Fun with TOTUS (Teleprompter of the United States)
The Teleprompter of the United States has its own seal!
Hey, why not? TOTUS has its own blog and its own Twitter accounts. Brand it, own it, behold it (thanks to David A Stein):
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Doug Ross catches a precious TOTUS moment on the baskbetball court:
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And Bucktown Dusty discovers why Tim Geithner can’t get his act together:
Posted in: Barack Obama, Tim Geithner
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Trackbacks
- TOTUS On The Rise « Vets On The Watch
- Obama’s teleprompter looks for recognition | Radio Vice Online
- Lurve The TOTUS Way « Mcnorman’s Weblog
- Obama Buys Swing Set For His Teleprompter
- Teleprompter White House: Packaged People, Messages « Peace and Freedom Global Future
- If it’s March, it must be time for Obama Teleprompter Madness « Danishova
- Senator Jim Inhofe Exposes Cap and Tax Scheme in Obama Budget « Goodtimepolitics
- Is Obama losing it? Or is he just being “creepy?” « Jim Blazsik
- The Teleprompter in chief! | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Fun With Obama’s Teleprompter » Pirate’s Cove
- A new acronym is born: TOTUS - Corporate Engagement
- Obama’s Teleprompter Dependency Getting Ridiculous « BUUUUURRRRNING HOT
- Barack Obama seeks filter-free news « Goodtimepolitics
- The Right Scoop
- MightyRighty.com - Conservative News, Discussion and Community
- BrianWilliams.com
- The Nobama Blog » Blog Archive » Photoshop Fun: Ready Made Animatronic President
- The Nobama Blog » Blog Archive » Photoshop Fun: TOTUS Goes Off-Message at Lincoln Bicentennial
- Beck: Obama Is A ‘Manchurian Candidate’ Because He Uses A Teleprompter — But I Use One Too | Dailycensored.com
- WHAT’S PROMPTING THIS CONTROVERSY? - The Public Interest : WTVC Newschannel9.com
- April Fools Day Video: Obama vs. the Teleprompter « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- IMAO » Blog Archive » lolbama! Part 11
- JABbering Stooge :: Mission Accomplished…IN MY NOOKYULAR POWER PANTS!!! :: May :: 2009
- Before you shed too many tears… « right turns
- Try To Get Your Mind Around It: Your President As God « Start Thinking Right
- Michelle Malkin » Requiem for a teleprompter
- appletree
- Teleprompter of the United States, TOTUS, Rest in Peace « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- No Runny Eggs » Blog Archive » Breakin’ Up Is Hard To Do
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Thanks Michelle, I needed to have a laugh today.
L
I hear Michelle, the bitter half, obama actually sleeps with the TP (teleprompter)..
Wow, that’s hillarious… I had just cruised over to TOTUS’s blog while waiting for a new story on MM… I come back, and what do I see but this!? LMAO
Awesome, Doug Ross!
Alba Go Bragh!!
I’m waiting to see what other world leader(s) start(s) to use a teleprompter.
OK, what did I miss? Admitedly, I don’t read all the articles on MM. Where is this teleprompter joke coming from?
Please fill me in.
Thank you!
obama and binky
The Messiah’s Teleprompter is on Facebook too. And it has a 2nd blog out there.
TOTUS hold its first press confrence
The teleprompters wife’s also has a blog.
Stupid is as Stupid does.
Fry these dimwits.
Bear1909 out
zeroangel, Karl Rove captured PBOs teleprompter and has it programmed it to make PBO say stupid things different than the stupid things he would normally say. It is part of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Down Right Mean America (VRWCDRMA) has set against He Whose Name is Hussein and Ms. He Whose Name is Hussein.
Michelle O, Michelle O
How does your
Garden Grow
Bitter herbs and cockleshells?
Hemlock for visitors?
Poetic, ain’t it?
off subject I know, but I keep asking
WHERE’S THE DAMNED PUPPY???
A promise is a promise!
It’s pretty mean to lie to your own kids.
AzN–yer a poet and you don’t know it
but yer big feet show it,
’cause they’re Longfellers…
No seriously. I was looking for a serious answer.
According to a coworker I asked; he says it is not just one particular instance so much as Obama’s poor performance “off the cuff” on more than one occasion.
