Melania Trump’s speech uses lines from Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech.
ADDED: On the positive side, no one will ever say "Your word is your bond" again. You're going to need another bond. Or screw the bond. No one cares about your bond anymore.
AND: Maybe there's some other speech that Michelle's speech was based on. I googled word is bond and got to some fascinating Urban Dictionary background and beyond.
MORE: Why was I wondering about some other speech? It's just so stupid to copy Michelle's speech that I theorized that Melania's speechwriter found some obscure speech to use and it just happened to be the same one Michelle's speechwriter used. These speeches are so generic, but good Lord, change the words. Swap in synonyms. What are they paying you for?
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222 comments:
1 – 200 of 222 Newer› Newest»A stupid thing to do!
How could this have happened?
Did the writer think this wouldn't be noticed?
Clusterfuck, another one.
Further proof that Spouses should be seen and not heard. But I guess you have to fill time at a Convention.
And the initial response by the crackerjack Trump team has been pure Clintonian: deny, dissemble, lie, and complain of gotchas by the media. Con men are gonna con. Pitiful choices we have.
I work part-time as a TA/grader for the grad school where I take classes. Every student assignment is run through plagiarism detection software that would easily catch this sort of thing. Why is this not required by every candidate for every speech, every press release, every everything?
Did you compare the speeches? How many ways can you say, "My parents brought me up right, and I'm doing the same for mine"? Copying cliches is not plagiarism. Copying original ideas is. Who did Michelle Obama "plagiarize" her speech from? I'm sure someone who thinks this is important will find someone out there who said it before she did.
Did the writer expect it wouldn't be noticed so it could be noticed?
good thing they got the plagiarism out of the way early
"Did you compare the speeches? How many ways can you say, "My parents brought me up right, and I'm doing the same for mine"? Copying cliches is not plagiarism. Copying original ideas is. Who did Michelle Obama "plagiarize" her speech from? I'm sure someone who thinks this is important will find someone out there who said it before she did."
Did you watch the video comparison?
Crap like "your word is your bond"? Who talks like that?
Just plain stupid. If you can't hire the right people to do the job at least competently enough to cover your tracks, you are screwed.
She is a quarter century younger than he is and is his third wife. Republican family values for the rubes.
This wasn't a mistake..someone did this deliberately to make her look bad and damage the campaign.
Better her than him.
Maybe someone can explain to me why I should care.
"My parents impressed on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. [Cheering] Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
Compare to:
"And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
The main difference is that Michelle's speech includes the candidate in the values-havingness.
Meh. It's certainly not as blatant a content copy as "words only words" was for Obama, who clearly lifted the entire text from Deval Patrick. As someone on another site said: both first ladies ripped off every valedictorian speech ever given. But it's just the one passage about being raised properly and passing on values. Now if she'd said, "For the first time in my life I'm proud of my country..."
Michelle should be sincerely flattered.
So what if a few sentences were similar and a few phrases nearly identical? Neither Michelle or Melania write their own speeches and MANY people say thing very similar to what others have said.
It's pretty rich for the Democrat echo-chamber make this accusation. They're robots programmed to say the same thing over and over again.
Who the hell thinks that Melania Trump has anything original to say that matters?
I was sort of expecting some anecdotes that might reveal a different side of Trump, beneath all the bluster and boasting. Usually those things can be powerful--like when in '96 John McCain tearfully remembered learning that while he was in the POW camp, Bob Dole stood in the Senate declaring he would oppose cutting off Vietnam War funding until the POWs were back, or Romney's friend telling about the time he organized a search for his missing daughter. With Trump's likability ratings as low as they are, a night of similar stories could have helped a lot--particularly when running against someone seen as icy, like Hillary.
They have a few more nights for that, but why miss an opportunity? Anyone fired up by the speeches last night was already on the team.
Women talk about such stupid stuff anyway.
The Zsa Zsa effect is enough of a turn-off.
Remember Joe Biden's coal mining speech? Good times.......
Guy Benson has an interesting writeup about this. Towards the end he states, "Meanwhile, Trump himself is likely furious at the humiliation of his wife, for which she was almost certainly not responsible. Not the sort of thing you want occupying your candidate's mind in the middle of a crucial week."
Yeah. That.
Maybe she learned to speak English by watching the video of Michelle over and over again?
A Borat speech would have been better.
Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation
Let's watch the vitriolic left overplay their hand. Melania Trump, despite her smoking hot looks, sexy eastern European accent, and bedroom cat eyes, comes across and classy, and confident. She's going to end up on the sympathetic side of this. It is reported she speaks five languages.
Drudge has links to Obama using Deval Patrick's words. And I'm sure the historically ignorant "Unknown" will easily forget Biden's habitual plagiarism which sank his 1988 Presidential campaign.
"This wasn't a mistake..someone did this deliberately to make her look bad and damage the campaign."
Maybe a Never Trumper infiltrated the speech writer department.
Both speeches are pretty standard stuff. We've all heard this same basic speech from any number of politicians, at banquets, at commencements. It probably isn't plagiarism so much as a lack of imagination.
If Bump was so motivated, I bet he could find any number of similar speeches he could then use to make a case Michelle Obama plagiarized her speech in 2008.
And I think it's points in Melania Trumps' favor that she didn't note the similarities herself.
Tells me she didn't pay attention to Michelle Obama's speech.
Who wants a political junkie as first lady?
Issue bonds! Rates are at historic lows.
It is cool that she included a Rickroll in her speech though.
Gahrie said what I was thinking. This was on purpose. The #NeverTrump people have infiltrated the campaign. I was also thinking that if somebody handed me a speech that full of trite crap, I'd write my own or ad lib from the podium, because it doesn't get much dumber anyway. I know first-lady prospectives don't get to give interesting speeches because it has to be about the family, but YEESH. If I was going to plagiarize, I'd at least try to find something that actually sounded good. I'd make a crappy first lady. And my hubby would be a crappy president, so I guess I'm safe. ;-)
It is especially clear to me in the side-by-side posted by Althouse @ 8:18 that the similarities are separated by enough differences to interstitial words to make the content clearly different in form. Yes there are substantial overlap, but this type of passage is trite and formulaic no matter how it is said. I truly don't see enough to say the paragraph was lifted. What percentage of content needs to change to be ":original" in this context?
