Monday, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid confidently claimed that he and the rest of the Democratic party would not hesitate to change filibuster rules again. This claim comes after the recent remarks made by Republican Senator John McCain. Harry Reid predicted confidently that if his party regained control of the upper chamber, the filibuster against confirmation of appointees to the high court would quickly become a thing of the past. It’s worth noting that while Reid won’t be in the Senate to make that decision, when it comes to this topic, he is a very credible, informed source.
Rhetorical Implications
Not surprisingly, there are a number of implications that come with such claims. Rhetorically speaking, Reid has set himself up nicely with a quality counterargument. By using language to frame his and the rest of his party’s opinion, he has successfully placed himself in a good position. At the core of any quality piece of rhetoric is persuasion. “I really do believe that I have set the Senate so when I leave, we’re going to be able to get judges done with a majority,” Reid said. He is persuading his audience that he has done his job and that the Senate has been set to his liking. All things considered, rhetorically speaking, he is in good shape.
Final Thoughts
It was important that a major political figure respond to John McCain’s recent claims. Harry Reid proved to be the man for the job and his party is likely proud of it. It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out moving forward. Whether our next president is Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, there’s no denying the fact that the Supreme Court will likely see some significant changes.
I really like the way you set up this blog post, the counterargument example of rhetoric was a great choice too. It was nice to see rhetoric surrounding the supreme court that isn’t centered around current candidates in the presidential election. The supreme court will see a lot of changes with either presidency. Harry Reid also used the strategy of identification to create a common ground with his audience when he was talking about his beliefs of the judges when he leaves. Great post overall!
I really enjoyed your take on Harry Reid’s comments and the rhetorical implications of the comments made surrounding the Supreme Court. I think your analysis of his persuasion was on point and you did a great job of articulating yourself and presenting a fair and equal argument. Great job!
I appreciate how concise and clear you were while explaining the rhetoric surrounding McCain and Reid. By laying out first what was stated and later the implications and consequences that follow, it allows for a comprehensive understanding of the discourse. You presented a strong argument as well, as I enjoyed the discussion surrounding people outside of Trump and Clinton as we can get a glimpse into the political arena outside of the major media topics. Overall, great work!