He played his supporters for suckers

[metta 0]

They bought into the hope hype, sucking up this stuff with a straw, only to find out Obama's not an original, he's a knock off, of a governor, no less. Siphoning off of a winning campaign to try to win the presidency with a formula. Hey, it's politics. One campaign model fits 'em all. Put your twenty bucks in the bucket and shut the hell up!

source

When Senator Joe Biden was found to have lifted pieces of someone else's speech he was politically humiliated. One wonders what the reaction to Senator Obama will be, now that we find out that those all important words he's been spouting are not his own. Will the standard be different for him?

During a conference call this morning, Howard Wolfson had this to say. Via Mark Halperin:

"If you're going to be talking about the value of words, the words ought to be your own." - Howard Wolfson

Rhetorical flourishes are inspiring, especially when they're authentic. The problem comes when they're canned. Jake Tapper has a good run down on Obama's convenient oratory. It would be one thing if they came from the heart, or if what he was saying was actually original. Unfortunately, they don't and they aren't. They've all been said before. "Yes, we can reuse slogans!" says Ben Smith. "You bet your life we can," quips Deval Patrick. Si Se Puede. The word bamboozled comes to mind.

Deval Patrick in October, 2006:

" ... All I have to offer is words, just words. 'We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equal.' Just words. Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words. 'Ask not what your county can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' Just words. 'I have a dream.' Just words."

Barack Obama in Wisconsin, February 16th, this past Saturday, as he tries to con Wisconsin voters in preparation for Tuesday's primary:

"Don't tell me words don't matter. 'I have a dream.' Just words. 'We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equal.' Just words. 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.' Just words. Just speeches."

A reader from Massachusetts emailed me this last night:

... Guess what the lead-off story was on the local broadcast news tonight? Yes, "Plagiarism?" It was all about how Obama's "just words" riff was strikingly similar to Deval Patrick's speech from 2006. The story included a grainy video of Patrick delivering his speech, and then the clip from Obama's speech the other night. The reporter mentioned that the two shared campaign strategist, and that borrowing from others' campaigns wasn't that uncommon. However, it could cause a problem for Obama because it raises the idea that he may be just reading from a script. Then cut to the Hillary Clinton saying it's going to take more than speeches, it will take hard work.

It's what the New York Observer wrote about earlier in January. Via writer Steve Kornacki:

One small Obama-related detail from last night: The "Yes we can!" refrain that Barack Obama trumpeted in his concession speech was actually the campaign theme adopted by Deval Patrick, a top Obama supporter who rode the slogan to the Massachusetts governorship in 2006.

Oh, but wait! Before the bleachers come crashing down, Governor Deval Patrick issued a statement on the mutual mission of Patrick and Obama, which also just happens to include mirrored language and speeches that are exactly alike. Patrick's statement comes complete with... wait a minute. Excuse me, but the word gypsy must have run all out. Tapper offered Patrick's ramblings in an update:

UPDATE: The Obama campaign has issued a statement from Gov. Patrick: "Sen. Obama and I are long-time friends and allies. We often share ideas about politics, policy and language. The argument in question, on the value of words in the public square, is one about which he and I have spoken frequently before. Given the recent attacks from Sen. Clinton, I applaud him responding in just the way he did."

Tapper's comments afterwards are spot on.

The Boston Globe joined Deval Patrick with Barack Obama back in April of 2007. That was two months after I reported on Obama's flyover to skip the first issues debate in Carson City, Nevada, which was followed by his subsequent phone in presentation, as he showed up unprepared for the first health care debate. (This all happened long before I became a partisan for Clinton.) Now it's all these months later and all we've got today is a gullible traditional media sharing the same hope soda, while aiding and abetting a political con job that's sucked in independents by the droves in a DEMOCRATIC primary race.

Cons eventually catch up with you. Obama's played his supporters for suckers. They bought into the hope hype, sucking up this stuff with a straw, only to find out Obama's not an original, he's a knock off, of a governor, no less. Siphoning off of a winning campaign to try to win the presidency with a formula. Hey, it's politics. One campaign model fits 'em all. Put your twenty bucks in the bucket and shut the hell up!

