The accusations of plagiarism are once again flying around the political world. It's not new and it's not without significant credibility. There is no doubt among intellectually honest people. Melania's speech was partly inspired by Michelle Obama's 2008 convention address. Perhaps Mrs. Obama collected part of her remarks from other inspirations. But did Joe Biden's admitted plagiarism prevent him from becoming our nation's #2 leader? There is a certain grace which we extend to those who admit their own failings. But Trump has decided to not tap into that grace. He makes no public acknowledgement of mistakes. |
" Some pointed out that Donald Trump himself had criticized Biden for those allegations. When Biden was considering running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, Trump had said he would do well against him, CNN reported. CNN quoted Trump as saying: “I think I’d matchup great. I’m a job producer. I’ve had a great record, I haven’t been involved in plagiarism. I think I would match up very well against him.”
But what did Joe Biden and Barack Obama do and are the allegations really similar? The biggest difference: Biden was running for president when he was accused of plagiarism, not a candidate’s spouse; he admitted plagiarism, although he downplayed it; and there was a pattern of issues, not just one. The Barack Obama comparison is more similar, as he was accused of lifting pieces of a speech from another politician; however, he was also the candidate, and Melania is not.
Here’s what you need to know:
According to The New York Times, Biden admitted he had plagiarized a law review article for a “paper he wrote in his first year at law school.” The Times said Biden had called the plagiarism a “mistake.”
Biden also claimed the copying was not “malevolent,” said The Times, explaining that Biden said he “had simply misunderstood the need to cite sources carefully.” The allegations arose in 1987 when Biden was running for president. Biden was brought “before the disciplinary body at the law school during his first year” over plagiarism allegations, said American Thinker, quoting an old New York Times article. The charges dated back to the 1960s, and didn’t go anywhere, says The American Thinker story.
Melania Trump has not admitted plagiarizing the passages in her RNC speech that journalists and commentators on social media say bear similarities to the talk by Michelle Obama. Some on social media are suggesting that a speechwriter may bear the blame; however, a new video has emerged showing Melania telling NBC’s Matt Lauer, “I read once over it and that’s all because I wrote it with as little help as possible.”