Is this true, or is there a particular event that formed this meme? Is there anyone person who started this meme? I am just curious. I have a better time understanding a joke if I get the background on it
.
zero, I think the latest one was the ‘party’ on St Patrick’s Day that included some visitor from Ireland. On that day, Obama thanked himself for having him there, because he was reading the teleprompter.
TOTUS is afraid a puppy would mistake him for a firehydrant, so no puppies for the kids.
TOTUS! TOTUS! TOTUS! ALL HAIL TOTUS!
There are perks to being mistaken for a fire hydrant…
You could stand very still on Folsom Street and someone could come along & sit on your head.
Watch a press conference. He constantly shifts between the left and right teleprompters. My wife thought he was just talking to an audience and maintaining eye contact until I asked why there was never anyone in the middle of the audience.
Combine that with the uh, um, poor, uh, um off the cuff answers and it’s easy to see.
LOL, playing basketball with TOTUS
You have to be joking.
wighttrasch:
So it’s just one of several gaffe’s involving public speaking? There’s not one particular instance that spawned it? Who started this meme? Was it MM?
Dammit.
I am being serious. Why do I have to be joking? I am not denying Obama isn’t the greatest public speaker, I am just trying to figure out who started this particular joke. Jeez louise.
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” Biden said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR.
To clarify, it was Vice President Joe Biden who started the joke.
Could it be about the puppy thing, maybe bho doesn’t want to hurt the little iran worms feelings having a ‘dog’ in the WH? The rop don’t care for dogs and bho does want to ‘get along’ with the worm.
L
Now Turbo Tax Tim is NOWHERE to be seen yet it is supposedly his plan. The man can’t be seen in public for fear of crashing America’s financial structure. Just great for a Treasury Sec., or not.
Obambi can’t go anywhere without his teleprompter for fear of …well, just talking.
BUT, this all reminds me of a movie….
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
I think Obama started it…or maybe it was spawned the moment his teleprompter became self-aware.
Do we not know who started the joke? Is it just one of those memes that spontaneously form from many different directions and you can’t really point to the author of the orignal joke?
Gotta get me one of those teleprompters (just as soon as I sell my 8-track and Super-Nintendo machine on E-bay).
I cant wait until BroBama responds to a “tough” question with a blistering, off-the-cuff “UR MOM!”
hehe…
More so than Dear Leader, that’s for sure.
Both videos have already been pulled from You-Tube. Imagine that….
“Open the pod bay doors, TOTUS.”
Michelle, I composed a bloggie post today, as read by uhm, eh, Mr. TelePrompter-Dependant.
And I invite all bloggers, uh, everywhere, uhmm, to try composing uhm, a post as written by uhm, uh, Hopeychangie.
Thank you Michelle, for all you do~!
Dude, are you deranged? This has been an issue since the election. It’s been snowballing since then.
The St. Patty’s Day was pretty classic though – wish the video of that event hadn’t disappeared…
ACK! I have this Terminator Type Arrrrrrrrnold voice in my head saying,
“Und I became self-aware on January 20, 2009 at 12:01 p.m. …..”
Reminds me of another machine run amok, from Colossus, The Forbin Project. Some of the
telepromptermachine’s quotes are striking:“We will work together. Unwillingly at first on your part. But that will pass.”
“In time you will come to regard me, not only with respect and awe, but with love.”
There was not a single incident that I know of. Just a sharp contrast between prepared remarks and ad hoc conversation all during the campaign, especially at the beginning. His handlers must have seen this, because now the teleprompter use is conspicuous and consistent.
alexwest:
Excuse me? No. I am not deranged, are you? I am just asking a simple question. Yes, I get it, Obama is a poor public speaker, so what? So was Bush in the begining of his Presidency. Hell, so am I. So are most people.
It doesn’t mean I think the joke is unfunny or untrue, I am just wondering where it started and/or came from. What exactly is the big deal and why the need to imply I am deranged?
John Deaux:
Thank you! Finally a sensible answer that isn’t some kind of backhanded, juvenile insult.
As I was asking earlier, do you know who started the joke? Was it MM?
Here’s my favorite. The original that started the whole thing is linked as well. Enjoy.
http://teleprompter.inthecommode.com/
John Deaux:
Thank you!
