“Well, let me put it another way. The president’s a very smart guy, no question …”

Booo!

“What you saw last night is that the president’s a very smart guy as long as he’s using teleprompters.”

That did it. Hatch’s audience practically levitated with glee—one of three references to teleprompters that they’d hear from three politicians in 45 minutes. Sen. Marco Rubio arrived onstage, saw a teleprompter, and stagily pushed it aside. “What a difference 90 minutes without a teleprompter makes!” said former Rep. Artur Davis, an old Obama ally who lost a Democratic primary for governor in Alabama in 2010 and slowly turned into a Republican. “No teleprompter, just two men and their thoughts. “