Running Head: 50 VETOES: THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW

Rhetorical Anal !i! o" 50 Vetoe!: Ho# State! Can Sto$ The O%a&a Health Care La# Laurence Loi!elle 'ni(er!it o" Te)a! at El *a!o

50 VETOES: THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW

Introduction Since Barac, O%a&a #a! elected $re!ident o" the 'nited State! o" A&erica- hi! $olicie!la#! and a$$earance! ha(e all %een docu&ented- di!cu!!ed and re(i!ed. One o" hi! &o!t de%ated $olic i! the $u%lic health care re"or& or O%a&a Care. 50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop the Obama Health Care Law % Michael /. Cannon i! a !tud "unded % the CATO 0n!titute #hich ha! "or goal to $er!uade it! reader to !to$ O%a&a Care and to in"or& the& o" the &ean! a(aila%le to achie(e it. To deter&ine #hether or not Cannon1! agenda #a! &et- an anal !i! o" the audience- $ur$o!e and rhetorical a$$eal! u!ed % the author i! re2uired. Audience and Purpose The CATO 0n!titute i! a non3go(ern&ent "ounded organi4ation that de!cri%e! it!el" a! a: 5$u%lic $olic re!earch organi4ation 6 a thin, tan, 7 dedicated to the $rinci$le! o" indi(idual li%ert - li&ited go(ern&ent- "ree &ar,et! and $eace.8 9###.cato.org- +01:; The in!titute ha! "or $ur$o!e to in"or& the $eo$le o" $u%lic i!!ue! in di""erent "ield!. One o" the &e&%er! o" CATO i! Michael /. Cannon- the <irector o" $u%lic health $olic !tudie! at the 0n!titute and the author o" 50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop The Obama Health Care Law- #hich i! addre!!ed to the !u$$orter! o" the idea! o" !&all go(ern&ent and ca$itali!&- =u!t a! the de!cri$tion o" CATO !tate! it. All the "act! contained in Cannon1! article are again!t O%a&a Care- &eaning there i! no in"or&ation a%out the %ene"it! o" the re"or&- #hich lead! to the a!!u&$tion that the target audience alread agree! #ith Cannon1! !et o" idea!. The audience !co$e can al!o %e reduced to lo# or &iddle cla!! ta)$a er!- the article i! centered around the econo&ic i&$act the O%a&a Health Care E)change #ill ha(e on the& 9Cannon- +01:- $.1;. The na&e o" the article al!o gi(e! a hint o" the target audience- a! Cannon !tate! it- onl thirt 3"our !tate! ha(e (etoed O%a&a Care %ut the article i! titled 50 Vetoe! 9Cannon- +01:- $.1;. /ro& tho!e o%!er(ation!- it can %e in"erred

50 VETOES: THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW

that the article i! &ainl "ocu!ed on in"luencing the lo# or &iddle cla!! ta)$a er!- #ho %elie(e in !&all go(ern&ent and the "ree &ar,et- o" the re&aining !i)teen !tate!. >u!t a! "or the audience- the $ur$o!e o" the article can %e deduced "ro& the na&e o" Cannon1! !tud . A! !tated in the title- the author1! goal i! to in"or& the reader! o" the re!ource! a(aila%le "or !to$$ing the O%a&a Health Care la#. Although the title o" Cannon1! !tud i! re(ealing o" it! $ur$o!e- it cannot %e i&$lied that it i! the onl goal o" thi! article. A large $art o" 50 Vetoe!- !e(en $age! and t#o diagra&!- i! !$ent tr ing to con(ince it! reader! o" #h O%a&a Care i! not the an!#er. The !$eci"ic !ection o" the article re"erred to i! actuall called- 5Wh State! Should Re=ect E)change!8 9Cannon- $.5;- an elo2uent !u%title that catche! the attention o" the reader. Logos, Ethos and Pathos Although it i! i&$ortant "or an in"or&ati(e article to catch the e e o" it! reader!- it i! e(en &ore e!!ential to $ro(ide the& #ith &eaning"ul "act!. Thi! $roce!! can %e de!cri%ed a! the u!e o" logo! or logic. Cannon1! article i! "illed #ith nu&erou! !ource! to !u$$ort hi! !tate&ent!- %ut !o&e are 2ue!tiona%le. /or e)a&$le- thirt o" Cannon1! re"erence! #ere to hi! o#n #or, or to other !tudie! !$on!ored % the CATO 0n!titute 9Cannon- +01:- $.?+35@;- #here he currentl act! a! the director o" $u%lic health $olic !tudie!. 0t could %e argued that the!e re"erence! are con"licting #ith the idea o" o%=ecti(it . Ho# doe! the reader ,no# i" the $re(iou! article! #ere %a!ed on relia%le !ource!A 0n thi! ca!e- the u!e o" logo! i! not e""icient %ecau!e the !tudie! u!ed to %uild thi! article1! credi%ilit are not !el"3!u""icientB &ore re!earch i! needed to clari" the origin o" the in"or&ation. A!ide "ro& the con"lict o" intere!t o" !o&e o" Cannon1! e(idence- &o!t o" the cited !ource! are #ell ,no#n- or are at lea!t- not related to the author or CATO 0n!titute. Another

