Obama gift gaff

[TheRunt]

Glad he's not Santa :rofl:

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/22474/?ck=1

[BriarFox]

Glad he's not Santa :rofl:

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/22474/?ck=1

That man is incoherent. I'm sure there was a reason behind the gifts, as well.

[Mabus]

Like a deer caught in the headlights...

If it isn't on a teleprompter he cannot do it. And where the hell was his staff on this "gift"? Bad as Clinton's gift in Russia this week.

Fools.

[BriarFox]

Like a deer caught in the headlights...

If it isn't on a teleprompter he cannot do it. And where the hell was his staff on this "gift"? Bad as Clinton's gift in Russia this week.

Fools.

You realize Obama wrote and memorized his speeches? But by all means, continue deludedly pleasuring your I Told You So gland.

[Mabus]

You realize Obama wrote and memorized his speeches? But by all means, continue deludedly pleasuring your I Told You So gland.
Really? Memorized?

Have you ever seen him give a new speech without a teleprompter? Ever? When the teleprompter goes out he stumbles badly, but keep believing.

Think about his last "big press conference". How many questions did he completely skip over and talk about subjects barely related to the question? Even MSDNC's Chuck Todd looked surprised when his question was given the "no teleprompter" treatment.

Here is a British newspaper's look at the "gift" (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1159627/To-special-friend-Gordon-25-DVDs-Obama-gives-Brown-set-classic-movies-Lets-hope-likes-Wizard-Oz.html).

From that article, what the British gave:

The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.

The unique present delighted Mr Obama because oak from the Gannet's sister ship, HMS Resolute, was carved to make a desk that has sat in the Oval Office in the White House since 1880.

Mr Brown also handed over a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert.

In addition, Mr Brown and his wife showered gifts on the Obama children giving Sasha and Malia an outfit each from Topshop and six children's books by British authors which are shortly to be published in America.

In return, the Obamas gave the Browns two models of the presidential helicopter, Marine One, to take home to sons Fraser and John.

I'd trade more then two plastic helicopters and 25 DVD's for that pen holder. Perhaps this is Obama's new version of "fair trade".

[Daniel]

For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.

[Mabus]

For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.
Thank you for yet another on-topic, informative post, Daniel.

[CrystalTears]

For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.
QFT

[Parkbandit]

You realize Obama wrote and memorized his speeches? But by all means, continue deludedly pleasuring your I Told You So gland.


You realize what the term "memorized" means.. right?


WASHINGTON — As he introduced his new choice for secretary of health and human services in the East Room this week, President Obama turned his head from right to left, but he was not looking at the audience. He was reading from two teleprompters strategically set up outside the tight television camera shot.
When he was done, the teleprompters quietly began retracting down to the floor. As she stepped forward to make her remarks, the nominee, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, seemed momentarily surprised.

“Don’t mind the little... ,” Mr. Obama said with a smile.

“It’s disappearing!” she said, jokingly.

Presidents have been using teleprompters for more than half a century, but none have relied on them as extensively as Mr. Obama has so far. While presidents typically have used them for their most important speeches — an inaugural, State of the Union or Oval Office address — Mr. Obama uses them for routine announcements and even for the opening statement of his only news conference so far.

He used them during a visit to a Caterpillar plant in Peoria, Ill. He used them to make brief remarks opening his “fiscal responsibility summit.” He used them to discuss endangered species, even recalling a visit to national parks as an 11-year-old. “That was an experience I will never forget,” he said, reading from the teleprompter.

For Mr. Obama, a teleprompter means message discipline, sticking close to the intended words. While some presidents prefer extemporizing, Mr. Obama likes the message to be just so. After all, he is a best-selling author who has helped write a lot of his major speeches, so he presumably feels a certain fidelity to the crafted text.

Michael Waldman, who was President Bill Clinton’s chief speechwriter, said Mr. Obama was one of the few politicians able to use a teleprompter effectively.

“If he were just reading something someone handed him and didn’t understand what it said, that would be one thing,” Mr. Waldman said. “But I don’t think anybody doubts that he’s expressing his own thoughts.”

Yet Bradley A. Blakeman, a former aide to President George W. Bush, said the teleprompter made Mr. Obama look robotic.

“He is extremely scripted,” Mr. Blakeman said, “and he is cautious to the max and afraid of gaffes.”

When answering questions without a script, Mr. Blakeman said, “his speech is very halted and you can see him take a lot of time to think about what he’s going to say.”

