http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wo...ring_Address_With_Irish_PM_On_St_Patricks_Day Spoiler <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YoKAcVL_phI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YoKAcVL_phI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> STRONG LANGUAGE Obama In St Patrick's Day Teleprompt Blunder 12:26pm UK, Wednesday March 18, 2009 A teleprompt blunder has led to Barack Obama thanking himself in a speech at the White House in a St Patrick's Day celebration. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen was just a few paragraphs into an address in Washington when he realised it all sounded a bit too familiar. It was. He was repeating the speech President Barack Obama had just read from the same teleprompter. Mr Cowen stopped, turned to the president and said: "That's your speech." A laughing Mr Obama returned to the podium to take over but it seems the script had finally been switched and the US president ended up thanking himself for inviting everyone to the party. Mr Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the "teleprompt president" over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech. Earlier in the day, the president claimed an Irish ancestry, saying his mother's family could be traced back to Ireland. He joked to Cowen: "We may be cousins. We haven't sorted that through yet." Speaking in the Oval Office, he told the Irish premier:"Not all Americans are Irish but all Americans support those who stand on the side of peace and peace will prevail." The fountains at the White House were dyed green for the day at the request of the First Lady and guests at the cocktail reception drank green sparkling wine from a Californian vineyard. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon from Northern Ireland and Maggie McCarthy, a traditional Irish dancer and musician from Cork, and the vocal group Celtic Thunder all attended. Mr Obama joked about the free-flowing bar and warned his guests not to wear lampshades on their heads in front of the cameras.
Personally, I think it's very valid. If the guy can't think on his feet or come to conclusions with out a team of people setting up every word like a 5 year old, then I'd say it's a solid criticism.
Omg, the teleprompter screwed up so Barack HUSSEIN screwed up. OMG OMG OMG OMG. Let me quickly run to the bulletin board of the Houston Rockets fans and quickly show how bad of a president he is. Maybe they will come and see the light and I will have more people to play grouch with!
the stupidity of the criticism is that everyone who gives a speech reads it. not being able to think on your feet has nothing to do with reading a speech. how many presidents do you think gave prepared speeches without the text in front of them. the criticism is beyond idiotic
Agreed. Anyone who would try and give a prepared speech without using a teleprompter is the real idiot. Why wouldn't he do this? Everyone does. I think he showed in the debates that he does fine thinking on his feet.
The teleprompter didn't screw up. He was only compared to Ron Burgundy. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/C6cxNR9ML8k&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/C6cxNR9ML8k&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
HAHA! That just shows how sharp Bush is, he can read upside down. Bush doesn't need his speeches set up for him like a 5 year old.
There are two aspects that you libs are missing. Do you REALLY need a teleprompter for this particular event? Also, how long did it take him to realize he was reading the wrong speech? If the guy is out there simply reciting from a teleprompter and has no clue on what he is saying, he is nothing but a storyteller. If I have a leader who never reads his speechs before hand, I'd be inclined to believe he's not running the show.
Calm down. Here is what happened. He read exactly one line "thank you to President Obama" - to laughter. The guy who read the wrong speech for several paragraphs was the Irish PM. You may un-knot your panties now. Oh, and P.S - the leader of your party, Rush Limbaugh, was all over this today. Good job following orders!
Thankfully, we had a 1.5 year long election campaign to establish otherwise. Did you just arrive here in the year 2009?
Did you see the townhall meeting today? He thinks just fine on his feet without the teleprompter. As was pointed out, Obama only read a few words wrong.
In the UK this story is being told to make fun of Cowen for reading the wrong speech for 20 seconds, not about Obama's joking after. Why would anyone think Obama was serious? Why would he re-read the speech he had just delivered? link
All politicians read their speeches. Whether or not you can memorize your speech is not an indicator of leadership ability.
