run.

Sorry you can't see that.

[mzmolly]

75. So

freaking what.

[beachmom]

77. That's true for many of his speeches, but not this one. This one he wrote. nt

[Beregond2]

78. Wrong

A realist...and yet, in this instance, completely wrong.

[Ugnmoose]

79. Actions not words define a true leader

This was a speech he had to make -his political life depended on it. And it was a good one. But was it historic? I am not sure I am ready to declare it that. Of course if BO can somehow go on to secure the nomination and get elected, the pundits may well look back and say that it was this speech that was his defining moment. Ultimately, however, words have to be backed by actions.

[EFerrari]

80. Speaking is an act. And more, he's been modeling the values

he talked about today.

[LSK]

82. IWR Vote

Like those actions?

[NDambi]

83. Daschle was on MSNBC just now said Obama was up until 3 a.m

., writing the speech himself.

[high density]

84. This post belongs on the "Greatest Master of the Obvious Page"

I mean reeeallly.

[tammywammy]

85. Not a teleprompter! NOOOOOO

That's it I cannot vote for him now!!!!!

[TeamJordan23]

86. He was up till 3:30am writing the speech. nm

[depakid]

87. "I'd bet my best cat that team Obama knew"

Let's hope so.

Let's also hope that he has a few more speeches like this in the pipeline.

[thoughtcrime1984]

89. You're a realist because you say so?

What you are to others is what you are. Perception is reality and all.... You are a pessimist cloaked in realism. Can we not see Obama for the leader that he is? I suppose we are all just foolish and falling for "it". I will continue to enthusiastically support Obama and even occasionally donate to him because I believe he is the best candidate for POTUS, and your wet blanket shall not stop me or millions of others from doing so.

[grasswire]

94. fine with me...

...but please be honest enough to admit that politicians use Teleprompters and speechwriters.

[thoughtcrime1984]

188. I don't doubt that they do, BUT

I do believe that this Obama speech was his own, and that he has input in any of his speeches. I also believe that he is a natural leader, something that this country has been sorely lacking for quite some time.

[sudopod]

90. DON'T FEED THE TROLLS

A hungry troll is a quiet troll.

[grasswire]

92. welcome to DU (eom)

[CatsDogsBabies]

95. At conferencs, I read papers I have written

What does using a telepromter have to do with anything? You people are really grabbing at straws.

[grasswire]

99. Do people say "LOOK at the greatest orator in history" when you do that?

No.

Because they know you're reading.

But Obama supporters blindly think that he is more than he is, and refuse to see that he does what all politicians do. He gets help with his speeches AND he uses a Teleprompter.

There is nothing wrong with using a speechwriting team.

There is nothing wrong with using a Teleprompter.

There IS something wrong with blind, crazed supporters who are unrealistic about their candidate. The adulation is really kind of frightening.

[Faygo Kid]

113. Since you characterize us as "blind, crazed supporters," why bother to lecture us?

I'm a speechwriter, too.

And of course there's nothing wrong with a Teleprompter, or a speechwriting team. Except he may very well have written the great majority (at least) of this speech, despite your OP. He was, after all, editor in chief of the Harvard Law Review, and an author, so it's likely he is at least capable of it.

Your cynicism is "really kind of frightening." Your smugness is "really kind of frightening." What the hell are you doing here lecturing us "blind, crazed supporters?" Why don't you post something positive about your own candidate (if not Hillary, whoever you think is worthy of your pompous support).

What an ugly post. You may very well be wrong. Try a little humility.

[grasswire]

124. well, I'm not lecturing YOU

You accept the fact that pols use speechwriters and Teleprompters.

I'm lecturing those who have so little respect for the man that they assign extraordinary gifts to him -- blindly, unrealistically. They fashion a fable. This kind of idolatry is dangerous, and cruel. But you know that.

[Shakespeare]

135. If you truly have the experience you claim to have, then you already know...

...that successfully (and movingly) delivering a speech requires a LOT more than just being able to read from a teleprompter.

Whether it's reading from a teleprompter, reading from a sheaf of papers or notecards, or reciting from memorization, it still requires gifted oratory to deliver the speech in a way that moves and persuades.

Recognizing that gift when one hears or sees it does not make one a blind or crazed supporter.

(I won't bother making the point about Obama writing his own speech, because that's been covered sufficiently in this thread already.)

