Battle of the Bush Bulge

cyberman11 writes "Get out your tinfoil hats! Salon.com is running an article about Internet speculation that Bush uses an earpiece prompter and ignores his teleprompter while making speeches. Bush exhibited peculiar pauses between sentences while speaking during the debate and a large solid object appears between his shoulder blades as he leans over the lectern. He also interrupts himself in the middle of one of his responses by interjecting "Let me finish!" while he still had time remaining to answer and no one else had spoken." If Bush was wired, the receiver would be the size of a deck of cards or smaller, not some giant thing strapped to his back. Update: 10/09 16:10 GMT by J : The NYT contacted the Bush campaign and got a few answers that rule out the innocuous explanation that I had assumed.

Comments

Though I love conspiracy theories...

[NeuroBoy]

Instead of an in-ear prompting device, could it be a vest-type body cooler? There are quite a few of them around, though most are passive devices that you cool by freezing, etc. before you put them on.

I can imagine keeping the "calm, cool, and collected" look was a high priority for the candidates, and neither wanted to look sweaty and nervous.

In defense of Bush

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm no Bush fan. I think he is about as bright as the average American, probably less. This is why I am defending him. He was clearly confused by the lights. When he said "let me finish", the green light had just turned on a few seconds earlier. I think that was "who" he was talking to - the green light.

Yes, the green light means he still has a lot of time, but this is Bush. Pay close attention to his inability to pace himself with the lights. At one point he started talking very fast in response to a green light, then slowed down realising that he still had time, but slowed down too much. Then after the light turned red he speeded back up way too late and kept talking after it started flashing.

This is ridiculous slander!

[Anonymous Coward]

Everyone knows Cheney switched several years ago from using an earpiece to using anal electrodes to control Dubya.

Neurophone

[richie2000]

If Bush was wired, the receiver would be the size of a deck of cards or smaller, not some giant thing strapped to his back.

If they wanted to get rid of the earpiece, they could have used a Neurophone which is about the right size for that bulge. Flantech's FAQ states that the transducers do not have to be placed on the temples, they can be placed anywhere on the body - but closer to Bush's brain is obviously better (so they were probably placed on Karl Rove).

WHAT?

[Anonymous Coward]

CRAWFORD, TEXAS:October 9, 2004 (UPI) : A member of the President's inner circle today answered allegations that the earpiece visible in the President's ear during a cutaway short near the end of last night's debate is in fact a hearing aid. The President, according to the source, who requested anonymity, has been partially deaf in one ear as a result of exposure to low air pressure during his "...exemplary service in the Texas Air National Guard." The source went on to say, "My husb---...The President is a proud man, and doesn't want people to know of this injury acquired in the service of his country; he thinks people injured for the love of their country should be content with the pride inherent in resolutely defending your nation, and not try to grand-stand or put in for medals over it."

When pressed with the claim that the earpiece has been seen before, in his other ear, the source indicated that further information would be forthcoming. A gleeful Terry McAuliffe shot back with the claim that Bush was, "Deaf in one ear or another, depending on which side of him Colin Powell was sitting."

He sure sounds like it.

[Squeeze Truck]

I heard this yesterday and then rewatched the debate.

When Bush begins speaking he spends more time not talking than talking, like he's repeating dictation. Not like a normal person at all.

Good thing the ground rules say Kerry can't come near him or speak to him directly.

this is silly

[joe094287523459087]

i hate bush as much as anyone but i have bought a LOT of suits (was in sales for years) and that bulge is just the fabric bunching next to the stratch between the shoulder blades.

try it yourself. get a piece of fabric and stretch it between 2 smooth surfaces (like shoulder blades). it will bunch up at the opt and bottom of the stretch.

speaking of stretching, this whole theory is a real stretch too :( let's defeat bush because he is a psychotic half-wit, without breaking out the tin-foil hats

Let's try a more plausible explanation

[hey!]

Let's try a more plausible explanation for Bush's weird speaking cadence. Bad debate strategy.

The Republican political technique is based on repeating a small number of simple consistent messages to the electorate. It's the "talking point" thing. Get everybody top to bottom saying exactly the same thing in the same phrases over and over and over again in every venue you can put them in, and pretty soon the message starts to stick. The pauses in the President's delivery were him thinking on his feet, trying to find a way to connect the topic to one of these small number of messages they've chosen.

First of all, he's not as skilled as the usual talking heads at this game. Furthermore, this wasn't some cable news segment, this was a presidential debate. Not only is he under greater scrutiny than the the normal talking head would be, he's under it for a lot longer. It's not five minutes of blather then cut to the commercial, it's ninety minutes of white hot attention, stacked up next to a determined opponent who has managed to eliminate all of his rivals up to this point.

As a result, the dominant impression he left was that he didn't have enough material -- exactly the opposite of what you'd expect if he were wearing a wire.

Re:Nothing to see here

[TamMan2000]

You're right. IT"S A BRA!

<Kramer>BRO!</Kramer>
<Frank Costanza>MANZIER!</Frank Costanza>