# The Republican national Convention **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 18, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729 "2016-06-18T21:53:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/241 "2016-07-19T04:54:18Z")
Far be it from me to want to defend a Trump, it nearly makes me gag to do so, but to be completely fair this is probably on the speech writers, not Melania or even Donald. Although he probably needs to vet his speechwriters better. The really funny part is the Republican crowd applauding Michell’s words. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/242 "2016-07-19T04:54:55Z")
Politico just called this day: [“Trump’s disastrous Day One”](http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/rnc-2016-convention-clashes-donald-trump-225761) And that is even before the Melania item was noted. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/243 "2016-07-19T04:58:36Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Oh, please. Do you really think these sort of comments originated with Michelle Obama? They’re typical boiler-plate political pronouncements like I’ve heard politicians make all my life. Hell, in this country’s halcyon days teachers stressed the same things. In today’s world, teachers stress hard work, and keeping one’s word, and achievement, AND NOT PLAGIARIZING. Guess it was different in your halcyon days. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/244 "2016-07-19T05:00:50Z")
This is already one of my favorite things to ever happen. Will tomorrow ever be able to live up to the promise? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/245 "2016-07-19T05:01:45Z")
Hey, go easy on Melania! Don’t you know [she’s gonna bring class back to the White House](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/05/14/23/342D0E0B00000578-3590830-image-m-2_1463265048316.jpg) after 8 years of… y’know… the _black_ woman? ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/246 "2016-07-19T05:04:43Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > The really funny part is the Republican crowd applauding Michell’s words. Not really. Michelle was parroting conservative talking points. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/247 "2016-07-19T05:05:01Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > I can only imagine the rage The Orange One is going to go into about this. I wouldn’t want to be that speechwriter. I agree that he’ll go into a rage, but what if he just digs deeper and explodes on the media for being such haters and losers and totally lying about Melania’s speech? I think he owes it to his wife to do this the right way, get out in front of the scandal, and fire a speechwriter, but what if he _doesn’t_? Again, poor Melania. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/248 "2016-07-19T05:06:13Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Not really. Michelle was parroting conservative talking points. 😉 I saw a comment on one of the news sites to the effect that the GOP was applauding Michelle’s speech. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/249 "2016-07-19T05:07:22Z")
MSNBC is now reporting that a source is saying that Melania wrote her own speech or at least had a heavy hand in it. I have no idea if this is true. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/250 "2016-07-19T05:08:41Z")
Melania is the girl you want to take home to meet Mom because she needs a good hot meal. More angles than curves. Team Michelle! When Michelle barefoots, she scorches footprints in the sidewalk. And she can bench-press a Ford. Team Michelle T shirts here! $19.95, all proceeda benefit the Home for the Chronically Groovy. All sizes, tie-dye extra. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/251 "2016-07-19T05:09:32Z")
I’m tellin’ ya, this kind of stuff is boiler-plate. I pretty much would have written the same the same thing if I’d been her speech writer, and I’ve neither watched nor read Michelle’s speech. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/252 "2016-07-19T05:12:41Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > MSNBC is now reporting that a source is saying that Melania wrote her own speech or at least had a heavy hand in it. I have no idea if this is true. They just broadcast an interview with her, apparently from before the convention, where she says that she wrote the speech. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/253 "2016-07-19T05:14:52Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I’m tellin’ ya, this kind of stuff is boiler-plate. I pretty much would have written the same the same thing if I’d been her speech writer, and I’ve neither watched nor read Michelle’s speech. Then you should have no trouble finding speeches from other presidential candidate wives that have the same boiler plate word for word. We’ll wait while you find those. ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/254 "2016-07-19T05:14:57Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Oh, please. Do you really think these sort of comments originated with Michelle Obama? They’re typical boiler-plate political pronouncements like I’ve heard politicians make all my life. Hell, in this country’s halcyon days teachers stressed the same things. Then you should have no problem whatsoever citing other convention speakers who have used these same words. Cite? ETA: Wow! Ninja’d. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/255 "2016-07-19T05:17:07Z")
Between the plagiarizing and “He will never, ever give up and most importantly he will never ever let you down,” some speechwriter somewhere must be having a huge laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/256 "2016-07-19T05:17:49Z")
> [@splatterpunk](#): > > Then you should have no… Hey! Get your own boiler plate. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/257 "2016-07-19T05:18:06Z")
Trumps introduction of Pence is being characterized as… problematic. > **[Donald Trump’s speech introducing Mike Pence showed why he shouldn’t be...](https://www.vox.com/2016/7/16/12205878/donald-trump-mike-pence-vp-speech)** > > Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology,... > [@](#): > > What started as farce continued as farce. Trump emerged without Pence. He spoke, alone, at a podium adorned with his name but not Pence’s. And then Trump proceeded to talk about himself for 28 minutes. There is no other way to say this than to say it: It was the single most bizarre, impulsive, narcissistic performance I have ever seen from a major politician. > … > I can tell you that he rambled, but that doesn’t do it justice. He spoke about Hillary Clinton, about himself, about his victories. He talked about crushing the Republican establishment in the primaries and talking to a buddy building plants in Mexico. He bragged about the beautiful hotel he is building in Washington, DC, and patted himself on the back for his foreign policy foresight over the years. > > Every five minutes or so, he seemed to remember, just for a moment, like a man trying and failing to wake from a dream, that he was there to introduce Mike Pence, and so he would say something like, “Now back to Mike Pence,” but then he would slip back again and tell another anecdote about himself. > > Even when he did mention Pence, he often managed to say exactly the wrong thing. “One of the big reasons I chose Mike is party unity, I have to be honest,” Trump admitted midway through his speech, at the moment another candidate would have said, “I chose Mike because he’ll be a great president.” Trump then segued into a riff on how thoroughly he had humiliated the Republican establishment in state after state. Thus he managed to turn Pence from a peace offering into a head on a pike, a warning to all who might come after. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/258 "2016-07-19T05:22:03Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > I agree that he’ll go into a rage, but what if he just digs deeper and explodes on the media for being such haters and losers and totally lying about Melania’s speech? I think he owes it to his wife to do this the right way, get out in front of the scandal, and fire a speechwriter, but what if he _doesn’t_? Again, poor Melania. It won’t surprise me if he digs in and tries to make it all about what low-lifes members of the media are. But the video I saw cutting between Melania and Michelle is pretty much impossible to refute. It is going to get A LOT of airplay over the next few days. And yeah, poor Melania. Even if Donnie Jingles refuses to acknowledge the obvious I’m still pretty sure a speechwriter is going to end up in a metal barrel at the bottom of the Cuyahoga. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/259 "2016-07-19T05:22:16Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I’m tellin’ ya, this kind of stuff is boiler-plate. I pretty much would have written the same the same thing if I’d been her speech writer, and I’ve neither watched nor read Michelle’s speech. Right, except that plagiarism is a real thing with a legal definition. And if wishes were horses beggars would ride, too. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729/260 "2016-07-19T05:26:33Z")
Tomorrow Miss Transylvania will say: “Vat is big deal? I need to make speech so I Google first lady speech. It is OK, no?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-republican-national-convention/757729.md?page=14)