Posted on 07/06/2006 8:40:20 AM PDT by Nachum
I'm fairly certain if I were to submit a manuscript titled, "Ann Coulter Is Destroying America" I'd have a six figure book deal tomorrow; such is the public fascination, or alternatively horror, with the what-will-she-say-next shtick that Coulter's been playing in the media to promote her new book, 'Godless'.
David Carr, in The New York Times, looks at the current controversy in light of his previous article on Coulter, noting the transfixing dichotomy between the package and the message.
Coulter's act, as we've previously noted, is the same kind of over-the-top, calculated, "look at me" stuff we've seen here previously from Al Franken. I've been in close quarters with both on several occasions and witnessed their blow-ups. While Franken tends toward fist pounding and finger pointing, Coulter tends to stick with verbal carpet bombing; both designed to leave the audience questioning whether their eyes and ears are playing tricks on them - they didn't really say (or do) that, did they?
As professional provocateurs, both are cagey enough to measure the level of shock, outrage, or hysteria, in direct proportion to the quantity (and quality) of cameras and microphones nearby. What good is meltdown without media coverage?
In the world on television punditry sanity and factuality aren't prerequisites for longevity, case in point Maureen Dowd. Still it is possible to be cast off the talk circuit reservation, though the number of transgressions that would qualify one for banishment seems to be ever shrinking.
That's where a report from liberal blogger The Rude Pundit comes in. They note that in the first chapter to Coulter's new book "Godless," there are two suspicious selections:
Coulter: The massive Dickey-Lincoln Dam, a $227 million hydroelectric project proposed on upper St. John River in Maine, was halted by the discovery of the Furbish lousewort, a plant previously believed to be extinct.
Portland Press Herald: The massive Dickey-Lincoln Dam, a $227 million hydroelectric project proposed on upper St. John River, is halted by the discovery of the Furbish lousewort, a plant believed to be extinct.
Coulter: A few years after oil drilling began in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, a saboteur set off an explosion blowing a hole in the pipeline and releasing an estimated 550,000 gallons of oil.
The History Channel: The only major oil spill on land occurred when an unknown saboteur blew a hole in the pipe near Fairbanks, and 550,000 gallons of oil spilled onto the ground.
Assuming what The Rude Pundit says about lack of sourcing is correct, the fist selection, on the face of it, sure looks like plagiarism. The second selection is somewhat less convincing, though the use of the word saboteur seems too be a bit too forced in this particular instance to be mere coincidence.
So is Coulter a plagiarist? At this point no, but there's a whole book to look through, which I suspect the legions of those who despise Coulter are organizing for right this very moment. Were they to put together a formidable collection of cribbed quotes Coulter's career would be over, since when it comes to publishing plagiarism is the scarlet letter.
With a prize like that you can bet the left side of the blogosphere will working overtime on this...
Good one!! Not enough people remember Biden lifting Neil Kinnocks words. We must keep reminding them!!
This has to be the stupidest Ann Coulter bashing article yet.
If they play true to form, the libs will next peg Anne as a criminal by hanging something (anything) on her.
Anyone remember Doris Kearns Goodwin?
Just finished the book. Its worth reading.
You'll note that her attackers mainly attack her; they don't engage the content.
It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. -BJ Clinton
Talk about irony!! LOL!
"So, is Coulter a plagiarist?" - Kevin Aylward
"So, is Coulter a plagiarist?" - The Rude Pundit
I guess Aylward is a plagiarist since he said the EXACT SAME THING someone else did.
I wonder, does anyone know what time it is? Uh oh, was that phrase ever stated before?? Am I now a plagiarist?
I think the term is being used way too loosely.
It is one thing to take a speech and present it as your own (See Senator Biden - still in office) and to include a phrase in a book that coincidentally has been produced previously in someone else's writing.
The upside of this, it will increase her book circulation as the rumors swirl and the media starts asking her about it and she gets to break out more of her verbal carpet bombs.
First, a sentence or two would not be plagiarism in an entire book. Second, the book is well footnoted and I don't have it in front of me but I'll bet that at least the first sentence listed here has a footnote to the appropriate source. Three, this guy is a moron.
Ann is being accused of plagerizing excerpts from her own book!!!
Stephen Ambrose?
Well, those who are trying to find these little examples of plagiarism better hope that no one goes sifting through their stuff.
31 posts and not one person following the rules. How dissappointing.....
Doncha see? Plugs is a Democrat. Democrats can safely plagiarize. They can also call for stonings of people who don't agree with them politically and compare the POTUS to Hitler, and it's all OK. It's a Conservative who suggests that the Jersey Girls are using their widowhood to make political hay who must be excoriated for incivility.
Apparently a lot of libs are poring over Ann's book for factual errors, etc. They've all fallen into her trap. She's taking their money while insulting them 10 ways from Sunday. They are suckers, IMO!
Good find!
They are really reaching.
"This is hillarious. I just looked up the quote "The massive Dickey-Lincoln Dam" and found out that the Portland Newspaper was quoting an article in Townhall. Ann Coulter is a guest writer in Townhall, so she is being accused of plagerizing her own work."
Do you have the links for that? I've looked and can only find nuts attacking Coulter.
LOL!! They used the quote from Townhall!!! Did Ann write the ORIGINAL Townhall article they are quoting back to her as her own plagarism????
One word: "gravitas"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.