Hey, look! I plagiarized "Unknown". Ze said "Never Trumper infiltrated the"! See how easy that was?
This is like the pic tweeted of Melania and Cruz's wife side by side. It's the most terrible insult of them all.
Still better looking than Bill.
First time I heard that it was "An Englishman's word is his bond."
And I was all, like, does that mean that an Englishman always keeps his word? Or does it mean that an Englishman won't pay good bond so he'll have nothing to lose when he screws you?
Turns out, 40 years later, nothing turned on the difference.
but...but...the donald said Melania wrote it...
grifted again.
Okay, I know Melania is Hot.
But in the freezeframe on this post does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner?
Deny, deny, deny.
I am Laslo.
Melania also said as First Lady she'll help women and children. Scandalously disqualifyingly unoriginal.
Her worse crime is making us sit through clips of the loathsome Michelle Obama again.
I always thought having strong opinions about a First Lady was absurd. It probably is. But this is a bitter, entitled, divisive woman in the White House.
And he's off to a good start in the general campaign. His VP rollout was a bust and now his wife's plagiarized speech, also the NeverTrumpers are embarrassing Trump on floor on the convention center.
But in the freezeframe on this post does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner?
Yes. And it's not the first time I've had to do a double-take.
I think any woman shooting for first lady should limit her speechifying to telling the world what charitable cause she intends to promote and how she'll redecorate the White House.
"Melanie Trump uses lines . . ." Hey, we told you Trump was a Dem running as GOPer.
"Crap like "your word is your bond"? Who talks like that?" You know the answer.
Your touching concern about plagiarism didn't keep you from voting in '08 for Slow Joe, the repeat plagiarizer who plagiarized his campaign autobiography.
Just to enjoy a little tu quoque, here's what E.J. Dionne wrote in the NYT in September 1987:
"''My intent was not to deceive anyone,'' Mr. Biden wrote. ''For if it were, I would not have been so blatant.''
At another point, the young Mr. Biden said that ''if I had intended to cheat, would I have been so stupid?''
''I value my word above all else,'' the impassioned letter said. ''This is a fact which is known to all those who are or have been acquainted with my character.'' Misunderstanding, He Says
Mr. Biden said today, as he did 22 years ago, that he had misunderstood the rules of citation and footnoting.
''I was wrong, but I was not malevolent in any way,'' Mr. Biden said. ''I did not intentionally move to mislead anybody. And I didn't. To this day I didn't.''
The faculty ruled that Mr. Biden would get an F in the course but would have the grade stricken when he retook it the next year. Mr. Biden eventually received a grade of 80 in the course, which, he joked today, prevented him from falling even further in his class rank. Mr. Biden, who graduated from the law school in 1968, was 76th in a class of 85.
The file also included Mr. Biden's transcript from his days as an undergraduate at the University of Delaware. In his first three semesters, his grades were C's or D's, with three exceptions: two A's in physical education courses, a B in a course on ''Great English Writers'' and an F in R.O.T.C. The grades improved somewhat later but were never exceptional.
Biden's Defense on Speeches
As for the issue of borrowing speeches, Mr. Biden was insistent that he had done nothing wrong. He said it was ''ludicrous'' to expect a politician to attribute all the quotations of others, and he cited two examples to support his argument.
One was from one of his adversaries for the Democratic nomination, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, whom Mr. Biden described as ''a friend.'' Mr. Jackson, Mr. Biden said, has used the same part of a speech by Hubert H. Humphrey that Mr. Biden has been accused of improperly appropriating, and Mr. Jackson has called him to say so.
Robert F. Kennedy, another of those whose speeches have been echoed by Mr. Biden, also used passages without attribution, the Senator said."
"But in the freezeframe on this post does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner? "
During the speech, Meade said she looks like what Caitlyn Jenner is trying to look like and I said "But can she win the decathlon?"
Crap like "your word is your bond"?
Stock exchanges, for one. Your word is your bond is a very common, if somewhat antiquated, saying.
There's a lot of overlap, but we've already decided on the rules of plagiarism in regards to politics, so let's play by them. If CNN didn't fire a writer for plagiarism, and Biden and Obama's obvious plagiarism were given passes, then I see no reason for this to even matter.
Yes Melania and Caitlyn Jenner do resemble one another, thanks for pointing that out.
Plagiarize Michele Obama? I'm trying to wrap my head around how that can have significance at all. Or how anyone even noticed. Or why anyone would even care. It's a bit like saying I stole nuclear weapons secrets from Brakeman Bill and The Crazy Donkey.
The look is: Lots of fake hair and way too much makeup combined with stiff posing and an uncomfortable, form-fitting sheath.
I doubt this will have much impact one way or the other. It would always have been difficult for Melania to escape the euro-trash tag. If I where Trump is would be more bothered by how amateurish the attempt to conceal the plagiarism was. Trump's people generally don't make a living working with the written word and, I would guess, poorly positioned to judge who is and isn't competent at speech writing.
"...that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them." ~ Michelle Obama
Except we got almost the exact opposite from them in office as they described bitter clingers who act stupidly, and were dumb enough to believe they could keep their policy, their doctor, and that film makers bring down embassies as racist cops kill innocent men with their hands ups saying "don't shoot".
Yea, real great values you have there with that bond and all.
Here's a theory. Melania did it on purpose. To show Donald just what she thinks of his little run-for-president game.
I think I'll start telling people that my word is my gold bond medicated powder.
"The Zsa Zsa effect is enough of a turn-off."
I compared her to Zsa Zsa as I was listening last night, but in the cold light of morning, I'm thinking Zsa Zsa was really funny. She used her looks and her accent to make us laugh, but I guess that was back in the days of Charo and Jose Jimenez when we just laughed at accents, freely and without shame. Today, everything's so much more serioso.
Around my house, I'm an underwear model. It's a lot harder than you'd think, and keeping it fresh can be a real challenge.
