Exactly. If one is merely reading, the grammatically correct speech will have been written for the reader to read. Even with the edits , someone proofed the speech before she gave it.
As an aside, she reports to be fluent in 5 languages. So is my cleaning lady.
@HarvestMoon1 I missed it being turned in in June. Thanks for that context!
Oh, please… This wasn’t live debate. She was reading a prepared speech (edited by professionals) from a teleprompter. Plus, she moved to the US in 2006-- 20 years ago.
Harvestmoon, the person who supposedly worked on the speech with her was an unidentified person “within the Trump organization.” So, not someone who works for the campaign.
2016-2006 = 20 years?
IIRC she became a naturalized citizen in 2006.
“Nobody writes their speech - not Barrack Obama, Michelle Obama, or Melania Trump. They put down basic ideas and what they want to get across. Speech writers put the stuff together to appeal to their demographic, organize it etc.”
Well, of course. No one has ever claimed that the Obamas, Clinton or any other public figure don’t use speechwriters. Of course they do. I have a friend who was a speechwriter for Gore. That’s not the freakin’ point. It’s that the speechwriters are having a field day because this was a completely amateur mistake, bound to be found out in the era of the Internet, AND because the campaign denies it.
“3. I wonder how many here could give a speech to millions of people in a language different than their own native language, have it coherently delivered and grammatically correct? I don’t think anybody here is so almighty that they should be the final arbiter of another’s intelligence.”
I couldn’t (give a speech in a language not my own). That’s not the point, though. She delivered a good speech from the perspective of being poised, articulate, in command of herself, confident. I thought she spoke very well and the accent is immaterial - she was clearly understandable. Kudos to her – seriously.
This is not a reflection on her intelligence – I suspect she’d rather just stay out of the whole thing but such is life with the husband she’s chosen. This is a reflection on the ethics of the people her husband surrounds himself with. Why people are making this a slam on her intelligence is beyond me.
^^^AND because she went on record to say she wrote the speech with “very little help.”
My bad. It should have been: she moved to the US in 1996. It has been 20 years
“Well, Melania also claims to have a university degree, but doesn’t.”
Maybe it’s from Trump U?
I could buy that this wasn’t plagarism, except it was copied from the last wife who did this speech, in the same situation. Come on, Google, copy and paste…badly. Even my kids could do a better job of rewriting things when they were young.
I did not find the speech lovely, just because of a beautiful speaker, with an interesting voice. Initially I found it pleasant, then I listened to the words. First she complimented the other candidates, but then said her husband was the ONLY one who could blah, blah, blah. And then came the bragging about her husband.
I miss the days of humble politicians wives. I miss Laura.
"^^^AND because she went on record to say she wrote the speech with “very little help.”
Yes. So either she’s exaggerating or plagiarizing. Wonder which one it ist, or a little of both?
I think what is fascinating to so many people is that the similarities are so blatantly obvious, it is irrefutable that lines were lifted. Doesn’t matter which side of the political divide you are on. Put the sections up against one another and they very nearly match.
So what would the normal response be? A speechwriter would say “my bad” and fall on his or her sword. End of story. But instead a campaign doubles down and says it is entirely plausible these words were strung together in the exact same way by a speechwriter, and My Little Pony proves this.
It isn’t being “political” to point out that this is ludicrous.
I would prefer that politicians’ spouses stay out of the spotlight entirely.
Can you even name the spouses of Angela Merkel or Theresa May?
So she did not deny that she got this “very little help”. She just did not mention that the help was from Michelle Obama. What is the issue here?
Yes I agree @MidwestDad3. All this denial is maddening. Who do they think they are kidding? But that’s the campaign putting that nonsense out there not her. At this point she is sitting on the sidelines probably feeling like she just got slapped in the face with a wet fish.
I don’t know upon what basis people are attacking her intelligence. If it turns out she inserted the language or had knowledge of the plagiarized passages, then criticize her ethics. If she knowingly misrepresented her background then question her truthfulness. But on what basis is her intelligence being attacked?
I attack her intelligence for lacking the strategic sense to shut about about claiming she wrote the speech herself.
Are you talking about her statement on the plane in response to Matt Lauer? I would have to go back and see if I can find the video, but what you wrote is not my recollection of exactly what she said. And you would have to question the intelligence of a whole lot of public figures if you were using strategic sense as your measure.
Can someone explain to me what My Little Pony has to do with this?