First, Barack Obama is the probable nominee because he is a great communicator. In oratory and rhetoric. I even named him the Top Communicator of 2006, and look where speaking got him!

But why doesn’t he learn to use the teleprompter well? A mystery.

In an earlier post I was roundly criticized because I didn’t give him a 10 out of 10 for his famous speech after his Iowa primary victory. He was good, but not great – purely because he looked at his teleprompter paddles for 4 to 5 seconds each, head going back and forth like a metronome. I would have thought he would have learned by now, but no. So I’m posting on it, because it’s not hard to use teleprompters well.

So here after his North Carolina speech, you can literally see him with no teleprompter, reading a script for 35 seconds before the prompter kicks in. And then his eyes almost light up at 38 seconds, and teleprompter gaze locks on as he goes into his 4 second metronome routine.

Now this is not a major communication flaw with him, as he is outstanding at oratorical flourish and inspirational words and vocal rhythm. And he is learning fast to be spontaneous and humorous. He’s an impressive communicator – witness his success. In comparison to John McCain – well, there is not much. (Here’s John McCain using the Teleprompter – much worse in one of the early primaries. Here he is using one through the lens prompter paddle, where Obama always uses two paddles. But McCain has been told, and has learned and now reads his speeches usually, and stiffly.)

It is also true that not that many people care about Obama’s teleprompter stiffness. I’ve mentioned it to dozens and they don’t even notice! But I do think at the unconscious level people do notice, and it takes away from smooth, natural and confident impact.

So if you know Barack – tell him there’s a solution: as follows…

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