Former Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper seemed to swipe a phrase from former President Barack Obama in his 2020 campaign announcement video.
Hickenlooper, the latest Democrat to join a crowded 2020 field, called for “progressive change” in Washington and promised in his video to directly challenge President Donald Trump.
“I’m running for president because we’re facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for,” Hickenlooper narrated over a photo of Trump. “Standing tall when it matters is one of the things that really drives me.”
However, when talking about his personal history, Hickenlooper used a phrase that sounded oddly similar to something Obama said during his 2004 national debut while running for Senate in Illinois. (RELATED: Former Colorado Governor Joins Growing List Of 2020 Dem Hopefuls)
WATCH:
Hickenlooper asserted, “As a skinny kid with Coke-bottle glasses and a funny last name, I’ve stood up to my fair share of bullies.”
Obama rallied Democrats at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston with a similar testimony about himself. According to an article about the speech from the Associated Press, “[Obama] drew laughter and applause with a reference to himself as ‘a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.'”
Obama’s 2004 speech was widely touted as the moment he became a rising star in the Democratic Party, and his quip about being the “skinny kid with a funny name” became one of the standout lines from the address.
Stay for the not-so-subtle Obama imitation 0:40 in:
“As a skinny kid with Coke-bottle glasses and a funny last name.”
— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) March 4, 2019