I admit that I've been following the Republican National Convention quite closely this year - and I've found it fascinating. I watched Melania Trump's address, on Monday, 18 July, and I liked it - and I liked her. I thought her best line was "he's the guy." It was disarmingly human.

Then came the controversy on Tuesday morning, 19 July - the discovery that several lines from the speech were copied almost exactly from the First Lady Speech that Michelle Obama gave when her husband was nominated in 2008. The irony was delicious, and so were the desperate attempts from Republican staffers to deny the plagiarism, or to blame it on Hillary Clinton.

But then the explanation, on Wednesday, 20 July. Snopes.com (click) tells the story very well. Meredith McIver, who has worked as a Trump ghost writer since at least 2007, admitted that she wrote Melania's speech and mistakenly included words from the Michelle Obama speech. McIver explained that she had interviewed Melania by phone, and Melania had given her quotes that she admired. McIver confused the Obama quotes with quotes from Melania herself, and included them in the speech. McIver offered to resign, but the Trump campaign did not accept her resignation. In her letter of explanation, McIver says that Melania "has always liked Michelle Obama." I was very pleased to hear that somebody in the Trump machine shares my admiration for Michelle Obama.

So, I still like Melania - not that I had any impression of her at all before the convention. The speech was a very human thing, and the mistake was a very human thing.

-Joe-