Obama & Patrick, Both Speak From The Same Consultant.
Governor Deval Patrick and Senator Barack Obama parrot each other's political rhetoric so much, it's hard to tell who had the original thought and who is copying whom. But a closer examination shows both are reading recycled talking points fed to them by the same political consultant.
"Its confusing because you start to wonder if Patrick is plagiarizing Obama or vice versa, but then you realize both are repeating the same lines from the same political consultant and hoping no one will notice," said Robert Willington, Executive Director of the MassGOP.
David Axelrod, Obama Chief Strategist, “Guided” Patrick’s Gubernatorial Campaign:
Chicago Political Strategist David Axelrod, A Top Adviser For Obama’s Presidential Campaign, Guided Both Obama’s Senate Campaign And Patrick’s Gubernatorial Bid. “The man who has honed that message for both candidates is veteran Chicago political strategist David Axelrod, who guided Obama's Senate campaign and Patrick's gubernatorial bid and is now a top strategist on Obama's presidential effort.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
Obama And Gov. Deval Patrick Use Similar Themes, Messages, And Even The Same Lines:
Obama’s Campaign Has Borrowed “Themes, Messages, And Even Specific Lines” From Patrick’s Gubernatorial Campaign. “In the midst of his improbable run for office, Obama and his advisers have evidently studied Patrick's up-from-nowhere victory in Massachusetts and are borrowing themes, messages, and even specific lines for the presidential campaign.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
- “‘We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’ -- just words,’ Patrick said at a rally in Roxbury right before Election Day. ‘‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself' -- just words. . . . 'I have a dream' -- just words. They're all just words.’ The crowd erupted as it got Patrick's point about the power of language. But perhaps no one at the rally understood the point better than Barack Obama, who had joined him on stage that night.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
- “Not five months later, Obama, his presidential campaign gaining steam, had this to say about legendary Chicago organizer Saul Alinsky in The New Republic: ‘Sometimes the tendency in community organizing of the sort done by Alinsky was to downplay the power of words and of ideas when in fact ideas and words are pretty powerful. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, all men are created equal.’ Those are just words. ‘I have a dream.’ Just words.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
- Patrick Called On Democrats “To Take A Chance Not On Me, But On Your Own Hopes And Aspirations.” At another rally with Obama last year, at the Hynes Convention Center in June, Patrick told supporters that the gubernatorial election was not about him, encouraging them to ‘take a chance not on me but on your own hopes and aspirations.’ Two days later, at the state Democratic Convention, he said, ‘Our cause succeeds only if you see this not as my campaign, but as ours -- not as my chance to be governor, but your chance to rebuild your community.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
- Obama Told Democrats That His Campaign “Can’t Only Be About Me.” “It's a theme Obama revisited on a frigid February day in Springfield, Ill., as he launched his presidential bid. ‘That is why this campaign can't only be about me,’ he said. ‘It must be about us -- it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. . . . This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
Chairman Of The Massachusetts Democrat Party On Obama’s 2007 DNC Winter Meeting Speech: “We Could Have Closed Our Eyes When Obama Spoke [And] It Could Have Been Deval.” “When a delegation of Massachusetts Democrats heard Obama speak at the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting in Washington in February, they could trace the thread, said state Democratic Party chairman Philip W. Johnston. ‘We all said that we could have closed our eyes when Obama spoke [and] it could have been Deval,’ Johnston said. ‘To us it was a similar kind of message. It's a message that transcends partisan politics.’” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
Obama’s Campaign Is Criticized For Lacking Substance, Just Like Patrick’s
“If The Plaudits For Obama And Patrick As Campaigners Are Similar, So Are The Criticisms. Obama Is Facing The Same Charge Patrick Did Last Year: That He's Long On Atmospherics And Short On Specifics.” (Scott Helman, “Patrick, Obama Campaigns Share Language Of 'Hope',” The Boston Globe, 4/16/07)
|