One thing you will never hear President Obama say:

[formercia]

As he turns to the invisible person on his left shoulder and says: "Wait, let me finish."

[billyoc]

1. Oh, yeah...

A classic moment in American politics, that was. :rofl:

[Jeep789]

2. I think that was God speaking to Bush again

:rofl:

[Stephanie]

3. Some techy needs to fess up on Bush's earbug

I really want to know who was feeding him answers.

[formercia]

4. It works better than a Teleprompter.

You don't even need to know how to read.

[formercia]

8. I was a techie and used to work with this system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oG7BW_Buwo

Check out the bulge in his back. You also see one side of the loop that goes from one side of the bulge, around his neck and back to the other side of the bulge. This is part of a PHONAK audio transmitter that couples to an earpiece. They are made in Switzerland and used by agencies all over the World.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBUIqgCybt4&feature=related

[Stephanie]

9. I remember that

It's amazing that he was never called on it.

[formercia]

13. I brought it up at the time

but people were most interested in pursuing their fantasies, rather than boring technical facts.

[MADem]

5. But....but.....but..... he used a TELEPROMPTER!!! Oh, the HUMANITY!!!!!! nt

[formercia]

12. You got the point.

I wasn't going to let that sneak by without return fire.

[sutz12]

6. "Nobody could have foreseen that......."

It that wasn't the biggest copout line ever spewed by a politician, I don't know what is.

:shrug:

[formercia]

11. I thought it might be good to bring up

since the Great Wurlitzer has been spewing the Teleprompter meme recently.

[formercia]

7. Here's some more background:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/02/uselections2004.usa2

After months of flawless execution in a well-orchestrated campaign, President Bush had to stand alone in an unpredictable debate. He had travelled the country, appearing before adoring pre-selected crowds, delivered a carefully crafted acceptance speech before his convention, and approved tens of millions of dollars in TV commercials to belittle his opponent. In the lead, Bush believed he had only to assert his superiority to end the contest once and for all.

But onstage the president ran out of talking points. Unable to explain the logic for his policies, or think on his feet, he was thrown back on the raw elements of his personality and leadership style.

Every time he was confronted with ambivalence, his impulse was to sweep it aside. He claimed he must be followed because he is the leader. Fate, in the form of September 11, had placed authority in his hands as a man of destiny. Scepticism, pragmatism and empiricism are enemies. Absolute faith prevails over open-ended reason, subjectivity over fact. Belief in belief is the ultimate sacrament of his political legitimacy.

In the split TV screen, how Bush felt was written all over his face. His grimaces exposed his irritation and anger at being challenged. Lacking intellectual stamina and repeating points as though on a feedback loop, he tried to close argument by assertion. With no one interrupting him, he protested, "Let me finish" - a phrase he occasionally deploys to great effect before the cowed White House press corps.

--snip--

[applegrove]

10. I forgot Bush did that. LOL!