CNN anchor Rick Sanchez characterized those making light of President Barack Obama’s frequent use of a Teleprompter as being on the “far right” during a segment on Friday’s Newsroom program (audio available here). He also used a skit from liberal comedian David Letterman’s show on CBS which made fun of former President George W. Bush’s consistent verbal stumbles to underline his point.
Sanchez made the comment during a segment with comedian Carlos Mencia. He asked Mencia if he had heard of the Obama/Teleprompter humor coming from conservatives: “Hey, have you heard what’s going -- you know, the far right this week has been saying that President Obama is too stupid to talk without a script.” He then played Letterman’s skit, titled “Teleprompter Versus No Teleprompter,” which pitted an excerpt from President Obama’s first address to Congress against a clip from a town hall meeting given by former President Bush, with predictable results.
The comedian sympathized with President Obama in his response, and got his own dig in at the former Republican president: “Well, that’s exactly what -- like, really? We’re actually to a point where we’re getting mad at him because he’s made a decision to sound great? I would look back and I would do the exactly same thing. The last guy who didn’t read the Teleprompter said some genius things.”
The two subsequently joked about how even their Spanish-speaking parents would know that something wasn’t exactly right with President Bush’s speech patterns. Before Sanchez ended the segment, Mencia continued to sing President Obama’s praises: “Yeah, but you want a leader in chief who looks in the camera.” Ironically, one component of the Obama/Teleprompter humor is how the Democrat never directly looks in the camera, and instead shifts from the left to the right towards his two assisting devices, something talk show Laura Ingraham calls “tennis match.”
The transcript of the relevant part of the Sanchez/Mencia segment, which began 50 minutes into 3 pm Eastern hour of Friday’s Newsroom program:
RICK SANCHEZ: Hey, have you heard what’s going -- you know, the far right this week has been saying that President Obama is too stupid to talk without a script. In fact, David Letterman got in on this just -- Angie, do we have that? We do. Let’s play it. I want to you watch this.
DAVID LETTERMAN: ...Overuse of the Teleprompter. So we put together a piece here tonight. It’s entitled ‘Teleprompter -- Teleprompter Versus No Teleprompter.’ Take a look.
(Audience laughs.)
(CBS Caption: “Teleprompter”)
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: This was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, something worthy to be remembered.
(CBS Caption: “No Teleprompter”)
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: I mean -- tell people why I say -- I mean to say --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE ANNOUNCER: This has been ‘Teleprompter Versus No Teleprompter.’
SANCHEZ: (laughs) Take it away, man. Well, I don’t know. What do you -- what do you say? Put a punctuation on that for us?
CARLOS MENCIA: Well, that’s exactly what -- like, really? We’re actually to a point where we’re getting mad at him because he’s made a decision to sound great? I would look back and I would do the exactly same thing. The last guy who didn’t read the Teleprompter said some genius things. Listen -- I once listened to a speech given by Ex-President Bush with my father. And during the speech, my father actually went, ‘Ooh, that’s now how you say that.’ That’s not good. That’s never good.
SANCHEZ: (laughs) You know, it’s funny you say that. My Mom and Dad don’t speak a lick of English. In fact, they can’t even watch me doing the news on TV, which is kind of interesting in and of itself. But sometimes they can tell more about a politician than I can, just by watching the mannerisms and the gestures.
MENCIA: Yeah, but you want a leader in chief who looks in the camera --
SANCHEZ: Yeah.
MENCIA: Who says -- you know what I mean? You don’t want a guy who’s like (imitates stumbling speech pattern).
SANCHEZ: Conviction -- conviction. Hey man, good to see you. Thanks for being with us today.
MENCIA: Love you, bro.
SANCHEZ: Always a pleasure, thanks.
—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
How about a no teleprompter,
March 27, 2009 - 17:06 ET by eaglewingz08How about a no teleprompter, no teleprompter matchup. Mr. Misunderestimated vs Mr. 59 United States of America v. Mr. breathalyzer, etc., etc.
Let me understand
March 27, 2009 - 17:07 ET by DingbatThis means that if O doesn't use the prompter then he would be no more eloquent than W? And, if W had used the prompter more then he would have been just as eloquent ad O?
Just trying to understand.
CNN IS A JOKE
March 27, 2009 - 17:18 ET by sam12663BooHoo..."don't criticize our Obamessiah! So what that he uses a teleprompter? So what that he sounds like a stumbling, bumbling fool without one? He is still smarter than GW Bush will ever be! Never mind the fact the every time Obama opens his mouth, he lies through his teeth; he is the greatest president this country has seen since Lincoln, er I mean FDR,....oh, wait, this week were comparing him to Reagan, sorry." PUHLEASE!!
Does CNN really think anyone cares about what Carlos Mencia has to say about politics? Oh thats right, they appreciate the thoughts of a comedian so much, they gave D.L. Hughley his own show. And how did that work out?
President Obama is nothing more than a empty suit; a Hollywood
style special effects smoke and mirrors show that has shown itself to
be a total fraud.
