Patrick defends Obama on national TV
Governor Deval Patrick went on a network news show this morning to defend Barack Obama against charges that the Democratic presidential hopeful plagiarized Patrick.
Patrick said on ABC's "Good Morning America" that the allegations were an unfair attempt to "belittle" Obama's "ability to motivate people."
The governor and Illinois senator have long shared similar principles and policies, Patrick has stumped for Obama, and Obama has borrowed rhetoric from his friend. The issue arose again over the weekend at a Democratic Party event in Wisconsin when Obama -- taking the stage after Hillary Clinton said she offered solutions, not just speeches -- used similar language about the power of words as Patrick did in a 2006 speech. They both quoted Martin Luther King Jr., the Declaration of Independence, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to argue that words do matter -- and can influence history.
Clinton told reporters Monday that, "If your whole candidacy is about words, they should be your words." Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts, a Clinton backer, told reporters that the country deserved a president who was "not just someone who can copy someone's homework."
Obama has downplayed the issue, though acknowledging he should have credited Patrick.
Patrick sought today to lower the volume on the issue as well, calling the plagiarism allegation "an elaborate charge and an extravagant one."
According the the JFK library, John F. Kennedy collected quotes, and his famous quote "Ask not..." was derived from a quote by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, who in a 1884 speech said: "It is now the moment when by common consent we pause to become conscious of our national life and rejoice in it, to recall what our country has done for each of us, and to ask ourselves what we can do for our country in return."
SOURCE:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Derivation+of+Ask+not+what+your+country.htm
Do you mean to tell this nation that one of our presidential candidates have fallen so for out of favor that she need to nick pick words, why when she rallied behind the word yes we can it went unnoticed. Maybe words are not just words.
Does Clinton credit her speech writers at the end of every speech? Does Bush? We all know that none of these people write everything they say. The only thing I disagree with is that I do not think he should even have credited his friend. This is much to do about nothing, imho.
Right, like no one has ever used a SPEECH WRITER.
Comon Hillary stick to the issues, not what issue your reading
Jonathan
There's not a candidate out there that writes their own material. They're all plagiarizing someone they pay. So knock off the crap.
Pooor Obama - don't belittle him... That's not nice...
Because he plays nice in the sand box he can play reverse dirty politics by using words like belittle, negative, petty or anything else to diminish Clinton.
America - open your eyes. See what's happening.
Of course Patrick would seek to lower the volume on the issue. It might seem elaborate charge to Patrick, but Obama should have said " I quote from my friend Deval Patrick etc. etc. It wasn't just two words, it was phrases ending up in a sentence. We have heard much of the same "can do" rhetoric with Patrick, and he is having a hard time overturning special interest on Beacon Hill where there is a majority Democratic Senate. I can't wait to see how Obama is going to bring the lobbyists, Republicans, and the world together.
What I find amusing is that the Clinton campaign has downplayed Mrs. Clinton's own plagiarism of her husband's words. Why? Because they're married, so that gives her an out. Apparently being good friends and working together on a campaign isn't a close enough bond for paraphrasing that friend's words in a speech.
Of course, the real reason Mrs. Clinton doesn't mention when she's quoting her husband is because she doesn't want it known he's putting words in her mouth.
That the press, Patrick and Obama take plagiarism as no big deal is unfortunate. Especially when universities today are battling cheating via plagiarism among college students. What kind of a role model are Obama and Patrick setting when they toss off plagiarism - and how sad it is that press is not holding Obama's feet to the fire for this.
Yet another example of how Hillary Clinton will say anything and do anything to get elected. When will we hear from Dogpatch Willie on this non-issue?
Let's not just cede that his "whole candidacy is about words." That's simply not true. Want policy? Here's plenty. Go to barackobama.com and click on "Issues" and read until you pass out. Not only that, look at the difference in the advisors they've gathered around them:
Foreign Affairs: http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4940
Economic advisors: http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/002118.php
THANK GOD FOR TRUE FRIENDS AND HONEST MEN...HOORAY FOR PATRICK AND OBAMA............
Clinton is becoming more and more desperate.
Is this her 'Where's the Beef' moment ?
Pretty pathetic.
his whole candidacy is about FAR more than words.
what is not being attended to in our state as our governer seeks to assuage the public view of his friend by using valuable public funded time to appear on talk shows. this is not part of his job description. remember the mass. voters who voted for him thought he was something significant, now he is seen as dumbing down the responisibility of a governors job.
Hillary has sunk too low and her history was already written. Voting for her is a waste of papers now (or electrons). Thanks for the memory Hill!!
If she is supposed to represent change from the politics of old. why is she taking a page out of Bush Jr's play book. People voted for Al- Gore. Some how, with the strange way electorate votes are tallied, Bush won. Now, the people are overwhelming choosing Obama. And this Superdelegate thing certainly doesnt sound democratic, especially for the democratic party.
