Rhetorical Analysis

Words: 1249
Pages: 5

After a week of contemplation, I decided to choose Thomas Friedman and Ben Shapiro as the columnists I would read and analyze during this two month time frame. Friedman, of The New York Times, focused his attention on the election process and the presidency of Donald Trump, critiquing his campaign journey and his apparent “insufficient qualification” for the presidency. On the other hand, Ben Shapiro, of The Daily Wire, wrote about the Democratic and Republican Parties from a Conservative point of view and also focused on the campaign and election of Donald Trump. I felt drawn to these authors upon first read due to their extremely Conservative and Liberal views, each providing his opinion through the lens of his party, and also due to the …show more content…
There was harsh criticism present in his columns such as in “Trump’s Approach: A Fresh Start or Crazy Reckless?” but he managed to keep himself from employing derogatory language. In each of his last columns over the election season, Friedman’s message has been centered around rallying Americans to vote for candidates other than Trump, and criticism over how Trump’s first days in office have gone. Trump was the primary subject, though foreign affairs and the technology age were briefly mentioned by the author. Moreover, all of his arguments were achieved through a liberal bias, partly explaining why he has a strong level of distaste for Trump (possibly). In my experiences with reading Friedman, I have been able to develop a deeper understanding of the liberal side of the partisan argument, as I associate myself with Conservatives, being better acquainted with the ideology associated with such views. I have also been able to clearly understand how much contrast there can be between Americans regarding their opinions about politicians, as influenced by their political views. Furthermore, reading and analyzing Friedman has equipped me with the ability to peruse through a text without skewing the author’s argument by applying my own bias in analysis, and has highlighted my interest in reading columns that may include stances …show more content…
This column focuses on the expectations to consider out of Trump as he begins his presidency. Largely viewing Trump as an unfit candidate, Shapiro organizes his column by questioning whether Trump will meet the standards demanded out of him as president. In addition, Shapiro tends to be neutral regarding Trump’s political views but constantly brings up the possibility of Trump backsliding on his promises, judging him based on the character traits he displayed during his campaign. I enjoyed this article principally because Shapiro leaves most of his political bias behind, even disregarding that Trump belongs to the same political party, and provides a negative portrayal of him instead. As Trump was nominated by the Republican Party for president, Shapiro’s attitude is especially surprising because Shapiro spoke in previous columns about the crucial need for a Republican president during this election cycle, saying that this election was “the most important in modern history.” He disregards the reality that his wish has been fulfilled and takes the spot as the devil’s advocate, as he does in many of his