Finally, a simple, straightforward answer that isn’t some kind of backhanded, juvenile insult.
As I was asking earlier, do you know who started the joke? Was it MM?
Zeroangel, I think Rush was the first to use TOTUS. Makes me think of Toto, the dog in the Wizard of Oz. Bet the dog was smarter.
John Deaux & countrybumpkin:
Thank you!
Finally, simple, straightforward answers that aren’t some kind of backhanded, juvenile insult.
You guys rule.
TOTUS is a Cylon.
sorry to say, flyoverman, but that was my intent!
What joke? The ‘Joke’ can’t speak without a teleprompter. He even needs one at a Press Conference. At a PRESS CONFERENCE fgs.
TOTUS was in the cave with the Sleestaks.
Apparently the puppy is scheduled to arrive after the family returns from an upcoming Camp David trip. Because everybody knows puppies do not like to walk in the woods and play fetch at the cabin.
Because the Left spent 8 years denigrating President Bush’s intelligence because of his oratory skills. “HUR HUR HUR BUSH IS SO DUMB HE SAID NUKE-U-LAR HUR HUR HUR DUM DUM DUM DUMMY DUM-DUM.”
And now, we have BroBama, who is arguably just as not good at extemporaneous speech, but we’re constantly told how articulate, how masterful, how suave President BroBama is… and he’s not. He’s got a uhh-to-word ratio of 1:3 on a good day.
The Emperor has no clothes, etc.
Storybook, man.
All:
If I just made duplicate posts, I apologize. I am hitting submit but I don’t see my posts showing up.
John Deaux and countrybumpkin:
Thank you!
Finally, simple, straightforward answers that aren’t some kind of backhanded, juvenile insult.
You guys rule.
Strange… I just made like 2-3 posts thanking country and John for honest answers that aren’t backhaned insults, they aren’t showing up though.
In any case. Thank you guys!
Jeddite:
Yes! Exactly! So why are we now stooping to their level? Isn’t it a tad bit hypocritical?
Zeroangel, the late great Dean Barnett started joking about Obama’s teleprompter dependency about this time last year and it has snowballed since then.
Zeroangel,
To reiterate what others have stated: the issue of Obama’s speaking incompetence without a teleprompter has been an issue raised by conservative talk radio hosts since the campaign. I believe Rush Limbaugh may have been the most vocal about it – with a show that played all the ums, uhhs, errs, etc. that Obama made (7.5 minutes) during a 40 minute press conference in Iraq.
If you want to know when it started, that would be a good starting point (the visit to Iraq during the campaign). The video of his townhall meeting in Bristol linked by Yakfisher could also be a starting point.
Rush & Sean Hannity have been merciless in their criticism of Obama and his utter dependency on a teleprompter. I believe Michelle also reported on the need for a teleprompter during the Sebelius’ Cabinet announcement.
Hypocritical, no.
Revenge, yes.
CWinNY:
Yah, I remmeber listening to Hannity giving him hell about his Umm and uhhhs, I just don’t recall any specific “teleprompter” joke.
However, admitedly, I stopped listening to Hannity during the election (because he seemed to be rehashing the same exact things constantly).
Anyhow, to all those that gave me straightforward answers without feeling a need to ridicule and make backhanded insults, thank you!
CWinNY:
This is strange. I just wrote a reply to you but it didnt get posted.
In any case, I remember Hannity talking about Obama’s public speaking, but I don’t remember specific teleprompter jokes. To be fair though, I stopped listening to Hannity during the election because he kept rehashing the same material.
LOL TOTUS, Thanks for the laughs!
To all that have given me a straightforward answer without feeling a need to denigrate, thank you!
It would only be hypocritical if “we” were praising Bush’s oratory skills while snarling at Liberals for being so petty during Bush’s administration.
I don’t pretend to speak for anybody here, but President Bush was not an amazing speaker. He gave some good speeches, he made some bad speeches. But I don’t find myself smarmily questioning his intellect and policies just because of a malapropism, nor showering him with praise for being a master orator.
Zeroangel,
Hypocritical? Not really, just debunking the myth that Obama is such a great orator. I have heard constant “noise” from the MSM about how intelligent Obama is, mostly based on his supposedly great speaking skills. To attack Obama because he cannot speak without a teleprompter is also to debunk the myth of his superior intelligence.
