The Teleprompter - A Perfectionist's Tool
Everyone has noticed that new President Obama is very fond of his teleprompter. Every speech he gives or announcement he makes, no matter how short or small, is given from a teleprompter. You'd think that a man of his oratory skill would not see it necessary to use a teleprompter for a six-minute speech, but he always has it with him. President Obama is said to be a perfectionist, say his supporters and those close to him. I think there may be something to this.
In the past, we've seen what horrible gaffes some former Presidents have made when they go "off-script." They get names wrong (of both people and places), mangle words, and otherwise ruin a perfectly good speech. Given the tough, fast-paced lives that Presidents lead, it is no wonder that they may trip over their tongues occasionally. Presidents are on stage constantly (barring the occasional or not-so-occasional vacation, depending on the President you're talking about), and are undoubtedly usually suffering from a bit of sleep deprivation and just have a million things running through their minds at once at all times. Despite all this, most Presidents have remained pretty sharp and on the ball.
Anyone that's ever given a speech knows, however, that it's easy to get lost and let the words get away from you - and when the whole world is watching, that is not a good thing. Former Presidents have had their share of fumbles and stumbles and have been thoroughly ridiculed and parodied for it. President Obama, apparently, does not want to follow suit. If he is a perfectionist as many have stated, then it stands to reason that he doesn't ever want to put himself in a situation where he could totally flush a perfectly good speech down the toilet as the result of a little oratorical meandering.
Can anyone blame him? Look at what happened to President Bush as a result of his inability to give a good speech. He may have thought that he was going to look like "just one of the people," but he instead came off looking like a buffoon at many, if not most, of his appearances. That is not to say that he is a buffoon, but his speeches certainly did him no good in the court of public opinion. As a result, his approval numbers were way down and he had little political leverage when it came to getting things pushed through Congress. President Obama has certainly taken note and taken steps to make sure the same thing does not happen to him.
The teleprompter is the perfect tool for a President to use. He can prepare his notes ahead of time and have them ready to go on the teleprompter when it comes time for him to get up there. He already has the words in his head and knows the context, but with the teleprompter he can get up there and recite them without fear of stumbling or meandering. Many may fault President Obama for using a teleprompter, but as a perfectionist he just wants to make sure that he doesn't make a mistake that can be fodder for right-wing talk show hosts or comedians.