The traditional media, cable talking heads, and quite a few large progressive blogs have regurgitated the Obama story like a pack of nomads wandering in the political desert in search of sustenance; people bankrupt of political or factual integrity looking for the answer and refusing to see what was in front of their faces all along. The question is whether the journalists who bought into the Obama hype, along with the cable talking heads who propped his campaign up, and the Obama blogs who didn't care one whit about the facts or his record but were only interested in spreading their Hillary hatred, have got so much invested they won't have the honesty, the integrity, and the moral courage to back peddle on their craven cave in before it's not only too late for them, but too late for the Democratic party.

Barack Obama isn't an original. He's the first 21st century L. Ron Hubbard of politics, Elmer Gantry, name your huckster.

"I have a dream" just became "I have a con."

Edited February 19, 2008 by metta

[SteveLaura 0]

I saw this on the news last night. Did you also see the clip they showed of Hillary saying something along the lines of, "If Blockbusters can keep track of who has their videos, I'm sure this country can keep track of who it gives visas to.." Then they showed a clip of John Edwards saying the exact same thing 5 months earlier...

[Sister Fracas 5]

hmmm...I wonder if there IS anything original out there...

[SteveLaura 0]

Source

Plagiarism has three elements. First, the words are stolen, without permission, from the original user. Second, the words are used without acknowledgement. And third: the user has an intent to deceive, to pass the words of another as his (or her) own, so as to appear more eloquent.

In Obama’s case, the words were not stolen: they were given. Obama had explicit permission from Patrick to use them, a fact immediately confirmed by Patrick yesterday. As in theft of property, permission from the owner is a complete defense. End of argument.

And there is no indication that Obama had any intent to deceive. On another occasion, he had acknowledged the source of the rhetorical riff. On this case, he says he forgot to do so. There is no pattern of action pointing to deception.

In any event, beware of alleging faults in others. Critics were quick to point out that Clinton is herself a liberal “borrower” of words, having borrowed Obama’s “fired up” line, as well as Edwards’ comparison of immigration enforcement to tracking movies from Blockbuster. Clinton has yet to suggest that she had permission for these borrowings.

Not that this is a real problem either. We don't really want our political speeches clogged up with footnotes and references to sources, like some academic paper.

It’s a pity that the Clinton campaign is spending energy on such irrelevancies, and even more so that the mainstream media is wasting time on them, as though there was any substance at stake.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hillary is grasping for straws and unfortunately for her, it's backfiring. Her only chance of winning is to cut into Obama's growing popularity by going negative. She'll never be a popular candidate.

[metta 0]

I saw this on the news last night. Did you also see the clip they showed of Hillary saying something along the lines of, "If Blockbusters can keep track of who has their videos, I'm sure this country can keep track of who it gives visas to.." Then they showed a clip of John Edwards saying the exact same thing 5 months earlier...

Yes, I agree with you in that politicians do borrow phrases and expressions from whereever. But to recycle a whole speech given by another person without giving credit is a whole different matter. At least to me. Tt reinforced my belief that he is just an empty suit.

The 21st century version of "New Kids On the Block".

Remember that group?

Kids went wild over them until it was found that they had the moves right but were only lip syncing.

In the '80s I used to enjoy Jimmy Swaggert on TV. Only I turned on mute and watched him for his movements which resembled Jerry Lee Lewis- his cousin from whom he copied the moves.

Rock'nRoll incorporated into "Hellfire and Damnation" sermons really drew gobs of followers.

[metta 0]

Source

Plagiarism has three elements. First, the words are stolen, without permission, from the original user. Second, the words are used without acknowledgement. And third: the user has an intent to deceive, to pass the words of another as his (or her) own, so as to appear more eloquent.

In Obama's case, the words were not stolen: they were given. Obama had explicit permission from Patrick to use them, a fact immediately confirmed by Patrick yesterday. As in theft of property, permission from the owner is a complete defense. End of argument.

And there is no indication that Obama had any intent to deceive. On another occasion, he had acknowledged the source of the rhetorical riff. On this case, he says he forgot to do so. There is no pattern of action pointing to deception.

In any event, beware of alleging faults in others. Critics were quick to point out that Clinton is herself a liberal "borrower" of words, having borrowed Obama's "fired up" line, as well as Edwards' comparison of immigration enforcement to tracking movies from Blockbuster. Clinton has yet to suggest that she had permission for these borrowings.

Not that this is a real problem either. We don't really want our political speeches clogged up with footnotes and references to sources, like some academic paper.