Presidents have long had a love-hate relationship with teleprompters. Harry S. Truman refused to use them, concluding it would make him look insincere. Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first president to use them but he was not a fan either, grousing about having to “use that damn teleprompter.”

Some had particularly bad experiences. In 1993, when Mr. Clinton addressed Congress on health care, the wrong speech was fed into the teleprompter. It took George Stephanopoulos and other aides a nightmarish seven minutes to fix the problem while Mr. Clinton winged it. Some thought he did better without the script.

Mr. Bush, whose unscripted gaffes were legendary, used a teleprompter for his 2002 speech to the United Nations on Iraq. But when the speech scrolled across the screens, the key line about seeking a new Security Council resolution was missing. Mr. Bush noticed and ad libbed it. The trouble was that he said he would seek “the necessary resolutions,” plural, which later gave the Europeans ammunition to press him to return to the Security Council one more time.

Mr. Obama had never used a teleprompter until his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention, but he relied on them regularly on the campaign trail last year. After one speech, he was spotted in a tense exchange with an aide, a flash of temper a spokesman later attributed to a teleprompter malfunction. The machines became a point of attack in the blogosphere, with one critic even setting up a Web site called teleprompterpresident.com to post videos of Mr. Obama’s stumbling over words when he did not use a teleprompter.

The White House dismissed questions about Mr. Obama’s use of the machines.

“Whether one uses note cards or a teleprompter, the American people are a lot more concerned about the plans relayed than the method of delivery,” said Bill Burton, a spokesman. “This is not always true of the media.”

Kevin Sullivan, Mr. Bush’s last White House communications director, said the frequent use of teleprompters risked making Mr. Obama look staged.

“This is the most gifted and effective communicator of our generation,” Mr. Sullivan said. “I find it hard to believe he needs it.”

But Nicolle Wallace, another former Bush communications director who worked for Senator John McCain last year, said Mr. Obama should stick with success.

“I’d say for a guy known around the world for being as effective as he is at communicating, he shouldn’t change a thing,” Ms. Wallace said. “If that’s what works for them, that’s what he should do.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/06/us/politics/06memo.html?_r=2&ref=politics



I would hardly call reading every speech the guy gives "memorizing"

[CrystalTears]

Really? Memorized?

Have you ever seen him give a new speech without a teleprompter? Ever? When the teleprompter goes out he stumbles badly, but keep believing.



I would hardly call reading every speech the guy gives "memorizing"
Who gives a shit? Is this really presidential news? Fucking hell.

[Parkbandit]

Who gives a shit? Is this really presidential news? Fucking hell.

I was merely correcting another poster who claims that Obama memorizes his speeches.

Reading /= memorizing

[TheRunt]

For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.

QFT

Seems some people are a wee bit upset :rofl:


Who gives a shit? Is this really presidential news? Fucking hell.

I'd say more so than every time that Bush misspoke a word. Considering that this is insulting to the closest of allies and not simply amusing. And wasn't one of his campaign promises to bring respect of America back into the eyes of the world?

And a couple more links about it.
"No one would have thought that George W. Bush could be made to look like a sophisticated gentleman compared to Barack Obama. But Obama just did it."
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Snubbing+Britain%3A+Obama+of fends+a+country&articleId=2484990d-d411-4b36-afeb-8c479718278e

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/obama_attempts_to_cool_down_angered_brits_by_telli ng_them_hes_overwhelmed/

But its okay he was just sleepy and needed his nappy :love:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/4953523/Barack-Obama-too-tired-to-give-proper-welcome-to-Gordon-Brown.html

[BigWorm]

I was merely correcting another poster who claims that Obama memorizes his speeches.

Reading /= memorizing

Man, you got em PB, you sure did get em! And without a JPEG even!

[Hulkein]

You realize Obama wrote and memorized his speeches? But by all means, continue deludedly pleasuring your I Told You So gland.

It's pretty obvious that he doesn't memorize all of his speeches. He uses teleprompters at like Town Hall speeches.

What terrible gifts from the Obama's.

[Fallen]

He used them during a visit to a Caterpillar plant in Peoria, Ill. He used them to make brief remarks opening his “fiscal responsibility summit.” He used them to discuss endangered species, even recalling a visit to national parks as an 11-year-old. “That was an experience I will never forget,” he said, reading from the teleprompter.

Hahaha. That's awesome.

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I'd rather they didn't exchange gifts and just did their jobs. I also really don't give a shit about the delivery of the message, and care a whole lot more about the content of said message.

He'll get better at not using prompters as he becomes more seasoned. I have a lot of criticisms of the current administration, delivery of speeches and what he gave as a gift is certainly not one of them.

