Can someone please explain why this news is different than the plagiarism that sank Joe Biden's campaign in 1988? Looks the same to me. The speaker pirated someone else's words, didn't give attribution, and misled the audience he was speaking to. I think it's actually worse in the case of Obama, since a large chunk of his supporters are behind him because of his way with words (obviously it's not his experience that they love). When they find out that he's stealing other people's words, where does that leave them?
Biden did not have permission and approval to use the words of the British politician. Obama had permission, and approval of Deval Patrick. Deval Patrick talked about it, and has said that he approves of what Obama did.
Did you read Patrick's response to this inane charge? Of course not, your reading comprehension is below that of a third grader.
...and predictably, here comes andymoon spewing personal attacks against me... what else is new... tell tale sign of a lost argument...
Hillary steals slogan from Obama event: Obama Event: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SHfbKTiUH8U&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SHfbKTiUH8U&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object> Hillary Campaign: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rweVOO-fhug&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rweVOO-fhug&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>
John McCain steals Hillary's campaign slogan: Hillary: "Ready on Day One" McCain's homepage: "Ready to Lead on Day One"
The difference is that Joe Biden used the speech many times, and gave credit for it all but once, while Obama only gave credit after he got caught. Permission is important as far as protecting the rights of the original creators. As far as people using the words spoken by the candidates to determine who to vote for, permission is not the issue, knowing that the words are not the candidate's is the issue. The whole thing matters not to me (I wouldn't vote for Obama if every word he said was a brand new word that no one had ever used before in any context, because I do not like his policies), but it is funny that some of the same people that ripped Biden for accidentally not giving credit once on a speech he used and credited all the time are giving Obama a pass for copying another speech and passing it off as his own (with the permission of the person who originally gave it).
BTW- I just saw this story making the circulations on the tabloid tv shows... It's on Inside Edition.... fwiw.
Virus is a language from outer space - williams s. burroughs. I think Obama certainly did present someone's else idea as his own. It's not so much the speech. Because repeating someone else really isn't plagarisng when they told you to say it. But it is a bit dishonest in a way. In fairness we all do it. I take things I've heard and use them in meetings. I even borrow stories of other people to help me in business. So I don't think it's a big deal really. Just that he should have known he'd be called out on it. Anyway, in all of this, people are forgetting the whole point. That people were attacking him for being just full of words - but Obama's point, even if borrowed, is true - that words can be a powerful thing and shouldn't be dismissed. I think it's interesting that Trader Jorge is so against Obama, but also against Clinton. One would think that republicans would find clinton more distateful. Unless they were diehard Republicans and saw Obama as the greater threat.
