Palin Uses A Crib Sheet

[Skeptic]

The problem isn't that Obama uses a teleprompter. It's that he seems lost without one, which is quite a problem for a man proclaimed as one of the greatest speech makers of all time. (Not that, so far, this great speech maker had given us one memorable quote -- "yes we can" doesn't count -- but I digress.)

 

[Darat]

The problem isn't that Obama uses a teleprompter. It's that he seems lost without one, which is quite a problem for a man proclaimed as one of the greatest speech makers of all time. (Not that, so far, this great speech maker had given us one memorable quote -- "yes we can" doesn't count -- but I digress.)

You do digress because that is not the criticism that Palin made.

 

[Meadmaker]

Perhaps she was just trying to work out some possible names for her next five children.

 

[Just thinking]

So she can't remember seven words and he can't remember 700?

I don't think there's anything wrong with notes, but it's more understandable someone would need to a read a new speech rather than recite old talking points.

And that's your take. I see it was someone who simply wants to stay on point and can then go on their own, given of course, the story is true.

 

[Just thinking]

You do digress because that is not the criticism that Palin made.

Is that your required level of authentication? ... if Sara Palin doesn't address something, it isn't true? Wow ... I had no idea you worshiped her so.

 

[manierisme]

The problem isn't that Obama uses a teleprompter. It's that he seems lost without one, which is quite a problem for a man proclaimed as one of the greatest speech makers of all time.

Uh huh, sure he does. http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/ID/218836

What a load of nonsense. And I say that as someone who's been disappointed with something like half of what Obama's done from both a policy and strategic standpoint over the last year. But hey, gotta keep pushing that meme as far as it will go!

 

[A'isha]

The problem isn't that Obama uses a teleprompter. It's that he seems lost without one, which is quite a problem for a man proclaimed as one of the greatest speech makers of all time. (Not that, so far, this great speech maker had given us one memorable quote -- "yes we can" doesn't count -- but I digress.)

Yes, I remember quite clearly how Obama had to rely on his teleprompter when he engaged the Republicans in that question and answer session a couple weeks ago. Oh, no...wait. That didn't happen.

Then surely he wrote his talking points on his hand, to refer to during that Q&A, right? No, wait, that didn't happen either. Huh.

Well, I'm sure there's gotta be something which shows how Obama is dumb and fake for using a teleprompter, and Palin is smart and personable for writing in ink on her hand. Somewhere.

Right?

 

[King of the Americas]

The problem isn't that Obama uses a teleprompter. It's that he seems lost without one, which is quite a problem for a man proclaimed as one of the greatest speech makers of all time. (Not that, so far, this great speech maker had given us one memorable quote -- "yes we can" doesn't count -- but I digress.)

Could you provide the evidence you used to arrive at this conclusion?

 

[KingMerv00]

To be honest, I'd probably do something similar to Palin. I would like to think that I could remember things like "energy" and "life spirits" though.

 

[Brown]

I'm still skeptical of the story. The videos sure look damning, but I'm still not 100% convinced. It makes no sense.

This was my reaction when the story broke. It MUST be a hoax! The photos MUST be doctored! Palin can't be THAT stupid!

Well, the reports now indicate that the story is legitimate, and that Palin is indeed very, very stupid. When all you've got are a few "talking points" and you can't even remember what they are, that's pretty damn stupid. (The talking points themselves are foolish and irrational in their own right.)

By the way, there is a world of difference between writing talking points on your hand or speaking from notes or teleprompter (or a TelePrompTer [as some purists continue spell it, even though the uncapitalized term is considered generic]).

Typically, the text of an address (as opposed to a list of disconnected words) includes sentences that have been carefully crafted. Having the text ready allows the speaker to deliver the carefully crafted sentences to maximum effect.

FDR agonized over "a date which will live in infamy." LBJ carefully wrote his first short presidential address on November 22, 1963 and made sure he said things in the right order, asking "for your help... and God's." Nixon's speeches were crafted and delivered according to a script, apparently because he had much to hide; he did not wish to make any damning admissions but he did not want to be fully honest, either. Reagan never gave a major address without a script. His most memorable presidential announcements were all carefully scripted, and when he went off-script, he made some of the most embarrassing presidential boners.

About the only president of recent years who could go without a teleprompter or a script was Clinton. In one famous episode, Clinton was to make a major address to the Congress (broadcast nationwide), but the wrong speech was loaded into the teleprompter. While the staff rushed to load the correct speech, Clinton began speaking, giving the CORRECT speech from memory. After several minutes, the staff had the correct speech in place on the teleprompter. Clinton had spoken without assistance for about fifteen minutes, and NO ONE REALIZED IT at the time. The story about the wrong speech became public only after the speech was concluded.

The consensus among Washington observers (of all political stripes) was that Clinton had performed admirably. If this same sort of thing had happened to Reagan, he would have gone ahead and given the wrong speech.

 

[King of the Americas]

...

About the only president of recent years who could go without a teleprompter or a script was Clinton. In one famous episode, Clinton was to make a major address to the Congress (broadcast nationwide), but the wrong speech was loaded into the teleprompter. While the staff rushed to load the correct speech, Clinton began speaking, giving the CORRECT speech from memory. After several minutes, the staff had the correct speech in place on the teleprompter. Clinton had spoken without assistance for about fifteen minutes, and NO ONE REALIZED IT at the time. The story about the wrong speech became public only after the speech was concluded.

The consensus among Washington observers (of all political stripes) was that Clinton had performed admirably. If this same sort of thing had happened to Reagan, he would have gone ahead and given the wrong speech.

President Clinton was a super-pimp...

He'd go into the Press room, and take open questions, until no one had any more.

President Obama pulled the same thing walking into a room to field questions from ONLY GOP members. For that feat, I'll give him the title of "Pimp", but he hasn't reached the Clintonian level, just yet.