It's a pity that the Clinton campaign is spending energy on such irrelevancies, and even more so that the mainstream media is wasting time on them, as though there was any substance at stake.

Plagiarism?

Yes, We Can!!

[SteveLaura 0]

A whole speech? Really? The clip you've posted here shows 50 seconds of Deval's speech. These are "borrowed phrases" as you say.

[GaryC 7]

This really is unbelievable. The dems had this election all wrapped up. There was no way they could lose. But for some reason they screwed the pooch. The hype about Obama turns out to be just that, hype. If he is the nominee IMO McCain will make mince meat out of him. Hillary meanwhile is going out of her way to pizz off everyone. In her lust for power she will try every shady trick in the book to get the nomination. Seating delegates that everyone agreed not to seat, going after committed delegates, and in the end counting on Superdelegates to overturn the will of the people. She will get creamed by the inevitable smear campaign the reps will start after the convention. They have pretty much assured McCain will be the president.

[no name 1]

Who knew he owned the phrase 'Bring The Country Together'^TM or 'Yes, we can' - which is phrase that was coined by the United Farm Workers, who have endorsed Hillary.

Obama Release on Clinton’s Languge

Here are a couple of places Clinton freely borrowed rhetoric from Obama…

Clinton Stole The Phrase “Fired Up And Ready To Go” From Obama. “We are fired up and we are ready to go because we know America is ready for change and the process starts right here in Iowa.” In Davenport, Iowa, those words escaped the barriers of a tired Hillary Clinton’s teeth. Without irony. That phrase is associated with Barack Obama. Obama borrows it from a woman in South Carolina who helped remind him what was important in life. It’s the signature, in fact, of Obama’s close. [Marc Ambinder, 1/2/08]

Clinton Stole Rhetoric From Obama And Said She Wanted “Bring Our Country Together” And How She’s Not Running For President Of The Sates That Voted For Democrats. “One other thing about those Clinton events yesterday: The woman is not at all bashful about stealing from her rivals. Between the two events, I counted six rhetorical turns I’ve heard other candidates employ: She talked about goals ‘I hope will bring our country together,’ a la Barack Obama. In response to a question about excessive partisanship, she talked about how she’s not running to be president of the states that voted for Democrats, she’s running to be president of the United States. This closely resembles Obama’s ‘I don’t want to pit red America against blue America. I want to be the President of the United States of America.’” [Noam Scheiber, TNR, 11/20/07]

Clinton, Stealing Obama’s Line, “Yes, We Can” Said That Obama Was The “No We Can’t” Candidate And Said In Contrast, “Yes We Can.” Stealing a line, Clinton casts Obama as the “no we can’t” candidate, and herself as saying “yes, we can.” Obama is the “Yes We Can” candidate of the 2008 presidential race, an Elvis-like presence riding a wave of popular enthusiasm unseen in U.S. politics in many years. Democratic strategist Liz Chadderdon said Obama is sweeping Americans off their feet.”It’s this incredibly moving speech about how it’s time for Americans to turn inward and fix America’s problems. You listen to it and you say ‘Yes.’ Not that what’s coming out of her mouth isn’t solid, it just doesn’t have the same emotional connection that we’re feeling with him,” she said [Politico, 2/8/08; Reuters, 2/15/08]

10/30/07: Clinton Said “We’ve Got To Turn The Page On George Bush And ####### Cheney.” Clinton, speaking about her electability said “In a perverse way, I think that the Republicans and their constant obsession with me demonstrate clearly that they obviously think that I am communicating effectively about what I will do as president. I am trying to do that because it matters greatly. We’ve got to turn the page on George Bush and ####### Cheney. In fact, we have to throw the whole book away.” [Debate, 10/30/07]

5/2/07: Obama Gave “Turn the Page”-Themed Speech To The California Democratic Convention. Speaking to the California Democratic Convention, Obama said, “I’m running for President because the time for the can’t-do, won’t-do, won’t-even-try style of politics is over. It’s time to turn the page…It’s what I learned as a state Senator in Illinois. That you can turn the page on old debates; that it’s possible to compromise so long as you as you never compromise your principles; and that so long as we’re willing to listen to each other, we can assume the best in people instead of the worst…Democrats of California, it’s time to turn the page…It’s time to turn the page on education…It’s time to turn the page on energy…But most of all, we have to turn the page on this disaster in Iraq…We will bring our troops home. It’s time to turn the page…California, if you want a new kind of politics, it’s time to turn the page. If you want an end to the old divisions, and the stale debates, and the score-keeping and the name-calling, it’s time to turn the page…If you want health care for every American and a world-class education for all our children; if you want energy independence and an end to this war in Iraq; if you believe America is still that last, best hope of Earth, then it’s time to turn the page…It’s time to turn the page for hope. It’s time to turn the page for justice. It is time to turn the page and write the next chapter in the great American story. Let’s begin the work. Let’s do this together. Let’s turn that page.” [speech, 5/2/07]