It sort of means you can pay for your votes. You just have to "work" with the Superdelegates. Does that mean you can bribe them?
i think she should step aside and let the people, not the process, decide who wins. Basically, if Clinton wins, WHY VOTE.
Rep. McGovern hit the nail on the head.
Perhaps he would like to pose this question:
Senator Obama -- In your speech on Super Tuesday, perhaps by coincidence, you used key phrases from a 1984 speech by Jesse Jackson (“Our time has come. Our time has come” DNC), a poem by June Jordan (“we are the ones we have been waiting for” -- “Poem for South African Women”), and a song by Norman Hutchins (“a change is coming”) – but you did not credit any of them for the key lines in your speech. Isn’t this the kind of speechwriting that doomed Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in the 1980s, and why should your speeches be held to a different standard?
good to know just how petty clinton can become when she is losing face.
she could have had a field day with jfk in that most of what he said came from some else's thinking.
The whole issue is absurd, since almost every speech given by every politician is a prepared speech written by a speech writer. No doubt Hillary hasn't written a single speech she has given.
This whole flap is a page out of the Republican "Swift Boat" playbook. Take your opponent's strenght and undermine it! I expect the Clinton camp to trot out a group of retired speech writers who "were with Obama in Illinios" and know that he didn't write all of the speeches credited to him.
As a Republican, I am glad Obama has the mind to be able to quote from different sources! This is what we WANT in a leader and should not be upset when he uses his Brain! Critics of his use of remembered ideas from varrious places need to get a life and do some reading so they can quote someone too!
I would think that Sen. Clinton's people would see that this tactic reeks of desperation. She is better than this.
Hillary Clinton is desperate and will say and do just about anything to win.
Let Hillary and her team throw the first stone to Obama for using only their original words!
Perhaps Hillary only used words that no one ever heard of and that is why people don't trust her words because they are not really spoken words of human.
Didn't I just hear Hillary exclaim to her supporters, "Fired up and ready to go!"? Isn't that Obama's signature slogan?
When in trouble, divert attention to things that don't matter. This is exactly what the Clinton campaign is doing. Obviously Hillary is feeling the pressure or she wouldn't feel so inclined to create negative attention to Barack Obama.
Shame on the Clinton campaign and shame on Representative McGovern.
This is the height of Rovian smear.
The Clinton campaign has not been able to establish a consistent campaign message ( changing slogans so often that it's head-spinning ), and they have repeatedly appropriated the successful language of the Obama campaign.
This latest attack from the Clinton camp is nothing but a load of hogwash!!
Hillary, whose record re: e.g. Iraq war vote, demonstrates her lack of principle and of integrity, is in a poor position to cast stones.
She has effectively demonstrated that she is a mean, vindictive bitch totally lacking in the ability to deal objectively with real issues.
If you want to search something online, you can google it.
If you want to copy and paste something, you can obama it.
Thanks for obamaing the above onto internet.
The Clintons have become so petty!!!! They are using the same tactics they complained that were used against them during Bill's term in office.... Good words are worth repeating no matter who thought to do it first.
i think these remarks re: obama are insignificant and snide and further shows that the clinton campaign is grasping at straws. i really like hillary, but am disappointed in her conduct. she has used obama's words and also her husbands words from his presidential campaign. i just don't understand and wish they would stay on discussing the issues that really matter. i think these attacks by hillary are only going to make it worse for her.
Hillary and Billy have lost any respect they ever had with their personal attacks. I wish Senator Obama would challenge her about the Middle East payments Billy got to peddle his attempt at being someone important enough to get deals for them at our expense. What about her tax returns? I bet it was an illegal transfer ot $5M. I hope we will soon see the last of the Clinton circus.
i think these remarks re: obama are insignificant and snide and further shows that the clinton campaign is grasping at straws. i really like hillary, but am disappointed in her conduct. she has used obama's words and also her husbands words from his presidential campaign. i just don't understand and wish they would stay on discussing the issues that really matter. i think these attacks by hillary are only going to make it worse for her.
I started this campaign season supporting Hillary, and donated money. I have since changed my support to Obama. I am struggling with the thought of supporting Hillary in the General Election, if that is the outcome of the primaries. I have only ever voted Democratic in my life. If she's the candidate....I'm just not sure anymore. I don't discount her intellect, policy ideas or experience (though think Obama compares equally, and more favorably to me)...but compared to Obama, her "old politics" is shockingly apparent. I question the heart & soul of the candidate that can run such a campaign. I don't think I can ultimately support that candidate, or I'm struggling with the idea. Needless to say, I hope that I don't have to make such a choice in NOV '08.
