Get rid of teleprompters!

The national conventions of the two major parties could fairly be called the "world series of politics."  An important part of politics is the spoken word.

Doesn't it therefore make sense that speakers at a national convention ought to be our nation's professionals at speaking words?  Shouldn't they be able to do this without watching the dang words--their words, supposedly--being flashed back at them?

The problem with every speech last night--including Ted's and Michelle Obama's--was that they each lacked some semblance of being real.  Yes, there was rarely a stumble, they always seemed to be looking into the camera, they were technically flawless, and they delivered the intended message.

The problem is that, lacking any spontaneity at all, the words seem to come across as faintly wooden, even when the teleprompter is exercised entirely as intended--in fact, precisely as intended.

These national politicians--these masters, supposedly, of the spoken word--ought to be able to deliver a good speech without that goofy contraption.  Even if they read it off a prepared text right in front of them, they should be able to deliver it with some "humanity" to it.

As I watched the teleprompter last night, everybody read their lines quite capably.  I did notice that Michelle Obama tended to sneak the word "see" in here and there, which was not in the teleprompter script.  This was the only deviation from the script that I noticed and it was a decidedly minor one.  I think she, perhaps unconsciously, was trying to put at least something of herself in it. 

Get rid of this high tech short-circuit!  Bring back argument and debate, oratory and rhetoric.  It worked for Jefferson and Lincoln.

Comments

[Hypatia]

One thing that always strikes me when I’m watching Prime Minister’s Questions on C-SPAN is how few elite American politicians could handle that kind of grilling (which is mostly theatrical, really) and respond fluently and with clarity. Both Clintons could handle it. Obama could do better than most but would run into trouble quickly. Maybe even Mitt Romney. But that’s about it.

[redrabbit]

Can you imagine how George Bush would've managed that? That's my idea of political porn.

[gormenghast]

I have attended many House of Commons question sessions(from the gallery) and believe me when I say Obama in no way could handle it. Back benchers and for that matter, front benchers, would howl, laugh and deride him out of the building at the first six ers and ums. It's tougher in there than Speaker's Corner.

[John Petty]

No doubt. I was struck again last night at how teleprompters drain the life right out of a speech. There were only two speeches of note yesterday--Kucinich' (of all people) and Clinton's. They both knew their speeches well enough that they were able to use the teleprompter only sparingly.

[John Petty]

Redrabbit, George Bush gets a funny look of satisfaction on his face when he manages to pronounce a word correctly.

[redrabbit]

I know. Can't we import the front and back benchers from the House of Commons for a quick question session before Bush leaves office?

Gormenghast, you read Obama's abilities well. The pinhead Alan Keyes(!!!) outdebated him.

[Hypatia]

One thing the long primary season did for Obama was make him a better debater. He looked very weak in the early ones. By the end of the campaign Clinton could still clean his clock but you knew he wasn’t going to make any major mistakes, which after a certain point is all a candidate needs.

[John Petty]

He's better at it, but still not that good at debates. McCain isn't either, but he doesn't have to be since he's a Republican and the press never calls them on their screw-ups.