[krkaufman]

96. "just a realist"

There's a bit too much speculation in the OP for it to be categorized as "realist." I think cynic or pessimist would fit better.

[grasswire]

103. is it cynical to be truthful?

How is it pessimistic to say this?

Politicians use speechwriters.

Politicians use Teleprompters.

Those are pure statements of fact, and everyone knows it. But people are so goo-goo over Obama that they become barking mad when someone points it out to them. That doesn't bode well for democracy.

[krkaufman]

179. Not at all, but "truth" is objective ... while the OP was subjective, speculative

In fact, Obama, according to all media reports, did write today's speech. Trying to spin an alternate reality is both anti-realist and cynical.

[JoFerret]

97. He delivers a good speech

He is not so good in some other forums but he delivers a good speech.

[WinkyDink]

98. His mother was a hamster, and his father smelt of elderberries.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

104. ~*~..........

:spray:

[grasswire]

110. I shall taunt you a second time! (eom)

[mudesi]

100. Thank you for that lesson in what constitutes a speech

:eyes:

[knixphan]

101. be frightened, haters.

Cause we're supporting our guy all the way in.

And then you can bash PRESIDENT Obama all you like.

[grasswire]

106. how is it supporting him...

...to say that he shouldn't have speechwriters or a Teleprompter? Because that's what you have said here.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

102. anyone who didn't see that he was reading from his 2 teleprompters is blind

[grasswire]

108. hey!

Maybe Hillary uses a Teleprompter, too!

Not that there's anything wrong with that. We all know it happens.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

111. hey I wish I had one for my speeches at fundraisers for the youth center

[Shakespeare]

138. See my post #135. n/t

[Danger Mouse]

105. from what i heard, this speech was written by obama himself.

[rucky]

107. SPEECHWRITER FOR PRESIDENT!!!

:eyes:

[Faygo Kid]

116. It's worked before.

[undeterred]

109. your mother wears army boots and you stuff your bras

:hi:

[breakaleg]

112. I don't think this diminishes what a powerful person he is. Hillary, I'm sure has a similar writing

staff and she cannot do what Obama does. So, it's not JUST about the writers.

[grasswire]

118. you may be right.

However, please note that Hillary is apparently touching as many or more hearts than Obama is, because she's ahead in the popular total vote count and (I think) in the latest polling.

The numbers mean that Hillary is just as appealing to roughly half of the country as Obama is to the other half.

So you can't really say that he is something else, oratorically. He's apparently about par with Hillary. They have each convinced about the same number of people to support them.

[walldude]

114. OMG! NO! Not.. Not..

Not a teleprompter! Aaaaauuuugggggghhhhhhhhh!!! We're all doomed!

[Exilednight]

115. Here's some bad news for you......

I've worked on a couple campaigns myself, and there are some orators who give speeches without teleprompters and do craft many of their messages themselves. There are also those who are gifted speakers and do not need coaching, I would hazard a guess that Obama is one of those people.

[grasswire]

119. if that's so....

....then why does he employ three speech writers? And we know for a fact that he uses Teleprompters.

NOT that there's wrong with either of those. Obama supporters just need to come off the cloud and admit that he's just like the rest of the pols. It's a disservice to the man to blindly put him on a pedestal.

[Exilednight]

125. I work for a media firm reporting the news, but I still have an editor who proofs everything........

I write. I worked with a candidate who wrote all his own speeches, but I was part of his speech writing staff. He would perform the speech in front of me and I would make minor adjustments.

Personally when I give speeches, I write the speech out in full text and then use index cards with point words.

[grasswire]

127. more power to you

You agree. Candidates use help. Sometimes they use Teleprompters.

[Exilednight]

139. I've been around with Obama for quite a while, and I have yet to see him use a telemprompter.....

during a stump speech. It was said, although I was not there to verify, but my colleagues are quite reliable, that he didn't use a teleprompter today.

I also doubt that this speech was written several months back. It was to specific to current events.

[grasswire]

158. do you know what a stump speech is?

This was not a stump speech. And he DID use a Teleprompter.

And has it occurred to you that the speech given today could have been drafted out at any previous time, and tweaked for today?

[Exilednight]

163. Yes I know what a stump speech is, and ther are pols who use teleprompters to give them......

and let's say he did use a teleprompter today, what difference does it really make?

