Up Simba

After reading Up Simba, I was impressed by Wallace’s use of rhetoric, specifically his presentation of his ethos, and the representation of the political process especially the behind-the-scenes show. Even though Wallace mentions his position as a RS writer and the neutral position of the article, the most impressive focus for me was directed toward the online audience. He mentions “whether it works on your screen or Palm or not, for me the whole thing ended up relevant in ways far beyond any one man or magazine. If you don’t agree, I imagine you’ll have only to press a button or two and make it all go away.” He sets up his position, yes as a neutral writer, however he understands that this audience, the one willing to actually read through despite the distraction of a web browser or streaming, will adhere to the ideas he’s implanted in the article. The forward is an interesting element to the entire article. He already discusses very heavily in “Who Cares” whether “[you] even give a shit whether McCain can or ought to win.” The millennials, as this current generation is called, is one that has developed a dependence on the use of technology to learn whether it be politics, economics, and especially academic. Hence this demographic, this “generation who has cared less about politics and politicians than yours” , is composed of millennials, a group composed of digital technology users and as a rhetorical element to include this new audience was an interesting and strategic technique. Most importantly had I not found this article through this class and stumbled online, this foreword would’ve captured me. The inclusion of all the difficulties of the campaign trip as well as the definition of certain terms helped include the audience in the surreal world where you hit “the rack at 0130 and get up at 0600 and do it all again” merging in a progressive perspective where Wallace includes the audiences, depicts the main subject, reveals the background, and shows the “Negativity” that occurred – hoping we “stay awake” during the entire process.