There is a recent flurry of political activity in Colorado higher than what many would consider normal. Denver’s previous mayor recently became governor of Colorado, a new secretary of state (Scott Gessler) was just elected, as well as a new treasurer (Walker Stapleton). In local politics, there seems to be a recent trend of working part time jobs in addition to the job a particular politician was elected for. Gessler plans to work five hours per week moonlighting for his previous law firm; Stapleton will be consulting for his previous firm as well; Attorney General John Suthers is a part-time law professor at both the University of Denver and University of Colorado- Colorado Springs. It is possible that the pay state officials receive is too low. Unfortunately, this relatively low pay leads to less time spent working on local political affairs which need to be addressed. A full-time economic director is a possible necessity given the state of the job market (The Denver Post, 2011). The editors of The Denver Post tackled the issue of payment of elected state officials in relation to the amount of time they are spending doing the job they were elected to perform. Throughout the editorial, Colorado needs full-time leaders, the editors address the issue in a way that keeps the concept relevant and important to the citizens of Colorado.
“If you haven't been warned, Scott Gessler Syndrome continues to spread across Colorado. And there's no cure in sight,” (The Denver Post, 2011). The opening line of the editorial vaguely introduces the subject at hand in a way that all people can relate to. Epidemics of disease are concepts that Colorado (and extending to global) citizens can understand and this analogy of politics to disease makes this connection. Immediately, the authors of this editorial address the current problem with a twist on wording to pull in the audience quickly and effectively. Throughout the editorial, the authors use common language in order to make a little light of the situation and make relevant comparisons to what is actually occurring with the politicians. For example, the phrase “It beats cleaning gutters, anyway,” (The Denver Post, 2011) is used to compare and explain Gessler’s statement that he would moonlight for his previous firm. Here he would be making somewhere around $22,000 annually for only five hours per week of work. Another example surfaces when discussing Dwayne Romero. Instead of working full time as leader of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, he will work four day weeks and then travel to Aspen – “yeah, Aspen” (The Denver Post, 2011) – to moonlight for his old investment firm. The phrase, “yeah, Aspen,” addresses a commonplace that Coloradans tend to hold about money. Coloradans are aware and believe that Aspen is an expensive and luxurious mountain town reserved for those with money enough to pay for its high priced goods and activities. As with the previous examples, this phrase provides a connection the reader can make between one concept and another regarding pay. Finally, the closing sentence of the editorial introduces a maxim to effectively make the point that pay needs to be considered in order to ensure that the state government is using as much time as possible to work on state affairs: “Someone needs to be around the Capitol at night to turn off the lights,” (The Denver Post, 2011). Each of the aforementioned phrases aid in the communication from writer to reader of the main point of the article. They each help to support the argument in a way that does not blatantly state it, but still sends the message.
The phrases used throughout the editorial help to build the ethos of the editors. By using casual maxims and wording styles, the writers provide a sense of approachableness to the reader. This tactic makes the reader feel more comfortable through the reading process as well as more connected to the theme of the article. To establish further confidence in the readers, the editors used real examples and numbers when backing up their argument. Each time the editors addressed payment of each politician they presented the numbers each would be earning. This shows that the editors researched the topic significantly therefore giving them credibility and reliability when it comes to the information they provide.
There have been several changes to Colorado state government recently in terms of newly elected officials and these recent changes have and can lead to further alterations or continued mistakes. The opening line gives the reader a sense that the political scene in Colorado is starting to become a bit corrupt, or at least problematic, and that something needs to be done about it. Through the language used in the editorial, particularly in the first two sentences, the editors appeal to kairos very effectively. The authors demonstrate the currency of the issue by stating how recent each of the elections and appointments are and that the plans for each of the mentioned politicians are currently in the works or are already in play. The authors also bring up the issue of underpay, to which they stated would be addressed in January 30th’s Sunday Perspective. This implies the notion that the issue is ongoing and will still need to be addressed at later dates. Finally, the authors address the issue of the current economic status of the country in relation to difficulty of finding jobs; an issue that most Americans are concerned about and hope to find a solution to sooner rather than later. From the very beginning of the editorial to the very end, the authors are sure to imply the urgency of the matter at hand.
The problem to which the editors are speaking as well as the argument they support is introduced quickly and effectively through use of maxims, common language, evidence, explanations, commonplaces, and strong appeal to kairos. Through these tools, the authors were able to communicate their stance as well as the issue at hand in a way that was easy for the readers to understand and relate to.
Works cited
The Denver Post. (2011, January 29). Colorado needs full-time leaders. Retrieved from http://www.denverpost.com/editorials/ci_17231076
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