Close Reading #4 - "And Now... Professor Gingrich" by Frank Bruni

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As the 2012 election draws nearer, the race for Republican nomination is as crazy as ever. In his article for the New York Times, Frank Bruni, discusses Newt Gingrich's recent ascent to the position of front-runner. Bruni's use of diction and detail make it clear that he is not a Gingrich supporter and doesn't take any of the Republican candidates seriously.
He uses diction brilliantly, picking words like "yahoos" to describe the Republican candidates, making it clear that he doesn't support any of them. He goes on to say that Republicans have tended to shy away from any sort of intelligence and intellectualism. He says that even the "less ridiculous" republicans in the recent elections have played "hide-the-degree", never mentioning their impressive backgrounds at Yale, Harvard, and the like. That's why he says that Gingrich's rise to the top is the "strangest". Suddenly, it seems Republicans are willing to overlook his "braininess" and his "ostentatious know-it-all" nature. He uses other negative words to describe Gingrich, making it clear he doesn't support this sudden rise in the polls. Words such as "pomposity" and "flamboyant" make Gingrich seem arrogant and words like "magically" and "abracadabra" make him seem silly.
Bruni's details also make the Republican party seem ridiculous. After calling the candidates "yahoos", he goes on to describe the recent flubs made in the last week. He highlights Bachmann's idea that we had an embassy in Iran and Perry's "delusion" that the voting age is 21, not 18. Details involving Gingrich's arrogance and pomposity are also effective in making the audience see that Bruni is not a Gingrich supporter. He includes many quotes by the candidate that highlight his "knowledge-flaunting", comparing him to the beans one would pick at a salad bar when there is no "baby shrimp" or "chicken strips". These details combined with the diction used by Bruni make it clear to the audience that he does not like Gingrich nor does he take any of this election's Republican candidates seriously.