Melania, Michelle, and the sincerest form of flattery
In this combination of photos
CLEVELAND – At breakfast this morning, Pennsylvania Republican chairman Rob Gleason groused, “The media is digging around on Mrs. Trump’s speech, just stupid stuff.”
But it’s hardly “stupid” to report that the aspiring first lady has … how shall I say it charitably? … borrowed heavily from the current First Lady. We have a duty to point out something so perverse.
Seriously, can the Trumpitistas get through a night without making fools of themselves? For weeks, the spin we all heard was that the brilliant Melania Trump was readying her own convention speech, writing it herself. But seemingly within minutes of the Monday prime time event, certain passages from Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech began to surface — and voila!
Obama, ’08:
Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values; that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you are going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect.
Trump, Monday night:
My parents impressed upon me the values that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say and you keep your promise; that you treat people with respect.
Obama, ’08:
We want our children, and all children in this nation, to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.
Trump, Monday night:
We want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.
Donald Trump valet Chris Christie did his best on TV this morning to spin for Melania, insisting that “93 percent of the speech is completely different than Michelle Obama’s speech.” And campaign chief Paul Manafort, who has been busy stomping out fires since the convention began, insisted that the two speeches merely contain “common words.”
Yeah, whatever. But it was nice to hear Michelle’s speech again.
Maybe the Trump campaign’s slogan should be Make America Grift Again.
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Dick Polman’s column appears weekly on WHYY.org/News. He also contributes to The Atlantic online and is a writer-in-residence at the University of Pennsylvania.
