Analysis of Late-Night Shows Find Favor with GOP Presidential Candidates by Collins - Essay Example

The assumption of the author, in this case, is that the failure to attend morning shows by the candidates is due to their preference for late-night shows. This illustrates that the assumptions of the author are not effective because there is no due consideration of other factors which would cause the politicians to attend the late-night shows as compared to the morning shows. The author would have made his argument effective by considering the fact that the candidates could be having a tight schedule in the morning hours which would not allow them to afford time for the morning shows.

It is notable that the evidence that Scott provides to argue his point is effective as revealed by the examples that he uses of Ricky Perry’s famous memory lapse in Letterman’s late-night show. This style of writing illustrates the author’s ability to involve emotional components in the article so that the memory of the audience is triggered and makes them notice that the candidates are in favor of late-night shows. The description of the issue by author uses a comparative analysis of the current political talk shows with the situation four years ago when the morning talk shows were mandatory for political candidates.

The use of metaphors by the author emphasizes his point effectively as shown by the description of the 2007 morning talk shows when each candidate had to face the “gantlet” (Collins 1). The organization of the article is interesting because the author first gives his argument at the beginning of the article with examples to support his point but the explanation of the late-night talk show preference is given later in the article. The language of the author in describing the late-night shows as compared to the morning shows is full of emotion.

This is illustrated by the description of the late-night shows as more welcoming with their questions branded as softer than that of the morning shows. However, the central point that Scott passes across is that late-night shows are popular because they are more entertaining and popular among the politicians’ target audience. The effectiveness of the article’s organization is illustrated by the fact that at this point of the article, the reader has been convinced by the author’s argument.

The rest of the article is full of examples to support the argument further but the goal of the author seems to have been met already. The credibility of the article is illustrated by the fact that it is a publication within the authoritative Los Angeles Times. Moreover, the author cites credible sources such as the renowned historian Richard Reeves who metaphors the preference of the late-night shows over the grueling morning shows as an act that reveals the "dumbing-down of America" (Collins 1).

Scott further gives illustrations of television presenters and comedians who describe the preference for late-night shows by the presidential candidates to further support his argument. The definitions that Scott gives of a journalist and the emotional component that is illustrated by the presentation of Herman Cain’s sexual harassment scandal by these journalists summarize his argument with profound effectiveness.