Posted on 10/17/2008 5:09:11 PM PDT by Grig
Stylometry is the study of linguistic style. It is often used to attribute authorship to anonymous or disputed documents.
Modern stylometry relies on computers for statistical analysis of texts. By analyzing a text known of known authorship a comparison can be made with the analysis of a disputed or unknown text to determine if it was written by the same author. There is a freeware program called Signature (produced by Dr Peter Millican of Oxford University) that makes it possible for even for the non-expert to check the authorship of a text. It can be downloaded at http://www.philocomp.net/?pageref=humanities&page=signature
If Ayers actually wrote Obama's book(s), then this might provide objective, scientific evidence to support the accusation. In addition to the program we will need some or all of the text of one of Obama's books, and one of Ayers books. Anybody know if these are available online? If they aren't someone may need to scan them to text.
It would also be good to have something we know Obama did write himself (like say a thesis) to rule out his style being like Ayers style, but I don't know if there is any reliable source like that available. Speeches written for him wouldn't show his style.
A very skilled Cashill is doing his own analysis and it is showing Ayers all the way. But yes, a second and third methodolgy is in order.
Having something that Obama wrote would make things easier.
Unfortunately for America, Obama had the foresight to cover his tracks and keep all his college a law school writings under lock and key... along with his health records.
What does it matter if Ayers wrote Obama’s book? No-one is going to care, if he did.
hmmm...will be interesting to see
There is that one lone article that Obama wrote around 1992 for a volume on Saul Alinsky - I think it was first published as a distinct article and then re-printed in the Alinsky volume. Cashill discusses it - he thinks it’s a clear example of Obama’s much more pedestrian and unimpressive style before he found any ghost-writers..... so using that article as a benchmark for Obama’s style (doubt that Obama had any ghost-writer for one article before 1993) could make the comparison possible.
It matters because it will clearly show Obama is a liar. If used correctly, it will ABSOLUTELY make a difference to millions of wishy-washy voters.
Lots of well-known people use ghost-writers, including JFK.
No wonder his dissertations, papers, and everything have disappeared.
I guess it’s not enough if the “fingerprint” of Ayer’s writing matches the “fingerprint” of the ghost written work(s).
Sure, but is it acceptable for a candidate for the POTUS to have one on books that he pretended were heart-felt memoirs that he wrote himself?
I think a lot of people would look at it differently than the average celebrity, especially since Obama has received so much renown and praise (possibly quite unjustified) for being the best politican-writer around (according to TIME).
If Ayers turns out to be invovled (don’t know how that would be proved, but it seems plausible on Cashill’s analysis) then that would blow the wheels off Obama’s campaign bus, no matter how much his cultists would try to rationalize..... suddenly the guy who Obama pretended to know only as “a guy who lives in my neighborhood” turns out to have written either or both of Obambi’s books?? IF that comes out convincingly then Obama’s campaign melts down..... but I don’t know that there’s any prospect of getting convincing evidence in the next 2 weeks. Textual analysis will not be sufficient, no matter how well done. BUT it does give potential investigators some good direction to follow.
But JFK’s ghost-writer wasn’t part of a group that tried to kill cops and bomb the pentagon. JFK also didn’t lie about the extent of his relationship with his ghost-writer.
How many times was the word “bomb” and “pentagon” used?
Good point.
Even if it’s proved it will get no traction beyond the blogosphere.
Well....we know he wrote his birth certificate....but that's a bit sparse for the requisite analysis.
BTTT!
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