WAKE UP AMERICA! SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION!
I like the way the liberal
March 27, 2009 - 17:24 ET by goldbarI like the way the liberal media is able to keep the teleprompter totally hidden from the cameras at the press conferences and town hall meetings. They are so sneeky! We all know Obama uses a teleprompter every minute of the day.
~Ahem
March 27, 2009 - 17:31 ET by choselife3xSarcasm works better when properly spelled. 'sneaky'
That high-pitched scream you hear is the troll under my heel.
3x, stop being so
March 27, 2009 - 18:17 ET by SickofLibs3x, stop being so sarktastic.
We must celebrate these people's akompalishmints.
Go easy on goldbar...
March 27, 2009 - 19:39 ET by mvfreemanHe was just using the archaic spelling.
Newsflash
March 27, 2009 - 18:43 ET by well99Gee here is Dear Leader without teleprompter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHGfsw-bmOY
Oh here is Dear Leader again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ro-El7WaYQ
Are you sure this isnt your forum?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpfOUl3trYE
I must be at hyper-far-far-far right, then, because I have . . .
March 27, 2009 - 17:29 ET by CKA in Red State USA. . .and will continue to ridicule the teleprompter-reader-in-chief and his apparent inability to speak succinctly and coherently without some script from which to read.
Perhaps if the ridicule gets loud and wide enough, Obama will be implanted with some device that feeds direclty into his tongue.
Wait, though, isn't that kind of what's going on now, anyhow?
CKA.. LOL...Sounds about
March 27, 2009 - 17:47 ET by bigtimerCKA..
LOL...Sounds about right to me.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
give me...
March 27, 2009 - 17:35 ET by clinging to my guns and my religion...george w. stumbling on his own real words any day over the fake stuff perfectly orated from the mouth of "the one"!
"i believe he will not stop until we are all jobless, homeless, hungry, and cold!"
Hey Dirty Sanchez and Mencia...
March 27, 2009 - 17:48 ET by Massage_Master07First of all, without the teleprompter, Uhbama's speaches and press conferences would have about 15 or 20 minutes of uhs, ums, ahs and oh oks for one hour's worth of time.
2nd, he gives us and reporters 500 word answers for a yes or no question and STILL not give an answer to the question. Not to mention the gaffes that are numerous when he doesn't use a teleprompter. Like visiting 57 states during the campaign, which he's obviously STILL running. Or even simple geography when he didn't even know which states were connected to HIS state of Illinois. There are too many to list here, but I'm sure that you all know which ones I'm talking about.
But according to Dirty Sanchez and Mencia, President Teleprompter can do NO WRONG. Speaking of Mencia, I tried to watch his show once. I thought that he was about as funny as a chapped ass on a hot and humid day. I've had farts that were funnier than this nit wit is.
If it wasn't for double standards, liberals would have no standards at all.
"Mind of Mencia" did suck
March 27, 2009 - 18:04 ET by SickofLibs"Mind of Mencia" did suck bigtime, and Comedy Central would have ditched it long before they did except for the diversity thing.
Mencia ain't no Cheech Marin, that's for sure.
Regarding Mencia...
March 27, 2009 - 19:42 ET by mvfreemanHis tv show as kinda lame but this stand up routine was pretty good:
http://video.google....
He actually has some conservative positions on public education, free speech and political correctness. He also says there should be racial profiling at airports.
Mencia
March 27, 2009 - 21:58 ET by stratmanMaybe Mencia was good in part due to his stealing of other comedian's material?
*Adult Language Alert*
I have to admit he was pretty funny in the first season of his show Mind Of Mencia.
And the reason anyone cares
March 27, 2009 - 17:58 ET by EugeniaAnd the reason anyone cares what these two nobodys say is...?
"No habla Inglese" -
March 27, 2009 - 18:02 ET by SickofLibs"No habla Inglese" - 1950s
"No habla Inglese" - 2009
Sanchez's parents "don't speak a lick of English" after being in the US 50+ years??? Whoa, good genes there, Rick.
That goes a long way towards explaining his inability to reason.
Carlos Mencia has unseated
March 27, 2009 - 18:10 ET by casel21Carlos Mencia has unseated Andy Kaufmann as the worlds most unfunny comedian.
When David Letterman was seriously ill, he was so insecure that he didn't let anyone guest host his program in hist absence.
I saw the Letterman clip defending the President. It appears these courtiers view their mission to be to dissect the jokes of others and tell us why we should not laugh. Keep it up Mr. Letterman. That's the way to hold onto an audience.
Hey Sanchez you "maricon",
March 27, 2009 - 18:42 ET by midnight cowboyHey Sanchez you "maricon", we the far right are just warming up, by the time we are done, the way you treated the former president will will look like a pillow fight compared to the way we will chew this man boy up to be left for roadkill.
Rick, you might want to start sending out your resume. I hear PBS is looking for someone to fill the Barney costume, because the way CNN is going the only ones left watching your pathetic network are the airport's janitors.
