Senator Obama's campaign may soon be plunged into crisis: Calls for withdrawal soon?

[Tropics_Dude83]

These allegations of plagirasm are incredibly seriously indeed. In fact, check this out:

The article is relevant only for this paragraph:

In 1987 Joe Biden was the leading candidate to win the Democratic 1988 nomination when an attack ad distributed by Michael Dukakis accused Biden of stealing passages from a speech by British Labor party leader Neil Kinnock. Biden said it was an attribution error by a speechwriter. But the scandal drove Biden from the nomination battle, which Biden later said saved his life. Being out of the running gave him the time to consult his doctor about headaches. He had a brain aneurysm that required immediate surgery in February 1988.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blake-fleetwood/exclusive-the-white-male_b_40054.html

And I use it only as a source to prove that Joe Biden met a disastrous fate after this plagiarism scandal was revealed.

Senator Obama has to prove that this story is false or give an explanation. If not, I expect that he may be forced from the race by March 5. I am stunned to learn of this. This is devastating news for him indeed no matter how much I wish it wasn't so.

Look at what happened to Joe Biden for proof.

[ClassWarrior]

1. Plagiarism: "The unauthorized use or close imitation..."

"...of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work." Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism

Authorization: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203345390-c+fcP0EhTH18Mj1EHYbfaw

:shrug:

NGU.

[bicentennial_baby]

2. There is no there there.

:thumbsup:

[GarbagemanLB]

3. The Hillbots are desperate for ANYTHING. This won't look good for Hillary in the public eye.

[griffi94]

13. right

anything obama ever does that is questionable is bad news for hillary....obama "Borrowing"
passages from other authors to use in his speeches just proves how bad the clintons are...
i never thought there would be a time when i wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the democrats and the repubs......i guess ya see something new every election cycle......
vote for obama...he's a uniter not a divider.....

[ctdem200]

8. Stop spamming the message

hippie.

[Metric System]

12. Another definition:

Main Entry:
pla·gia·rize

: to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own : use (another's production) without crediting the source intransitive verb

: to commit literary theft : present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarizing

[ClassWarrior]

18. Here's another, from my original source, above:

plagiarism
Literary theft. Plagiarism occurs when a writer duplicates another writer's language or ideas and then calls the work his or her own. Copyright laws protect writers' words as their legal property. To avoid the charge of plagiarism, writers take care to credit those from whom they borrow and quote.

The author is the one who's being protected here. If the author gives the borrower permission, it's all moot. He or she is acting out of free will. That's common sense.

NGU.

[Ravy]

28. To be honest, it has to match at least one, not all, definitions. nt

[Ravy]

16. That is not the only definition. From your same source:

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This plagiarism

noun
1. a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work
2. the act of plagiarizing; taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own

"plagiarism." WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 18 Feb. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism>.


There are many websites that sell term papers. They tell you that you can use them as you wish, but if a professor catches you, good luck at your next school.

[ClassWarrior]

19. There are formal rules that dictate a school paper must be original content.

And that sources must be cited. Are you suggesting that we regulate the rhetorical content of political speech as rigorously as that?

NGU.

[Ravy]

25. I am saying that some will. I *do* consider the lines in question

as plagiarized-- because of all of the inspirational quotes that he could have used, he used the exact same ones, and the same "Just words" as the filler between them. I think that should have been attributed.

Do I think it is disqualifying? No. If the media finds other good examples then it will cost Obama.

The "other examples" I have seen posted here don't come close to plagiarizing, in my view.

[ClassWarrior]

29. Every definition mentions or suggests theft - how can it be theft...

...if the author gave the speaker permission? Even the definition you cite suggests theft in this passage: "taking someone's words or ideas as if they were your own." If you didn't "take" the words and ideas, but they were given to you, aren't they "your own?"

Just sayin'... :shrug:

NGU.

[Ravy]

30. The definition I posted didn't. It deals with taking credit for

someone else's work.

In this *particular* case, with the quotes identical out of the vast universe of quotes he could have used, I think the charge is undeniable.

I also think it is minor, at this point. But I would wager that the media is right now searching its archives for other instances. Whether the charge "sticks" will be up to the voters.

[4themind]

33. hmmm

I guess the question comes down to the difference between the words "give" and "take" and while, the term "plagirism" only needs to be satisfied by one definition to be correct, that doesn't in and of itself mean that the words which make up those definitions are also assumed to be "correct" in every definition of these words.
Anyway though this story may have legs...

[4themind]

31. delete-nt

[iconoclastic cat]

4. "incredibly seriously"?

Twit.

[Adelante]

5. Dream -- dream, dream, dream nt

[Tropics_Dude83]

9. Well if this forced Joe Biden from the race.....

Why won't it force Obama out? I am freaked way out about this and freaked out for him as well.

[Divernan]

17. Note OP is in British Columbia, Canada.

Suuuuuure you're real freaked out. If you are in fact, freaked out, it would indicate you prefer Obama to Clinton. Do tell us your concerns re Clinton.

AND, under US law, plagiarism, if it occurs, is not a crime. We do have copyright laws, but there was no copyrite on the shared thoughts/discussion of Obama and his friend.

[davidinalameda]

6. what charges of plagiarism?

there is nothing in the article that says anything about Obama being accused of plagiarism

[MaineDem]

7. I think not

I think the explanation has already been provided.

Thank you very much.

[jenmito]

10. Duval Patrick already said they're good friends and he's glad Obama used those words that they

talk about with each other all the time. NEXT!

[Enrique]

11. probably not

seems like a minor issue. If it were Hillary, that would be a different story.

[blogslut]

14. Monday Morning Funnies

Thanks for the giggle!

[Vinca]

15. Hillary's unattributed, ghostwritten book, evens this debate out. nt

[flyarm]

20. Ghost writer..

you do know there is a big difference of Ghost writer and Plagiarism..don't you?



ghost·writ·er (gstrtr)
n.
One who writes for and gives credit of authorship to another.

[Vinca]

27. And that differs from a speech writer how?

The bottom line is that Duval Patrick finds it amusing and he's the "victim." But, of course, that doesn't count.

[still_one]

21. Should someone support a candidate who LIES about her opponent plagirasing?

The Clinton supporters better think long and hard if they continue to support tactics like this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1203345390-c+fcP0EhTH18Mj1EHYbfaw

[Benhurst]

22. Joe Biden is a mere mortal.

You dare to make a comparison? Be gone!

[bowens43]

23. Scraping the bottom of the barrel again?

Keep it up, America hates this kind of crap. Evey time HIllary's supports try to smear Obama , the pound another nail in Hillary's political coffin.

[kid a]

24. are you 2 years old?

[Tropics_Dude83]

26. Drudge now has massive coverage of this n/t

[sniffa]

32. Did he give you any money for it?

or was it a freebie? :shrug:

[HeraldSquare212]

34. That Biden thing was pretty early in the primaries though, wasn't it?

I thought it was weird he dropped out because of it.