What is MT "disqualified" from Meade? Or does it disqualify her husband?
I think the last time not doing your own work mattered in the business world was in the movie "Working Girl" in the elevator scene near the end.
"does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner?"
Jesus Spatula! What'd you have to go and say that for?
Sometimes you got a mean streak a mile wide.
Oh and we got some kind of cucumber fungus loose in the green house. Do you want me call Dick again? I know he's creepy and all, but fungi tremble at the mention of his name.
If Team Trump learned anything from past speed bumps, they'd simply say "English is her second language, so we had a speechwriter help her, and the speechwriter borrowed phrases from previous first lady candidate speeches, and apparently borrowed too much from Michelle Obama's very nice 2008 speech." Story over, move on. No one is going to change their vote over this, it's not like Melania is a candidate for president or a frequent public speaker.
But if they give this story legs by making unbelievable denials or irrelevant accusations, they'll have shown they learned nothing this campaign.
Laslo Spatula said...
"Okay, I know Melania is Hot.
But in the freezeframe on this post does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner?"
I'm thinking it is a lot more likely that Caitlyn Jenner intentionally copied Melania Trump, than that Melania Trump intentionally copied Michelle Obama.
Of course, and we're in Scott Adams territory here, it may have been deliberate. Let the media trivialize itself by attacking this attractive woman. Manipulate them into playing clips of the distinctly unpleasant Michele Obama just to remind everyone of the wreckage of the last eight years. Keep them talking about Trump in any context at all.
"I compared her to Zsa Zsa as I was listening last night, but in the cold light of morning, I'm thinking Zsa Zsa was really funny. She used her looks and her accent to make us laugh, but I guess that was back in the days of Charo and Jose Jimenez when we just laughed at accents, freely and without shame. Today, everything's so much more serioso."
Have you forgotten Teresa Heinz Kerry? She came across as a serious version of the satire that Zsa Zsa was conveying. By comparison, I can't really find anything negative to think about Melania--she doesn't seem to convey that haughty out of touch rich lady thing that Kerry had.
LIV's love glamorous women. They're not even aware of the existence of toad-like media snipers.
I cannot believe that anyone, least of all an actual professor, would think that someone would have to lift "word as my bond" or telling children that they can achieve their dreams if they work hard is plagiarism. Hackneyed boiler plate, sure. But Michelle did not invent those terms.
I'm guessing that Melania really did mostly write her own speech. It's the sort of thing that a non native speaker would put into a speech they were writing without realizing that ever speech by every first lady said the same sort of thing.
I gotta admit, I was hoping for Althouse to post a side-by-side comparison of Melania and Caitlyn, comparing them as examples of what it means to be an American woman.
One started out out as not an American, and the other started out as a man.
Just spit-balling, here.
No innuendo meant with "spit-balling".
I am pivoting to be more Presidential.
I am Laslo.
"The look is: Lots of fake hair and way too much makeup combined with stiff posing and an uncomfortable, form-fitting sheath."
That's what Cait thinks the look is.
It was empty language when Michelle Obama said it at the 2008 convention...but just because it's equally empty in 2016 doesn't change the obviousness by which it was lifted.
The only good to come from this situation is that whichever speechwriter thought it was a good idea to use some of the campaign's free media time to convey that message...let's just say that person won't be responsible for the speeches for the remainder of the convention.
Melania should have used the word "strategery" and no one would have caught it.
"On the positive side, no one will ever say "Your word is your bond" again." You mean, like no one ever uses "nubile" anymore?
Laslo Spatula said...
Okay, I know Melania is Hot.
But in the freezeframe on this post does she not look a little like Caitlyn Jenner?
Deny, deny, deny.
I am Laslo.
7/19/16, 8:33 AM"
Laslo you have it backwards, Caitlyn Jenner is desperately trying to look like Melania. Considering Jenner is a 65 year old tranny not too shabby a job if you don't look to close.
Of course, she really should have given her speech in Slovenian, and perhaps the other languages she knows, just to maximize the anti-xenophobic, I'm-an-immigrant shtick.
Way too generic for me to get upset about. And as others have pointed out, it's not nearly as bad as Obama's "only words" speech. This should get an "operatives with bylines" tag.
If someone plagiarizes his "personal" life story, the infraction is less the plagiarism than that he is spewing bullshit.
How about that "Stairway to Heaven" thing?
So she(or the ghost writer)is in good company:
Crazy Uncle Joseph Biden failed a course when he was in law course because he plagiarized a paper. He's made a career out of politics.
Stephen Ambrose, a historical writer, used writings from other peoples' books in some of his own works. He's famous and wealthy.
Writer Alex Haley wrote a novel, and eventually he admitted that he had plagiarized information from a book entitled The African written by Harold Courlander. His family biography turned into fiction.
The difference is she doesn't stand to get a degree or make money from this. And Michelle should be pleased that someone thought her words were that powerful.
Maybe the intent if the word theft was to have media distracted from delegate revolt which was expected the whole time. This trump really is a media genius. We are talking about Melania and speechwriter getting fired instead of Colorado delegation walking out and va attny general protest. LOL
When I'm doing my morning internet routine, hitting my regular sites, I go from edge.org straight to thesartorialist.com.
The contrast is striking, to say the least.
A bond is a pledge held until fulfillment of a promise. It is usually a money deposit with a neutral holder. We often say earnest money is pledged in escrow.
The idea that a man is so special that the giving of his word can be treated the same as a pledged deposit of his money, is an assertion that for this man the breaking his word would be a greater loss in reputation to him than the mere loss of some money.
Strangers in commerce need to post bonds. Well known men do not.
Her hair is fake?
It's interesting that street culture has picked up the word-is-bond expression. I remember it from my childhood and urged my children to make their word their bond.
Matthew Sablan said...
Crap like "your word is your bond"?
That phrase is so strange, unusual and obscure that it has its own Cambridge dictionary entry:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/your-word-is-your-bond
This calls for an investigation of every word, phrase, and sentence uttered by every public figure to discover patterns of repetition. The Washington Post failed to corner Clinton, and force her confession, but they can redeem themselves by investigating the State secrets she hides... I mean, the hidden pattern of words, phrases, and sentences mimicking celebrities past.