This is really stupid . H.C. grow up and find other things of substance to cry about
The Clinton campaign is showing its desparation and its fear that Obama may well win this nomination. The videos show that the so-called plagiarism was nothing more than a sharing of slogans of other people's words over the years. We had an instance years ago in which a condidate had to drop out because he plagiarized an entire speech and sought to hide the fact. This case of a sharing of an idea between two friends is hardly unethical.
Hillary Clinton is a fine one to discuss "the lifting of speeches " when she is effectively attempting to" lift " her husband's presidency as a basis for her being tried and tested.
Her current ad attempting to imply that she too has been dissaffected and as a result has had to burn the midnight oil is ridiculous. She is a worth millions Unless by some catastrophic event in her life, health care and economic security for her and her family will never wain.
Amusing theatre at best.
Darush Mabadi
You know this all goes to show that Clinton will do anything and say anything to win the White House, so she can be QUEEN BEE... Obama has out run and out managed her on all levels and she can't stand it... I hope Obama wins all states today and Ohio and Texas next month...
What Clinton is doing is really hurting the Democratic party as a whole, and she don't even see this.... Sad, really sad, that one person is so greety for power they would destory their whole party. And it just futher shows she would not be a good president for our country...
GO OBAMA FOR 08!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The speeches in question were obviously referencing the same speeches by JFK, MLK and so forth, closing with a colloquialism. I am not sure that two people quoting from the same speech is plagiarism. If anything the issue should be not crediting the original authors, JFK, MLK etc… So now with speeches we will have to credit everyone that has ever used “I have dream…”, or “Ask not what your country can do for you…” including the original authors???absurd, that speech might go on for days, this is a non issue in my book
Hilary is rapidly destroying the Democratic party and its chances to win the general election, for no reason except a quest for dynastic power.
Hillary only looks more petty and stupid making accusations like this.
If one were to follow Hillary Clinton's complaints about Obama's speaking prowess, it would follow that she wants merely to silence him.
A silly attack on freedom of speech. He is eloquent. He says what needs to be said.
The children's cartoon character Bob the Builder says, "Yes, we can." If Howard Wolfson and all the petty people at the Hillary Campaign had their way, Obama would have to cite this reference too. But-- as the Other Clinton so demonstrably said, "GIVE ME A BREAK!"
Do we really want four more years of Clinton Hypocracy?
["four more years" was a phrase adapted by chanting conventioneers backing their candidate. Ibid. Op Cit. etc. ]
Hillary's "Fired Up and Ready to Go!"
OH WAIT-- she stole that.
the accusation = LAME TACTIC.
instead of attacking him for not siting a friend who, let's be honest, only used repetitions of a two word phrase paired with famous quotes, why not talk about the issues?
A wee bit desperate on Sen. Clinton's part. Wasn't it a stump speech? It's like saying you stole our cheer or our dance for halftime. Better yet, in Hip Hop someone would say you "bit my rhyme." But plagerism? I think not.
This is a very big deal. I think this "speaks" volumes about Obama and his character. He's a liar and a fake. Obama has been engaging in this type of behavior for quite some time. He has copied both Edwards' and Clinton's policies, not just modeled, but copied them. It was so glaring that Obama copied Clinton's economic plan, that Hassett of the McCain campaign said, he [Obama] basically took Clinton's words and Clinton's policies and called them his own." "Obama's plan today is the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism that I have ever seen," McCain economic advisor Kevin Hassett said. In the Aug. issue of Progressive magazine, Elizabeth Edwards goes so far as to call Obama an outright copycat, accusing him of "lifting her husband's best lines."
"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be fixed by what is right about America," Mrs Clinton, in a speech to a Hispanic group this week.
"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America,", Bill Clinton - 20 January 1993.
I agree with Hillary Clinton, if Obama's whole candidacy is based on words and rhetorics, then he will not be a competent president. We could not affort to wait another 4 years and see how well Obama can perform his job as an United State's President. Whereas, Hillary Clinton has already proven to the world that she can reach out to the other side of the aisle to make things changed.
Hillary copied his Obama's entire campaign of change. What do you call that?
geez, Hillary must really be running out of ammunition if this is all she can muster against Obama. Politicians have been "borrowing" turns of phrase forever. Who remembers Reagan's "Go ahead, make my day." Did he credit the screenwriter who penned those words for Clint Eastwood?
Do you get the feeling that the Clintons think they have an entitlement to the oval office?
Kudos to Governor Patrick for defending Barak Obama against the inflated plagiarism charges coming from the Clinton campaign. Both Patrick and Obama used famous quotes from other political notables to demonstrate that compelling speech is not "just words," but inspiration to action. While it probably would have been preferable for Senator Obama to credit Patrick, the similarities between their two speeches hardly rise to the level of plagiarism.
Senator Clinton is a powerful speaker who knows the value of a good quotation. I'm disappointed to see her campaign stoop to this level of mudslinging. Stick to the issues please, Senator.
