Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sarah Palin Plagiarizes Newt Gingrich? (attack of the RINO's)
Politics Daily ^ | Posted: 06/8/09

Posted on 06/08/2009 10:25:09 AM PDT by lewisglad

Last week, when introducing Ronald Reagan's son, Michael, to a crowd in Anchorage, Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin delivered a speech that made news for its stinging criticism of President Obama's economic stimulus package. Further analysis of the speech, however, suggests that Palin lifted many of its central ideas, and the way they were worded, from fellow conservative (and presumptive competitor in the 2012 race for president) Newt Gingrich.

It appears that much of Palin's text was inspired by an article that Gingrich and Craig Shirley published in 2005 in the Manchester Union Leader, titled "Republicans Need to Relearn Lessons of the Reagan Revolution." As dissected by the Huffington Post's Geoffrey Dunn, the similarities between the Gingrich/Shirley piece and Palin's remarks indicate that she relied heavily on the article when preparing her own remarks. (She even acknowledged, "Recently, Newt Gingrich, he had written a good article about Reagan.") Here, then, is a list of before and after (or after and before, to be more accurate) comparisons:

Palin: We have to remember that Ronald Reagan never won any arguments in Washington. He won the arguments by resonating with the American people.

Gingrich/Shirley: Reagan never won an argument in Washington. Reagan won his arguments in the country with the American people.

More:

Palin: Remember this? His vision for the Cold War? We win, they lose.

Gingrich/Shirley: On the inevitability of the Soviet Union, Reagan responded with a then shocking vision for the Cold War -- "we win, they lose."

And more:

Palin: First, I think what we're going to learn tonight via Michael [Reagan] is that Ronald Reagan's ideas were the right ideas and all we have to do is look back at his record, his economic record and his national security record to know that his ideas were right.

Gingrich/Shirley: What should Americans learn from this remarkable man and his remarkable Presidency?... The "right" ideas really matter (the left was wrong and Reagan was right about virtually every major public policy issue and the historic record is clear for those willing to look at it).

And more:

Palin: And with detente, speaking of detente, he used two words: "Evil Empire."

Gingrich/Shirley: Reagan replaced the entire vision of detente with two vivid words: "Evil Empire."

Dunn goes on to cite six more strikingly similar passages from Palin's speech to show that a whole lot of cutting and pasting went into its preparation. Accused of plagiarizing the Gingrich and Shirley article, Palin's lawyer, Thomas Van Flein, responded: "It is abundantly clear in context, and even in subcontext, that the overview of President Reagan's legacy was attributed to Newt Gingrich."

True, Palin did mention Gingrich twice in the speech, but why was Palin so dependent on his (and Shirley's) analysis of "The Gipper" that she had to lift its wording so often? And why not highlight each and every passage in the speech that relied on Gingrich/Shirley with a clause like, "As Gingrich and Shirley wrote..."?

Plagiarism is a recurrent problem in politics. Joe Biden has done it. Barack Obama has been accused of the same (though on a much smaller scale). Perhaps this is a condition of our modern world, in which salient information is but a click away.

As yet, we have no comment form Gingrich on the borrowing of his old article. Should he be flattered, offended, or both?


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: davidknowles; gingrich; michaelreagan; newt; newtgingrich; palin; reagan; romney; waronsarah
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last

1 posted on 06/08/2009 10:25:09 AM PDT by lewisglad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Who’s she supposed to quote? Barry Obama?


2 posted on 06/08/2009 10:26:57 AM PDT by DManA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

So I do not get it this is all in Public domain what is the big deal?


3 posted on 06/08/2009 10:27:14 AM PDT by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Now please correct me if my 4th grade English lesson was not accurate..but doesn’t plagiarism mean when someone takes words from someone else and use them as their own without giving that person any credit...Sarah not only said Newt’s name FIVE different times, but actually said “I read Newt Gingrich said this about Ronald Reagan” she said that repeatedly..that isn’t plagiarism, that’s acknowledging the guy..WOW the left are so freakin retarded..when Ann Coulter said liberalism was a mental illness SHE WAS RIGHT..these people are SICK


4 posted on 06/08/2009 10:27:55 AM PDT by Sarah Barracuda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DManA

It looks like the 2011/2012 primary is already underway...


