humorous argument

http://www.theonion.com/content/whitehousewar/johnmccain

I've been reading the onion for several years now and I've always thought it was hilarious. This is a funny page that parodies the candidates' views on the issues. I'll just let the page speak for itself. 

article for my letter to the editor

this is the link to the article I have chosen for my letter. It's got great issues on the topic of tax reform. 

http://www.lexisnexis.com:80/us/lnacademic/results/docview/docview.do?docLinkInd=true&risb=21_T4558526012&format=GNBFI&sort=RELEVANCE&startDocNo=1&resultsUrlKey=29_T4558526016&cisb=22_T4558526015&treeMax=true&treeWidth=0&csi=7945&docNo=4

The issues

The issues I wanted to bring to class involve tax reform. I chose this topic because I haven't exactly made up my mind on it; and in my opinion both candidates have good and bad components to their plans. This is an issue that will effect me during this presidency. Both candidates get a lot of support for these issues and it is one of the more talked about concerns of the election.

The issues that matter to me

This is the first presidential election in which I will be voting. The issues are actually starting to affect my life and I'm now finally becoming active in the researching of the two candidates. To begin with, the economic issues will affect me greatly. I won't lie; when I start making my own money I know how much of a concern it will be for me. Also I am concerned about the environment and I want to make the world a better place to live in. I also feel as though health care is a huge issue in everyone's life and should be very carefully researched in this election.

Logos argument

The logos chapter introduces the powers of logical appeals for the human mind. My example is an the most recent Apple ad that represents the new model of iPhone. It's just as simple as it is effective. The home page of www.apple.com displays the new iphone and simply reads "Twice as fast. Half the Price." This appeals to the practical consumer immediately. If anyone had any reservations about buying the iphone before because of its hefty price tag, that problem is solved, and just as a bonus the phone is better too. Arguments using the appeal of logos have a strong advantage with them because they're usually based on facts; which of course are irrefutable. 

Ethos and Pathos

The chapter called Arguments based on Character, or Ethos, mostly uses political examples to illustrate the point. It discusses John Kerry's past with Vietnam, which I think is an ethical debate amongst the American people in general. His issues with the past in Vietnam were a fairly substantial issue during the 2004 election and it's the American people's ethics which made that so. The other chapter is about emotional appeals, or pathos, and in my opinion is the most prominant and effective of the appeals. An argument can be funny, sad, happy, enraging, or many other emotional distinctions; but they all affect people in different ways. The most engaging ad for me was the American flag with some of our most prominant corporate icons in place of our stars. It comments on the priorities of our country and questions that which we hold so dear to us.

First post

Hey class.

I'm Charles Bridwell and I'm from Abilene Texas and I'm pumped about this class. I have much interest in this election and it's a great theme for the class.