Kudos to Governor Patrick for defending Barak Obama against the inflated plagiarism charges coming from the Clinton campaign. Both Patrick and Obama used famous quotes from other political notables to demonstrate that compelling speech is not "just words," but inspiration to action. While it probably would have been preferable for Senator Obama to credit Patrick, the similarities between their two speeches hardly rise to the level of plagiarism.
Senator Clinton is a powerful speaker who knows the value of a good quotation. I'm disappointed to see her campaign stoop to this level of mudslinging. Stick to the issues please, Senator.
Since Hilary's campaign is stumbling, she has no choice but to substitute noise for substance. Her style is to attack rather than stay on message. I will not vote for her. That's what we've had with 8 years of George Bush - attack. Attack Iraq, attack anyone who didn't agree with him. I am done with it.
sounds like Obama would not be afraid to use and implement good ideas no matter the source. I think Sen.Clinton excluded health care experts from the industry when she failed to field a successful plan some years ago.
As a voting American I am sickened by Clintons low road strategy. She is threatened by Obama, as well she should be, but it shows me her true character when she takes this tack with the American public. This very thing is what I want to leave behind and she has simply reminded me of this with this latest incident.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Frazier
Obama was not subject to the same amount of scrutiny by the media as Senator Clinton was. Now that he is feeling the heat, let’s see where change will lead us all.
It's time Obama begins to understand deeper the nature of the game. Nothing is insignificant. The world of the campaign trail doesn't look at your heart, it looks at your head. He cannot afford any slip ups. Crediting someone else's phrase to the originator is absolutely necessary. His campaign managers should know this. Accusations of lack of details for his programs are also important for the general elections. We must not just have a vision, but a detailed vision, a road map to how the real issues will be implemented. Obama must not derail now.
Adedayo Adesugba
Lagos, Nigeria
The Kneecappers did it again. Same old Cliton Politics.
Who says Senator Obama's whole campaign is about words? Those are Clinton's accusations, not his stance. Senator Obama has 25 years of action and experience to back up his words. What he is about is not words, but ideas. Too bad for Clinton that he just happens to have the cadence, the baritone, and the speaking skill to get the ideas across. She looks increasingly desperate.
From which we are reminded that Democrats eat their young.
This illustrates just how the Democrats might throw away the election this November. Reagan cited an 11th Commandment - Thou shalt not speak ill of thy fellow Republican. If only the Clintons would abide by a similar rule, the party could indeed emerge from the convention united.
I fear Sen. Clinton is poisoning the eventual nominee -- be it herself or Sen. Obama.
Obama know how to inspire young but when we chose him. Do you think he will keep his promise. These are all political. He should not copy at all either Patrick or Martin Luther King's Words.
Hillary Clinton is a fine one to discuss "the lifting of speeches " when she is effectively attempting to" lift " her husband's presidency as a basis for her being tried and tested.
Her current ad attempting to imply that she too has been dissaffected and as a result has had to burn the midnight oil is ridiculous. She is a worth millions Unless by some catastrophic event in her life, health care and economic security for her and her family will never wain.
Amusing theatre at best.
Darush Mabadi
Clinton is becoming so unlikeable that she may cause many Democrats to not vote for her should she win the nomination.
Susan incorrectly says "Hillary Clinton has already proven to the world that she can reach out to the other side of the aisle to make things change." Like what?
Universal health care failed because Hillary's task force worked behind closed doors. She deliberately kept all others out, and because of the secrecy, it failed miserably. That's her style: divisiveness. The fact that Republican politicians dislike her so much also shows that she NEVER reached out to the other side.
It always amazes me when Clinton supporters outright lie. It's desperation and it's pathetic.
Speaking of words associated with one particular candidate and her ilk...I guess it depends on what the meaning of the word "is" is!!!
This meme that Obama is just an empty suit has got to be nipped in the bud. Obama has policy specifics to satisfy the wonkiest voter, all over his Web site. He doesn't rattle off statistical details at campaign rallies, but the substance is there. It's intellectually lazy or dishonest -- take your pick -- for Hillary to characterize Obama's campaign as consisting entirely of rally speeches.
obamas a lier if he wins i can tell you not a thing good will happen he is a corpy sell out and a republican in dem shoes but if you place hope in politics your doomed yearly the devide grows and nothing good happens we need a total over haul of many things in this so called land of the free i thought it was for the people by the people ,like that will ever happen :S
Senator Clinton is so full of her self...She is a loser...Watch and see that Senator Clinton will cheat her way to the top...Just like lil man George Bush.
Billary is getting desperate...
Senator Clinton is starting to sound more like President Bush every day..
Hillary Clintons' dirty politics will further sink her campaign. She can no longer fool the Amarican people.
Calculated Tactics Used to Date:
Policy Wonk-check-no good
Tears-check-not enough
I Feel Your Pain-check-not believable
Sling the Mud-check-over and done
Time to wrap it up Hillary. You and your scumbag politics are the problem.
this seems like the beginning of the end for Hillary. so petty.
