Ted Hughes Rhetorical Devices

In his blog post, Sean Patrick Hughes discusses his concern over the election by arguing that a Donald Trump presidency could be a significant barrier to the fight against division in our country. He begins his post by clearing articulating where his view is coming from; he is not a “safe space, social crusader,” but rather identifies as “someone with conservative values” who loves God, his family, and his guns. The first paragraph is entirely dedicated to establishing ethos because he understands that to effectively argue to his audience, they must not instantly write him off as a “leftist cry baby” or a “right-wing nut job,” as is so common in many opinion pieces relating to the election. The next paragraphs are dedicated to providing a background
That is where America enters the story. Hughes claims that the first real effort to eliminate these divisions were made in our country about 50 years ago, with slow, albeit forward progress occurring ever since. His primary claim in the article is that America, perhaps for the first time in the past half century, took a step backwards in our quest for unity. Unlike many journalists, Hughes made no personal attacks against any group of voters, but rather explained that their choice, whether they believe so or not, impeded what many have been fighting for their entire lives. That push for progress will not be stopped by the “Trump Train,” as these minorities have so much more at stake than lower-class white Americans who cling to promises for “change,” when in reality, the change they hope for is backwards progress. Hughes concludes by challenging the idea of modern conservatism is mutually exclusive with decent treatment of all people, and calls on conservatives to reflect on what their values truly