Quick Quips

The comic in The New York Times by Gary Markstein is of a woman and a man sitting at home watching the presidential debate and the man says, "Are you scoring the candidates on their responses?" The woman responds, "Yep. Best quip, zinger, sound bite and who's more likeable..."(pg. 2 Times). The argument being made here is that many Americans who watch the debate look more at flaws and criticisms than at what the candidates are trying to say. The comic really appeals to any American because it is portrayed as funny, and its purpose is to show how some people aren't truly as informed as others on the candidates views, just on their comebacks and mess-ups. The way this comic persuades others is that it appeals to everyone and people know that this is a common situation that isn't necessarily said out loud. It is an unspoken truth, and that grabs people's attention. Maybe this will persuade others to become more educated on the matters at hand with these candidates. The issue that is ignored is: what about the people who really are informed? Are they the only ones entitled to a legitimate opinion? Because this is America and anyone over 18 has the right to vote, anyone can. This argument is successful because it catches the attention of it's viewers and has the possibility to get people more educated on the election, or at least be less quick to judge without knowledge. I do realize that I was supposed to select an essay of sorts, but this Sunday's paper had this comic and I thought it presented a compelling argument on the common American.