Did Sarah Palin Have Tea Party Speech Crib Notes On Her Hand?
And so the 24/7 media jumps into the fray. Some images of Sarah Palin at the Tea Party Convention have now emerged that she probably wishes didn’t and some others that won’t spark debate but, rather, provide more context for the environment in which she made her speech.
THE FIRST GROUP qualifies a bit of an eyebrow raiser. Did Palin have crib notes on her hand? It looks that way. GO HERE.
So does this mean those who keep using the Obama teleprompter line will ignore yet another politician who seemingly needs to be promopted? Answer: You can go to Vegas and bet on it.
But the REALITY IS: both Obama and Palin know most of what they’re going to say and it is not a sin to use a teleprompter or use crib notes. And those who criticize them know that as well. (The late Bob Hope in his later years reportedly would have cue cards when he gave a short monologue at a party.) This whole “issue” is an attempt to denegrate someone who is of a different party. (The Obama narrative is now a tired cliche after his widely praised performance before House GOPers that was on live TV). Will Palin still use the teleprompter line, along with her supporters? You betcha. Such is the nature of political “discussion” that sarcasm and ridicule in speeches is at a premium, even if it is a bunch of this.
83 Responses to “Did Sarah Palin Have Tea Party Speech Crib Notes On Her Hand?”
I never understood the toolboxes who cared about Obama's use of teleprompters and I don't understand this either. I wonder when Western polity is going to stop attaching veritable *kilojoules* of significance and symbolism to small, dumb things.
I'm no Sarah Palin fan but I don't see the big deal here. They look like general themes she wanted to hit in her speech.
The teleprompter bit is that Obaama is a great speaker, if he has a teleprompter telling him what to say. Equating reading a speech to having some, what 4?, vague points you want to hit written on your hand seems a bit of a stretch.
Listen, I am not a Sarah Palin fan and am still on the fence about the motives of SOME of the TeaParty members (and the repubs influence) but I try to keep an open mind. Here is what frustrates me to no end. (from Dems Reps and Ind)
If you are going to stand and stoke a fire in the hearts of people, make a point!! Don't tell me that you are for across the board tax cuts to enable small business the ability to employ more people. Across the board tax breaks INCLUDE BIG BUSINESS!! (AIG Banks etc)
If you are for health reform then the FIRST thing you must take a stand on is the anti-trust laws because without that you CANNOT stop Insurance companies from raising premiums!
If you are stating that you are tired of the OBAMA administration blaming everything on Bush then pick a side! You can't be in favor of mainstreet and not acknowledge the DAMAGE that the Bush administration caused! (for 8 years)
Most important, how can you stand and claim to be in favor of spending caps (conservative measures) AND be on the side of mainstreet America? Unless you can detail a plan to help mainstreet UNTIL job creation takes effect.( and shrink the deficit at the same time) Sarah spoke of being able to make tough choices. That has me wondering what her conservative group has in store for MAINSTREET while they are advocating across the board tax breaks for businesses. Does that mean leave mainstreet to fend for itself until businesses are comfortable enough to start hiring again? Is it okay for our families to be on the streets, hungry, broke because the Obama administration can't turn around 8 years of Damage in one year?
“is a great speaker, if he has a teleprompter telling him what to say”
Baloney. Did you hear him speaking last Friday to the Republican Congressmen doing Q&A? And he was picking his words carefully, so that he didn't say something that would have run in an endless loop on Fox News for two weeks.
EEllis, you're omitting the fact it was rather obvious that she also read from her notes during the speech. Since she couldn't use notes for her Q&A she decided to write things on her palm. And the fact that she was able to write things in her palm that she actually used during the Q&A says one thing, the questions were not only pre-screened, she knew what questions she was going to be asked.
I'm with the commenters so far. No fan of Palin at all but I just don't consider this a little deal much less a big one. So she had notes? So what? I took college speech and also appeared in plays where I had to memorize lines, stage directions, songs and even dance routines (I was drafted because they had a 5'11″ woman who was a great dancer but I was the only guy in the cast who was taller. Weird summer.). But I had time. Rehearsals. If I had a schedule like these people I'd want notes too.
