Words, Words, Words, Plagiarism, Plagiarism, Plagiarism

So the Clinton Campaign is jumping on Obama today with mouthpiece Howard Wolfson accusing him of plagiarism and using another politician's words in his speech. And of course the ball is bouncing the way you would expect. Obama supporters say the Clinton campaign is getting desperate (they are) and the Stop Obama folks are trumpeting this, although not that loudly. Of course the news media, desperate for ratings, is going to run with this like it is news or something. And Mr. Bill is running around saying that words won't put food on your table of late and that his candidate/wife offers solutions not words.

Give me a break.

I've been enjoying the NewsGang daily political chats when I get a chance to catch up with them because the folks who call in and talk are having some real fun talking about the campaign, so today's should be fun. I've also had fun watching the media wait anxiously for a story to run with. No one has found one yet, because like the Clinton's everyone thought this would be over on Super Tuesday and the March 4 big primaries are just too far off. Let's hope this isn't what they try to make a story because it is too weak to pass muster. But I'm sure they will try.

The problem is the real debate between Clinton and Obama ended after the one on one sit down debate in LA (I think it was LA.) The two of them calmly stated their positions and where they disagreed. There wasn't much disagreement except on the war and health care. Game over. That's it. No new issues. We've got the differences staked out and they aren't numerous. So, now what do we do, the media asks? This is boring. Unfortunately the candidates have to feed the beast and the media has to feed itself, so we've got to have something going on to pay the bills.

What a shame. Because it looks like it might just degenerate into personalities (actually a lot of this boils down to that anyway) and who can be the most manipulative in playing the media and the electorate. Obama and his supporters are fighting back quite well, and I'm sure the unfortunate transparency the Clinton machine is forced to operate with must be driving them crazy. They can't seem to make a move without it being dissected before the play is called.

If this was what we all hoped it would be, an election based on substance and issues, the Democratic Party would step in and force the two to focus on the differences they've staked out and get a little more specific. But then that would imply leadership existed there and it doesn't. It also implies that the electorate would actually listen to the differences between a mandated health care program and one that isn't. There's too much money to be made from creating a real fight out of nothing on everybody's part. Instead we're now going to focus on style over substance and rhetoric versus results.

At least until the lawyers get unleashed at the convention to fight over what to do with Michigan and Florida.