It’s clear, the Trump campaign denials notwithstanding, that portions of Melania Trump’s speech Monday night to the Republican convention were lifted directly from Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech to the Democratic convention. The question is, why?
The answer is probably that Donald Trump is running his campaign on the cheap, and he’s getting what he’s paying for.
I don’t rule out that Mrs. Trump, inexperienced in such things as speechwriting, decided to take a look at Michelle Obama’s remarks, delivered in the same situation, and found there some very nice things she innocently thought would work perfectly for her too. I sincerely doubt that, if she did this, she did it out of malice or because she was too lazy to write her own speech.
More likely, though, the remarks were written for her by a completely incompentent staffer, which is what you get when you are underfinanced. Or — and this seems in some ways to make the most sense, given how stupid this would be if it were a mistake — the Trump campaign has been sabotaged by the Democrats or some Republican angered by Trump’s behavior in the primaries.
Melania’s speech was endearing, intelligent, and compelling, and she helped her husband.
But now it will be remembered for one thing.
25 thoughts on “Melaniagate: Trump Campaign Incompetent or Infiltrated”
Sorry, disagree that it was a mistake.
How many side by side videos, photos of MrsTrump and MrsObama are floating about the MSM today. How many pundits are discussing what MrsTrump said last night.
Hundreds, that’s how many.
Who looks the best, who is the most “endearing”, who would most Americans love to see in the White House.
No question about it, MrsTrump is the one.
This was a deliberate attempt to control the news story, again, by MrTrump.
And, it worked.
IMO, of course.
I’m not fussed either, but it sure is bringing attention to all the things MO promised 8 years ago that never materialized. I’d say give Melania a try now :)
MSM is also failing to notice that most of MO’s “original” speech was lifted from Alinsky.
Interesting thinking srdem65.
I have to disagree. I don’t believe that Donald Trump would set up his wife for this kind of humiliating belittling of her speech — even if she were willing to go for it.
And I disagree that the discussion is inevitably pro-Mrs. Trump. Plenty of Dems will see MO’s homegrown, just-call-me-Meesh mush-mouth delivery with it’s unnecessary injections of faux homey crap as being more “real” than Mrs. Trump’s pristine delivery.
its, not it’s
It’s just amazing that she did not say whether a time “Everyone will notice”
It will be old news, soon forgotten after today… Ok, the writer lifted some comments, yeah, its not wise. But if this is what the DEMS want to chirp about…well, chirp away….
H
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Google word search is a wonderful tool for anyone writing a speech and you’d think she, or her writers, would have taken it and vetted it online.
What’s ironic is that there couldn’t be two more polar opposite women. If I were Melania I’d get out in front of this today, get on the news, be the face of it, apologize if she must, but get this off the loop of msm.
I don’t think she should. If she does, then she makes herself a hostage to all the crazy nit picking the MSM and Dems have in store. And it becomes an apology tour.
Trump is not much for apologies. I hope Melania is not either. She did nothing wrong.
Tell the MSM Melania did nothing wrong. According to them, this is worse than Watergate and Benghazi. The WSJ and NYT have had it up as headlines all morning, with the video comparing the two. I say, even IF she doesn’t feel she did anything wrong, get out there and apologize but say it was an innocent mistake. That there was no attempt to copy words. Melania is going to have to be out often soon and she’s bound to get criticized so the sooner she can get past these things, the better for the campaign.
I don’t find this amusing. The two speeches shared some cultural clichés — so what? As for Mrs. Trump turning to Mrs. Obama as a resource — she has no need. If anything, this shows the homogenous approach taken by professional speechwriters. What a shame this woman’s achievement is being denigrated. And how wonderful for the Dems and media types who will work to show that Mrs. O is “real” and seminal and Mrs. Trump is a pale imitation of her greatness. Was it racist to use the word pale? I guess our Red Guard pc warriors will let me know soon enough.
A bit OT, but I watched a little bit of the various speeches last night, and I couldn’t continue watching. A bit too ‘over the top’ with the “Rah Rah!” and “Hillary is satan” bs for me.
Maybe a lot of people need “over the top”, but I would prefer to hear about principles, and integrity. Not about someone else’s lack of these.
Not saying I am any less sold on Trump, but I just think what I saw last night was exactly what the slightly more reasonable democrats, and many who are ‘on the fence’, didn’t need to see. The left can point at a lot of that and say, correctly, in my opinion, “that’s what is wrong with the right”.
