February 19, 2008
I am not big on conspiracy theories, but there is a nagging question in my mind about the "plagiarism" charges floating around these days.
The explanation given by both parties, is that the words/concept were gratuitously offered by the Governor to the Candidate. This explanation falls flat no matter how many times it is repeated. Thus, we are left to ask, since this does not hold water, then Why?.
To order to understand this odd "gift"we can begin with another question which is, how well do these two know each other? Well enough for the Governor (in claimed frequent exchanges) to have shared super successful campaign oratory techniques from a speech in January of 2006 with a State Senator from Illinois to be used in February 2008?
To satisfy my curiosity, I did a cursory research of their lives which shows Patrick to be born in Chicago in July 1956; and Obama in Hawaii in August 1961. A review of their bios shows that they apparently never both worked for the same organization in the same city. Patrick graduated from Harvard (undergrad) in 1978 and from Harvard Law School in 1982. Obama graduated from Columbia (undergrad) in 1983 and from Harvard Law in 1991.
Between Columbia and Harvard, Obama lived in Chicago while during this same time period Patrick was becoming a successful attorney in New York and Boston. They did not travel in the same circle let alone the same world.
In the later years Patrick was a senior attorney: in Washington (Dept of Justice); then with Texaco and finally with Coca Cola before seeking the Governorship.
During this time period Obama was in Chicago working with the underprivileged, teaching and being an Illinois State Senator.
Since the answer to"how well" does not pop up , we are left to ponder. Could Patrick have decided to be gracious to a (potential/future President of the US) for other, and perhaps personal reasons? Would he have foreseen benefits to Massachusetts from an Obama Administration? A Cabinet Post? An Ambassadorship? Maybe a rigorous investigation by the Press will shed more light and answer the question.
As they say, politics make strange bedfellows. Maybe there is a special level of generosity between Harvard Law School graduates.