That said, thanks to the Urban Dictionary and unassimilated aliens, there is less concern for future acts of plagiarism.
Make abortion, not life... Throw another baby on the barbie. It's for the children!
"Your word is your bond" was in common use before lawyers moved to the first position on the speed dial. It is still used by people who recognize and respect individual dignity, but has been progressively lost in the age of [class] diversity mongering, for-profit activism, and suffered a catastrophic failure with the State-establishment of the Pro-Choice Church. Now, it's just clumps of cells with agendas selectively pulled from the twilight zone.
"...that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them."
How'd that all work out anyway? It certainly doesn't reflect the Obama we know in 2016. Do Democrats really want to remind us of Obama's seductive rhetoric in 2008 and what has become of those grand aspirations?
Meaningless minutiae ~ nothing to see here ~ let's move along, shall we ...
>
"Charo and Jose Jimenez"
Sofía Vergara?
Whatever happened to Monti Rock III? ~ I digress.
For Christ's sake two sentence in a speech that are similar to one another. The words Michelle and Melania used are the same ones used in every hack political speech every campaign. You all are falling into the MSM gotcha trap of wasting your time and energy on this.
Who gives a flying fuck? It's a generic phrase that Moochelle didn't say first.
"My parents impressed on me the values: that you work hard for what you want in life. That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise.
"Your word is your bond" actually seems like a pretty commonplace and cliche thing to say. If you were raised in an English-speaking country. It's idiomatic, and not the kind of thing I would expect a girl growing up in . . . Slovenia? To have heard from her parents. On the other hand, I suppose it's sufficiently old-fashioned that it might be used in phrasebooks for English language learners. English As She Is Spoke and all that.
All that though is kind of beside the point -- just reacting to Althouse's incredulity that someone would use a phrase like "your word is your bond." The word for word comparison is absolutely damning, and I can't understand how people can deny it. That is a lazy, lazy job.
Is it worse than Biden or Obama? Frankly, yes! It's so lazy. Obama and Patrick are just reading from scripts the same man gave them so I don't think that even counts. Biden ripped off Neil Kinnock's speech, sure, but if you do a word for word, you can tell that he at least made an effort to change around some of the words and details -- the minimal effort expected of a college student trying to defeat a plagiarism checking program.
Melania Trump (or rather, her speechwriter) didn't even do that. Oh, but maybe she just used the same speechwriter Michelle Obama did? Hmm
Slovenians are good people, and I'd be happy to have her as First Lady. Elderly female Americans who want to (cliche alert!) pick nits with younger, more beautiful women should swallow their jealousy lest they become a cliche in their own right.
Here's a Scott Adams-ish theory. The plagiarism was intentional, but not to harm Trump. The opposite. If no one noticed the copied passage, nothing happens. If someone did notice it (and of course someone did), it would lead to a full news cycle of Melania's image on your screen. It would also lead to lots of side-by-side pictures and youtube clips of Melania and Michelle. Melania and Michelle, Melania and Michelle, Melania and Michelle. An actual first lady and someone whom Trump wants you to see that way. The more they are associated with each other, the better for Trump, the same way it helps Trump to make you already think of him as president (recall Adams's criticism of the Hillary ad that talked about a Trump presidency). We are going to have 24 hours of Meliania and Michelle talked about in the same breath.
As for the downside, there is none. Does anyone really care about plagiarism? At worst, people assume some staffer screwed up and it doesn't stick to Trump.
Well I woke up this morning to see this plagiarism blew up overnight. Honestly, I'd rather be talking about Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift. At least that situation has some merit.
I'm NeverTrump and yet I cannot see what the big deal is. I'm pretty sure if you looked up Marco Rubio's speech from 2012 it would say "word is your bond" too. This is silly season stuff.
All I heard on CNN this morning was how Joe Biden plagiarized in school and in a political speech.
Ann Althouse said...
The look is: Lots of fake hair and way too much makeup combined with stiff posing and an uncomfortable, form-fitting sheath.
Hmmm....
It seems as if someone is going a tad beyond a substantive criticism of a speech. I can't imagine why-
Crap like "your word is your bond"? Who talks like that?
Fairly common phrase among those in the building trades. I guess it might be "crap" in academia.
Trump wants folks comparing Melania to Jackie and Kate, not Michelle and old Joe. So, no, this is bad.
Here's a theory. Melania did it on purpose. To show Donald just what she thinks of his little run-for-president game.
Here's another theory. Donald did it on purpose counting on the media to overreact and create sympathy for his wife and to divert attention from far more important things.
The President's spouse need only say, "I will show up properly attired for the important events that the staff puts on my calendar."
Eric the Fruit Bat said...
Maybe someone can explain to me why I should care.
7/19/16, 8:18 AM
This.
The chattering class has to chat about something. Most people really don't care.
Just juxtaposing the two pics of Michele vs Melania will gain a lot of votes for Repubs. Perhaps, that was the plan?
Several thoughts, by raising the plagiarism issue the Republicans have taken Biden off the table. The Democrats are now stuck with Hillary with no Biden to the rescue after she tanks.
I'm not worried, Melania will never be half the man that Michelle is.
"Just juxtaposing the two pics of Michele vs Melania will gain a lot of votes for Repubs. Perhaps, that was the plan?"
True, hopefully Melania meant it, God knows the Obamas didn't.
Honestly, who the fuck cares about the speeches of the FIRST LADY? Really. I couldn't think of three words Barbara Bush said in her time as First Lady. Ditto Laura Bush. Ditto Nancy Reagan. I could plagiarize their speeches by sheer ignorance what the fuck they ever said in the first place.
Melania looks like Caitlyn Jenner? You people are smoking something.
And I don't think Melania's hair is fake.
I couldn't think of three words Barbara Bush said in her time as First Lady. Ditto Laura Bush. Ditto Nancy Reagan.
You couldn't remember "Just say no"?....You must have been one of the kids Nancy was talking to.
