The best speaker on the first night of the RNC was Michelle Obama.

Michelle 2008:
you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you’re going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect

Melania 2016:
you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect

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Michelle 2008:
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 hard for them 

Melania 2016 posted:
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

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Conventions are silly symbolic showmanship, but they work - candidates always get a bounce out of them, and sometimes some real momentum. That's why the similarity between Melania Trump and Michelle Obama's speeches actually matters - it's not only unbelievably sloppy, it's symbolic of the narrative of Trump as a lazy cheater.

But even more important has been the Trump campaign's reaction. Rather than throw a staffer under the bus and endure a day, they're arguing that plagiarism doesn't exist for mere sentences.

When you have the RNC Chief Strategist mining the Internet for similar quotes, finding My Little Pony, and going with it...you have a story that could well outlast the convention.

Like most of right wing media, Freepers' reaction is extraordinarily confused, partially because Trump's strategy manages to be both too delusional for the practical Freepers, and not delusional enough for the rest.

originalbuckeye is sure this is sabotage, because Melania rules and Michelle drools:

I really hope that whichever speechwriter it was, that inserted the similar passages, is fired. Today. 

Melania Trump is a beautiful, classy, intelligent and sincere woman. There is absolutely NO COMPARISON with Moochelle. Someone set Melania up and they should be booted. NOW.

FreedBird is the best on this thread because he tries every rationalization he can in different posts. Here he accuses Michelle Obama of being some kind of time traveling liar:

Who comes across as more believable Mrs. Trump or Mrs. Obama?
One has a proven track record. Is the media believable?
Does the media have a hidden agenda and swings left and liberal? Does the media rain on a conservative parade on purpose? If this is all they have to say, they are desperate.

FreedBird then tries to explain that the important thing is Benghazi:

It is much more important to talk about Making America Safe again, not what Mrs. Trump said or didn’t say. We are not safe because of failed policies of the current administration.

FreedBird again, attacking the liberal media for insincerity:

Liberal talking heads sound like they have mental problems.
How can they argue with keeping the country safe? Sounds like they do not know what to say, so they come up with something that doesn’t mean much to anyone. They do not look or sound sincere. You can see it in their eyes.

FreedBird once more, wondering if this might be a Trump masterstroke:

Did the media walk into a Trump mouse trap?

Timpanagos1 knows if it's legal, that's all that matters:

Did Michelle Obama copywrite her speech?

MinuteGal is also in on the more convenient sabotage narrative:

FTA: “Everyone in his communications shop is now former Cruz supporters,” the aide continued. “Miller hired all of them.”

Melania is the victim and I feel so bad for her. She must be going through a real downer right now...all this dreck surrounding her after she delivered such a fine, heart-felt speech last night.

Seems delusional to me, but I hear MSNBC spent some time on it. Oy.

The link in the post is screwed up; editor-surveyor sees a sinister force at work:

The story at Truth Revolt has been taken down.

The thought police are at work.

I love it when Freepers argue to lean into a minor scandal. TexasTransplant has a great idea!

Every Speaker scheduled from now on should say and quote the supposed pilfered words Melania spoke last night and then Donald should as well and then follow it up with ...

Comparing who has said what and who has done what... who has a history of following through and who just utters words.” 

Just an idea

plain talk explains that Melania is too original and awesome, so this is false:

No one can argue that Trump copies anyone. Trump is his own original personna — warts and all — and there’s no one like him. Same with Melania. She is unusual and gifted and not your typical politician’s wife. She didn’t write those words that were copied. Some professional speech writer did that and may have gotten them from the same place Michelle Obama’s speech writer got them from.

On the other Hillary is the typical manufactured politician everyone is tired of. So none of this will stick to Trump. Much ado about nothing.

V K Lee flips plain talk's appeal and reverses it - Michelle Obama is too dumb to plagiarize:

The MFM is dumbfounded that Melania Trump was found to have given a powerful speech last night. In any attempt possible, they have seen fit to state that the (lovely) woman stole from our present FL, Mo.

Little do they understand that Mo has absolutely nothing valuable enough to warrant theft. These jerks have far too much time on their hands and are now seeing mad clowns in the dark closets of their bedrooms and boardrooms. Seriously ?

Stolen from MO? LOL LOL LOL ROTFLMAO

No wookie reffs on this thread, but I saved a few for Monday from the countless other threads on this.