If Bush uses an earpiece during the debates...

Is there any way the Kerry people can jam the signal? And is there any way we can suggest it to the Kerry camp?

I've read several posts from people who have seen Bush speak in such a way, it's clear he's using an electronic prompt. I'd assume the rules of debate don't permit this, but hey, if they have no problem with war crimes, why let a little thing like honor stop them now?

Does anyone know how such a thing would work?

•  Earwigs

  There are a couple of movie stars who use them. I know Marlon Brando used to use one. It's called an earwig, and it looks like a tiny hearing aid that sits in your ear. Underneath your clothes you wear a receiving pack that has an antenna that wraps around your waist. The problem is that the range is not great, and it only really works if your prompter can see and hear what's happening. So if Bush wanted to use this, they would have to setup a monitoring booth for the prompter back stage, just off camera. It would be a fairly involved production that would involve many people, and would have to be coordinated with tech crew. There's no way he could do this without everybody in the world knowing about it.

  by Zackpunk on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:31:24 PM PDT

  •  Negative

    There are all manner of signal-boosting spread-spectrum and encryption tricks you could do with the proper rig.

    They could claim it was a security device, to warn the Preznit in case of terra.

    So unless you can catch him wearing one and tape someone whispering stuff to him that he then repeats...nobody is going to believe that it's anything but a way to Protect the President.

    by Monkey on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:38:05 PM PDT

    •  Nope

      Trust me -- I have hands on experience with this system. Signal boosting/encryption, etc... wouldn't work. Especially in an area where there's bound to be all kinds of crazy interference with all the media, and broadcasting going on in the vicinity. It's unreliable enough when you're sitting right there next to the user, with a full tech crew on hand to support the device.

      Frankly, I hope he does try to pull something like this off. He'll spend the whole debate with his finger in his ear yelling, "What? What? I can't hear you! Can you say that again?"

      by Zackpunk on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:48:20 PM PDT

      •  Bushco

        I think Bushco has access to higher tech than you, no offense intended.

        by Subterranean on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:45:40 PM PDT

        •  Again, nope

          Unless he access to the laws of physics, he doesn't.

          And even if there was some incredibly sophisticated top secret stuff out there, you have to understand that the Bush administration can't just waltz into the CIA and ask to use their spy equipment for his debates. It doesn't work that way. Whatever he would use has to be whatever is out there. And the equipment I've worked with is the best there is. If he tried to pull something like that off for the debates it would 1) be discovered, and 2) be a spectacular failure.

          by Zackpunk on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 06:01:27 PM PDT

    •  Warning the preznit

      If it were used to warn the Preznit, that means Kerry would have about 7 minutes of headway.

      by zephyr on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:50:16 PM PDT

    •  But it would be fun

      to override the signal and feed him really stupid (I mean beyond the predictably stupid) answers.

      by JoeWPgh on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:58:46 PM PDT

      •  Does anyone know where...

        ...the Amazing Kreskin is?

        He's the one who exposed several televangelists 10, 15 years back doing this very thing.

        Haven't heard of him lately.  Hope he's still alive.  Hope he's not flying small planes or detained at Gitmo.

        If anyone could 'break the code' to expose Bush's feed, he'd be the one.

        by RobertInWisconsin on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:09:10 PM PDT

        •  That was the Amazing Randi

          AKS James Randi, who has been debunking stuff for years.

          The Amazing Randy is actually a performing magician.

          Don't confuse them.

          by msaroff on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:26:15 PM PDT

          •  Thanks, I realized

            just after I posted that I had the wrong Amazing.

            We should all contact James Randi and ask him to get on this matter and expose the President for the marionette that he is.

            http://www.randi.org/contact.html
            

            by RobertInWisconsin on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:30:48 PM PDT

•  he's gotten away with an earpiece

  he's gotten away with an earpiece @ every speaking gig so far, OF COURSE he will have one during the debate(s)!

  by n69n on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:42:10 PM PDT

•  Do you think Ronald Reagan's hearing aid...

  was really just an earpiece, so he can be told what to say (in the latter--and less coherent--part of his presidency)?
  

  by westcornersville on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:45:03 PM PDT

  •  aoeu

    I don't think electronics were that sophisticated back then, I could be wrong...

    by TealVeal on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:26:48 PM PDT

•  Merely as a curiosity...

  this is a diary I did following the FOX broadcast Sat., June 5, the resident and Chirac in a press conf., from the Elysee Palace where there may have been a malfunction in the feeds getting crossed (we were getting a voice just ahead of Bush speaking, saying the same owrds).  I just happened to catch it...
  A couple hours later Reagan died and we were on to other wrangles...

  by Marisacat on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:46:46 PM PDT

  •  Very interesting..

    How would one pick up on this?  Could it be jammed?  Overwhelmed?  Pipe some local radio station into his earpiece instead.

    I think it would be interesting to find out.

    by Craziel on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:53:16 PM PDT

    •  hmm I'd love to pipe in the

      screams of Holy Rollers as they are bitten by the snakes, bloat and die untreated.  That is what BushBaby should be hearing.  The look on his face would be entertaining... if nothing else.

      by Marisacat on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 05:26:38 PM PDT

      •  bravo

        If I think that's sick, you've done well.

        by Merkin on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 07:51:01 PM PDT

•  Vamndergraff Generator

  Send out a spark about every 15 seconds.

  It should be a VERY LOUD static burst.

  by msaroff on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:50:59 PM PDT

•  Will there be debates, really?

  I'm convinced Bush & co. will weasel out of any televised debates.  I'll believe it when I see it.

  by marjo on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:55:30 PM PDT

  •  debate(s)

    me too, i just cannot imagine the debates actually happenning.

     if there are any, there will be ONE.
     one where bush gets the questions submitted (& approved) beforehand & has his lines fed to him.

    i'd love to see kerry ask him "whats that in your ear?" live on tv.

    by n69n on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 06:24:07 PM PDT

•  He is already preparing for debates

  

  by Stevo on Thu Aug 05, 2004 at 04:57:38 PM PDT