I'm trying to remember the last time someone truly benefited from supposed news overreaction against them.
I don't know about "Your word is your bond," but wasn't there a line, "My word is my bond" in the movie "Jerry Maguire"?
I think Melania has extensions. Quite common.
She also has prodigious implants. Rare for first lady.
The plagiarism was a horrible unforced error which I will not defend. But I will say that CNN and the rest of the MSM's reaction to it shows how deeply they feared this speech. It was electric. Melania is completely exotic and her delivery so immaculate that if the truth were told, I imagine some media folk muttering, "It's over. We just lost this election." And then the gift from heaven (or was it hell?) appears and the demon horde go wild.
The plagiarism story will fade but that reaction reminded me of when Romney kicked Obama's butt in the first debate. They are afraid. So that's a little ray of light in a dark morning for me.
"She also has prodigious implants. Rare for first lady."
But welcome! it's high time I got something for my tax dollars.
My father told me my word was my bond. It's a common piece of language. I think I've told my son something similar.
Who really cares about this crap? Our VP is a proven plagiarist.
How many things are there for a candidate's wife to say?
It would be refreshing if the liberal mediaswine, particularly at WaPo, would stop trivializing the most important election in my lifetime - with the possible exception of 1980.
"My father told me my word was my bond. It's a common piece of language. I think I've told my son something similar"
Me too. I wonder if daughters are ever told this?
No, really. The "Stairway to Heaven" plagiarism suit died in court because the guy might or might not have heard that previous recording somewhere, some time, and in any case they found an 18th century Italian manuscript with about the same opening notes though for a very different kind of music, and there is only so much you can do with 12 notes and a blank music sheet.
There are currently 6 articles related the the "plagiarism" scandal on Mediaite
My favorite headline is "Could Michelle Obama sue Melania Trump over plagiarized speech?"
(notice how the entire speech became plagiarized by 8:00 a.m.)
"My father told me my word was my bond."
Mine too. I'm perplexed it's seen as some exotic utterance. Maybe that's part of our problem nowadays.
""My father told me my word was my bond." Mine too. I'm perplexed it's seen as some exotic utterance. Maybe that's part of our problem nowadays." Now look, y'all. You've been told it's crap. You've been told no one will use it anymore. So take your orders from your betters at UW in Madison, WI. Don't be a perplexed hillbilly yahoo. Try to sound ejukated from now on.
We know Hillary's father certainly never told her. Or maybe she was silently thinking "sucker" while he did.
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
For the first time in my life, I feel like aborting the baby, cannibalizing her parts, and throwing out the bathwater.
Hillary accused Obama of plagiarizing a speech of Deval Patrick in 2008.
Same old Hillary.
Sheesh folks, hair extensions? She's only 46, I'm in my 50's and have similar hair. With the exception of chemo, it's not like she can't grow long hair! And most active women prefer long hair so they can put it in a ponytail. Otherwise it has to be very, very short to keep it under control. And her "sheath" dress is the latest look, and not at all uncomfortable--very stretchy, and at or just below the knee so no worries about showing anything, and is perfect for women with nice shapes over 40 . While I personally didn't care for the ruffles on the sleeves, (which is what I think triggered all the Zsa Zsa thoughts) the rest of it was stunning.
Michelle claimed Obama's word was his bond.
One of his first acts as President was to screw the bond holders at GM.
Draw your own conclusions.
Whether or not you think this is actionable plagiarism, it focuses attention on the lie wherein Melania and/or Donald claimed that she wrote her own speech.
Came across as: warm, in love with her husband, intelligent and KIND. Don't think the lifted prose is going to matter at all.
The smoking hot thing only adds. I was really cringing in anticipation of her speech, expecting to be put off by her beauty (women do this!), but ended up completely captivated by the person.
What was the controversy again? ;)
So much pure cattiness!
Yes Melania and Caitlyn Jenner do resemble one another, thanks for pointing that out.
And neither would be insulted by the comparison.
Blogger Laslo Spatula said...
I am pivoting to be more Presidential.
--
Whatever that means now..
Did Lamar watch the show?
"The plagiarism was a horrible unforced error which I will not defend. But I will say that CNN and the rest of the MSM's reaction to it shows how deeply they feared this speech. It was electric. Melania is completely exotic and her delivery so immaculate that if the truth were told, I imagine some media folk muttering, "It's over. We just lost this election." And then the gift from heaven (or was it hell?) appears and the demon horde go wild."
Lotta unforced errors this year. I could see some harried speechwriter tossing this together quickly and not changing enough of it to avoid the plagiarism charge (I don't think Trump has very good staff so this is likely some novice speechwriter), or maybe Melania is telling the truth and did write it herself and simply borrowed too much from the earlier speech. Not a huge deal, but when it broke the damage control is a good indication of how the Trump political shop would work. The smart move would be "yeah, in putting the speech together we took some of Obama's speech and that was a mistake" and then the story is gone by morning, buried by real convention news. But instead the denials and counteraccusations are once again breathing life into an issue that at the very least doesn't help Team Trump. And right now, with the message on the convention, every issue should be helping the team in some way.
If Melania needed to repeat what Michelle said, that just tells me that this administration has done nothing to make the next generation feel that they can achieve their dreams through hard work. It has also failed to demonstrate, or inspire, respect for others.
This was a terrible job at plagiarism.
The whole point of Obamas speech was, America sucks. This is the first time in her life she is proud of our shitty nation.
The whole point of Trump's speech was, America is awesome. Greatest nation in the world.
She needs to do a better job of plagiarism next time. Otherwise, we are going to get very confused.
Here is the part that I will guarantee was not plagiarized from Michelle Obama:
"After living and working in Milan and Paris, I arrived in New York City twenty years ago, and I saw both the joys and the hardships of daily life. On July 28th, 2006, I was very proud to become a citizen of the United States — the greatest privilege on planet Earth. I cannot, or will not, take the freedoms this country offers for granted."
Actionable plagiarism, Chuck? Come on, man.