This is ironic from a woman who's whole career is predicated on that of her husband's! Seriously do any of you think she would be where she was if not for the man she married? Tell me there are not more capable women than Hilary in the Democratic party (let the flames begin!)
this seems like the beginning of the end for Hillary. so petty.
Stephens Ernst
Exactly! I am a black, female, independent and I agree with you 100%
Be glad he has that mind; Hillary could use her free mind and be more effective perhaps, but she seems locked in autopilot attack mode.
Hillary is desperate,the more I see her behavior the less I respect her. I like that she is strong but I do not like the Clinton nastiness.
Eight years of one Clinton is enough and after eight years of Bush we need a fresh voice that speaks for the people of our country instead of special interest groups.
I hate to say it, but without citing your sources, that's plagiarism. Try doing that in college, and you'll get kicked out...
Clinton needs to start wearing horn on her head, she is the devil re-incarnate.
"Hope, my friends, is a powerful thing. I can attest to that better than many, for I have seen men's hopes tested in hard and cruel ways that few will ever experience... To encourage a country with only rhetoric rather than sound and proven ideas that trust in the strength and courage of free people is not a promise of hope. It is a platitude… I do not seek the presidency on the presumption that I am blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save my country in its hour of need. I seek the presidency with the humility of a man who cannot forget that my country saved me." - John McCain
If you honestly care about this, especially enough to sway your vote, then you are out of touch with what the real problems in our nation/world are. The fact that the Clinton campaign is making such a big deal out of this speaks volumes to me. She's not about our children's future, like she cried about in NH. She's about victory and winning and power. For pete's sake, stop grasping at straws and stay on what should be the focus of this whole electoral process: How can you make our nation better? Makes me sick that someone so petty is actually close to a presidential nomination.
There is an overabundance of rhetoric, media and political pundancy, and "Clintontonian politricks" of desperation associated with this presidential campaign. From Bill's use of the race card following Hillary's humiliation in Carolina to accusations of plagerism, they'll stop at nothing. Voters simply must vote for who we feel we can TRUST. If this happens, Obama, who lacks a history of lying, cheating and political baggage wins hands down.
HRC will say anything to get elected - I expect she will even tear up again for the 3rd time.
But that's small-time. Here's a major problem for Senator Clinton's campaign if her staff and surrogates really want to engage in this so-called "plagiarism" debate. At the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, Senator Clinton employed what's called "anaphora" -- a common technique of repeating a word or phrase for emphasis in a speech:
I see an America where we stand up to the oil companies...
I see an America where we say that 47 million people uninsured...
I see an America where we have schools worthy...
I see an America where college is affordable again...
And so forth. It was a seriously awesome section of her Jefferson-Jackson speech. It's a shame that (again, as long as the gloves are off and there has to be this ridiculous "plagiarism" debate) she lifted the "I see an America" anaphora from other politicians, including then-Governor Jimmy Carter. June, 1976:
I see an America poised not only at the brink of a new century, but at the dawn of a new era of honest, compassionate, responsive government.
I see an America with a tax system that does not steal from the poor and give to the rich.
I see an America with a job for every man and woman who can work, and a decent standard of living for those who cannot.
I see an America in which my child and your child and every child receives an education second to none in the world.
I see an America in which Martin Luther King's dream is our national dream.
I see an America on the move again, united, its wounds healed, its head high, a diverse and vital nation, moving into its third century with confidence and competence and compassion, an America that lives up to the majesty of its Constitution and the simple decency of its people.
I also discovered that the "I see an America" line has been used by Congressman Kucinich:
I see an America where equal access and equal rights are obtained by all
(this is from Bob Cesca's column in the Huffington Post)
This is just a ridiculous charge all around. First, his firend encouraged him to use his words. They write speeches together! He wrote two books, and does write many of his own speeches. (I mean, the guy was the editor of the Harvard Law Review - it's not like he can't write.)
Hillary's book "It Takes a Village" was written by a ghost writer whom she will not give any credit. She "borrows" from people all the time. I watched her speech in Seattle and she was helping herself to some of Obama's stump speech almost word for word., and even had a "You can believe that I will bring about change." Uh, that's awfully close to his slogan, "Change you can believe in" isn't it? I think it's just unbelievable. I also saw OBama's speech there (on TV; I couldn't get in even though I showed up 2 1/2 hours early!) There is no comparison. She is probably one of these most boring and uninteresting speakers I've ever seen - and he just electrifies people. She can't compete on that level, so she makes this kind of petty attack.