As for crib notes in her palm or a teleprompter in his face, I COULD CARE LESS!! (if they have something MEANINGFUL to say) What i can't wrap my mind around is having those things and then your speech only containing vague “talking points” and political bashing of the other person. Where's the beef? (your purpose or point)
Palin: ” the new stimulis has been renamed the Jobs Bill” We need across the board tax cuts and no more spending
Obama: ” I don't see what the argument is, the Jobs bill has tax cuts FOR SMALL BUSINESS ONLY and if we stop spending in 2010 we only hurt middle America and cause a recession to grow into a depression
Sounds like one gets it and one doesn't to me.
I'm sorry but the video evidence clearly shows that she has notes on her hand. Furthermore, she refers to them during the Q&A session. It begs the question – why? Why not just use a note card or piece of paper. Why not just memorize your points. Why not answer the questions as they come. It's not like she was in front of an audience that didn't adore her.
The bottom line is that actions like this do nothing to counter the opinion that Sarah Palin is intellectually challenged.
Sara Palin's attraction to the right extremists focuses on her sexual appeal. As a moderate I too find some eye candy satisfaction. Discussion and reporting on her blather is a frolicsome way of avoiding the crushing topics of Bush's War and the looming European financial crisis to say nothing of our own economy.
Wait, Sarah Palin talks for an hour about political and economic issues and the big 'gotcha' at TMV is that she wrote theme notes in her palm? How substantive. Desperate much?
BTW, you can tell how cool and collected this speaker is — a lot of people would have sweat those notes to oblivion.
Bottom line is that the notes on her hand (especially love the “deleted” one) are proof positive that this woman is of average (at best) intelligence.
She is the pretty girl in High School who was given every pass because of looks, but who was just a little too dim to actually not use a cheat sheet.
She has the added bonus of talking to G-d, and hearing answers back. Not subtle answers, delivered over time, but clear voices in her head, directing her to do this or that.
This woman must not be put in charge of America's nuclear arsenal.
And for those who are Palin fans for whatever reason – ask yourselves, honestly, how you'd treat a Democrat similarly out of his or her depth (say Hillary) in the same situation.
“BTW, you can tell how cool and collected this speaker is — a lot of people would have sweat those notes to oblivion.”
Speaking of desperate.
A couple of scribbles across her hand while Obama imports two teleprompters to a speech to sixth graders at a school. By your very standards, if she is intellectually challenged, he is severely unable to function most of the time even at a sixth grade level, which is being mentally challenged. Kool-Aid drinkers shouldn't gulp their beverages.
What is funny is that Obama is open about wanting notes, while Palin gleefully drools about how this makes him look silly, only to then cheat herself anyway.
And where is your proof for all these allegations you are making about Palin. Your comments are very sexist and offensive. At least Sarah doesn't need teleprompters when speaking at a grade school.
everything she said about the political and economic issues was sub-moronic, simplistic, empty and grandstanding.
Sounds like you're using two different standards, as simpletons always do, and also projecting your own leftoid cretin-politics onto something you really don't understand.
What are we fighting here folks? Our country is in a mess and with this kind of lashing no one is going to want to run for anything in our country. We are only going to get those who have some screwed up sense of power and backed by money. Doesn't graduating with a jounalism degree account for something? Just because you have a law degree doesn't make you any smarter or advanced. We are all prone to mistakes when in front of a live audience degree or not. Can we just deal with the issues to keep this country the beacon of hope it should be?
What is there to understand? She says stupid things, and stupidly so to boot.
I had a boss who used to write notes on his hand if he didn't have a slip of paper handy. He would refer to it later as needed. He was a very talented and effective leader. It is a personal habit, that is all. I always preferred paper, but whatever floats your boat…
I think comparing Palin's use of what could have only have been a few words or cues, to Obama's inessant TelepromPter use is several orders of magnitude apart. Especially when Obama stammers so helplessly when caught in the headlights without it.
Mrs. Palin had her entire speech written out and in front of her, and she read most it most of the time.
So what's surprising about a few additional notes scribbled on her hand for her “impromptu” Q & A session?
