But of course the mini-skirt Moose Mom doesn't know, and doesn't care that you might know that the first time the electric note cards were used was at the 1952 Republican Convention by former President Herbert Hoover. It was the first one ever televised of course and he did it again in 1956. Whether he was charismatic or not I will leave to you and to Sarah Snickers, but Eisenhower used one from 1952 and virtually every other president, candidate
and TV talking head pundit has used one too at various levels of charisma.That's right, George W. Bush used a Teleprompter, there he is in the picture, although I'm told "that's different" by the snarksters and flim-flam bloggers and if you remember the TV Debates, Bush even wore some kind of device worn on his back. So it's hard to know what Governor Barbie had in mind, but it's clear she doesn't feel threatened by anyone who knows more than she does -- which is most of us -- because like most irresponsible pseudo-conservative snarko-terrorists, she's always surrounded by the like-mindless who think she's a genius.
Maybe if George had used one more often or had been able to read along with the moving words, he wouldn't have given us such delights as "the childrens is learning" but we'd be so much poorer without such things as part of our culture, or whatever remains of one.
So, yes The president is a charismatic man, which of course is required for political success in the age of Television, but that's a bit like saying he's a man who wears shoes. Compared to the most educated of recent Republican candidates he's a bit more than Charismatic and of course note cards or not , when he speaks he says something -- and in respectable English as well.
But when one really can't be described as anything more than political junk food, and that's the kindest thing I can say about Sarah Palin the human Twinkie; when you're a tasteless confection of sugar, oil and starch with no ability to do anyone any good, the best you can do is just what she does. Well never mind about the hope and change -- you're hopeless and intransigent. You abandoned Alaska leaving them with record debt and some incoherent story, but it was all about a better offer, wasn't it? So isn't that all you are -- a mendacious mediocrity and charismatic candidate for What Not To Wear -- with notes scribbled on your palm?
So hows that wiggly giggly thing working out for ya, Sarah?
Wiggly-giggly, sparkly-dopey is working out just fine for Sarah, thank you very much. It's all she needs to get the base salivating.
ReplyDeleteAs to the whole teleprompter "debacle," it is a manufactured controversy with no merit. Why shouldn't a president, or any public figure of importance, read a speech prepared ahead of time for a special occasion? Hardly anyone is capable of verbalizing a smooth, cogent stream of thoughts throughout a long period of time. It's a matter of convenience, elegance, and yes, respect for the audience who is not subjected to the inevitable pauses, needless interjections, etc.
Palin herself used a teleprompter during her VP acceptance speech in 2008 -- and that happened to be her best public performance ever. When she goes off the script written for her by someone with a brain, then we see how empty her head really is.
Obama, on the other hand, can hold his own with any audience, unscripted, in a spontaneous give-and-take -- and the man makes sense and knows his stuff, even though we may not agree with what he has to say.
Making fun of his use of a teleprompter on special occasions is indeed like chiding him for wearing a suit. Or shoes.
Maybe Palin should consider a teleprompter rather than a hand job next time she steps out in public. It may make her less of a joke.
Fox News is having a fit because Robert Gibbs had a grocery list written on his palm at today's morning press conference. Posted on my blog.
ReplyDeleteI like your Sarah Snickers - and all the rest, for that matter. I just can't understand why these nits don't see through this woman. Also, I will be anxious if she does in fact turn her fee over to the "cause."
Tnlib, I have it on good authority that Sarah will donate the fee to the cause (of inventing invisible hand ink).
ReplyDeleteBTW, I thought it was somewhat inappropriate for Gibbs to make fun of Palin or even acknowledge her blunders. IMO, the White House should publicly give her as little attention as possible (= none), and never stoop to her level, even in satirizing her. It needlessly elevates her stature and gives FOX et al more anti-Obama fodder.
Well I think the earth should open up and swallow her, but there's either no God or the Earth has no taste for that sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, in writing that I managed to boggle my own mind by remembering that I'm old enough to remember Herbert Hoover.