This was a speech that couldn't have been written earlier and then retooled for today. Most speeches aren't written until the last minute. A speech like the SOTU is typically not finished until the day before it is given.

Go spend a few months on the campaign trail with a candidate. You'd be surprised how much you learn and quickly find out their gifts and faults. Obama is quick on his feet and quite agile with words. This speech had parts of other speeches, but most of it was fairly relative to what has happened over the past few weeks.

If you were a speech writer, you would also know that it takes more time to actually retool a speech for current events than it is to start from scratch and start with a clean slate.

[walldude]

131. So you wrote this big OP berating him for using a teleprompter

and speech writers, then in a separate post you write how there is nothing wrong with using those. So if there is nothing wrong with it, then why did you write the OP? What was the point? All you did was prove that like most of the Hillary supporters you have this idea that we worship the ground Obama walks on. Well, we don't.

[grasswire]

142. no

I wrote the OP because people were goo-gooing all over the place here about a man who read a speech -- goo-gooing as if he were Jesus Christ in the flesh, assigning mythical talents and powers to him and ignoring reality.

Blind adulation of leaders has no place in a democracy.

Do you recall that we were saddled with Bush because millions of people would not admit his limitations and flaws? They swooned and fainted at the W. brand.

Blind adulation of leaders has no place in a democracy. Save it for American Idol.

[tekisui]

120. But he delivered it.

He said each of those words with his mouth, and his conviction. He is the leading Presidential Candidate, and he is free to say whatever he wants.

He spoke truths when he had the opportunity and the attention.

That counts.

[grasswire]

134. no one said he shouldn't say what he wants

It's just important for people to see him as a man, not as a mythical figure. He isn't well served by blind fans.

[tekisui]

159. Agreed.

[Eric J in MN]

123. If Obama used a teleprompter for today's speech, that doesn't mean he didn't write it.

Writing a speech <> memorizing a speech.

[Still-ill]

126. actually you are wrong

Obama did write the speech, it has already be reported on the newyork times web sitethat he wrote the speech him self. Sorry try again.

[grasswire]

130. welcome to DU

They said that about Bush, too.

[slinkerwink]

129. he wrote this speech by himself and used a teleprompter

[SammyWinstonJack]

132. K&R!

[RichardRay]

133. Sorry, He wrote it. I know he did.

He finished at 3:30 AM and then reviewed it with top staff while putting it into the teleprompter. So, you're half right. On the other part, you're as wrong as you can be.

[grasswire]

137. you were there?

I'm impressed, if so!

Oh, wait. You know this because "they" said so?

Oh.

[EFerrari]

146. You have now descended from your position as expert insider

to the sixth grade, "I know you are so what am I?"

[grasswire]

153. :::shrug:::

whatever

[ContinentalOp]

194. I think that's been the Clinton campaign's motto for a while now.

Hence my sig.

[RichardRay]

147. :-)

Figure it out. That's my real name up there on the post. If you're such a studly insider than you know who to talk to to find out how I know that. If you can't find it out you're just another poseur.

[grasswire]

180. women can be studly?

Who knew?

And where did I claim to be an insider?

[RichardRay]

186. Sure, and have balls, too.

Your original post reeks with claim of superior inside perspective. But you ain't got the game to get there.

Yes, he wrote the whole damn thing, and yes, be used a teleprompter. I suppose you'd rather he used note cards?

[grasswire]

187. you, too, have missed the point

He ought to use a Teleprompter. But his goo-goo fans refuse to think he would do so. They refuse to allow him down from the pedestal so that he can employ speech writers and use a Teleprompter. Some of them probably think his voice doesn't need a phone to allow him to communicate long distance. It's really quite silly. It's also un-American to indulge in blind adulation of a leader.

[Swamp Rat]

140. CNN’s Jack Cafferty says, "Obama wrote the speech himself."

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/18/does-obama’s-race-matter/

"Obama wrote the speech himself. No speechwriters."

[cooolandrew]

141. Of course he wrote the speech it was mostly about himself no person could speak bettter on it.

[grasswire]

145. Sorry.

Did you happen to read the Bush "autobiography" written by Karen Hughes?

[stillcool]

143. You have chutzpah...

You have no idea what you are talking about and you should be called on your BS. Reading from a tele-prompter is in no way indicative of who wrote the speech.

[grasswire]

148. huh? who said it was?

Please read for comprehension.