It's clearly a boneheaded mistake--to me the line of attack should be "look how big of an amateur this guy is--he was supposed to pivot to competence and professionalism by now, but obviously the best they can do is to rip off something in a stupid, stupid way. If he can't run his campaign he can't run the country."
I do like the side-by-side of the two women. The Media has been telling us for the last 8 years that Michelle O. is the epitome of feminine beauty and style--not just that she is a pretty and stylish woman but that she's the MOST beautiful, that she's super sexy, etc.
About Melania, though...? "She's pretty in a generic way, a little too model-y."
It is to laugh.
. But instead the denials and counteraccusations are once again breathing life into an issue that at the very least doesn't help Team Trump.
The ole, it's not the controversy, it's the response to the controversy!
So reliable.
I do like the side-by-side of the two women.
I don't. Obama looks like a dude pretending to be a woman.
Melania is hot.
LuAnn Zieman said...
So she(or the ghost writer)is in good company.....
--------------------------
And let's not forget Doris Kearns Goodwin who appears no worse for wear these days.
When I heard the criticism, I laughed. My first thought was that it was classic Trump trolling: you can’t even decide which side is being trolled, and which is getting the dog whistle. Both, probably, and people are spending the whole day talking about it.
You can argue that he just trolled the GOP, because they applauded, agreed and had their heart strings tugged by Michelle Obama.
You can point out that now people are reading Michelle’s words, and many are concluding that she was full of shit but Melania is not. Did Michelle even crib it in the first place?
You can see that people are spending the day attacking poor Melania, and defending Michelle’s words, all in one stroke.
People are digging up who plagiarized who these past 8 years, and talk about THAT: Obama, Biden, even Michelle.
Everyone is grabbing a piece of it and holding it aloft. It’s everywhere.
Trump Troll level: Master. I’d wager they cooked it up AND leaked it first.
So your word is your bond is the tell that it was plagiarized. Lazy and may be sabotage. But she is the real deal when it comes to fashion not Michelle, eat that liberals.
Assimilated, integrated, and proud will resonate with Americans.
So, Melania's speech writer plagiarized from Michelle's speech writer?
What's the problem? Was the speech copyrighted? Was some code of conduct violated?
The "word is bond" phrase was also used by the Beltway Sniper, John Allen Muhammad way back in October 2002. Those words still give me chills, and not in a good way.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sniper-note-call-me-god/
"The ole, it's not the controversy, it's the response to the controversy!"
That's most of what politics is. Looking at how this dumb plagiarism story (and to be sure, it is Melania's speechwriter cribbing off of Michelle's speechwriter, which shows how silly this is) is occupying the news today I feel bad for Melania--here's this woman who probably doesn't want to be too involved in the campaign but is doing so for her husband, and she's getting a rollout and now her speech gets covered this way so no one is talking about the content. I can't imagine she personally was the one who did the cribbing, just some none-too-careful staffer.
But from the larger point of view, this is the week of messaging, unifying and focusing the party for the general election, and coming out with some momentum (even if they don't get a poll bump from it). The Clintonites are ready to bite out at anything they can, so you have to be smooth and present a hard target. And avoid mistakes like this.
Hey, we all know the real defense here:
'I'm just a little girl!'
Brando, I'm confused by you. Do you want Hillary Clinton elected? As Shiloh would say, 'curious.'
"In hindsight, it did seem odd when Melania talked about the challenges of being a black woman at Princeton."
heh
@Brando: The Clintonites are ready to bite out at anything they can, so you have to be smooth and present a hard target. And avoid mistakes like this.
Au contraire! These 'gaffes' and their resultant leftist/MSM eruptions serve to spotlight just how desperate the Hillites are becoming.
Blogger mockturtle said...
. . .
These 'gaffes' and their resultant leftist/MSM eruptions serve to spotlight just how desperate the Hillites are becoming.
I suggest using the term 'hillbillies' to describe Hillary backers. It will link her name with her husband's name, and will amuse her Hispanic and Black supporters.
"Brando, I'm confused by you. Do you want Hillary Clinton elected? As Shiloh would say, 'curious.'"
The idea of Hillary taking the oath of office after everything she's done makes me nauseous. I'm no fan of Trump, but can call out gaffes and blunders as he makes them--if you're pro-Trump anyway, it does no good to gloss over those mistakes.
"I suggest using the term 'hillbillies' to describe Hillary backers. It will link her name with her husband's name, and will amuse her Hispanic and Black supporters."
As a bit of a hill person myself, I wouldn't want the taint of Clintonism to ruin our good name.
Hillbillies of course distinct from "hicks" and particularly "trash" and "slumtastics".
*waving my hillbilly freak flag*
Also agree not to drag our rich distinction into this!
"Trump Troll level: Master. I’d wager they cooked it up AND leaked it first."
Yeah, 4D chess and all.
His lies, his cr@ppy organizational abilities, screwed up VP rollout, screwed up logo, all just in the last week. He's a grand-master and this is all just a grand strategy.
He'll pivot, any second now, to competence . . .
Keep believing, believers!
Melanie claims that she wrote her own speech, with little help. But then the Trump communications director (what a job!) Jason Miller talks about the team of writers that worked on the speech.
http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-87899654/
A perfectly Trumpian sort of controversy.
Sheesh folks, hair extensions? She's only 46, I'm in my 50's and have similar hair. With the exception of chemo, it's not like she can't grow long hair! And most active women prefer long hair so they can put it in a ponytail. Otherwise it has to be very, very short to keep it under control. And her "sheath" dress is the latest look, and not at all uncomfortable--very stretchy, and at or just below the knee so no worries about showing anything, and is perfect for women with nice shapes over 40 . While I personally didn't care for the ruffles on the sleeves, (which is what I think triggered all the Zsa Zsa thoughts) the rest of it was stunning.
...never forget, women are judged by their appearance by men. So I've been told. It's not women holding women to standards of beauty like that. It be the patriarchy.
I do like the side-by-side of the two women. The Media has been telling us for the last 8 years that Michelle O. is the epitome of feminine beauty and style--not just that she is a pretty and stylish woman but that she's the MOST beautiful, that she's super sexy, etc.
