Ex-Clinton Speechwriter: "So Silly To Accuse Obama Of Plagiarism"

The New Republic:

We asked former Bill Clinton speechwriter David Kusnet if today's plagiarism accusations against Barack Obama were justified. In his mind, was what Obama did acceptable, or a violation of speechmaking ethics? Here are his thoughts ...

Barack Obama's greatest strength is the originality of his rhetoric. Sometimes he talks like a regular person, as in his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when he introduced himself as "a skinny kid with a funny name." Sometimes, he sounds like a president from an earlier, more historically literate era, as when he situates his campaign in a tradition that includes the American Revolution, the abolitionists, and the emergence of the labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other social struggles. But only rarely, if ever, does he use the familiar freeze-dried phrases that most current politicians favor. To borrow a phrase from the UAW, the "domestic content" of his speeches is unusually high.

Read the whole story: The New Republic

Comments

[JackWOrf]

10:22 AM on 02/20/2008

Obama got SWIFT-BOATED. It is EXACTLY the same thing that happened to Kerry. Kerry's big shtick was that he was this war hero. The Swiftboaters alledged/proved otherwise. His whole "war hero" shtick went down the tubes.

Obama's plagiarism SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Obama's whole shtick is that he is new, fresh, honest, a man of integrity.

And now the videos clearly show him to be a sleezy little CHEAT. He didn't just "borrow" from another speech. He COPIED the entire thing lock, stock, barrel, timing and presentation. People won't look at him the same way anymore. Just as they stopped looking at John Kerry as a war hero.

One thing that you can BET on: These "plagiarism videos" will be shown again, and again, and again, and again, and again by the Repubs.

And on the same day, Michele tells us that this is the first time in her life that she has been really proud to be an American. HUGE mistake.

And you thought that the Republicans would unite against HILLARY? You aint seen nothin yet. Once the Righties start seriously visualizing a black, liberal, pacifist, Moslem (as far as they're concerned) sitting in the Oval Office, they're gonna FREEK.

And we're just getting started.

The next few weeks are going to be interesting. Last night, Obama clearly moved into front runner status. Ok, he beat up the girl next door. Let's see how well he does against the toughest guy in the schoolyard. Might not be so easy.

He is the front runner and the likely nominee, but he is now clearly in the cross-hairs of the right wing.

So don't print up the ballots for the November election yet. It aint over until its over.

[lookforward]

05:46 PM on 02/19/2008

obama and patrick remind me of Milli Vanilli

[lookforward]

05:42 PM on 02/19/2008

obama and patrick remind me of Milli Vanilli

[lookforward]

05:34 PM on 02/19/2008

Obama and Patrick remind me of Milli Vanilli....

[Dap]

05:25 PM on 02/19/2008

The real facts be told when deciphering Senator Obama's rhetoric, especially when reciting other political giants words (Only words), IS the belief the orator has in the concept, the clear ideology behind the words being repeated.

Is it any ones claim, that Senator Obama does not believe in these ideals?

I THINK NOT!

To the contrary, Senator Obama is eloquently expressing his heart felt relationship to our basic American ideals.

I personal share his feelings, as do many other Americans, We, the People... Hold this *truth* to be self-evident.

[Dandy12]

05:24 PM on 02/19/2008

The Clintons have been looking fairly petty lately... I would still vote for any Dem. candidate.

One of the first plaigarists in America was Thomas Jefferson. He nearly quoted John Locke ver batim!

Moral: If something is worth repeating, and is placed in the proper context, then use it!!

Needless to say, Bush won't be quoted often...

[Nic]

05:23 PM on 02/19/2008

Nobama NEVER had an original thought. Taking someone else's speech should come as NO surprise to anyone. The asshole even took HRC economic plan and called it his own.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/794128,CST-NWS-campweb14.article
When all else fails, he'll resort to calling HRC divisive. Yet,does he call himself a liar?

[Democrat08]

04:52 PM on 02/19/2008

There is no real originality to Obama's message or words...

Watch this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbYFKUsaKpY

Then this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj_sApZ4Q9Y

[PTTY]

04:17 PM on 02/19/2008

esults for “barack obama 2004 convention speech”

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=barack+obama+2004+convention+speech&search_type=

Take a look at the above to see who is zooming who.

These are before the Governor had ever run for Office. If anything he copied off of Obama and Obama was too big to call him out. Character that Bill and Hillary will never have.

Again this is all the Clinton's have.

Hillary better start giving CREDIT to Newt Gingrich for

her SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICA Slogan she Plagiarized from Newt Gingrich.

[JackWOrf]

10:30 AM on 02/20/2008

Ha ha. Nice try, but Obama's plagiarism speaks for itself. The videos speak for themselves.