I'm a Bush supporter, but my God he sucked at public speaking. I don't see how anyone can criticize Obama's delivery after that.

[Methais]

Glad he's not Santa :rofl:

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/22474/?ck=1

They probably don't tip either.


For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.

So you don't think those were incredibly shitty gifts?

Oh wait maybe Obama giving cheap gifts is him demonstrating fiscal responsibility. Silly me.

[BriarFox]

I'm really hesitant to claim this is somehow a gaff on Obama's part - I think it's more like that Brown surprised him with the gifts and then he did his best to reciprocate with what he had. I'd blame his aides for not telling him that Brown was coming with gifts, or Brown for being a jerk and keeping it a secret in order to one up him.

[Methais]

I'm really hesitant to claim this is somehow a gaff on Obama's part - I think it's more like that Brown surprised him with the gifts and then he did his best to reciprocate with what he had. I'd blame his aides for not telling him that Brown was coming with gifts, or Brown for being a jerk and keeping it a secret in order to one up him.

You're right, it's whitey's fault.

[BriarFox]

You're right, it's whitey's fault.

Race card != badly briefed. Go eat a goatse cookie or something.

[Methais]

Race card != badly briefed. Go eat a goatse cookie or something.


I'd blame his aides for not telling him that Brown was coming with gifts, or Brown for being a jerk and keeping it a secret in order to one up him.

You blaming the white guy = it's whitey's fault.


I'm sure there was a reason behind the gifts, as well.

Do you also believe that Obama's people not paying their taxes was "an honest mistake"?


Go eat a goatse cookie or something.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3240/2650790967_4b66e03dd5.jpg

[CrystalTears]

I'd rather they didn't exchange gifts and just did their jobs. I also really don't give a shit about the delivery of the message, and care a whole lot more about the content of said message.

He'll get better at not using prompters as he becomes more seasoned. I have a lot of criticisms of the current administration, delivery of speeches and what he gave as a gift is certainly not one of them.

I'm a Bush supporter, but my God he sucked at public speaking. I don't see how anyone can criticize Obama's delivery after that.
Basically how I feel as well.

[BriarFox]

You blaming the white guy = it's whitey's fault.


The skin color of the people I was pointing a finger at is irrelevant. Perhaps he has some black aides, anyway?

[Warriorbird]

I think the Jon Stewart bit about Fox's 'gaff' obsession holds here as well.

[TheRunt]

I'm really hesitant to claim this is somehow a gaff on Obama's part - I think it's more like that Brown surprised him with the gifts and then he did his best to reciprocate with what he had. I'd blame his aides for not telling him that Brown was coming with gifts, or Brown for being a jerk and keeping it a secret in order to one up him.

Surprised him with a tradition?

[Daniel]

The skin color of the people I was pointing a finger at is irrelevant. Perhaps he has some black aides, anyway?

What? Methais immediately jump to the race card with no provokation! Say it isn't so!

[Methais]

What? Methais immediately jump to the race card with no provokation! Say it isn't so!

What? Obama supporters immediately making up ridiculous excuses like:


I'm sure there was a reason behind the gifts, as well.


I'd blame his aides for not telling him that Brown was coming with gifts, or Brown for being a jerk and keeping it a secret in order to one up him.?

Say it isn't so!

Honorable mention goes to:

For the love of Christ, shut the fuck up already.

Because if it were Bush instead of Obama, you'd be blowing a load all over this thread.

[CrystalTears]

If Mabus hadn't been demonstrating a hard-on for Obama's speaking abilities for a year now, I wouldn't have said anything. However the "OMG he's being prompted and says UH" is getting fucking tired.

[Some Rogue]

If Mabus hadn't been demonstrating a hard-on for Obama's speaking abilities for a year now, I wouldn't have said anything. However the "OMG he's being prompted and says UH" is getting fucking tired.

Which has nothing to do with what the OP was about. :P

[CrystalTears]

Which has nothing to do with what the OP was about. :P
Mabus brought it up. kthx

[Mabus]

If Mabus hadn't been demonstrating a hard-on for Obama's speaking abilities for a year now, I wouldn't have said anything. However the "OMG he's being prompted and says UH" is getting fucking tired.
If the Obama-maniacs had not kept harping on "Obama is a GREAT speaker!" for over a year I would not keep correcting them.

Obama is a lackluster speaker with serious speech disfluencies. He is not bad at reading a speech. His use of a teleprompter qualifies him to be a TV anchor, or perhaps a weatherman.

Wait, we knows a couple weathermen, no?
;)

This belief that I, nor anyone, should ever point out any of the mistakes, gaffes, misstatements and/or horrible policies of Obama just because we stated how this would pan out previously is the tactic that is getting "fucking tired".

Another Brown incident during the visit of this, our most stalwart ally, is that PM Brown requested a press conference during his visit, and was refused. That's right, without the script written and the propaganda on message the Obama administration refused a joint press conference.

That is some ally.

[Mabus]

Mabus brought it up. kthx
Did you read the material at the OP's posted link?

[CrystalTears]

Where were you every time Bush spoke?

Yeah.

Did you read the material at the OP's posted link?
Unfortunately. Work piece of writing ever. Aside from that, I thought the gift was bad form, but I don't put that entirely on Obama's shoulders. I wouldn't blame any gift-giving idea squarely on Obama. For some reason I doubt that him, or any other president, even thinks about that shit. He probably was floored when he picked up the basket and saw what was in it. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what stunned him.

[Mabus]

Where were you every time Bush spoke?

Yeah.
Calling him and idiot. I am equal opportunity on facts and truth.

How about you?

[CrystalTears]

Calling him and idiot. I am equal opportunity on facts and truth.

How about you?
Sorry but I don't come here to bitch about any president like you have about Obama.

By the way, I don't see ANY threads started by you talking about Bush and his failures. You may say it but you don't do it. Saying "he's an idiot" isn't anywhere NEAR what you do regarding Obama.

[Mabus]

Sorry but I don't come here to bitch about any president like you have about Obama.
Feel free to start. He gives a lot of opportunity.

[Mtenda]

Feel free to start. He gives a lot of opportunity.

Yeah in 2 months Obama's asshattery has already equaled the 8 years of Bush.

[Mabus]

Yeah in 2 months Obama's asshattery has already equaled the 8 years of Bush.
Not sure if you know this:
GW's presidency is over. McCain lost. Obama is the current president. The campaign is over. Now they have to govern, not campaign.

Maybe this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3_95F5e-Ac) can help explain the issue. :)

If you want to slam the history of GW's presidency start a thread and I will join in!

This thread deals with the inability of the current administration to properly fulfill one of its diplomatic duties in a correct manner.

[BriarFox]

Obama is a lackluster speaker with serious speech disfluencies.

You're entitled to your opinion, I suppose, but most of the U.S. and the rest of the disagrees with you. I personally find him engaging, moving, and rhetorically adept and vivid. His occasional pause or "um" only humanizes him.

[Parkbandit]

Man, you got em PB, you sure did get em! And without a JPEG even!


As usual, your fantastic contribution is greatly appreciated.

You never fail to deliver nothing, that's for sure!

[BigWorm]

As usual, your fantastic contribution is greatly appreciated.

You never fail to deliver nothing, that's for sure!

I almost claimed to own a bakery, but I knew for sure you would expose me for the fraud that I am.

[Mighty Nikkisaurus]

I almost claimed to own a bakery, but I knew for sure you would expose me for the fraud that I am.

I hate you for making me resist posting a plethora of snarky comments.

[BigWorm]

I hate you for making me resist posting a plethora of snarky comments.

Don't hate, fornicate!

[Mabus]

By the way, I don't see ANY threads started by you talking about Bush and his failures.
You can find many, many instances of me stating how I felt about GW, and I do not believe you can find one where I am praising him. Not one.

I believe you tried this diversion before, and I posted links to several posts where I was highly critical of the previous administration.

But again, this thread is not about the previous administration. Criticisms of that administration are merely history exercises, and while worthy of discussion are not on topic for this thread.

The exchange of gifts between allies on state visits is a long standing tradition. The extension of a joint press conference is a modern tradition. How did the current administration do during PM Brown's visit? That is what is in question.

In my view they failed miserably. Your view obviously differs.

[BriarFox]

In my view they failed miserably. Your view obviously differs.

From the information posted in this thread, I agree with this assessment, but I also doubt we have the whole context.

[Mabus]

From the information posted in this thread, I agree with this assessment, but I also doubt we have the whole context.
I can agree that we do not have the full context, as I would like to know who was in charge of the visit, and who they put in charge of selecting the gift.

As this is the visit of the leader of a foreign state it should have been handled through the State Department.

If it was kept from State and instead handled by "political advisers" within the White House I would like to know by who, and why.

But State has had it's own "gift gaffe" during the short portion of this new administration. The joke gift of the "Reset Button" where "Reset" was actually "Overcharge" in Russian shows a lack of attention to detail by someone in State, but again it may have been handled by someone not in State. As SoS Clinton was not a favorite of Obama during the campaign it is possible that during that gaffe she was given the "gift" by someone not in her department. It made us look like fools to the Russians, and the rest of the world.

