This isn't a political blog post. But it is about a politician's wife.
Yes, that politician. The one that stirs up so much controversy. The Donald. But in this case, it was his wife who stirred up controversy. Or to be more specific, her speech writer. Or as some have claimed, his wife since the speech writer was made up.
So in case you didn't see all the hoopla, Melania Trump gave a speech that included several portions directly from Michelle Obama's speech of 2008. So ignoring the problem of plagiarism for a moment, let's acknowledge the positive: Michelle Obama (like her husband) is a strong public speaker, and Melania seems to have liked Michelle's speech and seems to have liked those pieces of the speech. So while plagiarism is a problem, at least she showed some of what she believes in. This is important in that type of speech.
But this also underscores the importance of a good speech writer -- one that can take someone's passions and ideals and stories and craft them with power and cadence without lifting them from someone else. Someone who can craft them in the voice of the speaker. And while that might not happen in a first or second or third draft when first getting to know a speaker, the speech writer needs to be able to get feedback from the speaker to know what she feels are natural to her and what are not. This is how the speech is massaged to become the speaker's own voice, even though she's had help from someone else.
If Melania's speech writer does exist, I can't imagine how embarrassed she must feel and I'm glad that she seems to have come clean about what happened. And I'm actually impressed if it's true that Trump refused her resignation, accepting that this was a mistake. (I'm sure it won't be made twice.)
But if somehow that speech writer doesn't exist, or Melania's working with someone who hasn't done much with speeches, then I hope she understands the importance of her talks going forward now and she looks for professional help. I like to think that she's an intelligent woman with an ambition to get things done (just as I would hope for any First Lady ... or First Man / Sir??? if a woman became president. And what do you call the First Man if he was already president?) It would be a shame if she came across as less than she is because she couldn't quite put the words together to express her goals.
The whole experience is really a lesson to any professional, though, with his or her moment in the spotlight when it's going to make a political or financial or societal difference. Words can really give someone power. Or they can take that power away.
Yes, that politician. The one that stirs up so much controversy. The Donald. But in this case, it was his wife who stirred up controversy. Or to be more specific, her speech writer. Or as some have claimed, his wife since the speech writer was made up.
So in case you didn't see all the hoopla, Melania Trump gave a speech that included several portions directly from Michelle Obama's speech of 2008. So ignoring the problem of plagiarism for a moment, let's acknowledge the positive: Michelle Obama (like her husband) is a strong public speaker, and Melania seems to have liked Michelle's speech and seems to have liked those pieces of the speech. So while plagiarism is a problem, at least she showed some of what she believes in. This is important in that type of speech.
But this also underscores the importance of a good speech writer -- one that can take someone's passions and ideals and stories and craft them with power and cadence without lifting them from someone else. Someone who can craft them in the voice of the speaker. And while that might not happen in a first or second or third draft when first getting to know a speaker, the speech writer needs to be able to get feedback from the speaker to know what she feels are natural to her and what are not. This is how the speech is massaged to become the speaker's own voice, even though she's had help from someone else.
If Melania's speech writer does exist, I can't imagine how embarrassed she must feel and I'm glad that she seems to have come clean about what happened. And I'm actually impressed if it's true that Trump refused her resignation, accepting that this was a mistake. (I'm sure it won't be made twice.)
But if somehow that speech writer doesn't exist, or Melania's working with someone who hasn't done much with speeches, then I hope she understands the importance of her talks going forward now and she looks for professional help. I like to think that she's an intelligent woman with an ambition to get things done (just as I would hope for any First Lady ... or First Man / Sir??? if a woman became president. And what do you call the First Man if he was already president?) It would be a shame if she came across as less than she is because she couldn't quite put the words together to express her goals.
The whole experience is really a lesson to any professional, though, with his or her moment in the spotlight when it's going to make a political or financial or societal difference. Words can really give someone power. Or they can take that power away.
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