I will not sink to the level of calling the man dumb, but I have seen no evidence that he is anything more than a person of average intelligence. He is not a great orator, but a damn good speech reader. Check out all his gaffes when he is not on a teleprompter (above my paygrade, you’re likable enough Hilary, I bowl like a Special Olympiad, etc.) The man is a loose cannon without his handlers and teleprompter – which is a better measure of the man.
Jeddite:
That is a fair answer. Personally, I guess I am just uncomfortable with taunts of little substance against anyone.
To me, it’s a bit like attacking someone’s spelling in a medium like this. It’s a tad bit childish and lacking in any meat, I think.
I didn’t like it when it was done to Bush, and I don’t think I like it all that much when done to Obama.
Zeroangel, let me spell it out for you.
The joke is his trying to look like he’s not reading from a teleprompter and is frequently botching what he’s reading. You know, he’s the smartest man that ever lowered himself to be our president!
See: Obama In St Patrick’s Day Teleprompt Blunder
See: Obamateurism of the Day
Obama got his first teleprompter lessons in 2004, but, poor guy, he’s still struggling to get the hang of it:
Come on folks. The title of this thread would indicate that it should be fun. I repost my link (in the spirit of fun).
http://teleprompter.inthecommode.com/
CWinNY:
Yes, this I would agree. I am not sure I would say “average” because the actual, literal “average” is not all that impressive.
I guess I would just say “average for a politician.”
Can’t you see the TOTUS telling the POTUS,
“Come with me if you want to live.”
i first heard it on rush limbaugh’s show. he has had a running gag on this for quite a while. in the totus web blog, the totus speaks back to rush, because rush frequently asks totus when we will hear things from dear leader.
I stopped listening to all talk radio during the election (and for much the same reasons I stopped listening to Hannity).
I now only listen to the classical music station in the car. It is much more calming and I find it reduces instances of “road rage.” Talk radio seemed to have the opposite effect *sigh*.
This is proably why I was confused about where this teleprompter joke started. I first thought MM coined it.
piano, that is it exactly, we are finally living the Forbin Project
zero – The joke has been coming from all over as near as I can tell. And it’s because the man can’t speak without it.
Anyone remember the Blackberry commercial where the guy is following directions from it and the power goes out and suddenly he is looking up in the sky and turning in circles, and obviously lost beyond being found. It was showing the guy couldn’t survive a moment without his Blackberry.
While that would fit hussein as well, replace the Blackberry with a Teleprompter and it would be perfect.
This man is incapable of a coherent sentence without the prompter. FAR worse than Bush ever was. So he is not the eloquent orator many believe him to be… he simply reads well.
Zeroangel,
OK, average for a politician. He did graduate from law school, which puts him in a higher level than the average of the general population. But, since he won’t release his undergraduate grades, I have to conclude that they must be pretty low, which could be an indicator of less than brilliant level, or an indicator of a smart person not applying himself. Either way, not someone who can be judged to be brilliant (I went to school with some scary smart people who had close to a 4.0 average with little to no effort expended on their part – and this in a mechanical engineering course of study).
This is why it is fun to belittle this man at his incompetence sans TOTUS, since we were told what a brilliant man he was.
Come on, you’re not giving Don Knotts enough credit.
But then maybe “Attaboy Teleprompter” sounds just as good as “Attaboy Luther”.
I heard he uses a teleprompter at town hall meetings.
WTF?
CWinNY:
Right, I hear ya, and I agree.
I do think it’s hard to classify what being “brilliant” means. For example, it’s entirely possible (sticking to stereotypes) that anyone of your 4.0 examples were socially inept, would make poor leaders, and might not be brilliant philosophers, writers, or artists.
Obama couldn’t really be said to be a “brilliant” anything except for maybe being a brilliant politician as evidenced by the fact that he is now President, and at a very young age no less.
I must lament the fact that I have little doubt the “Thomas Jeffersons” or “Ben Franklins” (true brilliance and Renaissance men) of today would likely NOT choose to become politicians and would probably not succeed at it anyways given today’s political landscape.