5 posted on 06/08/2009 10:27:56 AM PDT by lewisglad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Yo, you morons - Palin said twice in her speech that she was paraphrasing Newt’s article. It isn’t plagarism if the original source is attributed, but don’t let that stop the Palin-bashers.


6 posted on 06/08/2009 10:28:52 AM PDT by dirtboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

When sniveling chronic losers attack!..


7 posted on 06/08/2009 10:29:00 AM PDT by DGHoodini (The New York Times, are lying 'Rats!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad
If she acknowledged that the speech was taken from an article written by Newt then she IN NO WAY plagiarized ANYBODY.

Plagiarism
1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.
2. something used and represented in this manner.

8 posted on 06/08/2009 10:29:42 AM PDT by allmendream ("Wealth is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad
Sarah Palin Plagiarizes Newt Gingrich ... She even acknowledged, "Recently, Newt Gingrich, he had written a good article about Reagan".

Only our Sarah could attribute her words to Newt and still be guilty of plagiarizing from Newt. The left hates her! [I haven't firmly decided my vote, but that is another good reason to support Governor Palin.]

9 posted on 06/08/2009 10:30:01 AM PDT by TurtleUp (So this is how liberty dies - to thunderous applause!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Reagan, Palin, Gingrich: They all say the same things about bad democrat / communist ideas. What is the problem?


10 posted on 06/08/2009 10:30:15 AM PDT by Rapscallion (Empathy is the opposite of justice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Palin: Remember this? His vision for the Cold War? We win, they lose.

Gingrich/Shirley: On the inevitability of the Soviet Union, Reagan responded with a then shocking vision for the Cold War — “we win, they lose.”

Seems like both are quoting Reagan.


11 posted on 06/08/2009 10:33:41 AM PDT by kabar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dirtboy
Yo, you morons - Palin said twice in her speech that she was paraphrasing Newt’s article. It isn’t plagarism if the original source is attributed, but don’t let that stop the Palin-bashers.

This piece didn't happen to be written by Carl Cameron, did it? SHEESH, I just got through reading the childish stuff about how Palin is planning to upstage Mr. Newt at the NRSC, some *insider* charge -- these people are so dang foolish, it's truly pathetic.

12 posted on 06/08/2009 10:34:01 AM PDT by MozarkDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

She cited Gingrich five times according to her lawyer, not two that the liberals state.


13 posted on 06/08/2009 10:35:13 AM PDT by aphid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: allmendream

And yet, 0bama can revise history, make all manner of false claims, yet he is touted as “sort of god.” Brudder!!


14 posted on 06/08/2009 10:36:01 AM PDT by MozarkDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

This was written by a David Knowles, sounds like Sarah Palin isn’t one of his favorites.


15 posted on 06/08/2009 10:36:58 AM PDT by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cheetahcat
It is not good form to use another person's ideas and especially the expression of those ideas without acknowledgment.

Robert Hook published Newton's laws of motion, without attribution. Of course, Hook published them nine years before Newton, so attribution would have required prescience on Hook's part. Hook bore a life-long grudge against Newton for not acknowledging his contribution to “Newton's Laws”. In fact the whole apple falling from a tree story may have been an invention by Newton, since the episode occurred years before Hook's book.

16 posted on 06/08/2009 10:37:30 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (AGWT is very robust with respect to data. All observations confirm it at the 100% confidence level.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Newt who?


17 posted on 06/08/2009 10:38:36 AM PDT by Seruzawa (Obamalama lied, the republic died.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad
Someday, somehow, at some point, the sea of imbeciles in this country of ours simply must wake up.

Right?

18 posted on 06/08/2009 10:40:27 AM PDT by workerbee (If you vote for Democrats, you are engaging in UnAmerican Activity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

“Ask not what your country can do for you...”

Visit the Kennedy website there’s some great stuff on this phrase. I thought it originated during WW1, but apparently the earliest reference they found was the mid-1800’s.


19 posted on 06/08/2009 10:42:10 AM PDT by Eagles2003
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lewisglad

Hi. I'm David Knowles and I'm a metrosexual.

20 posted on 06/08/2009 10:42:27 AM PDT by McGruff (Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency - Obama)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-54 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson