Imagine how different our country would be if not for his invention. Instead of reading “Yes we can” off a glass screen, The One would have had to read it off an index card. Or maybe even memorize it.

Tomorrow TOTUS will stand at half-staff.

You’ve never heard of Hubert J. “Hub” Schlafly Jr., but if you’ve seen a major political speech in the past generation, you know his work. Schlafly invented the TelePrompTer and changed public address in America. He died April 20th in Connecticut…

Schlafly, a TV engineer, developed the device in the 1950’s to help soap opera actors remember their lines, according to the Washington Post. For more on Schlafly, read the Post’s obituary.

But it is politicians who made the device, which has evolved with technology, most famous. A seamlessly executed teleprompter-aided speech allows the speaker to read from notes while giving the impression that the speech is given from memory.

Follow the link up top for clips of some recent-ish teleprompter gaffes, including the one where Obama’s prompter keeled over, likely from over-use. I’m tempted to follow suit but the poor guy must be devastated by the news. So let’s cheer him up instead. This one’s for you, champ.