I looked at the relevant blocks, and there were parts of about 8 lines that were copied word for word. Are those common thoughts and platitudes? Absolutely. The structure was basically identical. Could speech writers follow a template on something like this? I don't know. I tried to run it through a plagiary checker last night and struggled because it was bringing up news articles related to the comparison of these two speeches.
Here's the thing, I don't blame Melania. The campaign said in a statement she worked with a team of writers. They said they took fragments that reflected her thinking. A speech writer could have lifted this part of the speech because it conveyed similar thoughts to Melania (and most Americans), changed some words, and thought it would be okay.
There are others who thought, even right here on FR, that possibly it was sabotage. It was extremely odd how quickly this Jarrett Hill fellow was able to recall Michelle Obama's 2008 speech. It appears he remembered it before even Googling based on his Twitter.
This was discussed on CNN and MSNBC last night, and the consensus seemed to be to just admit it and move forward. Melania wasn't getting the heat really. Many seemed to think it was a speech writer who did this, and a person who is a Clinton supporter on CNN said that letting the speech writer go would alleviate the problem.
Manafort makes it clear that Melania herself didn't plagiarize which I don't believe she did. I would blame the speech writer. Manfort makes it clear that Trump isn't firing anyone and adds to CBS,
"They're a couple of phrases. It's basically three places in the speech and its fragments of words," he said. "She knew what she was doing. And she never cribbed from another speech without acknowledging that she was quoting somebody else."
"We're talking about words like compassion, love of family, respect," Manafort added. "These are not words that are unique words, that belong to the Obamas."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/paul-manafort-defends-melania-trumps-convention-speech/
I didn’t hear Melania say anything about “... this is the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country.”
Here, let me give it at try... "Ummm...ah...ya know"...um...because...um" There, guess who I just "plagiarized"?
All I can say is if that's the best Cuomo's got, the Dems must be feeling the fear this morning.
This is a totally absurd accuasation. Melania would never copy anything, let alone, Moochelle.
Nobody will even remember this after tonight’s speeches... when the liberal media invents another “controversy” to talk about all day tomorrow
I read the speeches of the last 5 or 6 first ladies from the GOP convention and all had the same theme and sounded basically the same. 99% of Melania’s speech sounded absolutely nothing like Mr. Ed Obama. Newt Gingrich said it’s “insanity” the way the libs are carrying on about the best speech of the night. But, then again, that’s why their doing it. Diminish anything and everything to do with Trump. Obama’s have a speech in 2008 lifted directly from
Duval Patrich. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech was lifted from Ralph Abernathy.
It’s bait. The Trump campaign wants the MSM and Dems to attack Mrs. Trump. Manafort is already going after Hillary for the attacks and blaming her directly. I believe it was planned.
I saw Paul Manafort on FNC shortly after he became Trump’s campaign manager.
He impressed me as a shifty-eyed, conniving slimeball who’d sell his mother to the highest bidder. He might be a great strategist to have working behind the scenes but he’s absolutely not anyone I’d want out in front of my campaign.
Maybe he was just tired.
“Morning Joe covered Manafort’s response in a restaurant full of people, and everyone laughed at it.”
Geez. Why not “report” how Morning joe uses a stacked audience:
https://youtu.be/oZi4qwx9Imc?t=13s
Too bad posters emotionally lash out at other posters here instead of reading, analyzing and weighing who the real culprits are in this breaking news issue.
Keep up the good work!
Leni
Why on Earth is everyone so concerned about what CNN and MSNBC, or CBS, NBC and ABC for that matter? They are singing for their own constituency, which is already in the tank for Hillary. Does anyone actually think that votes will be determined based on what was in Melania’s speech? That’s just crazy.
I see our resident concern troll is up and busy ferreting out negative information on the Trump campaign. So concerned.
Typical Clinton M.O.
Attack the woman.
The only woman on stage not in political office or running for office.
Anything to not address why an IT guy was murdered in Benghazi, right? Was he setting up another server?
Manafort seems to think that Hillary was involved in this. Maybe she has planted a speechwriter in the Trump campaign.
Did she say she’s never been proud of America?
I would have to see the written side-by-side transcripts to be able to judge. One would hope a Trump campaign speech writer would not have plagiarized from an enemy speech. I would have to see the evidence to believe it.
Every thing I’ve ever said has been said before.
The MediaPAC is pathetic. And it will only get worse.
Meanwhile...over a hundred people were run over by a truck in NICE and police officers are being murdered by a terrorist group called black lives matter.....but let’s talk about this.
This is a huge nothing burger the MSM conjured up. Nothing to be concerned about.
Vote Trump 2016
The fact is this was extremely sloppy on the part of the Trump campaign (i.e. whomever was responsible) - it makes perfect sense to research other past speeches but this was just plain unnecessary and while I have no doubt it is completely inconsequential in terms of the campaign - same sloppiness elsewhere could be more serious.