Boosh Speechwriter Calls Bullshit on Stupid TeleprompterGate

[jefferson_dem]

What the Teleprompter Teaches
By Michael Gerson

WASHINGTON -- It is amazing how swiftly a presidential tendency turns from observation to joke to meme. Barack Obama -- called "the most eloquent political speaker of our time" -- has become known as the teleprompter president.

The issue gathered momentum when Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen read 20 seconds of Obama's teleprompter remarks at a White House ceremony before realizing his mistake. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, at her nomination as head of Health and Human Services, was made to wait in awkward silence while Obama's teleprompter was adjusted. Then came Obama's use of the big-screen autocue at Tuesday night's news conference.

Coverage by Ron Fournier of The Associated Press began: "What kind of politician brings a teleprompter to a news conference?" A recent Politico story asserted, "President Barack Obama doesn't go anywhere without his teleprompter," calling it a "crutch." And in a popular new blog, Obama's teleprompter playfully chronicles its day.

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This derision is based on the belief that the teleprompter exaggerates the gap between image and reality -- that it involves a kind of deception. It is true that there is often a distinction between a president on and off his script. With a teleprompter, Obama can be ambitiously eloquent; without it, he tends to be soberly professorial. Ronald Reagan with a script was masterful; during news conferences he caused much wincing and cringing. It is the rare politician, such as Tony Blair, who speaks off the cuff in beautifully crafted paragraphs.

But it is a mistake to argue that the uncrafted is somehow more authentic. Those writers and commentators who prefer the unscripted, who use "rhetoric" as an epithet, who see the teleprompter as a linguistic push-up bra, do not understand the nature of presidential leadership or the importance of writing to the process of thought.

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http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/the_teleprompter_president.html

[dionysus]

1. wow. good for him!

[Fovea]

2. A not so facecious question

Is there any irregular English verb G. W. Bush can full conjugate without a teleprompter?

[yy4me]

4. He would not even know what "conjugate" means. Can you see

the blank stare he would give if asked? Makes me chuckle.

It would be hard work.

[WhiteTara]

7. he would think it had to do with sex!

:rofl:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

3. Ron Fournier kisses Rove's flabby ass for a living. It's true. nt

[SeattleGirl]

5. "...linguistic push-up bra...."

:rofl:

[eppur_se_muova]

11. Masterful turn of phrase. Or twist. Whatever. nt

[Cha]

6. Rec'd! And, may I just say

fuck ron corporatemediawhore fournier.

He's a Gawd damn idiot and if he thinks we're going to pay any attention to what he has to write about Prez Obama he's missing more brain cells than first suspected.

[Duer 157099]

8. First of all, people have to be able to read to even use a teleprompter

Bush usually just had an earphone in his head telling him what to say!

[MiniMe]

9. What is really sad is that W still screwed up with a teleprompter

Used the wrong word all the time.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Someone needs to mention the reporters and their tiny notepad

that they read as they ask a 3 sentence question. Do they really need to read the notepad? I mean, how much easier do their jobs have to be compared to that of the President's before someone calls them on the carpet?