http://thepage.time.com/obama-release-on-clintons-languge/

[SteveLaura 0]

I think all this proves is that "borrowing" is common and largely unavoidable. And, it's still a non-story.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I saw this on the news last night. Did you also see the clip they showed of Hillary saying something along the lines of, "If Blockbusters can keep track of who has their videos, I'm sure this country can keep track of who it gives visas to.." Then they showed a clip of John Edwards saying the exact same thing 5 months earlier...

Yes, I agree with you in that politicians do borrow phrases and expressions from whereever. But to recycle a whole speech given by another person without giving credit is a whole different matter. At least to me. Tt reinforced my belief that he is just an empty suit.

The 21st century version of "New Kids On the Block".

Remember that group?

Kids went wild over them until it was found that they had the moves right but were only lip syncing.

In the '80s I used to enjoy Jimmy Swaggert on TV. Only I turned on mute and watched him for his movements which resembled Jerry Lee Lewis- his cousin from whom he copied the moves.

Rock'nRoll incorporated into "Hellfire and Damnation" sermons really drew gobs of followers.

Jimmy didn't borrow moves from Jerry Lee, fool. He's all original.

I despise Jimmy Swaggert more than anyone else on this board and I will give him his due. The guy was good at what he did. In fact, he's actually a VERY good pianist, maybe even better than Jerry Lee. Unfortunately, he got caught paying for the goodness and lost it.

However, he still has a rather large compound here in town and his house is still as big as ever.

[SMOKE 1,426]

This really is unbelievable. The dems had this election all wrapped up. There was no way they could lose. But for some reason they screwed the pooch. The hype about Obama turns out to be just that, hype. If he is the nominee IMO McCain will make mince meat out of him. Hillary meanwhile is going out of her way to pizz off everyone. In her lust for power she will try every shady trick in the book to get the nomination. Seating delegates that everyone agreed not to seat, going after committed delegates, and in the end counting on Superdelegates to overturn the will of the people. She will get creamed by the inevitable smear campaign the reps will start after the convention. They have pretty much assured McCain will be the president.

i think you're right. the dems seem hell bent on screwing their cake walk to WH up. the mud slinging is going to be very entertaining.

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

This really is unbelievable. The dems had this election all wrapped up. There was no way they could lose. But for some reason they screwed the pooch. The hype about Obama turns out to be just that, hype. If he is the nominee IMO McCain will make mince meat out of him. Hillary meanwhile is going out of her way to pizz off everyone. In her lust for power she will try every shady trick in the book to get the nomination. Seating delegates that everyone agreed not to seat, going after committed delegates, and in the end counting on Superdelegates to overturn the will of the people. She will get creamed by the inevitable smear campaign the reps will start after the convention. They have pretty much assured McCain will be the president.

i think you're right. the dems seem hell bent on screwing their cake walk to WH up. the mud slinging is going to be very entertaining.

The republicans don't even need to discredit them, they're doing just fine on their own.

[SMOKE 1,426]

This really is unbelievable. The dems had this election all wrapped up. There was no way they could lose. But for some reason they screwed the pooch. The hype about Obama turns out to be just that, hype. If he is the nominee IMO McCain will make mince meat out of him. Hillary meanwhile is going out of her way to pizz off everyone. In her lust for power she will try every shady trick in the book to get the nomination. Seating delegates that everyone agreed not to seat, going after committed delegates, and in the end counting on Superdelegates to overturn the will of the people. She will get creamed by the inevitable smear campaign the reps will start after the convention. They have pretty much assured McCain will be the president.

i think you're right. the dems seem hell bent on screwing their cake walk to WH up. the mud slinging is going to be very entertaining.

The republicans don't even need to discredit them, they're doing just fine on their own.

yah i know...after tonight its really gonna heat up.