Paper Topics Post

Well, paper topic. Because I only have one. Get it? Yeah...

I know that ethos, pathos and logos have become my favorite buzzword terms in the last few weeks, but I really do think that those are the best places to start when analyzing a speech. I have been particularly fond of pathos as an analytic tool, but today I think logos is the more important aspect of these speeches to the National Conventions by Clint Eastwood and Bill Clinton. The credentials of these two speakers are impressive, but the unspoken aspects they bring with them pack more of a punch.

My paper topic: An analysis of Bill Clinton and Clint Eastwood’s speeches to the National Conventions with attention to the reasons they were chosen to speak, the topics they addressed, the audiences they spoke to and their individual rhetorical strategies.

Also, I am clearly the best at blogging. I did this assignment at 1 o'clock this afternoon and remembered that we needed to blog about it at 11:54. Student fail.

Why Every Woman in America Should Vote For Mitt Romney - Courtesy of the Republican Party

So I found this article on the internet and I just had to take a look at it, because my soapbox issue this election has been "Why would any woman vote for Mitt Romney?"

This article seemed intended to answer that very question. What it actually did is laud Mitt Romney's accomplishments (which had not impressed me to date) and explain, using enthymeme (and actual statement), why he is clearly the superior choice to President Obama.

The conversation went something like this:
Article: Women marry for Status.
Article: Mitt Romney has money, class and (because of his numerous sons and grandsons) superior DNA.
Ideal Reader: Clearly, Senator Romney should be the more attractive candidate for women because he can provide for every female in the country like a good, upstanding man should when elected to office.

To quote one memorable passage following the author's commendation on Romney's superior reproductive abilities (again, because masculine success in measured in male heirs - not stated but understood within the article):

Professor Obama? Two daughters. May as well give the guy a cardigan. And fallopian tubes.

So, to recap, this article doesn't even use enthymeme half of the time, it completes its own syllogisms in almost every case.

Women like powerful men. Romney is an alpha-male. Women should vote for Romney. (With an attractive side dish of: Obama is practically a woman.) (this also begs the question: By this logic, shouldn't Obama vote for Romney?)

The articles biggest misstep in my opinion: it assumes that I don't want a president with Fallopian tubes.

A Friendly Reminder From The Obama Campaign

Alternative title: The Quote That Will Haunt Mitt Romney To The Political Grave

Just some tidbits I found from here.

Advantages to a Digital Life

So, to reprise my piece of presidential rhetoric, I give you the Obama campaign's online voter registration tool.

For the p[purposes of Aristotle's definitions, I submit that this piece of rhetoric is representative of pathos on behalf of the audience and logos on behalf of the campaign itself. The widget has been popping up over a variety of websites I frequent (I took this screenshot from Tumblr) and clearly the response from the internet has been one of derision that Romney "doesn't want" their vote, while Obama is reaching out for it. I suspect that the Obama campaign wanted exactly this reaction, to encourage young voters to come out in unprecedented numbers for this election.

I definitely see opposites in this piece, although they are unspoken, that the Obama campaign is looking where the Romney campaign will not for voters.

Topic eight also applies (from varied meanings), although discreetly. The message is innocuous enough that even a young voter from a conservative household would find it benign and unassuming, because the alternative is to suggest that it should not be easy to register to vote and, at least externally, that is not an opinion anyone wants to tie their name to.

Overall, I like this piece of rhetoric for its unassuming nature and excellent message. Vote on, America!

Aristotle and the Great Question of Socrates

So, my reading question for Friday is this: How did this evolution of rational thought come about, from one philosopher to the next?

Possibly Socrates and at the very least Plato had some very clear and non-negotiable ideas about what rhetoric was and what it meant. How did Aristotle rationalize himself so far from his mentors?

If nothing else, is't it cool how they were learning and discovering at a time when it was still socially acceptable to out argue your professor in public and gain recognition for your discovery? I like it.

This was the ONLY reminder of Sept. 11th I found yesterday. No one said anything to me during the day, no one mentioned sacrifice or remembrance, but there's always that one reminder. Should we ever let it go? Is it healthy to keep thrusting these images back into the public eye? Does it help us heal or keep the wound open?

Also, it is now possible to register to vote online, courtesy of Obama for America. The Obama campaign could draw a great deal of strength from the young people on the internet and it is actively seeking and motivating them.

Also: Obama has a Tumblr! I would kill to be the intern in the White House in charge of keeping that up to date.

Okay, dear classmates, I've been scouring the depths of the internet for hours looking for something not too blatantly political. This is a sign that I have totally given up.

Enjoy!

Welcome to my Strange Designs

 I hope, for your sake, that you enjoy this hyper-condensed, book jacket blurb filled with the few things I can remember to say about myself that someone else might find interesting, at least more than I enjoyed writing it. Lord knows, it won't be hard.

Bio Draft 7,834:
Things about me you might find interesting:

1. I like to write. That, I hope was obvious from my major and concentration. Someday I plan on writing books. (or rather, on publishing books, the writing part isn't time sensitive).

2. It hopefully follows that I also like to read. I read almost anything and I like talking to people about the things I've read almost as much as I enjoy the reading itself.

3. I'm kind-of-sort-of athletic. In the sense that I am an athlete, I mean. I throw the hammer for our schools track team and I've been a member of competitive track teams for 10 years now. This also means that I work out a lot and don't get as much sleep as I probably should, not that I would anyway. So often when you see me I will be either cripplingly sore or sleep-deprived grumpy. Occasionally, I will be both. Handle with care on these days.

4. I do too much stuff. I get bored if I don't take on enough projects, so, to compensate, I take on too many and then try to make the best of it. Sometimes this means that in addition to being sore and grumpy I'm also stressed out. If at all possible, don't handle at all during those times. Later in the semester hysterical crying may ensue (although almost never in public). In these trying situations it is best for you to sit back and make yourself as small as possible. Sort of like a bear attack.

5. I really love all the stuff I do. Track and the writing major and Read This are all important to me. Sometimes, they are more important than sleeping. Like books, if I can corner an unsuspecting individual I will talk to them for hours on these subjects.

Beware and thanks for your time,
Mary