About Melania, though...? "She's pretty in a generic way, a little too model-y."
It is to laugh.
Michelle is gorgeous...for a wookie. After she leaves the WH, she could be cast in Star Wars films for years.
The Trump response is that Melania's writing team "in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking."
They did it on purpose, knowing those side-by-side pictures would be everywhere.
In contrast I watched Hillary give her speech to the NAACP.
Now THAT was horrible, disqualifyingly so, and so is she.
Maybe if the had given the speech in one of the other four languages (besides English) she speaks fluently.
It's not women holding women to standards of beauty like that.
Ummm...true and not true. Women are more likely to offer "fake hair" and "sheath dress", etc.-type cattiness. Men are sort of up or down votes, i.e., "hot" or "NOT".
Pass or fail. Women will try to persuade just WHY she fails. In detail.
They did it on purpose, knowing those side-by-side pictures would be everywhere.
On one side, a gorgeous woman. On the other side, Peter Mayhew's understudy.
Crap like "your word is your bond"? Who talks like that?
Elizabeth Dole in 1996: "Because they know he is honest and trustworthy, a man of his word, and his word is his bond, and they know he has exceptional leadership skills. Isn't that exactly what we want in the President of the United States?"
Ummm...true and not true. Women are more likely to offer "fake hair" and "sheath dress", etc.-type cattiness. Men are sort of up or down votes, i.e., "hot" or "NOT".
Basically. But the whole "Women pols have to discuss their attire all of the time", I can assure you, is not driven by men. I think all pols are homely as the day is long. If they all wore paper bags, C-SPAN would be more watchable.
Men will limit to "hot" or "not" --- and, honestly, not give much more of a care than that.
If Melania has extensions, they are very well done. Her hair looks amazing and healthy.
Yes, I have an unexpected crush on this woman!
Eric the Fruit Bat said...
Maybe someone can explain to me why I should care.
It implies that one or more persons read or listened to Moochelle's speeches, which I find hard to believe.
Althouse said ..."Or screw the bond. No one cares about your bond anymore."
This just registered. That's awful.
Melania is lovely, so is Caitlyn Jenner, no need to get insulted.
Ad nauseam minutiae aside, Dems fearing Melania like they feared Palin con nonsense is a dog that won't hunt. In fact the dog died some time ago ie the ship done sailed and sunk!
Oddly enough, this discombobulated/boring convention will probably have Althouse cons longing for the good ole days of mama grizzly.
You bet'cha!
I've wondered who said the words first, or how old they are, and I really think they go further back than this: http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/if-melania-trump-plagiarized-michelle-obama-2008-speech-then-michelle-obama-plagiarized-hers
After I wrote these words I heard Rush say some of it was from Saul Alinsky in Michelle's speech. I refuse to research it any further as I am sure someone with more access can find more instances.
To my way of thinking, it is inconceivable that Trump knowingly copied Obama because the over-the-top media reaction would have been so predictable.
I am left with the thought that the phrases in question are just so obvious, commonplace, and banal (which the indubitably are) that anyone will use them without even thinking about it very much.
No one blames Melania for this. Poor woman has been humiliated by the incompetents on her husband's staff. For shame.
"And I don't think Melania's hair is fake."
Well, maybe she's getting her hair done in a way that imitates extensions, but why? It's that telltale hank-y hanging. No springy bounce to it. Just dullness. I've been seeing these spaniel ears on actresses for so many years, but I still haven't forgotten what natural hair looks like.
"Sheesh folks, hair extensions? She's only 46, I'm in my 50's and have similar hair. With the exception of chemo, it's not like she can't grow long hair! And most active women prefer long hair so they can put it in a ponytail."
You might be able to grow it, but there's something about the thickness, dullness, and lifeless shape that says: extensions. I'm not seeing a picture of your "similar hair," but it's more than an issue of length.
"...never forget, women are judged by their appearance by men. So I've been told. It's not women holding women to standards of beauty like that. It be the patriarchy."
I'm judging fakeness and styling, not the natural gifts a person has. These things are a matter of judgment and taste and, depending on the person, subject to criticism. Melania deserves critique because she holds herself out as a model and because she obviously puts a lot of WORK into the look. I wouldn't judge Mike Pence's wife in the same way.
And as for "Your word is your bond" -- of course, it's a real phrase that has been used over the years. You may well remember your grandpa saying it. But it doesn't spring from the mouth of a contemporary person, which is why when 2 people use it, one gets suspicious.
Mission accomplished. Not a word about the content or quality of the speech, but a discussion on the nevertrumpers and their partner democrat media attack angles. Well done democrats ( oh and nevertrumpers ).
So everybody forgets Bernie accusing Hillary of copying his speeches just a couple months ago, saying he would review her plagiarism for "copyright violations"? And who the hell was she channeling when she squawked "I ain't no ways tarred"?
I think that when it comes to First Ladies, Melania will be the most accomplished, most cosmopolitan, and loveliest since Jackie Kennedy.
Here's a link of Michelles own plagiarism...
http://www.allenbwest.com/michellejesse/look-who-michelle-obama-was-caught-plagiarizing-dnc-speech-from
"She deserves critique " cause what?
She's holding herself out - what?
Is your hair yellow?
"Trump Troll level: Master. I’d wager they cooked it up AND leaked it first"
Contrasting what I'm reading in the media versus what people are actually saying, I'm inclined to believe they did exactly that.
Since it's possible that in Melania's version the words might prove to be true and we all know that in Michelle's version they were false, it doesn't count as plagiarism.
Also, the rubes still supporting Hillary are most appropriately referred to as HillBillies, not hillbillies.
"Ad nauseam minutiae aside, Dems fearing Melania like they feared Palin con nonsense is a dog that won't hunt"
Exactly. It's minutiae. Which you only make a big deal about if you're in a panic. Which the Dems apparently are.
Darcy:Yes, I have an unexpected crush on this woman!
Me, too, Darcy! And I'm a straight woman. I find her warm and appealing.
"These things are a matter of judgment and taste and, depending on the person, subject to criticism."
I can agree with this.
