“I think this will be the first time she’s used a teleprompter. That’s impressive!”
–Random Talking Head, Fox News
I’m not sure what this guy was being impressed by. That she previously memorized speeches, used paper notes, or maybe that she’s never given a speech long enough and complicated enough on short notice to have needed any prompting? I wish they’d have let him babble another minute or two and picked at that detail. Just out of curiosity, really, as how a person gives a speech isn’t as important to me as what they are saying. I tend not to watch speeches. I read transcripts and read for comprehension. Unless it’s someone whose body language I want to watch. There are things people give away without meaning to when speaking.
I just found it odd† that she’s never used a teleprompter before. One of my super powers is public speaking††. I’m always interested in how people write and present their speeches. Anyway, I’m sure very few people reading this have ever used a teleprompter, but I have, and let me tell you, if you aren’t used to it, it’s very, very weird†††.
But … I think I have figured out one way in which Palin has been useful for the McCain campaign thus far. No one is currently talking about McCain. No one. What’s the old coot been up to the last week? Well, he rushed to the Gulf Coast to be there to help hurricane victims, a sharp contrast to his reaction the day after Katrina hit the Gulf Coast.
Just a reminder that while McCain and company are all so very concerned about the Gulf Coast now, it wasn’t that long ago having birthday cake was more important to them.
But yeah … I am beginning to believe Palin is some sort of distraction or smoke screen. I just don’t know for what yet.
Footnotes- † If it’s even true. I mean, it was on Fox News, so who knows, right? [↩]
- †† A fact that would amaze my college speech professor, who I am certain never thought I would be able to speak before more than five people without flubbing it entirely. I did get a hard-earned C- in that class. [↩]
- ††† My preferred speech prompting method is outline points on index cards and knowing what I am talking about so I don’t have to have a word-for-word speech written down. Had my speech professor in college presented this as a method to give speeches, I might have gotten a better grade. [↩]