Mondale, Obama, and 'Idiot Boards'

Walter Mondale and I are on the same page when it comes to Obama's use of teleprompters, or as Mondale calls them, "idiot boards."

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Transcript

WALTER MONDALE: Well, I've seen places when he's done it. The Milwaukee speech, I thought, was terrific. I think some of these backyard events are terrific. But I -- but I think he -- he's very bright. Matter of fact, brilliant. And I think he tends to -- and he uses these idiot boards to read speeches in television, and I think he loses the connection that he needs emotionally with American voters.

WOLF BLITZER: You're talking about the teleprompters that he always has when he's delivering a formal speech.

MONDALE: Right.

BLITZER: And he's reading it, basically, from a teleprompter.

MONDALE: Right.

BLITZER: You don't think that works. Is that what you're saying?

MONDALE: Yes. I think that, you know, if you're looking at the teleprompter, you're here, you're here, you're here. And you're -- your audience is right there. And I think he needs to do more of that.

"Idiot boards."

Exactly.

Obama seems detached from his audience when he's looking left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right.

The way he reads his speeches is horrible.