Gibbs On Obama's Teleprompter: 'Absolutely Amazed That Anybody Cares'

President Obama's custom of reading his prepared remarks off a teleprompter, hardly unusual among politicians, has been the subject of obsessive scorn in right-wing media. Recently the AP picked up this angle, calling Obama's use of the screen a "crutch." Then, in an interview with Robert Gibbs, Washington Post reporter Lois Romano suggested there was something noteworthy about the president's change from one kind of teleprompter to another at Tuesday's press conference. The White House spokesman wouldn't play along:

MS. ROMANO: The teleprompter changed last night.

MR. GIBBS: Mm-hmm.

MS. ROMANO: What was that about that? It's a big jumbotron now.

MR. GIBBS: You know can, I tell you this?

MS. ROMANO: Yes.

MR. GIBBS: I am absolutely amazed that anybody in America cares about who the President picks at a news conference or the mechanism by which he reads his prepared remarks. You know, I guess America is a wonderful country.

MS. ROMANO: You're saying this is all Washington Beltway stuff?

MR. GIBBS: I don't even know if it's that. I don't think I should implicate the many people that live in Washington.

MR. GIBBS: No, I you know, I don't think the President ... let me just say this: My historical research has demonstrated that the President is not the first to use prepared remarks nor the first to use a teleprompter.

Comments

[ltyler01]

All this teleprompter nonsense is just another method that the rethug GOP is attempting to use to distract.

They got no credible solutions.­..no credible budget....­no nothing.

They now want to spin the attention from their own ineptitude and swing the debate to a meaningless matter that has absolutely no benefit for the citizens of the United States.

[RedneckDem]

Personally, I was there to see what he had to say about our current conditions and how the issues were being met going forward. In that regard I learned some new stuff and I was even more impressed with his hanlding of the Q & A.

As a white male this, to me, is a sort of veiled racism. A black man who is in a white mans world has to work 3 times harder to get ahead. By that standard, repubs, racists, et al think that, if ole Barry is so smart, why use the prompter? Which, all in all, is just another reason for them to go off topic because we all know how well the repubs are doing on topic.

After 8 years of listening to Bush I got used to the cringe factor. You know, you keep your finger close to the mute button when you start to see him go off topic or ad lib and fail miserably.

A smart person doesn't need to memorize to prove they're smart, a smart person is someone who uses every means at their disposal to save time, money and waste. I expect Obama to use every tool available to stay focused and eliminate waste as he moves this country forward.

[dimplesmile7]

This is the POTUS and he does not need the republicans approval to use a teleprompter nor will he ever seek that approval from you. Get over yourselves, you lost! Get rid of that election mentality that you are clinging to for dear life. Keep using the teleprompter and any other tool that will assist our president in his success. The republicans are just trying to deflect from the fact that their party has no ideas and failed miserably in front of the entire world. You can not use a teleprompter to resurrect yourselves, it will take much more to recover. After looking at this past week with the stimulus plan with no numbers, you have a long way to go. Instead of worrying about a petty teleprompter, replace your do nothing elected officials, that will at least be a start.

[sweetwhine]

The reason the Repubs want Obama to stop using the teleprompter is because the want him off focus, off message, and hopefully making enough gaffes to take the attention away from what's really important. They saw that it kinda worked during the General and they think they can get his approval ratings down. That's all they got! Loooosers!!

[julia23]

I thought it was because they wanted him to stop using such big words and compound sentences.

[dimplesmile7]

Sound like they have a problem comprehending the English language. That is something that should have been dealt with be in elementary school. I always understand what the President is saying, maybe the republicans need more education. Sound like it is their problem. He can always speak in small 3-4 letter words for the dummies.

[naijaman]

Why are these losers on the right acting as if the President used the teleprompter to answer questions at the press conference? It's beyond absurd....­this attempt to paint the President as unintelligent is an excercise in futility. After all...Amer­ica watched as President Obama beat down John McCain in the presidential debates without a teleprompter.

The biggest mistake folks keep making when it comes to President Obama is underestimating him....jus­t as Hillary and McCain.

[dandypuddin]

Mr. Gibbs, we don't care about teleprompter use (or abuse for that matter). What we care about is that reporters think we care and waste time asking you about this cr@p.

[naijaman]

The folks on the right...wh­o gave us George W. Bush....ar­e talking about teleprompters? Really??

[chrish]

Nobody, even the press, really cares about the teleprompters; it's just another diversion, a faux controversey to try to put Obama in bad light. What people DO care about is that the mainstream press, the s0-called liberal media, is again (still) willing to go along with this right-wing noise and garbage, amplifying it anfd legitimizing it. It's committing suicide.

[listentome]

And the other thing.....­.....Is this how the journalist really want to spend their one question? Asking about the teleprompter?

[dimplesmile7]

Any journalist asking about a teleprompter and there is an economic crisis and two wars going on should be fired.

[listentome]

I wish Gibbs had just told her that it really is the press itself that is obsessed with him using the teleprompter. The rest of us do not care.

[greatlardini]

I can't remember the last time a President had the same press secretary for his entire term, but I sure hope President Obama (love hearing it, reading it, and saying it) hangs on to Gibbs. He gives as good as he gets, in fact even better. He'll have these so called journalists cowering under their chairs in a little while if they don't smarten up.

[chgotchr]

The previous president used a teleprompter right? I mean, he couldn't read the words, but there was a teleprompter, right?

[karela]

I want the President to go right on using the teleprompter. The things he says carry the power of the Presidency with them and when he speaks in this way he has a chance to think about what he wants to say and say it clearly and with eloquence. I always feels uplifted when I have an opportunity to listen to one of his speeches. He thinks before he speaks off the cuff too, but then people criticize him for saying "Uhhh" between thoughts. I want a thoughtful, careful President and Obama fills the bill. For the first time in a very long time, this country truly has a LEADER!!! Whoopee!

[DontJustFollow]

Since the point is that many find President Obama too programmed and packaged, the best way to shut them up is to simply 86 the prompter and show them once and for all that the words and thoughts are his own -

that isn't a big deal ---

right ?

[joebloe]

OK!

Let's get rid of all the teleprompters! Heck, why stop there?
Why don;t we get rid of our computers too, just to show we know how to read paper.
Let's get rid of TV to prove we can read a book. Why don't you get rid of your car to prove that you can walk?

In fact I have a better idea, let's get rid of all the technology that makes our lives what they are now, just to prove a point!!!

[ConfuciusSay-]

You know, the Republicans did give up numbers to make a budget....

[Karl Jonas]

it's a complete farce.

it's standard practice for a press conference for the president to come in, make a prepared opening statement, and then take questions.

some have read from notes, but most have used teleprompters: gw bush, clinton, ghw bush, and yes... reagan.

so what is the bfd?

[karela]

The big deal is that the republican party eats it's heart out every time the President gives another eloquent, intelligent, informed speech because their aren't any republicans who can compare favorably. So they work constantly to drum up controversy over nothing because they have no substance to base their fear and hatred on. If you doubt it, refer to the no number republican budget. It took them twice as long to come up with one as it took the President, but theirs is a joke and Obama's has a good chance of saving the country. They really are very pathetic.

[JustLucky]

Laughing out loud here - just because it's so pathetically true.