It has nothing to do with Hillary one way or the other. Obama is a sleeze-bucket CHEAT.

[ntmessage]

03:18 PM on 02/19/2008

The undisputed facts: Obama *directly lifted* an entire segment of a speech he just gave in Wisconsin without accreditation. Not a slogan, not a passage but the entire segment word for word. The facts state this IS PLAGIARISM – Webster’s definition – *present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source*

Yes AFTER THE FACT there was a lot of explaining. Of course, Obama can write but he DID NOT WRITE THIS and did not attribute the most stirring part of his speech. He seems lazy and superficial. This makes more likely did not study nor do the work to understand in detail many of his so-called plans. He could not have possibly had enough time for thought out plans anyway, so Obama would never pass the red face test that exposes sleazy sales techniques. Therefore, he is like a student that cheats, instead of doing the actual work.

Did Clinton use a passage from the Bible that his husband used? Who cares - everyone knows that was the bible - this is about Obama's Plagiarism. Hello… Obama, instead of admitting his mistakes made excuse after excuse including negative attacks. Huh? The FACTS ARE NEGATIVE! Why should the Clinton Campaign stand by and not say anything? Obama would not.

[PTTY]

04:14 PM on 02/19/2008

Results for “barack obama 2004 convention speech”

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=barack+obama+2004+convention+speech&search_type=

Take a look at the above to see who is zooming who.

These are before the Governor had ever run for Office.

Again this is all the Clinton's have.

Hillary better start giving CREDIT to Newt Gingrich for

her SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICA Slogan she Plagiarized from Newt Gingrich.

[Sumocat]

02:48 PM on 02/19/2008

Total plagiarism. Look at this breakdown:
"I have a dream." -- MLK
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." -- Declaration of Independence
"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." -- FDR
Direct rip-offs and he didn't credit a single source. For shame.

[PTTY]

04:20 PM on 02/19/2008

esults for “barack obama 2004 convention speech”

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=barack+obama+2004+convention+speech&search_type=

Take a look at the above to see who is zooming who.

These are before the Governor had ever run for Office. If anything he copied off of Obama and Obama was too big to call him out. Character that Bill and Hillary will never have.

Again this is all the Clinton's have.

Hillary better start giving CREDIT to Newt Gingrich for

her SOLUTIONS FOR AMERICA Slogan she Plagiarized from Newt Gingrich.

[justbecause]

01:33 PM on 02/19/2008

Hillary Hillary Hillary... here we go again... "pot calling the kettle black". This is why you lost my vote. Get to promoting what you are offering to people. If people are not voting for you after your name recognition, experience, health insurance, economic plan or being ready on day one, then its because you have poor foresight (no plans past Feb. 5th), have no clue on the actual rules of politics (Texas delegates), haven't admitted you made a mistake about Iraq, won't disclose your tax info, and/or people are just tired of you changing your moto several times over the campaign and now mouthing off negatively. You are now in the Solutions business. Stay focused, unleash the tax info we are asking for or go home.

[kristin]

02:58 PM on 02/19/2008

Maybe we just do not want another one to probably two terms of the Clintons in White House as co-presidents.

[MNmommy]

12:58 PM on 02/19/2008

Silly season.

[JakeEasy]

11:24 AM on 02/19/2008

The point isn't that he cribbed his lines. The point is that authenticity and originality is supposed to be his defining element. He hasn't done anything of note in his political career, so it is his soaring rhetoric and the promise of a new way of doing things that has garnered him the slavish devotion of those hungry for hope. That his lines are prewritten is not new for a politician, but his supporters view him as more than a politician and more than the same old thing. This is just another issue that indicates a chink in the plaster, that he is a politician and that his methods, rhetoric, and ideas are not new. The last time we had an candidate who inspired with his speeches, it was Ronald Reagan. His ideas weren't his and his words weren't his. He just read them well.

[Zhonni]

12:35 PM on 02/19/2008

Your Republican rethoric will fall flat on its face. It is similar to what the Clintons are saying but poeple can read and do their own research.

I am able to piece together infomation from different sources and making sense of them. It is clear to me that during the brainstorming, the solution the Republicans came up with was to accuse him of having done nothing.

I think we've heard that before, it won't work.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

01:06 PM on 02/19/2008

You are defining his authencity based on the fact that he borrowed a few lines of his speech from a friend who does not care that he did so?

[JerfyT]

01:41 PM on 02/19/2008

And in fact suggested the lines to him...

[TotobiAyokoh23]

11:22 AM on 02/19/2008

It is not only silly; it is an act of desperation. The Clintons will do everything, even to the point of dismembering our Democratic Party to win the nomination.