Maybe a lot of people need “over the top”, but I would prefer to hear about principles, and integrity.
Most of us would. But that has gotten us nowhere. The threat to America today is an evil one and we need different tools. It truly is wake up time.
Agree. I skipped everything until Guiliana’s speech, but just watching video clips was depressing. Very dark.
I doubt there were any Trump converts.
It will only be remembered as “plagiarized” by those out to get Trump.
I am glad that they did not include the phrase “first time I have been proud of my country”.
And back in the day, Clinton and Obama, both accused one another of “borrowed rhetoric”. Not plagiarism like Joe Biden but “borrowed rhetoric”.
MSM desperation. But am concerned about infiltration. The Trump people need to sharpen up.
Oh yes, the “borrowed rhetoric” link, this could be useful in discussions (ha!) with the other side.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/18/obama.patrick/index.html
Melania plagiarized a plagiarist who plagiarized a plagiarist.
Words have yet to be created to describe how little I care about the speech by any candidate’s spouse.
Did MO coin the phrase “my word is my bond,” and did she create the thoughts that are now supposed to have been stolen from her? Hardly.
Donald Trump needs to realize how long and how many are the knives out for his candidacy.
I cannot tell you how much I don’t care about this because most of these speeches sound alike anyway. So what if she lifted a few platitudes from MO’s speech – I”m sure MO’s speech was lifted from another source anyway. (And I do not doubt it was Alinsky.) There’s a video out there today of BO speechifying in 2008 and a side-by-side with Deval Patrick using the same exact words in 2006.
But of course, the boot-licking media has to make this the Big Story and everything about Benghazi and the excellent (spontaneous!) speech by Marcus Luttrell is swept away by PLAGERISM, with massive outrage and pearl-clutching. Sick of all of them.
Who says Melania plagiarized? Is it that difficult to believe that two mothers, speaking on behalf of their husbands, trying to humanize them, speaking of family values, to the same American audience, in the same exact venue might come up with the same exact words to express the same exact words? Why do republicans roll over on this and jump in with the liberals?
Hilary deleted 30,000 emails, had her staff shred documents in the basement of the state department, created and used several server systems, was proven to have sent confidential information…all illegal… And she STILL…gets the benefit of the doubt. Melania says a few things that Michelle Obama said and authomatically she plagiarised and the republicans join in. What the heck?
To believe Melania plagiarised you have to believe that she lied about writing the speech mostly herself and also that she chose the same exact words of the ONE PERSON ON EARTH who would be the WORST person to copy. Melania is too smart for that.
In case you think it is impossible for the repeating of the same sentiments, even exact words, to NOT be plagiarism I want to share a story with you. A few years ago, I wrote a book for new moms. I didn’t read any of my “competition” because I wanted my ideas to stay my own. After my book was off to the printer, I picked up a few books in my genre. I couldn’t believe it. Some of the same sentiments and sometimes my exact words, came back at me. No one plagiarised. Sometimes people come up with the same sentiments especially when the subject relates to motherhood, children and family.
I say, if the liberals accuse Melania of plagiarism, LET THEM PROVE IT. Show us, dear liberals, where she cut and pasted from the first lady’s speech. Otherwise, zip it and leave the the attractive, bright, intelligent Melania alone.
I think the question is this: Why have plagiarizers Biden, Obama and Hillary received such very little scrutiny?
Or this: Why did the mainstream news media fixate on this non-issue, if not to distract from having to report about criminal and liar Hillary?
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If Trump doesn’t identify the traitors in his midst, who are sending him a very clear message by setting up his wife & coordinating with the media, his campaign is doomed. Trump opponents are accusing Melania or her speech writers of intentional plagiarism, while many Trump supporters are pretending that the parallels in the speech are coincidences the media is blowing out of proportion. But the latter are engaged in wishful thinking – whoever set up Melania also “rickrolled” her for God’s sake. They were bold in taunting Trump. This same group influenced his kids to fire the loyal Corey Lewandowski, and drop Chris Christie in favor of Trump critic & establishment loyalist Mike Pence, who disagrees with Trump’s entire platform. If Donald doesnt wake about who is on his payroll (establishment operatives and Cruz loyalists), his campaign is effectively over.
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