[stillcool]

155. I read. You are making charges...

that you can not back up. In any way. You do not have a clue as to who wrote that speech. The article you linked to up-thread points out that Obama often writes his own speeches. He is a writer. You are selling BS. Why?

[jillan]

184. Obama used that word over the weekend - I was so embarassed for him.

you could tell someone told him to use it, he couldn't even pronounce it correctly.

[PoliticalAmazon]

149. Nanny-nanny-poo-poo sour grapes

How childish. This sounds like something Hillary Clinton would do.

Obama clearly hit a home run. It was an incredible speech, one that has inspired many.

So the best you can do is the equivalent of a kid's "nanny-nanny-poo-poo" sour grapes.

Here's a clue: most politicians (including McCain and HRC) use teleprompters, even if they don't need them. It's just a little insurance that everything is going to go well with the speech.

And about speech-writers...many politicians use a group of people as a sounding-board for their ideas, and these people often help to organize the speech, as well. Even the politicians who don't have others make up their speeches without any of the politician's input, if they are smart, even if they write the speech 100% themselves, will have others review the speech and give their input.

What you're doing is accusing Obama of doing what is common practice with politicians, and condemning Obama for it.

I think "nanny-nanny-poo-poo" would have done a better job at what you are trying to do.

[grasswire]

160. you are totally wrong

You wrote: "What you're doing is accusing Obama of doing what is common practice with politicians, and condemning Obama for it."

What I'm doing is telling his goo-goo supporters that he does what is common practice for politicians. He employs three speech writers and uses a Teleprompter.

I'm not condemning him at all. I'm telling the goo-goo supporters to grow up and treat him like a real man, not like a mythic superhero.

[boppers]

152. You worked for a moron, therefore Obama is a moron?

I'm not following your logic, here.

Yes, team members make up for each other's weaknesses, but to assume that all candidates are equally flawed or incapable in the same ways is foolish.

[grasswire]

157. you're the one calling him a moron...

...if you claim that it would be wrong for him to use the same tools as every other politician.

[boppers]

162. use the tools... heh.

Some "tools" are better than others, and some may be wielded by the staff, some by the candidate. Barack, for example, does a ton of his own writing, but not all of his own editing.

Let's quote you:
"any eloquence, any brilliance is the intellectual product of the hacks and the team. This is how it always is"

When you work for a moron with no brilliance or eloquence, it all *has* to come from the team.

A good leader who has strong writing of his own makes for a much easier job of editing and transcribing than crafting cheap lines for an empty suit.

You might be a realist, or you just might have never edited/co-authored with a candidate/official who also happened to be a good author.

[salbi]

156. CNN is reporting he did write this one, and he also used a telepromter.

[Tennessee Gal]

161. I thank you for your candor and a much more realistic prospective on major political speeches.

[elizm]

164. If it's that easy, why don't Hillary and McCain just do the same! nt

[grasswire]

170. didn't you see McCain last week...

...when his Teleprompter failed? It was brutal.

[medeak]

165. am certain your sort looked it over...but it was too personal n/t

[VotesForWomen]

167. say it's not so! nt

[ronnykmarshall]

168. GASP!

What a shocker!

:sarcasm:

[Breeze54]

169. My sister worked for the DOD in DC years ago, so I'm sure she has all the inside info even now!!!!!

:eyes:

[SaveAmerica]

172. Desperation, thy name is Grasswire. There's nothing in the speech's content to spin so this is all

you've got left. It's pretty sad and obvious.

[grasswire]

174. dream on, pal

It's sad for us all. You've got a band of goo-goos, I have no candidate.

[rocktivity]

173. Look at what seven years of LOUSY speech reading has gotten us.

Besides, even if you're right, it isn't as though he's the first politician has done such a thing. And don't you think Hillary and McCain would TRADE speech teams with Obama if they could?

:headbang:
rocknation

[grasswire]

176. I am not criticizing him for using the tools.

I am criticizing his goo-goo followers who think he's a man-god, above using the tools commonly used by pols. That way lies empty idolatry.

[BringBigDogBack]

175. Obama wrote the speech.

Deal with it.

[wildeyed]

177. "Obama dictated a first draft to his young speechwriter Jon Favreau on Saturday,

then reworked the speech until 3 a.m. Monday. He went at it anew on Tuesday, tweaking away until 2 a.m."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/124122/page/2

:shrug:

I don't really care one way or another about the teleprompter. I kind figured that he did use one unless maybe the words were a direct inspiration from God or something ;)

But seriously, it was a brilliant speech, however it came into being.