50 VETOES: THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW

a!$ect o" logo! u!ed in 50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop The Obama Health Care Law are the chart! and diagra&!. Mo!t o" the ti&e- the!e gra$hic re$re!entation! o" the author1! re&ar,! are hel$"ul to the reader. Cra$h!- ta%le!- "igure! and diagra&! are all !trategicall $laced clo!e to related idea! to !u$$ort and rein"orce the te)t 9Cannon- +01:- $.+- @- 1+- 1D- +0- +5- :@E :D;. Blac, and #hite #a! cho!en o(er colored gra$hic re$re!entation!- #hich hel$! e!ta%li!hing logo!. Color! could ha(e di!tracted the reader! "ro& the in"or&ation or a""ected the credi%ilit o" the re!ult!. Etho! i! #hat e!ta%li!he! credi%ilit in an article. The genre cho!en % Cannon hel$! rein"orce the relia%ilit o" hi! !tud . The &i)ture o" the in"or&ati(e- al&o!t !cienti"ic tone and the u!e o" !$eciali4ed language rein"orced Cannon1! idea and tru!t#orthine!!. Word! !uch a!"unding- re(enue!- co(erage- Medicaid- Su$re&e Court and Act! #ere co&&onl e&$lo ed % the author- !ho#ing a dee$ under!tanding o" hi! to$ic- thu! rein"orcing hi! etho!. The onl i!!ue #ith Cannon1! etho! i! that the #e%!ite on #hich the !tud i! a(aila%le doe! not $ro(ide "act! a%out hi! %ac,ground- or 2uali"ication!. Once again- the reader! ha(e to na(igate through CATO 0n!titute1! !ite to gather a !&all a&ount o" in"or&ation a%out Michael /. Cannon. A!ide "ro& hi! title ha! the <irector o" $u%lic health $olic !tudie! at CATO 0n!titute- other o" hi! article! and a $age #ith hi! na&e under the e)$ert categor - no $roo" o" hi! %elonging to the co&&unit i! $ro(ided. An e)$ert #ithout ,no#n 2uali"ication! cannot %e con!idered a! !uch- #hich =eo$ardi4e! con!idera%l the etho! o" Cannon1! article. A! !tated earlier- Cannon1! u!age o" !$eciali4ed language hel$ed e!ta%li!h hi! etho!- %ut hi! u!e o" $atho!- ha! the o$$o!ite e""ect. The genre cho!en % the author re2uire! an o%=ecti(ee&otionle!! t $e o" #riting to %e e""ecti(e- &eaning that de!cri$ti(e #ord! !hould not %e e&$lo ed. Fuali" ing the O%a&a Health Care la# ha! har&"ul- illegal- and dou%t"ul #ea,en!

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Cannon1! $re(iou! argu&ent! and hi! etho! 9Cannon- +01:- $.1- G;. 50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop The Obama Health Care Law doe! not de&on!trate a "acilit to e&otionall %ond #ith it! reader!- %ut it doe! % u!ing #ord! #ith negati(e connotation!. A! !tated earlier- the genre cho!en % Cannon doe! not allo# a lot o" e&otional in$ut- or $atho!. The article doe! not contain $er!onal anecdote!- #itne!!e! or an t $e o" e&otional a$$eal- %ut it doe! incor$orate !o&e connotati(e language- #hich can %e inter$reted a! $atho!. 0n other genre- the u!e o" the three rhetorical a$$eal! i! con!idered i&$ortant- %ut in thi! ca!ee&otion! or o$inion! are not to %e e)$re!!ed % the author. So&e other e)a&$le! o" #ord! u!ed % Cannon are: un!ta%le- un$o$ular- threat!- than,!- and critical. All o" tho!e e)a&$le! %uilt Cannon1! $atho! and de!tro hi! etho!. Conclusion 0n conclu!ion- Cannon1! audience and $ur$o!e #ere lin,ed- !ince hi! goal #a! to in"luence the la!t !i)teen !tate! to (eto the O%a&a Health Care la# and hi! target audience #a! the con!er(ati(e ta)$a er! o" the!e !tate!. The author1! a$$lication o" logo! #a! #ell &a!teredalthough !o&e !ource! #ere not o%=ecti(e- the nu&%er! o" re"erence! #a! !o e)ten!i(e that tho!e !ource! #ere in!igni"icant. The genre- the tone and the !$eciali4ed language u!ed % Cannon hel$ rein"orce hi! etho!- %ut it cannot %e de!cri%e a! !trong !ince there #ere no in"or&ation a%out hi&- $ro(ing hi! (alue a! an e)$ert. At la!t- there #a! !o&e "or& o" $atho! in Cannon1! article"or e)a&$le- hi! u!e o" connotati(e #ord!. *atho! did hurt Cannon1! argu&ent &ore than it hel$ed con!idering hi! o%(iou! %ia! ruined hi! etho!. /or the &o!t $art- Michael /. Cannon1! 50 Vetoes: How States Can Stop The Obama Health Care Law !ucce!!"ull u!ed hi! cho!en genre to $er!uade the reader! o" (etoing the O%a&a Health Care La#.

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Re"erence! Cannon- M. /. 9+01:;. 50 Vetoe!: Ho# State! Can Sto$ the O%a&a Health Care La#. Wa!hington <.C.: CATO 0n!titute. Retrie(ed "ro& htt$:IIo%=ect.cato.orgI!ite!Icato.orgI"ile!I$u%!I$d"I503(etoe!3#hite3$a$erJ1.$d" CATO 0n!titute 9+01:;. About CATO. Retrie(ed "ro& htt$:II###.cato.orgIa%out