I hope you realize that while there are valid criticisms of Palin, the scummier usual stuff from too many of you only degrades you while serving to perversely elevate her. “Congratulations.”
* * *
“In America, there are people honestly thinking that an Evita wannabe “
Axel, you really were a amusing when you wrote this. The one person who has learned from recent history more than anyone else about the public's reaction to an Evita appealing to base instincts, and going so far extremist as to repel people, is none other than Hillary Clinton, the #1 driver of the 1994 elections if there is such a person. (She's learned her lesson apparently quite well, as demonstrated in later years and in the 2008 campaign.)
“the big 'gotcha' at TMV is that she wrote theme notes in her palm?”
How many “gotchas”? How many threads?
For every time you made fun of Obama's teleprompter, there will be a mention about Palin's grade-school attempt to get the exact same kind of aid as Obama wanted to have while trying to hide it.
This is your punishment for being a glib and silly goose.
I think this sums up this episode rather well. Folks on the right have been going after Obama's use of “TOTUS”, as its called, and posting entry upon entry to tell everyone there had been a TOTUS sighting. The left answers back by calling the mockery absurd and petty but manage to fling the ultimate insult by trotting out a bunch of photos showing that the last president used teleprompters too (the horror!!). But now it's Palin, and she has writing on her hand. So now the left joins in the mockery, because they can get even. The folks in the middle look at this two-party tantrum and can only conclude that both sides are simply nuts. There's a reason why the two parties are losing independents, but honestly, I really don't think it has anything to do with policy. Its because both parties are so twisted around each other that they can't remember who they are supposed to be mocking anymore.
And if he doesn't have a teleprompter to tell him what to say, he stands in front of the GOP Congressional delegation and single-handedly, for over an hour, refutes their lies and talking points, and calls them out on their harmful obstructionist tactics.
Looks like that teleprompter talking point just fell apart.
If given a choice between President Bush, who could barely string together enough coherent words to order a cheeseburger without somebody writing the order down for him, and President Obama, who is a genuine intellect, I'll take the later any day. As for Palin, she belongs less in the category of these two presidents, and more in the intellectual range of that cheeseburger.
WAS SARAH PALIN WEARING HER WEDDING RING WHEN SHE SPOKE TO THE TEA PARTY?
“For every time you made fun of Obama's teleprompter, there will be [...]
This is your punishment for being a glib and silly goose.”
It's no surprise that the count is currently at zero or one, most likely. Any “rationalization” will do, I suppose. Bash Palin, bash any other American possible…
Welcome to a world where Obama's choice of salad can be held against him, silly goose.
Moody's isn't worried about arugula. I value what Moody's says more than what Geithner says nowadays.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-07/gei…
Why not focus on the fact that Sarah Palin gave a long speech that said absolutely nothing instead of on the fact that she needed to look at her hand to remember her place in the nothingness?
“Looks like that teleprompter talking point just fell apart.”
Too bad I never made that point. Reading your rant it's clear your reality is purely partisan. So be it. Everyone's is not. There are some people who can see both the good and bad in both and the absurdity in all.
“Baloney. Did you hear him speaking last Friday to the Republican Congressmen doing Q&A?”
Calm down. I was explaining the “teleprompter” thing not accusing
“the fact that she was able to write things in her palm that she actually used during the Q&A says one thing, the questions were not only pre-screened, she knew what questions she was going to be asked.”
Or do like most politisians and ignore the actual questions and twist it around into whatever she wants to talk about. So?
LOL. The haters hold the use of the teleprompter close, like a cuddly blanket.
Obama wasn't using a teleprompter last week when he demolished a room full of Republican lawmakers, who could barely tell their asses from their elbows.
But, it's okay. If it helps you sleep at night, just keep telling yourself that our President can't speak extemporaneously. It's only the facts that prove you wrong, and we all know how the right likes to make up their own to suit the occasion.
Oh, my dear. Self delusion is so unattractive.
