October pundit 3
Ross Douthat
"Elizabeth Warren's Health Care Albatross"
The New York Times
Nov. 2 2019
In this column, Ross Douthat begins by discussing the dangers of political parties becoming ideological. He supports this claim by pulling examples from the 2020 election and the 2012 election. Douthat then brings Elizabeth Warren into the mix by claiming that her single payer healthcare plan is just as unrealistic as Republicans' dreams of a flat tax.
Towards the beginning of the column, Douthat makes the bold claim that part of the reason Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election is because she did not run on as much of a centrist platform as her husband did, making Trump look like the more moderate candidate. Aside from this claim being strangely placed, Douthat does not offer any evidence to back it up.
"Elizabeth Warren's Health Care Albatross"
The New York Times
Nov. 2 2019
In this column, Ross Douthat begins by discussing the dangers of political parties becoming ideological. He supports this claim by pulling examples from the 2020 election and the 2012 election. Douthat then brings Elizabeth Warren into the mix by claiming that her single payer healthcare plan is just as unrealistic as Republicans' dreams of a flat tax.
Towards the beginning of the column, Douthat makes the bold claim that part of the reason Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election is because she did not run on as much of a centrist platform as her husband did, making Trump look like the more moderate candidate. Aside from this claim being strangely placed, Douthat does not offer any evidence to back it up.
Mr. Douthat,
ReplyDeleteI understand the point you're trying to make in this column, but the structure of it made it slightly difficult to follow. I also liked your examples you used with your claim that political parties are becoming increasingly ideological.
As you stated in your comment to the author, I too, was confused about the organizational choices the author made. Although Douthat's argument revolves around the idea that ideological political campaigns are more likely to win their elections, the way in which he presents his claims makes it hard for readers to trust his words. If the organizational aspects would have been rearranged more clearly, then the article would have made more sense to readers.
ReplyDeleteI also noticed that Douthat did not provide evidence to back up some of her claims. This did make the piece a bit weak. Also, the structure is odd and difficult to follow. But, including examples from a real-life election was helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe comparison between the 2012 and 2020 election is interesting and one I had never considered. I found this article rather boring to read; Rose Douthat's tone remains very neutral with no passion or drive. Her claims were not well supported with strong connections or abundant evidence. I was also slightly unsure of the intended audience, but I suspected those apart of the Democratic Party.
ReplyDelete