Louis Staples
Feb 24, 2020
What is it with people and ripping off the Obama’s speeches?
Former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg is being accused of plagiarising an iconic campaign speech given by former Barack Obama.
Following his third place finish the Nevada caucus, Buttigieg tweeted:
But the second tweet – featuring an analogy about lighting up neighbourhoods, cities and nations – seemed familiar.
It turns out that the former mayor also said this passage in a speech to his supporters following the caucus.
Eagle-eyed viewers quickly noticed that this metaphor is very similar to a speech Obama gave in 2008 during his first presidential campaign.
One voice can change the room. And if the voice can change a room, it can change a city. And if it can change a city, it can change a state. And if it can change a state, it can change a nation. And if it can change the nation, it can change the world,” Obama would say at the time while on the campaign trail.
Here’s the original:
On social media, people accused the former mayor of copying the former president.
It’s likely that Pete’s tweets were sent by a staffer and the similarity was unintentional. But this isn’t the first time that someone has been accused of lifting parts of a speech made by America’s former first family. Remember when Melania Trump copied Michelle Obama’s speech? That was gold.
Bizarrely, British Labour politician Kate Osamor was also ridiculed for ripping off an Obama speech in 2018. Stop it! All of you!
More: Pete Buttigieg gave this 9-year-old boy advice on how to come out as gay
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