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TDPS: Michele Bachmann Promises No Teleprompter, Uses iPad Instead (Original Post) celtics23 Jan 2012 OP
Ronnie Raygun, patron saint of Republicanism was well known for using a teleprompter- WhoIsNumberNone Jan 2012 #1
Oh you spoiled it....Lincoln was reading from an envelope.... Historic NY Jan 2012 #2
Well, an envelope is still paper... WhoIsNumberNone Jan 2012 #4
Oh, that should be fun to watch. louis-t Jan 2012 #3
Wait...it's not being fed to her straight from God? ScottLand Jan 2012 #5

WhoIsNumberNone

(7,875 posts)
1. Ronnie Raygun, patron saint of Republicanism was well known for using a teleprompter-
Tue Jan 3, 2012, 01:35 PM
Jan 2012

But suddenly it's a sin when Obama does it. It's a meme that Sarah the weather girl got rolling- which should be an indicator of how stupid it is, since every president since Raygun has used them. And as David points out, before teleprompers, presidents read their speeches off paper. Check out the films of FDR giving the Day That Will Live in Infamy speech sometime. And guess what Republicans? When Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address, HE WAS READING IT OFF A PAPER! TV news people use them too. Ever seen any old videos of Walter Kronkite? But nobody seems to mind that.

The thing with teleprompters is that they allow a speaker to communicate more effectively by appearing to maintain eye contact (unless you've got your teleprompter set up next to the wrong camera, right Michele?) and since one of the things Obama is noted for is his ability to give a speech, I guess it's an obvious thing to attack him on. Personally I also think this meme has persisted because so many Republicans don't like it when a black man looks them in the eye when he's talking to them.

Historic NY

(37,449 posts)
2. Oh you spoiled it....Lincoln was reading from an envelope....
Tue Jan 3, 2012, 03:37 PM
Jan 2012

Where did Lincoln write the Gettysburg address? On an envelope, silly.

WhoIsNumberNone

(7,875 posts)
4. Well, an envelope is still paper...
Tue Jan 3, 2012, 05:06 PM
Jan 2012

And actually now that I think about it, maybe it was BSC who got the ball rolling on the Obama/teleprompter thing too...

louis-t

(23,292 posts)
3. Oh, that should be fun to watch.
Tue Jan 3, 2012, 04:14 PM
Jan 2012

Will she scribble notes on her hand or just sound like a jibbering idiot when she gives a speech?

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