TelePrompTer-in-Chief? (Part 2?)

Why does the American public have selective memory when it comes to party affiliation. Republicans like to mock President Obama using a the TelePrompTer and stuttering and stumbling his words when he is not -in essence, saying that he cannot create an original thought on his own. That's fair. However, wasn't that the case as well with President Bush by liberal rivals?

I sympathize with President Obama and President Bush. Not to make any accusations, but I myself have a speech impediment. Anyone who has ever seen me in class or personal discussion knows that I stumble over my words. I take pauses looking for words, I use interjecting phrases like "umm." I am not a good public speaker. I am, however, a rather good writer. I know the point I am trying to make. However, I jump back and forth from thought to thought and, in the end, clean it up so it all flows together. (This, among many reasons, is why I am not a good debater, or, for that matter, interviewee - as was the case a few years ago when I was questioned by a Newsday reporter about a dredging project in my town.) Right now, this is my 2^nd paragraph; I have the first two sentences of what will likely be my 3^rd paragraph already in place.

What we see on CNN, of course, is not the full interview. It is 8 seconds! How much of a cohesive, coherent, and concise argument can you make in in, say, 2 or three sentences? For that matter, how fast can you contemplate an argument/response that will fit into that 8 second time frame that will leave a lasting impact on the audience that will not be lost in the shuffle of the day's news cycle? It is a skill that I, for one, have yet to have mastered. When you give a speech, you want something that focuses on your directed audience, but still is quotable in a larger context. How often have we seen quotes taken out of context hurt politicians? Each sentence has to, in itself, be independent of all of the others, but still work together when combined.

(Think of my reasoning like this: the speaker is a squad leader in the Army; each sentence is a soldier in the squad; you, as the squad leader expect from you troops that they work well independently and as a group.)

Okay, maybe using a TelePrompTer versus some paper was a poor choice when speaking to school children, but, honestly, when you insult someone for not being a good public speaker, try to consider how hard creating political soundbites can be.