President G.W. Bush, when asked "What mistakes have you made after 9/11."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQzdW7hg4A

Quite a difference, wouldn't you say?

 

[Skeptic]

Well, the reports now indicate that the story is legitimate, and that Palin is indeed very, very stupid

Yeah, we know. Just like Nixon and Reagan and Bush I and Bush II and... well, every popular Republican candidate, according to the media.

The problem for the media is that nobody believes them anymore. It is obvious that Palin is simply the last in a long line of popular right-wing politicians the media tries to sink by calling them stupid and/or evil.

It rarely, if ever, works; it tends to simply rebound on the media's head, which is trusted less and less.

In any case, whatever was left of the mainstream media's political credibility had been ground to scrap during their overdrive support to get The One elected in 2008.

 

[varwoche]

There is nothing at all wrong with a politician using a "crib sheet", for example if a politician was discussing a complex issue which involved reams of statistics I would prefer it if they had a crib sheet to hand to ensure the accuracy of the statistics.

What makes it funny in the Palin case is when and especially how she looked at it, the content and of course the hypocrisy of her views on politicians that need to use memory aids.

Yes, and in addition what makes it odd/comical is (1) the lack of real estate on the hand, meaning she needs prompting on buzz words and (2) the appearance that she was using notes secretively. (I think she has a Charlie-the-Tuna complex, and well she should.)

 

[A'isha]

Yeah, we know. Just like Nixon and Reagan and Bush I and Bush II and... well, every popular Republican candidate, according to the media.

The problem for the media is that nobody believes them anymore. It is obvious that Palin is simply the last in a long line of popular right-wing politicians the media tries to sink by calling them stupid and/or evil.

It rarely, if ever, works; it tends to simply rebound on the media's head, which is trusted less and less.

In any case, whatever was left of the mainstream media's political credibility had been ground to scrap during their overdrive support to get The One elected in 2008.

So, it's your argument that Palin isn't dumb, willfully ignorant of even the most basic facts of domestic and foreign policy, and/or woefully unprepared for the duties of running the most powerful nation on the planet? Because the "mainstream media" is only trying to "sink" her by falsely accusing her of those things, just like they falsely accused all the "popular Republican candidate", going all the way back to Nixon (what, was Ford the one Republican that the media was right about, or was he just not "popular" the same way that, y'know, Bush I was)?

 

[Shalamar]

So, it's your argument that Palin isn't dumb, willfully ignorant of even the most basic facts of domestic and foreign policy, and/or woefully unprepared for the duties of running the most powerful nation on the planet? Because the "mainstream media" is only trying to "sink" by falsely accusing her of those things, just like they falsely accused all the "popular Republican candidate, going all the way back to Nixon (what, was Ford the one Republican that the media was right about, or was he just not "popular" the same way that, y'know, Bush I was)?

Perhaps the evil lefty mainstream media planted those notes on her hand to make her look bad..

Though I don't ever recall Obama walking into a Q&A, or delivering a speech with 'Hope', 'Change', and 'health care' written on his hand. He just has to use a teleprompter whenever he opens his mouth...

Except when he doesn't.

 

[joobz]

There is nothing at all wrong with a politician using a "crib sheet", for example if a politician was discussing a complex issue which involved reams of statistics I would prefer it if they had a crib sheet to hand to ensure the accuracy of the statistics.

What makes it funny in the Palin case is when and especially how she looked at it, the content and of course the hypocrisy of her views on politicians that need to use memory aids. (Granted she is not a politician so she might hold politicians to a higher standard than she expects she should be held to.)

This is really my take on it as well. It isn't the fact that she used notes. IT's the fact that
1. She's a hypocrite about it
and
2. the notes exposed her complete lack of depth.

Typically, people use notes to remind themselves of some larger concept. A single word on the palm may refer to an entire policy issue that they didn't want to forget. Or some fact, statistic that could have been forgotten. But in her case, those three bullet points WERE her points. They didn't represent any deeper significance. They were talking points and she spouted them off like a laundry list.

The content of her Q&A was trite. The fact that she needed a cheat sheet to remember her Q&A shows her to be the epitome of an empty suit.

 

[KingMerv00]

Yeah, we know. Just like Nixon and Reagan and Bush I and Bush II and... well, every popular Republican candidate, according to the media.

Wow. You've found **** in a toilet. Discovery of the century.

The president is ALWAYS attacked by the opposing political party. Obama is a socialist telepropter-zombie. Clinton was a shifty liar. etc. etc.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone call Nixon or Bush Sr. stupid. I've heard people callously make fun of Reagan's Alzheimer's disease and I've heard people call Nixon a dick. Making fun of Reagan is not cool but the latter is pretty spot on. Nixon was a dick. He did some good things but he as still a dick.

 

[Ladewig]

"is indeed very, very stupid" Just like Bush I ... according to the media.

The MSM may not be everything that I want them to be, but I am going to need some evidence before I subscribe to your claim that the media labeled G.H.W. Bush as stupid.

 

[A'isha]

The MSM may not be everything that I want them to be, but I am going to need some evidence before I subscribe to your claim that the media labeled G.H.W. Bush as stupid.

They called him wishy-washy and weak (at least before the first Gulf War), but not stupid. And as has been pointed out, Nixon was never considered stupid either...not any more than Dick Cheney is considered stupid.

 

[ponderingturtle]

They called him wishy-washy and weak (at least before the first Gulf War), but not stupid. And as has been pointed out, Nixon was never considered stupid either...not any more than Dick Cheney is considered stupid.

I wonder how much of this is because of Bush 2. Now Palin is pulling a lot of lessons from him and that his putting his foot in his mouth were a strength and is going to take it even farther.