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Michele Bachmann Tries To Steal Obama’s Thunder By Not Looking America In The Eye
Mediaite ^ | January 25, 2011 | Mark Joyella

Posted on 01/25/2011 9:01:41 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Rep. Michele Bachmann made history tonight–not just for being the first representative of the Tea Party to give a State of the Union response, but also for flatly refusing to look America in the eye.

Bachmann, who came equipped with charts and Iwo Jima photos, began her speech looking slightly off camera. As Bachmann spoke, viewers–including the former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann–took to Twitter to ask a simple question: “what’s she looking at?”

As Olbermann tweeted, “Why isn’t Rep. Bachmann LOOKING AT THE DAMNED CAMERA?” He added later, “Seriously, somebody at the Tea Party needs to run on the stage, grab her, and POINT TO WHERE THE CAMERA IS.”

On CNN, Erick Erickson reported that Bachmann mistakenly focused on a camera recording the speech for the Tea Party Express, instead of the other camera capturing the speech live for the entire country. Jeepers.

Compared to President Obama’s traditional SOTU speech, and Rep. Ryan’s response, the Bachmann speech was unique. It had charts and multimedia, and it had the weird vibe of listening to a person who seems to be talking to somebody else.

The experience–carried exclusively on CNN–left media critics like Eric Deggans thinking one thing: SNL. “I cannot wait to see what SNL dies with slightly creepy Michelle Bachmann response to #SOTU. Please let Kristen Wiig play her…”

Watch it here, from CNN:

(VIDEO AT LINK)


TOPICS: Issues; Parties; U.S. Congress
KEYWORDS: congress; enemedia; gop; keitholbermann; markjoyella; mediaite; michelebachman; obama; olbermann; paulryan; sotu; teaparty
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To: taxcontrol

My wife, a solid conservative, was distracted by it to the point of feeling sorry for Michelle. Did you see it? I’m sure it was a great response on radio, but it was a bungled production in terms of swaying the masses.

A lost opportunity, IMO. At least it should put to rest the smears about the Tea Party being organized/funded by rich people.


21 posted on 01/25/2011 9:19:26 PM PST by Carling (Remember November)
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To: Marine_Uncle

Good night.


22 posted on 01/25/2011 9:20:14 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Please donate to FreeRepublic, sanity in a world gone mad!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

That's the best they can do to derail her ... seriously? I expected so much more. I think their brains have turned to mush. Well done, Bachmann. If they feel the need to turn that mole hill into a mountain, you did very well indeed.


23 posted on 01/25/2011 9:20:47 PM PST by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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To: Ramius

There was a second camera shot that was not straight on. I noticed it on Greta’s show. It was weird and didn’t know at the time Bachmann was looking another camera.


24 posted on 01/25/2011 9:21:19 PM PST by Gene Eric (Your Hope has been redistributed. Here's your Change.)
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To: Ramius

Apparently somebody allowed two cameras in the room. The “Tea Party” camera, which was set up properly with the teleprompter, and a “press pool” camera, which showed her looking over the shoulder of the viewer.

Whoever allowed the “press pool” camera should have known it was a set-up, since that is what CNN/MSNBC, and the rest of the leftist media used.


25 posted on 01/25/2011 9:21:36 PM PST by Carling (Remember November)
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To: Ramius

watch it again.


26 posted on 01/25/2011 9:22:34 PM PST by Michael.SF. (Current count of friends/family who have abandoned Obama: 11)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Talk about an amateur mistake by the production team. Total incompetence.

She must have done her rehearsals with the Tea Party camera and then CNN came in at the last minute and set up their camera. And somehow no one told her which one she needed to address.

Or maybe there was confusion over which camera was actually providing the live feed. Or — if we want to get conspiratorial — maybe CNN was provided both camera shots, told the Tea Party people they were going to use the Tea Party camera not their own, but then maliciously used the CNN camera instead, knowing it would make her look odd.


27 posted on 01/25/2011 9:23:47 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Fear is a strong motivator from the left. She hit a homer.

Pray for America


28 posted on 01/25/2011 9:23:58 PM PST by bray (Support Palin to make heads explode on both sides?)
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To: so_real

They’re spending so much time, money, manpower, ink and pixels on smearing Governor Sarah Palin that there’s nothing left over to attack any other conservatives to any degree.


29 posted on 01/25/2011 9:24:48 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Please donate to FreeRepublic, sanity in a world gone mad!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Same to you soldier who served in Korea. I thought I would had signed off before I got your ping. Take care.


30 posted on 01/25/2011 9:25:31 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned....Duncan Hunter Sr. for POTUS.)
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To: Ramius

OMG, no one can dispute her words, so, they attack where she’s looking. This is pathetic. Have we become a nation so revved up on appearances, that we shut our ears to the truth?

It seems so.


31 posted on 01/25/2011 9:25:41 PM PST by Catsrus (Have)
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To: bray

She didn’t hit a homer. Sorry, but I like Bachman a lot, but the message was mangled by the incompetence of her production team.

Two cameras for a teleprompter speech? Are you kidding me?

Stupid, stupid, and more stupid. The Tea Party needs to get a lot more professional if it wants to sway independent voters to our side.


32 posted on 01/25/2011 9:28:20 PM PST by Carling (Remember November)
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To: Catsrus

Her excellent words weren’t heard because of the amateurism of the production team.

It’s a shame, but it’s the truth. Nobody who can be influenced by those words, but was distracted by the wandering eyes, is going to go back and read a transcript.

The Tea Party had a national audience to get across a message that I agree with, but they bungled the delivery of that message. Blaming the left for picking on Michelle isn’t the issue here; this could have been avoided with only allowing one camera in the room from each angle.

I’m frustrated that we blew this, so I’m going to rant about it here.


33 posted on 01/25/2011 9:31:45 PM PST by Carling (Remember November)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I look people and animals directly in the eyes. It unnerves most. I trust no (wo)man/dog/cat that can not reciprocate...

Perhaps she was looking into the eyes of a collective unconsciousness that only acknowledges the dead stare of the lost soul.

So sad.

34 posted on 01/25/2011 9:39:12 PM PST by mmercier (pearls and swine)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"We're going to build stuff and invent stuff."....brilliant!

Style over substance every time, right MSM?

Obama's shtick, like yours, is getting repetitive, predictable and old.....he's either an empty suit or a fine-tuned Soros puppet.

...stuff that!

35 posted on 01/25/2011 9:39:25 PM PST by RckyRaCoCo (I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery, IXNAY THE TSA!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I just watched the vid and thought Bachmann did just great! All those who want to slam her ‘cuz she was looking at another camera angle only do so because they can’t find anything wrong in what she said. Truth hurts those who profit off of lies.


36 posted on 01/25/2011 9:46:39 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to him.)
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To: Carling

“That’s just idiotic.”

And no doubt a lie, as well. She just couldn’t take her eyes off the script.


37 posted on 01/25/2011 9:59:49 PM PST by stormer
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To: boatbums
LOL, truly hysterical....on one hand we hear “the TP must stay grassroots!”.....the next second its, “the TP are such amateurs”!

Good grief.

38 posted on 01/25/2011 10:05:58 PM PST by roses of sharon (I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Big deal.
0bama head bounces from side to side, reading from multiple totus’s, giving the impression he is watching a tennis match


39 posted on 01/25/2011 10:06:54 PM PST by Steven Tyler
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To: stormer

I’m not saying Michelle Bachman is an idiot. I don’t think that at all. I’m saying whoever allowed two cameras in there made an idiotic error.


40 posted on 01/25/2011 10:09:06 PM PST by Carling (Remember November)
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