DLS: In all due respect, I need to answer your comment which is why I generally write my posts and don't go into comments. If you re-read the post this is HARDLY put up here as a TMV “gotchya” because I'm reporting on something that is all over the blogosphere. I also make it clear that I think the people who are going after Obama as needing to use a teleprompter (which LBJ and many other Presidents have also used by the way) are full of it as are those who now sugggest that Palin having this on her hand means she can't address an issue without a crib sheet. As someone who does shows, I myself sometimes write a few words on an index card so I remember the order of a routine. And I know others who do so. This was not investigative reporting by TMV or a gotchya but it is making the point that in politics each side will use waht they can against the other and look the other way if the same thing applies to their side or act like defenses lawyers. On blogs, some writers get burned out and stop posting because no matter what they write it somehow ends in comments with comments directed at them attributing to them motives that are at best inaccurate. So for the record: we didn't discover it, we didn't uncover it, we're just reporting a controversy and am saying that both sides on this are using narratives that are incorrect and petty. Obama and Palin don't need a teleprompter or crib sheets to survive but it does make a speech a bit easier — as both Bushes, LBJ, Ronald Reagan, and countless other politicians who've used teleprompters or lists with the points that they'll discuss have shown. This is sort of where our politics is now: focused on the little stuff that is blown up to supposedly represent a bigger significance…which it does, but more about our political debate than about the actual politician.
DrPhillips wrote on 7 February, 2010, 10:51
There is an issue much larger than tea partyers, or the other party labels, watch for it in 2010 and 2012. IS EXPERIENCE AS AN OFFICE HOLDER, A GUARANTEE OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY, IN OFFICE? Former Senator John Edwards is a telling argument which both parties often use in selecting candidates to run for the presidency. The clarion call today by both parties is seek an office holder and you’ll get true service and expertise. Really? I don’t think that’s true in all cases. The founders knew this far better than many in today’s media who look for sensationalism at most turns. A Governor from South Carolina, Senator from Nevada, Congressman from New Orleans, Governor from Illinois, the list is quite extensive and growing longer each year. That’s why founders like Abraham Baldwin, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and others would not be considered in 2012 for higher office by either party.
A reputation for honesty, integrity, constitutional adherence, respect for the law, deep commitment to the voters, love for the nation, wife and family, often seem to be overlooked and we foolishly elect a “leader” like John Edwards. John Edwards, a lawyer who was elected to the U.S. Senate, chosen as a Vice Presidential running mate for John Kerry, living a secret life filled with schemes and intrigue, what a disaster.
Is your elected official representing you by keeping his oaths, representing your views and upholding integrity and honesty in his life? If not, the next time you are looking for a candidate you might want to discount experience which has been imaged, and place integrity at the top of your list.
There is an issue much larger than tea partyers, or the other party labels, watch for it in 2010 and 2012. IS EXPERIENCE AS AN OFFICE HOLDER, A GUARANTEE OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY, IN OFFICE? Former Senator John Edwards is a telling argument which both parties often use in selecting candidates to run for the presidency. The clarion call today by both parties is to seek an office holder and you’ll get true service and expertise. Really? I don’t think that’s true in all cases. The founders knew this far better than many in today’s media who look for sensationalism at most turns. A Governor from South Carolina, Senator from Nevada, Congressman from New Orleans, Governor from Illinois, the list is quite extensive and growing longer each year. That’s why founders like Abraham Baldwin, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and others would not be considered in 2012 for higher office by either party.
A reputation for honesty, integrity, constitutional adherence, respect for the law, deep commitment to the voters, love for the nation, wife and family, often seem to be overlooked and we foolishly elect a “leader” like John Edwards. John Edwards, a lawyer who was elected to the U.S. Senate, chosen as a Vice Presidential running mate for John Kerry, living a secret life filled with schemes and intrigue, what a disaster.
Is your elected official representing you by keeping his oaths, representing your views and upholding integrity and honesty in his life? If not, the next time you are looking for a candidate you might want to discount experience which has been imaged, and place integrity at the top of your list.
Amen, Joe.
Your
Been there. Thanks for pointing this out
And apparently Obama uses Palm Notes as well
http://i49.tinypic.com/2nu25bn.jpg
C'mon now, we needed a joke now, didn't we?
