> The Bush Bulge, the Grossly Incompetent Media and the Complicit Kerry Campaign
24 October 2004, 04:51
Of course, no one has figured out the real story: Bush has been using the earpiece and transponder essentially forever — maybe even since his days campaigning for TX governor. Someone out of view feeds him lines, which is why he has that characteristic speach, with a phrase, a pause, then another phrase.
What happened in the first debate is that Bush’s crew was blind-sided. They had always hidden the transponder in the podium beforehand, but they discovered they couldn’t get away with that, so in a panic they stuck it to his back with tape. During the debate it felt like it was slipping, and it wouldn’t be good to have the thing fall out of your jacket during the debate, so Bush leaned forward and kept his coat tight to prevent it from slipping. Probably the transponder worked fine, but Bush was so flustered by the whole process that he had trouble following the lines he was being fed.
In the later debate the transponder was either hidden in the podium or more effectively concealed on Bush’s person.
Of course, no one has figured out the real story: Bush has been using the earpiece and transponder essentially forever — maybe even since his days campaigning for TX governor. Someone out of view feeds him lines, which is why he has that characteristic speach, with a phrase, a pause, then another phrase.
What happened in the first debate is that Bush’s crew was blind-sided. They had always hidden the transponder in the podium beforehand, but they discovered they couldn’t get away with that, so in a panic they stuck it to his back with tape. During the debate it felt like it was slipping, and it wouldn’t be good to have the thing fall out of your jacket during the debate, so Bush leaned forward and kept his coat tight to prevent it from slipping. Probably the transponder worked fine, but Bush was so flustered by the whole process that he had trouble following the lines he was being fed.
In the later debate the transponder was either hidden in the podium or more effectively concealed on Bush’s person.