ToW #1 - "Trump's Sexist Strategy Gets Assist from Matt Lauer"

On September 8, Peggy Drexler of CNN News wrote an article about Donald Trump. The article, titled “Trump’s Sexist Strategy Gets Assist from Matt Lauer,” focuses on how Trump has been using sexism to benefit in the 2016 presidential nominations, and how he now has support from Matt Lauer, host of a live forum on NBC. Drexler explains how both Clinton and Trump were questioned in the interview, though Lauer seemed to challenge Clinton more and gave her less time to defend herself. Drexler first starts the article by explaining the situation and, afterwards, she gives evidence of the speculation of Lauer’s equality in the interview by referring to social media. She quotes many tweets, including one from an aide to President Obama. Drexler, assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University and gender study scholar at Stanford University, wrote the article to inform readers of Trump’s sexism and Lauer’s support of this and to argue about his campaigning strategies.

                To achieve this purpose, Drexler develops a strong tone. She uses her examples and diction to create a tone that is colloquial and sarcastic yet aggressive. She allows her feelings of the Republican candidate to shine through her words. Her curt sentences, such as “As offensive as this sexism is, it’s not new,” illuminate her anger and present her information to her audience in a dramatic, almost suspenseful, way. This leaves her readers enchanted with what she has to say as the drama reels them in as well as walking away angry with Trump, thus lessening the support for Trump.

                In another effort to lessen support for Trump, Drexel includes graphics in her articles. She adds in recordings of phone calls, speeches, and even pictures of tweets that prove what she claims in the article is true, building her credibility. If the tone proves too aggressive for some, the graphics prove that she has a right to feel this way and discredit many counter arguments.

                Although my own bias might cloud my opinion, I enjoyed Drexler’s work and recognized how her rhetoric devices made a strong, coherent article. 

Article URL - http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/opinions/trump-gender-sexism-drexler/index.html

Article Citation - Drexler, Peggy. "Trump's Sexist Strategy Got Help from Lauer." CNN. Cable News Network, 8 Sept. 2016. Web. 11 Sept. 2016.