The vice presidential debate is currently underway on all of the major news networks, and the most obvious connection to class topics I could see right away was the way in which the candidates debated - sometimes according to the Toulmin method, often times not. I'm not going to say who was right or wrong or inject my opinion of policy, but I think it's pretty clear the two types of arguing, so far, are pretty different. For those who are watching/have watched the debate, what do you think of each candidates style and techniques? Who do you see as more effective in convincing the American public? Do you see warrants, backings, rebuttals, or any other elements besides a claim and support in their arguments? I generally see Palin as a more emotional arguer, while Biden has so far employed the use of facts and statistics (correct facts, I presume). Your thoughts?
-Colin
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Describing Palin's statements as a pathetic emotional plea is more opinion than logic. The main point of much of what she said was to show that she is one of "us", not an elite Washington insider. Biden often tried to use statistics and numbers to attempt to make his point to the public, while this is more effective against an intellectual audience (I'll assume that's what this class is), it flies right over the head of the common person. That's why it's so effective for Obama/Biden to point to the last 8 years and say, if you don't want more of this, vote for us. Of course that will resonate emotionally with the people, but it does in no way explore the facts in understanding why these 8 years have been the way they have been.
On the point of them using the Toulmin method, it's much easier for the common person to understand absolutes than shades of gray.
(Both of them got laughs out of the audience, by the way.)
-Michael
When I wrote this, only Biden had gotten a laugh. But aside from the word pathetic, emotional plea was employed by both of them, Palin just used it much more.Palin mainly attempted, as you stated, to prove to the people that she is one of them. For instance, she used words like "hockey mom", whereas Biden used the more detached "middle class."
Biden was predominantly, as stated many times, fact based. But talking about his hometowns like Scranton and his local garage station worker, sure also carry emotional power.
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