And I think that it is both condescending, unfair and morally unsound to say that his campaign is based on "nothing but words." That's just mean spiried, not to mention just a lie. All you have to do is go to his site and read the sheaths of material about his plans and policies. They're very detailed and clearly thought out about how the plans would make it through a divided Congress -- which you'd expect from a guy who authored more than 860 pieces of legislation in his time as an elected official. According to the official Record of Congress, Hillary has written and passed only 20, and most of them were to name a post office after somebody or similar.
And of course, remember the uplifting Challenger speech by Ronald Reagan?
here's this note from http://www.campaignleadership.com/blogger/2006/01/reagans-challenger-speech.html
In writing the speech, speechwriter, Peggy Noonan, borrowed an image from John Gillespie Magee's poem High Flight to explain the disaster:
"We will never forget them (the crew), nor the last time we saw them this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of earth, to touch the face of God."
(The poem begins: "Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth" -- and ends "...I've...Put out my hand and touched the face of God.")
This device is known as "allusion." The point is to inject into your speech a poem or quote that most people in the audience will already be familiar with.
---- end exceprt ----
Would anyone really say that Reagan plagiarized? No, of course not. I was once a Hillary supporter. I'm not anymore. She is just an embarassment.
Hillary Clinton's tactics are pathetic. The vast majority of the public do see this as desperation. Everyone knows the Clintons are playing dirty politics because they want to win. I am so glad the governor stood up for Obama he effectively silenced the Clintons. The Clintons need to get a life and fade away.
Obama already said he copied. So why are so many people trying to defend him? If a student copied from his friend and got caught, could both of them claim that we were friends and it was OK?
There is one thing we all can agree on, though; you can feel the sign of desperation in each of the persons who choose to go against Obama. Come on now, you are all American, where is your pride? Do not let the Clitons take that away from you.
You get defeated, you pick up the pieces, clean after yourself and live on.
concession, concession, concession!
Give me a break !, I just did it ( Plagiarize)
There's an old saying: Stealing from one person is plagiarism. Stealing from many people is research. Has it occurred to anyone that the reason he uses all these lines from poems and speeches is because he's an educated, well-read person? You internalize statements that have meaning to you, and recycle them in your own context as needed when you write. That is exactly what Obama has done, and what everyone who has ever written a word has done since English was first formalized in writing hundreds of years ago.
Ultimately, we all steal from Shakespeare every day of our lives, but when we use one of the words or phrases he invented, we don't append a citation to it. It's not as though you can have a footnoot attached to a speech, either.
I am a pragmatic individual who values a tangible track record - that track record will obviously include both successes and failures since only those who have done nothing have done nothing wrong. I see an incredible wealth of experience, intelligence and talent in both Clinton and McCain. What I see in Obama is a bright guy with negligible experience and a penchant for talking a lot and saying nothing. Now this - recycling a two year old speech from another politician that itself is filled with other's words. So we have smart people who are do-ers and a guy (in Obama) who is simply inventing the rhetoric for the 21st century - empty of substance and equally as useless. The young voters you have "energized" Mr. Obama deserve better - including a lot more substance and experience. Come back in eight years when you have the experience and when you can bring substance to the table and not the speeches of your friends and I will vote for you. I will not vote for you now.
Hillary Clinton,
I used to think your were an acceptable candidate. You and Bill have lost many supporters because of your lack of substance and petty politics.
Hillary Clinton,
I used to think your were an acceptable candidate. You and Bill have lost many supporters because of your lack of substance and petty politics.
When Mr Obama speaks, I am inspired. When Mrs. Clinton speaks, I feel like i am being yelled at.
Hillary is desperate, she know's she's losing and instead of sticking to her issues and letting Obama stick to his issues so the democrats can decide who they favor most, she attacks Obama on something so petty and childish as this. She is looking more trite and ridiculous than ever. She is attacking Obama on the very thing that she KNOWS he has over her, articulation!
Desperately Seeking the Presidency could be the title of a new movie about the Clintons or you can just watch the original "Primary Colors" end result is the same "dirty politics".
Hillary Clinton’s pathetic remarks were driven by her complete frustration at loosing too many primary’s and caucuses in recent weeks.
If that’s the best she can do, America and the World, is far better of without her.
Senator Obama use the words of Dr Martin Luther King and others to emphasize
the importance of words, and he did it to great affect.
Hillary who could not reference Professor Babara Feinmann Todd in the book "it takes a village" has no credibility whatsoever to lecture Obama on referencing.
Has anyone looked at Deval Patrick's record? I certainly wouldn't want to be associated with him. Let's see $11,000 for draperies in the Governor's suite, sex scandal for one of his aids, and a few other things. Massachusetts people are not happy with his first 13 months in office. By the way speaking of nastiness, looks like Obama and Michelle both have a corner on smugness and inuendo. Obama is a baby crying that everybody's beating up on him. What a turn off. I appreciate men who can stand on their own feet, and certainly not hide behind a woman. Yes, think about it. He is hiding his own sins behind Hillary by pointing at her. What a weak man...lots of FLUFF!! I pity us as a country if we end up with this as our leader. Look at his record EVERYONE!! He has a history of hiding his actions, pretending to be one way and acting another, and caving in to special interest groups.