Clowns
March 27, 2009 - 18:42 ET by Joe CamelWhy can't these clowns remember to put on the clown makeup..clowns are supposed to wear it so we know they are clowns..Not very funny without it folks..
I thought the Communist News Network said Obama...
March 27, 2009 - 18:51 ET by R D Helm...didn't use a teleprompter the other day?
So, which is it?
-Dave
This coup has gone on long enough. The time to put it down is NOW.
Letterman is not one bit
March 27, 2009 - 20:43 ET by bigtimerLetterman is not one bit funny to me...I have never cared for him...and never will...Rich Sanchez means piddle to me...and Menica is a nobody.
O didn't get the name TOTUS just out of the blue...the reason he got the title is he EARNED something for once in his life. ;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
DRUDGE
March 27, 2009 - 20:53 ET by TexndocDrudge has a new ratings post. Guess which network is dead last. Sort of funny, in the two airports I frequent the most, (DFW and Atlanta), it's shoved down your throat.
Tex...that helps top the
March 27, 2009 - 21:10 ET by bigtimerTex...that helps top the evening off with some good news. ;-)
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Rick Sanchez and the law
March 27, 2009 - 21:36 ET by zachlindA post somewhere on this site last night said that CNN’s Rick Sanchez was responsible for a death, back in the 90’s, while DUI and that all he got was a ticket. Is this true?
Rick and Jack, too.
March 27, 2009 - 21:55 ET by TexndocFrom what I've read and has been pretty much repeated on sites like Wikipedia, both CNN's Sanchez and Jack Cafferty have in their past manslaughter while driving under the influence on their record with no prison time.
CNN is getting desparate
March 27, 2009 - 22:02 ET by WorriedSo only the far right is making fun of the TOTUS? I think not. I am not on the far right. Just an American whose freedom is being threatened by the anti-American in the White House.
Did Sanchez bring up the 52" teleprompter Obama used the other night so it did not appear like he was getting tennis neck?
Is it a wonder CNN is tanking.
So they now rely upon
March 27, 2009 - 22:30 ET by ReaganRuledSo they now rely upon COMEDIANS to defend their messiah?
They truly are pathetic AND dumb!
I want a President who can look into the camera and say what he means off the top of his head. It's one thing if he used it only for major speeches, but Obamessiah even uses itto introduce his cabinet picks!
Besides, we've all heard Obie speak without a telly. It's a train wreck! http://www.youtube.c...
Flashback!
March 28, 2009 - 02:00 ET by TeamcheeserSometime around 2004... [INSERT DREAMY HARP MUSIC]
RICK SANCHEZ: Hey, have you heard what’s going -- you know, the far left this week has been saying that President Bush is too stupid to talk without a script.
CARLOS MENCIA: Yes, Rick. I saw your report.
not far right
March 28, 2009 - 02:16 ET by bknownstYou have to love these guys. Snachez says "the far right this week has been saying that President Obama is too
stupid to talk without a script". No amigo, average Americans with a brain are mentioning this fact. Make fun of W all you want, but explain how O can stand there and thank himself for throwing a party at the White House and doesn't even know how many states there are! "Here's your sign!"
As Bill Engval says - wouldn't it be great if stupid people all carried a sign so you'd know before engaging them in conversation. O's had signs everywhere for a couple years now.
The guy's a racist
March 28, 2009 - 02:24 ET by RR GOPThe guy's a racist Communist stooge and him being so brilliant is a fabrication of the MSM and his Leftist supporters.
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
No
March 28, 2009 - 07:29 ET by WorriedI can't believe it's that high.
Teleprompter dependency tarnishing Obama's image
March 28, 2009 - 08:31 ET by nkviking75Since the MSM has begun trying to debunk the "myth" of Obama's teleprompter dependency (here's another example), it's obvious that Obama is being hurt by it. George W. Bush may not have been slick on TV, but he wasn't sold to the public as a messianic figure like Lord Obama. Barry's carefully constructed image is rapidly fading.
When you put the clowns in charge, don't be surprised when a circus breaks out.
mencia = not funny
March 28, 2009 - 08:37 ET by tonemeisterhe has a rep for stealing other comics material. very big no-no in that bussiness.
Carlos Mencia a walking stereotype
March 28, 2009 - 12:25 ET by freecitizenThe trouble with Carlos Mencia and his ethnic comedian ilk is that they only have the one trick. When they are not mining prejudicial stereotypes which no white guy could get away with without a public PC outing, they have nothing.
If he wasn't doing doing "ethnic" humor he'd be an absolute bore. And even with the ethnic humor, which is often funny only for its mere shock value ("I can't believe he just said that.") it gets old fast. It's like when Family Guy goes political. (Yes, I do like this show when they stay away from the politics.) They stop even trying to be clever and come across as just infantile.
ha!
March 28, 2009 - 14:25 ET by EurikaSo they are saying exactly the same that the 'jokers' are saying, that Obama is using the teleprompter, because he would sound 'stupid' without it.
Thanks guys!