Melania's speech was great, thanks to Michelle's speech writer.
I know many women with natural hair exactly like Melania's. She could have hair extensions, because she's rich, but some ladies have hair that never moves. They spend a great deal more time on their appearance than I do.
"I'm judging fakeness and styling, not the natural gifts a person has. These things are a matter of judgment and taste and, depending on the person, subject to criticism. Melania deserves critique because she holds herself out as a model and because she obviously puts a lot of WORK into the look. I wouldn't judge Mike Pence's wife in the same way." Ah, she "deserves" critique, does she. It's a compliment, really -- we get it. But methinks the critique is a little, how shall I put it, predictable? incomplete? biased? a bit stiff and ill-fitting? lacking that little je-ne-sais-quoi? Still, it is good to be reminded that women dislike fakeness in other women, and over-the-top styling, and are more than happy to help other women improve their image, but are otherwise deeply appreciative of their peers' natural gifts. It's a cool feature of the sisterhood.
Anyway, besides voting against Hill, and for a general FU, I will be voting to put the first immigrant First Lady in the White House.
The speech was obviously plagiarized, scroll down on the link to compare the text. What is surprising is the amateurism of the plagiarism, it looks like grade school plagiarism or Chinese graduate student plagiarism, not the sophisticated shit some BA or MA should be able to churn out.
women dislike fakeness in other women
Then they should REALLY hate Hillary!
Althouse: "Melania deserves critique because she holds herself out as a model and because she obviously puts a lot of WORK into the look."
And,
"And as for "Your word is your bond" -- of course, it's a real phrase that has been used over the years.... But it doesn't spring from the mouth of a contemporary person,..."
The pettiness of the first comment following the recent hexagram post makes me wonder if we are soon in for an "I am voting for Hillary because ...." from our hostess.
As for the second comment: The phrase, "My word is my bond," is not uncommon among "contemporary people" whose word is their bond. It seems strange to hear it applied to Obama and in the presence of Democrats.
ARM: The speech was obviously plagiarized, scroll down on the link to compare the text. What is surprising is the amateurism of the plagiarism, it looks like grade school plagiarism or Chinese graduate student plagiarism, not the sophisticated shit some BA or MA should be able to churn out.
And we well know that you are an expert on sophisticated shit! ;-)
I'm just glad she didn't deliver a plagiarized version of Michelle's Princeton thesis. The turgid neo-Marxist-meets-Black-Studies prose would have put everybody to sleep.
Unknown: "Melania's speech was great, thanks to Michelle's speech writer."
If only Melania had included the part about "for the first time I am really proud of my country."
This embarrassment to Trump's wife makes his speechwriting-by-committee staff look straight up incompetent. Don't start with someone else's words thinking you'll rewrite it, or you'll inevitably slip up and forget whose words they are. If *one* person wrote this speech, they should be fired. Otherwise, unfortunate, but improve your process.
On the other hand, this is just a minor humiliation for Melania and she cuts a sympathetic character. The theory that Trump did this to his wife *on purpose* is batshit crazy, but there *are* opportunities to be had. See the 'misogyny' of Hillary supporters against Melania. See the media desperation. See the comparisons to Michelle "I have never been proud of my country" Obama. There are opportunities in this mistake.
What I think is stupid+counterproductive: denying the 'inspiration'/resemblance.
What I think doesn't really help (but is fun): pointing out all the similar or worse plagiarism scandals on their side.
What does help: calling out spiteful bile against Melania. Supporting Melania. Poor Melania. etc.
Blogger hombre said ..."If only Melania had included the part about "for the first time I am really proud of my country."
Is that it? (and this may have been mentioned upthread; don't know). Is that the troll?
mockturtle said...
And we well know that you are an expert on sophisticated shit!
I am going to take that in the spirit in which it was intended.
Yet another case where the commentariat have swooned to their couches with a case of the vapours, and we normal folk are thinking "WTF are they going on about NOW???"
While this is a tempest in a teapot, and I don't think anyone should ever want to quote Michele Obama intentionally, I cannot excuse this either.
It is a simple basic bit of competence and Team Trump blew it.
Sure, these were all done by speechwriters, but why? How much more powerful would it have been if an immigrant tore up the speech and spoke from the heart about what America means to her personally. Or what her spouse stand for. Speeches full of pablum by hired speechwriters are always inauthentic. Twelve months in could she not have sat down and written her own speech? This was an opportunity lost.
"Sure, these were all done by speechwriters, but why? How much more powerful would it have been if an immigrant tore up the speech and spoke from the heart about what America means to her personally. Or what her spouse stand for. Speeches full of pablum by hired speechwriters are always inauthentic. Twelve months in could she not have sat down and written her own speech? This was an opportunity lost."
That's true--the shame of it was not what she said but what she could have said.
That was probably the first time in her life that Melania Trump has addressed an audience of that size -- and people were hanging on her every word and were thrilled by her awesome smile. Not bad for a beginner. Two or three months ago people were saying she was incapable of speaking in public, and compared poorly to Trump's very poised and articulate daughter, Ivanka. Melania proved them wrong. Looking forward to her next speaking appearance.
BTW, have you seen Michelle au naturel when she is on vacation without her hair stylists and without makeup and her designer clothes? She fits right in at Target, where she does love to shop. Do you remember how awkward she was at the beginning? She's come a long way.
Both Michelle's and Melania's quotes are from Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - listed in the same order, using the same or very similar words "work hard for what you want in life; 2 treat your word as your bond . . . do what you say you're going to do; 3 respect everyone and treat them with dignity . . ."
John
And as for "Your word is your bond" -- of course, it's a real phrase that has been used over the years. You may well remember your grandpa saying it. But it doesn't spring from the mouth of a contemporary person, which is why when 2 people use it, one gets suspicious.
Holy crap, Professor, you've been hanging out with fucking lawyers too long.
Is it not possible that the imitation/plagiarism of Michelle was intentional, even calculated? Now you have the chattering class carrying on about Melania over something the average person doesn't care two pins about, when they could be making a more substantive attack on Trump. Melania looked pretty good; they won't get any mileage out of going after her.
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