I am a pragmatic individual who values a tangible track record - that track record will obviously include both successes and failures since only those who have done nothing have done nothing wrong. I see an incredible wealth of experience, intelligence and talent in both Clinton and McCain. What I see in Obama is a bright guy with negligible experience and a penchant for talking a lot and saying nothing. Now this - recycling a two year old speech from another politician that itself is filled with other's words. So we have smart people who are do-ers and a guy (in Obama) who is simply inventing the rhetoric for the 21st century - empty of substance and equally as useless. The young voters you have "energized" Mr. Obama deserve better - including a lot more substance and experience. Come back in eight years when you have the experience and when you can bring substance to the table and not the speeches of your friends and I will vote for you. I will not vote for you now.
For all the Hillary supporters saying Obama should credit his friend, then I believe fair is fair and Hillary needs to credit her sources. That would be a very long list. Hypocrisy, thy name is Clinton, the transparency is alarming.
For those saying Obama is only rhetoric, you should at least try to research ahead of time. Your ignorance is showing, and it's not very pretty.
P.s. It took four clicks and two words to find the relevant information you say doesn't exist.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
Hi,
I am not a registered Voter, but im very motivated by Baraks mission.
I want to quickly suggest that Barak should cut a clip of the video where Hillary used his words " YES WE CAN" in one of her campaigns and make a short advertisement with that asking the general public what they think? " Shouldnt we call that plagiarism"? How could she have the odasity to accuse Barak of plagiarism when she uses other people's speeches in her daily life... eg Newt Gaingrich..." Solutions phrase etc????
You need to put this up to the publics notice before they start thinking this new movement of change is all just mouth gas.
Krizay
Hillary is beginning to look rather desperate.
From Wikipedia: 1987, Joe Biden ran as a Democratic presidential candidate. When the campaign began, he was considered a frontrunner because of his moderate image. However, the campaign ended when he was accused of plagiarizing a speech by Neil Kinnock, then-leader of the British Labour Party. Though Biden had correctly credited the original author in all speeches but one, the one where he failed to make mention of the originator was caught on video. In the video Biden is filmed repeating a stump speech by Kinnock, with only minor modifications. “Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go a university? Why is it that my wife . . . is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? . . . Is it because they didn't work hard? My ancestors who worked in the coal mines of northeast Pennsylvania and would come after 12 hours and play football for four hours? It's because they didn't have a platform on which to stand.” After Biden withdrew from the race it was learned that he had correctly credited Kinnock on other occasions. He failed to do so, however, in the Iowa speech that was recorded and distributed to reporters (with a parallel video of Kinnock) by aides to Michael Dukakis, the eventual nominee. Dukakis fired John Sasso, his campaign manager and long-time Chief of Staff, but Biden's campaign could not recover.
Did we have higher standards in 1987 or are some more willing to give Obama a bye?
Here in Ireland we have been watching, with much sadness, the Clinton campaign slipping into the gutter. Many of us are tired of Americas foreign policy which is reminiscent of the big schoolyard bully, and know it is time for serious change, if Americia is to regain the respect it once had internationally. Hillary Clinton should also remember that people is glasshouses really shouldn't throw stones, after all I don't hear her crediting her speech writers for her speeches. Obama is clearly well read, intelligent and insightful. For the first time you guys seem to have a candidate who really is different; seize the oportunity!
Hillary,
Your attack against Obama was real original. I suggest you try something else that has worked a little better like attacking the way he dresses. No, wait a minute. That would be copying.
Get a life Hillary and give us some words of substance; give us some solutions instead of picking at Obama's words. By the way, did I just plagiarize? Oh my, I hope not.
Barack said the words as Patrick
So now Hill takes a stab at a hat-trick
To win WI, OH, and TX
Is a feat quite complex
She'll need Bill and help psychiatric
It is so obvious that Clinton is grasping at straws, and this makes her look stupid. These type of allegations distract from the real issues and are so so irrelevant.
Both candidates were doing well at avoiding these accusations regarding inconsequential things, but Clinton just parted from that path.
I too was a Clinton supporter when all of this started. Now however, I am completely converted - Obama comes across as more genuine, is much more inspirational, is clearly a visionary, can mobilize folks, has a value system that seems 'his' as opposed to Hillary who now in my opinion is fighting a battle that she cannot win by fair means - mud-slinging, bribery....same old dirty politics is not going to help either. At least I hope not.
Go Obama! You are what the country (and world needs)!
Blah blah ...hope.. blah blah.. change.. blah blah.. hope and change..blah
NOBAMA
If Gov. Duvall has no issues with Barack using some of his speeches/words to convey the message of change, especially ones they had exchanged opinions about, then the Clinton campaign has no basis to complain about it. It is that plain and simple.