[IndependentDem]

178. either way, he (and his supposed writers) has the ability to make people...

care and want to get involved with their government. obama is not a god or savior or anything else. he is a presidential candidate that has been able to get people involved, he is a person that is able to touch people and make people feel connected with him and possibly their country. i believe that in order for our country to get out of the shit hole bush has put us in that WE the people will need to do much of the grunt work. on a different note, i believe some of the most heart felt and impressive things he has said have been during the QA portions of his town hall meetings. either way, i believe Obama and his writers are the best option on the table.

[EffieBlack]

181. Unlike most politicians, Obama writes many of his own speeches

His most important speeches, he tends to write himself or with little help from speechwriters.

He wrote every word of his 2004 convention speech himself - to the consternation of his aides whom he didn't let see it until he gave it to them to put on the teleprompter.

But that aside, even if he didn't write his own speeches, so what. As you said, most politicians don't write their own speeches, yet they don't seem to be able to deliver them as powerfully as Obama can.

[stop the bleeding]

183. I guess you better tell the NYT cause they seem to disagree

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5148390&mesg_id=5148390

[TAWS]

189. "Obama (like other major players) doesn't write his speeches" and with that, you look like an idiot

[Raine]

190. Tell that to Brian Williams, Katie Couric and

Charles Gibson because they all said that OBAMA WROTE IT HIMSELF.

[cynatnite]

191. Who doesn't use a teleprompter?

A lot of politicians use them. So have previous candidates. Big deal. That shouldn't be an issue.

I know folks who can write great speeches, but couldn't effectively deliver them to save their lives. I also know some who can give a speech that's moving and powerful, but can't write for shit. I know a few who can do both.

The fact of the matter is no matter who writes a speech, the one who gives it has to stand by those words. That's reality.

Oh, and the last places anyone should look to for reality...bush's cracker jack writing team and a canceled TV show.

[Slagathor]

193. So what? Sorensen wrote Kennedy's speeches

they're still Kennedy's speeches... or are you unfamiliar with the idea that a political campaign like a film, is the work of an auteur?

[dchill]

196. This OP is full of crap.

No basis for anything you say. Obama uses a TELEPROMPTER!!! No shit. I'll bet he uses reading glasses and breath mints and toilet paper, too!!! Obama is more than a slick speech-reader. Your experience as a "hack" doesn't qualify you to project on anyone else the shallowness and cynicism you hold so dear. Too bad you couldn't get a job with Obama - but I'm just guessing he doesn't need you.

[mattclearing]

199. Word. n/t

[Danzo]

197. Talk Is Cheap, Anyway

Campaign speeches are nothing but window dressing. Anyone can pull whatever words out of their ass they want to, and for all we know, they could be almost entirely insincere.

As Faith No More said "words-to say nothing in million of ways".

I'm underwhelmed by campaign speeches. Just just a fancy verbal form of the chest puffing that occurs in the animal kingdom. Big deal!

[mattclearing]

198. Not true. Obama writes much of his speeches, and Al Gore wrote many of his as well.

Just because he professionally hones his speeches doesn't mean he doesn't write a sizable portion of them.

[mythyc]

200. w'out cause, every post in this thread is haughty needling and mocking. Stop replying people :-/

:eyes: it's called ignore :eyes: handy function for people who post a thread in a public forum yet prove with every word retort taunt and derision that they have no interest in actual substantive, productive conversation and dialogue....

[JTFrog]

201. Too bad you never inspired people like that huh? That's all I read here.

With this attitude it's not hard to wonder why.

[Mezzo]

202. He may have stayed up until 3am fine tuning it...

but I agree. this one was in the bag for a while. (And what's wrong with being prepared?) It actually makes me think he is more ready than I thought originally. But Obama supporters, not to disappoint, quickly reminded me of the reasons not to support him.

This very thread can serve as an example.

[Blarch]

203. "this is how it always is"

You couldn't be more wrong...and brainwashed.

[pnwmom]

204. Who the heck cares whether he used a teleprompter?

Was he supposed to have it all memorized?

I read that he DID write the speech -- but it doesn't matter -- I'm sure he had a great deal of input into what went into it. He's no George Bush.