Good one LOL.
On blogs, some writers get burned out and stop posting because no matter what they write it somehow ends in comments with comments directed at them attributing to them motives that are at best inaccurate.
Say it ain't so Joe.
Once upon a time journalists adhered to a code not to take a political stance in their reporting. It was so
ubiquitous during those times that most people didn't even know the way a particular reporter felt politically about anything.
Those days are gone. If motives are being attributed to certain reporters it is because it is obvious where that reporter stands politically through past posts or the way in which they report on almost every issue. Does the reporter only write articles which slant a particular way then they are fair game.
In other words to quote Harry Truman,”If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen”.
“But, it's okay. If it helps you sleep at night, just keep telling yourself that our President can't speak extemporaneously. It's only the facts that prove you wrong, and we all know how the right likes to make up their own to suit the occasion.”
Will you nutcases get a grip. I was explaining how I saw the Perception not trying to trash Obama. Mind you there is nothing wrong with being better at a set speech than speaking extemporaneously so why the spaz? Damn partisan freaks. How any of you think you're better than the other is beyond me.
“If motives are being attributed to certain reporters it is because it is obvious where that reporter stands politically through past posts or the way in which they report on almost every issue”
I've also gotten into it with posters here complaining about writers being partisan for posting something along the likes of “President says XXXXX”. Instead of attacking the president, or along with, they'll attack the writer. I'm sorry sometimes it's just reporting and the partisan schtick gets old. I've been accused of being some far left nut-job and anyone who pays any attention would know who unbelievably absurd that is.
I really think this is basically a non-issue, they use notes and teleprompters often because they are discussing things with numbers. Not a few things with a few numbers which of course would easily stick to the brain but many things with many numbers and to confuse one makes you the Fox/MSNBC poster child for political idiot of the month. So to avoid that they use notes which I find no issue with.
Having said that the only real issue here is yet another instance of Palin mocking Obama for that which in the end she she does as well. At this point I no longer think it is a mistake but merely telegraphing her punches.
She says he has no experience, so she resigns to not get too much experience.
She mocks him as a celebrity, so she goes on a book tour and joins Fox news all while asking for and receiving more publicity than Obama did before he ran for POTUS.
She mocks him as a community organizer, and once she resigns she says she will work on organizing opposition to his policies.
She mocks the hopey changey and gives a hopey changey version of Bush era NeoConism to the Tea Partiers and they lap it up like Bush did not gut the party with that same message.
Who knows what she will do next since a large part of her shtick is insulting him so she could really do many things but I am pretty sure it will be something her fans will dismiss as totally different and her critics will care enough to comment on over and over again.
Gee, is this a moderate blog? Is Monty Python real? Can we have a room for an argument or abuse?
To heck with Palin's politics. She is hot! I turn the volume off and watch her. I could never do that for W or O. John McCain is an old Navy man, that's why he chose her. After W's 8 years, no way in hell a Republican is going to be elected. He knew that & had some fun. Any body for a sazerac, Mardi Gras is upon us. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
“Will you nutcases get a grip. I was explaining how I saw the Perception not trying to trash Obama. Mind you there is nothing wrong with being better at a set speech than speaking extemporaneously so why the spaz? Damn partisan freaks. How any of you think you're better than the other is beyond me.”
LOL. I am all amiability. And your “perceptions” betray you. The only spaz here is yourself.
Signed,
Damn (not to newspaper standards) Partisan Freak
I really don't mind partisan reporting. If I wanted a blog where everyone agreed on everything I would not be here. I just think that If a writer is biased to a certain political viewpoint then they should accept the fact the readers will attribute motives to their work and not whine. I am rather new to this blog but I have noticed Joe's writing has a tendency to favor the liberal side of issues, which is fine as I like to listen to both sides of a topic. The reaction to the “Gotcha” thing was a little thin skinned.
“LOL. I am all amiability. And your “perceptions” betray you. The only spaz here is yourself.”
Wow the next bit of sparkling wit will be “I'm rubber your glue”. You addressed nothing reinforcing that reality is what you argue it is. It's like talking football with a Raider fan, reality just doesn't come into it.