As a teacher, I use a few truncated notes -- post-its or, lately, a small print-out that fits inside my textbook. Nothing wrong with it since, as Elizabeth points out, the idea is to offer a reasonably smooth presentation and not hem and haw and natter your way through a performance. Sometimes you walk out of a classroom kicking yourself -- "how could I have forgotten to say this or that?" So it's not a bad thing to have them around, even though one shouldn't become too dependent on them.
ReplyDeleteThat the right-wing nitwits have something against teleprompters only shows that they're too stupid to understand the varieties of public speaking. There are times when a person needs to be spontaneous, and times when something more formal is in order. The only silly thing about Palin's "notes," I suppose, is the junior-high-school medium she used. I mean, I'd look and feel foolish if I scribbled stuff about Shakespeare or Keats on my palm. Get with the program, Sarah -- paper is more dignified!
Paper?! Oh, c'mon, Dino, you know that Sarah is allergic to paper, in any shape and form.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, scribbling talking points on her hand was the only way to help her get through her performance without using the discredited (by herself, LOL) teleprompter, or exposing her fragile psyche to the much dreaded paper.
Elizabeth: I don't totally disagree but I think poking fun at her actually shows that the WH isn't taking the dame seriously at all, which they shouldn't of course. The reporters seemed to get a big kick out of it as did I.
ReplyDeleteGibbs has had his bad moments but I think he's often very witty.
Their ideology precludes them from retaining information about what Republicans did with teleprompters. They make up their own history so why not willful ignorance? It's a convenient tool of denial so that you don't have to think about the other side and their arguments.
ReplyDeleteWhile most on the left approach debates how they were taught in school and college of point/counter-point, the right's method is to just shout you down.
That and change the topic. They don't as a whole know how to debate properly and is in part why the left is so exasperated with them.
They don't play by any set of rules of engagement. They just fly by the seat of their pants and pull shit out of their asses and call it history. Regardless if it comports to the official history taught country wide in schools and universities.
They have somehow managed to demean and blow off intelligence as optional. Stupidity is valued but is called by their crowd, "authenticity" and "folksiness." I'm sorry but I don't want Uncle Joe being a leader of my country.
I want someone smarter than me but then again I have the crazy notion that intelligence is important. Go figure. As a historian by education I get so frustrated with all these arm-chair historians.
They have somehow managed to demean and blow off intelligence as optional.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Because it is, Handsome.
No, seriously. Just look at the newest star from the right, Sarah The GOP Madonna. She is "one of us" and a walking proof that one "can achieve anything!" with sheer pluck and good old American can-do spirit. Or whatever it is that she really represents (and intelligence it ain't, for sure).
But then there are many other examples, true or not so much, of "the American dream" achieved by a Joe Schmoe who wasn't some uppity elitist scholar, but just a regular boy from a Small Town, USA. It's all part of the American mythology.
Dislike and distrust of (high) intelligence is as American as apple pie. We don't like them intelectuls -- and it shows, beginning in elementary school.
Yeah what these idiots don't understand is that we "elites" don't mind an "average Joe" winning. So long as that "average Joe" also knows basic history and other information.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I like "rags to riches" stories for the most part but when the only qualification for president is whether you can share a beer with them--I mourn for our country and our youth.
Though with gay marriage, marijuana rights and other stuff the youth are on the right page.
Oh my! If I may laugh, for a moment, at we Zoners!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard about SP's teleprompter bit I thought - oh for heaven's sake! Let's see how long FOX is able to keep this going as something worth talking about and thereby seeming to validate it.
And here we are doing it! Inadvertently allowing SP to suck us into wasting air discussing the use of teleprompters by politicians!
And giving her more press! (what's that old adage about there being no such thing as bad publicity......?)
We all are such moths to her flame just like AC.......
Every president has used TelePrompters, ever since they were invented.
ReplyDeleteNot all presidents took them with them everywhere they went and could not speak coherently without them.