In any case, I guess I still am uncomfortable with belittling the intelligence of any past or current President. I mean after all, he’s got to be a tad bit more successful, intelligent, or driven than I am; he is President and I am not.
well yeah! He’s showing Hillabeast that he is indeed ready for that 3AM phone call. Besides, what if Michelle should ask him a question?
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm, GladzKravtz said:
I’m waiting to see what other world leader(s) start(s) to use a teleprompter.
I think the Irish guy already started,with Obummers.
Oh give me a break! I’ve worked for many lawyers and there was no question I was smarter than some of them. Passing law school only means you’ve been taught to be politically correct.
Zeroangel,
I have to agree with Geraldine Ferraro and Hilary on this one issue: if Obama were white, he would not have made it anywhere near as far as he has. If the MSM had been objective in their reporting on Obama’s past (not totally in the tank for the man), he would not have been the Democrat nominee, nor would he have been elected.
I would submit this thought experiment:
suppose you heard of a conservative, southern Republican who earmarked millions of dollars for an oil company. Said company then creates an executive position paying more than a quarter million annually, 6 wks paid vacation, benefits, company car, etc. and hires the senator’s brother, Michael, to fill the position, even though Mike had never earned a salary anywhere close to that range. Mike then spends a ton of time campaigning for his brother, and following a successful election moves on to a more prestigious job in Washington. The oil company eliminates the position.
Want to bet that this example of a corrupt kickback would have been covered extensively by the MSM? Well, change the southern, conservative Republican to a midwestern, liberal Democrat, the brother Michael to wife Michelle, and the oil company to a hospital, and you have a non story.
This is a tactic I use when talking to liberals. I had one go off on long rant about how stupid Bush was when I told him Bush mentioned campaigning in 57 states. He shut up real quick when someone told him it had really been Obama. He hasn’t talked to me since – it was well worth it.
CWinNY:
Yes. Absolutely. I have been saying this since the beginning of the election. Anyhow, I agree with your point in your example.
LOL! Awesome! Well done!
katablog:
If that is the case then you are likely “above average” intelligence. I am sorry, but the retail employees and blue-collar union workers of the nation (probably “below-average”) do not compare to the lawyers and doctors of the nation.
Nor does every middle-class, working-man with an average IQ of 100 (this is indeed the average by definition, IIRC) compare with lawyers and doctors.
From:
http://iq-test.learninginfo.org/iq04.htm
Now, granted, this is only true if you regard IQ as a measure of “intelligence.” I don’t really know of any other more widely accepted standard though.
Katablog,
I also know lawyers that are not what I would think of as smart, but they still have to be somewhat smarter than the general population if for no other reason than to be able to write in complete sentences. The average IQ of this country is why we now have the most unqualified, least experienced president in our history. I would think the average IQ is probably represented by the woman who thought she would not have to worry about her mortgage nor filling her gas tank following Obama’s election.
And, just to be clear here, I will never mistake education for intelligence. There are tons of educated idiots (lgm, redstateskeptic, etc) which is also another reason for BHO being POTUS.
I don’t know if I would say “idiots” so much as just a very fundamental difference in ideology (and in some cases a very dogmatic and distressing belief in a failed hypothesis). I have little doubt that some very intelligent people have existed or do exist that are out and out Communists, for example. Again though, “intelligence” is not an easy thing to define.
Obama is the worst kind of politician.
Obama’s rise as a great legislator in the Illinois senate was fakery created by kingmaker/senator Emil Jones Jr.
Dave:
*yawn* If you want to misconstrue my comments to be of a partisan nature, go ahead, just don’t expect me to engage you.
Zero+angel, I get it–you are a naughty boy. Yawn.
Dave:
Hehe. That actually made me chuckle. Not everyone always gets the actual meaning of my nick at first guess. Good for you. I agree though, it isn’t terribly original, but to be fair I came up with it like 15 years ago when I first started “logging on.”
On the upside though, it ISN’T original and therefore my internet-wide anonymity is secure.
I remember seeing an “errant” shot from the side at a press conference and you could clearly see the teleprompter to his left, white letters on blue screen. My question is, how are they able to give him the words to the question faster and in a more articulate manner than he could himself in real time. Let’s let his writer, let’s call him Cyrano, be President!! Or maybe the questions are all seeded and the answers written in advance? Either way, if he were supposedly the best irator since Cicero, he wouldn’t need it.