Obama, Patrick Collaboration Noted Specifically By Globe Back In April 2007

Fresh accusations of plagiarism are being hurled at Barack Obama for his use of language on the stump that directly mirrors speeches given by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. But there is no fresh news here: in fact, this rhetorical connection between the two pols was noted by the Boston Globe way back in April of 2007.

In an article titled, "Patrick, Obama campaigns share language of 'hope,'" Globe reporter Scott Helman noted that the "just words" theme of Deval Patrick's speech were born out of accusations that mirror the ones Obama is facing now, and that Obama was present on one occasion when Patrick deployed the language:

Of all the things Deval Patrick's Republican opponent threw at him in last year's governor's race, one charge that stuck in his craw was that his speeches were more fluff than substance -- that they were, in Patrick's telling, "just words." So he devised an artful response.

" 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal' -- just words," Patrick said at a rally in Roxbury right before Election Day. " 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words. . . . 'I have a dream' -- just words. They're all just words."

The crowd erupted as it got Patrick's point about the power of language. But perhaps no one at the rally understood the point better than Barack Obama, who had joined him on stage that night.

Similarly, the article from April 2007 specifically mentioned that the Obama campaign had every intention of studying the success of his friend, Patrick, as a model for his own Presidential run:

In the midst of his improbable run for office, Obama and his advisers have evidently studied Patrick's up-from-nowhere victory in Massachusetts and are borrowing themes, messages, and even specific lines for the presidential campaign.

Both men were said by the Globe to be -- at the time -- "learning from and feeding off each other." The root of their shared rhetoric was identified as David Axelrod, who advised both campaigns. And while Patrick did notably back away from using Obama's "Yes we can" refrain -- Patrick campaign advisor Dan Payne said at the time, "We definitely didn't want to copy him, Deval takes pride in his words and he wants to use them uniquely" -- there's no indication that either man objected to sharing rhetorical flourishes.

Similarly, there wasn't any indication back in April of last year that this matter was any cause for concern or complaint. State Democratic Party chair Phillip W. Johnston spoke of the two men with admiration: "We all said that we could have closed our eyes when Obama spoke [and] it could have been Deval. To us it was a similar kind of message. It's a message that transcends partisan politics."

[h/t: Unfogged]

Comments

[HowardRoarke]

It's not old news - it's the best allegation Hillary could find the day before the most recent election.

If this is all they have today, I wonder how pathetic they'll be before TX and OH.

[loria]

I guess this might answer your question.

"Superdelegates are not second-class delegates," says Joel Ferguson (co-chair of Hillary's campaign), who will be a superdelegate if Michigan is seated. "The real second-class delegates are the delegates that are picked in red-state caucuses that are never going to vote Democratic­."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Secondclass_delegates.

[THEINSULTEDANDINJURED]

It will be a wonderful day for Hillary if she loses this nomination, she doesn't know that yet but it will. Obama will never win a general election, ever but the Democrats and their blind allegiance to "pretty, pretty words" and their blind desperation for any kind of new face, regardless of merit or substance, will learn their lesson the hard way as usual. Hillary will go on but after Obama ruins this election going up against crazy war-hero, experienced McCain he will be finished.

[ParacleteofKavorka]

Although Obama has quoted other's famous words, he hasn't added anything noteworthy of his own. "Change" and "hope" are campaign slogans and not in the same league as "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". His phoniness will continue to reveal itself as time goes on.

[Lolalabloggera]

I think the issue is totally relevant given the fact that Obama's main appeal is his inspirational speechifyi­ng.It's relevant that Jon Fevreeau writes his speeches. It's relevant that Obama may be just a fantastic teleprompter reader.

[teahead]

Indeed, Mrs. Clinton made some of the same arguments Sunday in New Hampshire when she defended her earnest speaking style by saying, in an indirect reference to Mr. Obama, "you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose."



That particular political maxim was first uttered in a 1985 speech at Yale University-- by Mr. Cuomo.



"She didn't attribute it to me, although it's in Bartlett's Quotations and they did," the former governor said, laughing.



http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08011/848437-176.stm



Talk about calling the Kettle black. This is stupid, pathetic, and signs of desperation.

[swanky]

The only reason I want Obama to win is to watch you all cry in your latte's on GFD. I can't wait to watch all the handwringing when he gets crushed by McCain. Where were you in 2000 when AG needed you? Oh right, voting for Nader! You thought it was more principled to waste your vote and send a message to the "Clinton Machine". Nice going. Every dollar for Obama is two dollars for McCain. Do the math. Kennedy, Obama, and Karl Rove are forcing HRC to spend all her money hoping that she'll lose in November. Ah, the Kennedy hate machine. You all keep buying it though and KR will have his "permanent Republican majority". This is the last chance we have to put the Republicans away, but you won't help. We had them buried in 2000, but you all thought Nader was the answer, and AG couldn't close him out. Now they think BHO is the answer, and HRC can't close him out. Another cakewalk for the Republicans. KR's strategy working again - divide and conquer the Dems! Let me know how that works out for you on GFD? You choose Obama, I choose to stay home.