Close Reading #2

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/17/how-not-to-choose-a-president/

       As we approach the election of 2012, the decision of who to vote for becomes increasingly eminent. How Not to Choose a President by Gary Gutting explains how people make this decision based on the wrong criteria every election. Firstly, Gutting's timing for his article fits perfectly, with the 2012 presidential election just around the corner. The election is already on everyone's mind, thus makes the article relevant to more people. Gutting begins his article by not taking any type of political opinion, so that those voters already devoted to one political party are not deterred by his article. Gutting considers his audience, knowing that politics can be a touchy topic for most. This lack of details helps the article stay applicable to a wider audience. In addition to a lack of details in some areas, the author also uses specifics to help emphasize his point--a presidency is influenced mostly by fate. He uses the example of bin Laden's death under Obama's term in office: "was it the president's careful judgement and planning, or just luck that things worked out for the SEAL unit raid?" 
     At the start of the article, it mentions how, unlike us, the Greeks acknowledge fate when choosing a leader. Both Achilles and Hector exhibited flaws in their leadership, but nonetheless are known as some of the greatest leaders of all time. Gutting explains how we "are more inclined to speak of luck or chance... but too seldom invoke either to explain why things go wrong for politicians." 
     In addition to relating the campaign to Greek mythology, the author relates the presidential race to "a faulty analogy between politics and competitive sports." Gutting uses figurative language to help the readers understand what Gutting believes is wrong in the way we vote. He continues to say "A team or player gets credit for a win even if their opponent was clearly superior and lost only from terrible luck... In a society that regards training in sports as training for life, it is easy to start thinking of any competitive situation as a sporting event" similarly to how president Obama is associated with the fluctuating economic situation: any decline in employment is the president's fault, and any increase is his doing, even though in actuality, it may have very little to do with him.  
     Lastly, Gutting employs the use of questions in his article, often asking the reader why? or what alternatives are there? This use of syntax helps engage the reader in the article, and make the article leave a more memorable impact.