I simply do not understand where the Clinton campaign's moral compass is. After all, it is this campaign that deliberately planted 'easy to answer and make Hillary look good' questions in Iowa that may have swayed the minds of 100s/1000s of unwitting listeners/votes in her favor. Bereft of exciting ideas and money, henchmen plant questions and slander opponents. And above all, Hillary gets the net positive media coverage without the $'s. A brilliant move coming 1 day before the elections again!
If you start looking at some of these bloggers that are calling Obama a messiah and statements this is not a political movement but a religious one then this does become relevant. Obama does move people and should pursue activism or religion. This is abotu a presidency and the most qualified candidate of substance is Hillary Clinton. Not her husband show everyone loves take shots but Hily Clinton herself. She will make a difference in America. If we are going to bring teh spouses into it then let's do it with the recent Michelle Obama statement of only now is she proud of her country???? wow Ask not on that.
Hillary Clinton is a clear and solid choice for 2008
This is not plagiarism. I am an instructor of writing and research at a major U.S. university, used to dealing with real cases of plagiarism every semester. What Clinton and her campaign are calling plagiarism here falls far short of what I'd call plagiarism.
The famous quotes that Obama used come from commonly-referenced, well-known sources (JFK, MLK Jr., FDR, etc.). They are often used in public discourse, frequently without attribution (since most readers or listeners can be expected to recognize them already).
The most that can be said in this case is that Obama borrowed the structure of one part of his argument from his friend's speech. This is something that commonly occurs in political debate, and is not normally considered plagiarism. (As many posters here have pointed out, Clinton herself has "borrowed" the language and themes of Obama's campaign in her own speeches.)
Given the context and the content of Obama's speech, charges of "plagiarism" seem wholly unjustified.
Yes, Hillary, you should stay at home and bake cookies. But don't be using someone else's recipe.
Hillary Clinton is the most hypocritical politician of the last century. She accuses Obaba of trying to change the rules regarding superdelegates, while at the same time she is trying to change the rules related to Florida and Michigan. She directly steals ideas from Obama (e.g. :Change") and tries to make them her own. Recently, she was using the words "Yes We Can" in her own campaign. And she calls Obama a plagiarist!
The Clinton dishonesty and deception is legendary. Bill Clinton was well known as a "particularly good liar". Does anyone think the whole "crying " scheme was not contrived? Hillary thrives on dishonesty and deception, and will do any thing she can to destroy the name and reputation of people that gen in the way of her ambitions. In one person she represents everything that is distasteful in politics.
Alice Walker (who wrote the color purple) wrote a bokk titles" we are the ones we have been waiting for". When Obama said it, it was beutiful and great (especially to those who knew about the book). He did not have to stop to credit this or that. Obama wrote "dreams of my father" by himself. He is gifted. No comparison to Hillary, Bill, McCain, etc.
I am so sick of people picking on the "We are the people we've been waiting for," quote. It is *not* original with June Jordan. It is originally from an elder in the Hopi tribe.
So if Barack is guilty, so is June Jordan.
If you start looking at some of these bloggers that are calling Obama a messiah and statements this is not a political movement but a religious one then this does become relevant. Obama does move people and should pursue activism or religion. This is abotu a presidency and the most qualified candidate of substance is Hillary Clinton. Not her husband show everyone loves take shots but Hily Clinton herself. She will make a difference in America. If we are going to bring teh spouses into it then let's do it with the recent Michelle Obama statement of only now is she proud of her country???? wow Ask not on that.
Hillary Clinton is a clear and solid choice for 2008
It's amazing to see how people want to beat Hillary over the head for pointing out the fact that Mr. Obama is trying to motivate people with words that aren't his. Common people! Why don't you come out saying that you don't need a well qualified woman as your President. You are all a whole bunch of SEXISTS. You're just thrilled talking bad about a woman.
I would humbly submit to you that at the end of the day, should Mr. Obama get the nomination and goes on to be President, you will get nothing but rhetoric. After all, didn't Mr. Bush promise to reunite the country? Didn't he say as governor of Texas that that's what he used do - work across party line to get things done? What has he done? Please wake up! Empty promises, plagiarized speeches aren't going to put food on our table.
if this kind of rovian, negative campaigning is an indication of how hillary would conduct her presidency, i will choose obama for taking the high road.
It ain't plagiarism if you have permission to use it.
But this now gives those who were desperate to find something to dislike about Obama something to grab onto.
I'm getting tired of Billery. It's time that Hillery break-off from Mr. Bill and pursue some of her own original ideas. Wouldn't she be a wonderful addition in Obama's Presidency. I'm sure Obama would find something for her to do.
OBAMA! OBAMA! ONAMA!