New Yorker: Three Problems with the Melania Trump Plagiarism

[riversedge]

Last edited Thu Jul 21, 2016, 01:25 PM - Edit history (1)

Note that the headline still calls it plagiarism-which is is!



Three Problems with the Melania Trump Plagiarism

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/three-problems-with-the-melania-trump-plagiarism-admission

By Ryan Lizza , July 20, 2016






For the second day in a row, the biggest news ...........................

This afternoon, the Trump campaign released a letter from Meredith McIver, a speechwriter for the Trump Organization, that explains what happened. McIver wrote,

In working with Melania on her recent First Lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama’s speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs. Obama’s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant.

No, this is not Watergate, but episodes like this can tell us something about the character of a campaign. It is notable that, until McIver’s letter appeared, the Trump campaign and an army of surrogates repeatedly denied accusations of plagiarism.

“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, said on CNN Tuesday morning. “These were common words and values, that she cares about her family. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”

b]...............

[NBachers]

1. Put a big asterisk here: The asterisk is: IF the McIver story is true. I have serious reservations.

[Little Star]

3. I'm with you!

[Botany]

7. I doubt that McIver is real or the person who wrote Melania speech

Even if she cops to plagiarism what about the "rick roll" moment in
the speech?

[bulloney]

9. I think McIver is a fall guy (so to speak) with the least to lose in the Trump organization.

The real guilty party is someone in a higher profile in the organization who would have drawn more attacks from this debacle.

[Botany]

11. The "McIver did it" story doesn't pass the smell test

"In working with Melania Trump on her recent First Lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama," McIver wrote in a typed letter printed on stationery with "Trump" letterhead in gold at the top.

"Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama's speech as examples. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech," McIver wrote.


http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/meet-meredith-mciver-trump-speechwriter-who-took-blame-n613376

[rurallib]

10. it fails the smell test badly

[gordianot]

2. Try as they might the NBC talking heads tried to put Melania Trump speech to rest last night.

Cruz did steal the show last night but time will tell which speech disaster will be remembered as the most serious. I hope Melania Trump is safe.

[Blanks]

4. We had conservatives admiring...

The words of Michelle Obama.

Of course they thought those words were spoken by the immigrant third wife of their anti-immigrant four time bankrupted business candidate for president.

It'd be funny if it wasn't so bizarre.

[teenagebambam]

5. Speculation now that McIver is another "John Barron"

I.e. Not even a real person.

[mountain grammy]

6. Poor Melania..doesn't she know?

No inspiration from any Obama is allowed within the hollow walls of the RNC.

[yardwork]

8. Who is Meredith McIver? Anybody ever met her?

Does she exist?

Because if not......

[Botany]

12. Meredith McIver must be a Rick Astley fan too