These issues should be investigated, reported upon and fixed. While not world shattering they do point to a possible problem that could have further negative consequences.

[Tea & Strumpets]

The Prime Minister has not had the best of luck when receiving gifts from U.S. presidents.

He was given a fur-trimmed brown leather bomber jacket by George W. Bush during his first trip to America in the summer of 2007.

LOL. I'm not sure that the traditional gift exchange has any real significance, but it is pretty funny.

Jon Stewart's description of it was also funny.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=220289&title=brown-in-the-usa

Also, at approximately 1:32 in that video the black guy is Gene Wilder/Willy Wonka. GOOD DAY SIR.

[ViridianAsp]

Is it bad for me to think a president who just went up to the podium ect. with like a piece of paper with his own hand written speech on it is far more sincere than a teleprompter? Even if it doesn't sound polished.

I mean, I know why they do it, they want to appear professional, well read, whatever. I just think it'd be awesome if they ditched teleprompters entirely.

[CrystalTears]

You can find many, many instances of me stating how I felt about GW, and I do not believe you can find one where I am praising him. Not one.

I believe you tried this diversion before, and I posted links to several posts where I was highly critical of the previous administration.I said THREADS. THREADS. Read what I'm saying. THREADS. You have not done so. You have started a plethora of threads regarding Obama. You're biased against Obama. Just fucking admit it. Sheesh.


The exchange of gifts between allies on state visits is a long standing tradition. The extension of a joint press conference is a modern tradition. How did the current administration do during PM Brown's visit? That is what is in question.

In my view they failed miserably. Your view obviously differs. It does? I agreed with it? Orly?

Aside from that, I thought the gift was bad form, but I don't put that entirely on Obama's shoulders. I wouldn't blame any gift-giving idea squarely on Obama. For some reason I doubt that him, or any other president, even thinks about that shit. He probably was floored when he picked up the basket and saw what was in it. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what stunned him. Just because I'm not blaming solely Obama doesn't mean I'm in total agreement with what was gifted. That said, I think this is being blown WAY out of proportion.

[Landrion]

The Clinton gift was way funnier with the button really reading "Overcharge" in Russian.

Yeah, the DvD's werent as classy as the pen holder with tons of history made from wood of the sister ship of the ship that the wood of desk in the oval office was made from (jeez, that was tiring). Maybe next time they should have their people talk spending limits, "Hey, our economies are kinda in the shitter lately, how about we limit ourselves to 50$ and under as opposed to things that would fetch 5 figures at Sothebys?". Frankly, I gave Bush a pass when he puked on the Japanese guy too. Shit happens.

Teleprompters, Im not gonna fault the guy on that either. Public speaking is scary, everyone feels stage fright and that fright has got to be exponentially high to present to the entire country. Add to that, the press is hungrily waiting to make fun of you if you say some trivial thing wrong. Obama comes off great. If he uses a mechanism to ensure a better presentation, by all means he should do it. We don't fault the evening news for using prompters either and we love making fun of them when they misspeak or drop an f-bomb etc.

[Mabus]

I said THREADS. THREADS. Read what I'm saying. THREADS. Calm down. Things will be alright.:hug2:

[crb]

You realize Obama wrote and memorized his speeches? But by all means, continue deludedly pleasuring your I Told You So gland.
Presidents write speeches like pop stars write songs. The staff produces it, the star changes 2 words, and gets a writing credit.

Obama is a great performer, but don't for a minute pretend he doesn't have a staff of speech writers. He does, I've seen them interviewed. They do exist.

[Keller]

And the DVDs only work on North American players.

Epic facepalm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5011941/Gordon-Brown-is-frustrated-by-Psycho-in-No-10.html

[ElanthianSiren]

:rofl: Priceless.

[Methais]

And the DVDs only work on North American players.

Epic facepalm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/5011941/Gordon-Brown-is-frustrated-by-Psycho-in-No-10.html

Hahahaha epic fail. Can't wait to see how Daniel defends this one.

http://whatreallysucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/obama1.gif

[Daniel]

Why would I?

[Keller]

Why would I?

Because you're black, duh.

(Methias isn't a racist, just everyone else.)

[Methais]

Because you're black, duh.

(Methias isn't a racist, just everyone else.)

It's more to do with his incredible boner for Obama and how awesome he is.

Like this
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/DoyleHargraves/JEFFK.jpg