Ahh yes... true... though my point is still that when teleprompters are used in front of school kids it's a press conference, not a chat to the kids. Press conferences get written by speech writers and revised extensively so all the details are conveyed precisely and are 'expected' to be recited word for word.

As for Palin, I'm not sure why she writes notes on her hand. Why not just take up a sheets of paper like every other orator in the world does? Perhaps she wants to appear like what she's saying is coming off the top of her head? If one of the other people on stage shakes her hand with a sweaty palm it could wipe out everything she had to say