Obama’s crutch

Obama’s reliance on the teleprompter is constant and wholly unprecedented, reports Politico. He uses the teleprompter at every appearance, large and small, formal and informal, even for brief introductory comments.

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Nosy writes:

I suspected as much during the campaign. He is not a great speaker, he is a reader. His oratory is much overrated, and I suspect that it will not wear well; the pseudo-revivalist style begins to grate after one hears it for a while.

From the Politico article you link:

“After the teleprompter malfunctioned a few times last summer and Obama delivered some less-than-soaring speeches, reports surfaced that he was training to wean himself off of the device while on vacation in Hawaii. But no such luck.

“His use of the teleprompter makes work tricky for the television crews and photographers trying to capture an image of the president announcing a new Cabinet secretary or housing plan without a pane of glass blocking his face. And it is a startling sight to see such sleek, modern technology set against the mahogany doors and Bohemian crystal chandeliers in the East Room or the marble columns of the Grand Foyer.”

LA replies:

Agreed that his oratory is way overrated. Frankly, the only time I got a passing “tingle” listening to a big speech by him was in his 2004 convention speech. Since then it’s all struck me as transparently phony messianic b.s. However, I have to say, early in his campaign, in interviews, I found him very impressive as a talker and he struck me as one of the most fluid, assured off-the-cuff speakers I have seen. His complete aplomb in response to any question seemed his main talent. So I’m truly surprised by his reliance on teleprompters.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 05, 2009 08:39 PM | Send